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Alter Ego Cocktail Club, San Jose, CA

Alter Ego Cocktail Club

4.7
4.7
66 Reviews
$50 and over
Lounge

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Romantic
  • Good for special occasions
A dimly lit mysterious cocktail lounge tucked behind the curtain of the vinyl bar, Still O.G., boasting a diverse array of delicious and methodically prepared small plates in addition to wildly imaginative and carefully crafted cocktails.

Small plate offerings include dishes such as steak tartare with puffed rice served in a perilla leaf, Spanish octopus al pastor that is confit then fried and served alongside caramelized pineapple puree and pineapple salsa, and the namesake Alter Ego egg.

The diverse cocktail menu features 16 signature cocktails such as the Kyushu Coffee, a blend of Shochu, black coffee and kuromitsu topped with a black sesame foam or the Buster and Babs; a Rum and Brandy based milk punch inspired by the flavors of carrot cake served in a decanter with glassware for 2.

A seated experience with tableside service in an intimate space, reservations and walk-ins both accepted, although reservations are highly recommended.

ID required (21+ & up only)

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Lounge, Tapas / Small Plates, Contemporary American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue, Wed, Sun 17:00–00:00 Thu–Sat 17:00–02:00
  • Phone number
    (408) 703-2084
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Roberto Mendoza
  • Area
    San Jose
  • Cross Street
    1st Street
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Wine

Experiences

  • New Years Eve Prix Fixe (6:00pm to 8:00pm)

    US$250.00 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Start your New Year's Eve night with the Alter Ego experience. Hidden in the back of the vinyl listening lounge Still OG, Executive Chef Roberto Mendoza and Beverage Director Ryan Ota present a unique gastronomic journey. Tasting menu is a prix fixe menu for the evening with a set of beverage pairings complimenting each dish. Please join us for this one of a kind experience. Space is limited, do not miss out and reserve your spot now!
    New Years Eve Prix Fixe (6:00pm to 8:00pm) photo
  • New Years Eve Toast Prix Fixe (9pm to 12:30am)

    US$295.00 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Start the New Year off with the Alter Ego experience. Hidden in the back of the vinyl listening lounge Still OG, Executive Chef Roberto Mendoza and Beverage Director Ryan Ota present a unique gastronomic journey. We offer a prix fixe menu for the evening with a set of beverage pairings complimenting each dish. Space is very limited and you will want to not miss out on this, so make sure to reserve a spot now! Very few places allow you to avoid the crowded bars and lines during New Years Eve. Guarantee yourself a spot to bring the new year in with class!
    New Years Eve Toast Prix Fixe (9pm to 12:30am) photo

What 66 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Jose / Silicon Valley

    Best Ambience

  • San Jose / Silicon Valley

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Alter Ego Cocktail Club is a vibrant San Jose hotspot, renowned for its "expertly crafted cocktails" and lively atmosphere. Patrons love the "fantastic atmosphere and service," while the "culinary secret hot spot" delights with unique flavors. Despite occasional service hiccups, it's a must-visit for creative drinks and a chic ambiance.

66 Reviews
  1. Kathleen

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    They were very accommodating in allowing two of our separate reservations to sit together (although we would’ve been fine if we couldn’t). We really appreciated they were able to make that happen so we could enjoy our time as a group. Drinks, as always, were unique and high quality. We tried some of the holiday drinks; they were good, as well. Food is still overpriced and fine. Service overall was good, and we had a good experience!

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  2. Chi

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Whoever was in the front told us to get in line and we waited 20' in line with the walkins despite having a reservation, then when we get to the front of the line they led us to the host? We couldn't do that first...? Interesting business operation.

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  3. Armando

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had an amazing time last night at Alter Ego. My girlfriend and I had reservations and we enjoyed great drinks and I tried the halibut. The cauliflower puree was delicious. The decor is so nice and the staff was great. I'm in a wheelchair and everything was accessible. We ill definitely be back.

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  4. Yvonne

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 9 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service. Excellent craft cocktails. Tasty food. Definitely try the potatoes and the halibut!!

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolute favorite cocktail bar in San Jose! every time we go, we bring someone new — we want to share the great experience!

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  6. Alven

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Alter Ego is a speakeasy with a lively atmosphere, creative food, and expertly crafted cocktails. The menu is a delightful mix of unique flavors that make every dish an experience, and the drinks are just as creative, perfectly complementing the overall vibe. However, the service was a bit off during our visit. One of our party members waited over 30 minutes for their cocktail, which was a bummer in an otherwise great evening. Despite the hiccup, Alter Ego is worth checking out for its bold culinary offerings and memorable drinks. With a bit more attention to detail on service, it could easily be a 5-star experience. Overall, a solid 4 stars!

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  7. Ben

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Drinks and bites are good, bordering on very good. Everything seems a bit soulless though. A little “trying too hard”. It’s not haute cuisine, although it really pretends to be. Drinks are interesting, but not necessarily something I’d think about the next day, let alone crave. I think I’ll be back, if only for lack of options in San Jose. But the need for reservations makes it less likely it’ll be a spot worth returning again and again.

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  8. Preet

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Drinks and food was on point. Service & hospitality was impeccable, will be back to enjoy again

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  9. david

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went for a date night and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Bread, octopus, caviar, and scallops were all excellent. The quail al pastor was a little disappointing but the service, atmosphere, outstanding cocktails and service more then made up for it. Will absolutely be back for another date night soon.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ordered the scallops and quail Al pastor Scallops pretty good, but missing and acidic element, they bring it out a as a whole squash but remove half (pre cut) to reveal the insides, a fruitless gimmick that is not very stimulating and happens in a moment. It’s also just like 4 scallops with a creamy sauce. Squash itself soft but not seasoned so when scooping it doesn’t add to anything, all on a whole cup of uncooked rice. Seems like they waste a LOT of rice. Quail al pastor was 6 bites size extremely chewy pieces of COLD fowl, that was not seasoned. Had some diced pineapple but it wasn’t ripe, just tasted acidic and citrusy. Sauces on top were okay, no spice to them either. Super underwhelming dining experience that I couldn’t even call epicurean faire. They’re playing at something fancy but they don’t have the skills to execute the vision it seems, and for a new restaurant they really gotta be doing good to keep people coming in, as of late alter ego and still OG have been pretty sparsely visited. The drinks on the other hand are super good and inventive. Overall I don’t think I’ll be trying the food here a third time

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FAQs

Alter Ego Cocktail Club is rated 4.7 stars by 66 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Alter Ego Cocktail Club

66 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113-2406

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    1st Street
  • Area
    San Jose
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue, Wed, Sun 17:00–00:00 Thu–Sat 17:00–02:00
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Lounge, Tapas / Small Plates, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Roberto Mendoza
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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