Sourcing a venue for a corporate event can be a daunting task. This list makes your job a little easier. This post is a deep dive into highly-rated event venues in San Francisco, breaking them down by capacity, uniqueness, location, on-site resources, and what each is best for.
Since 2011, we’ve helped organizers create 5-star dining experiences that connect people better. From team building offsites and corporate events to milestone celebrations, we specialize in elevated experiences that go beyond the traditional dinner. Because connection doesn’t happen over boring meals.
In this section, we are going to explore the best options for a corporate event venue that can host 200+ guests.
The City View at Metreon is a beautiful event venue with epic views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. They have planners on staff to take care of every facet of the event, from audio/visual, to catering, to rentals and decor, and more.
Pro Tip: Your event can have an outdoor area when you add on the pocket park or triangle terrace, also at Metreon.
Best For: Galas and large conferences
Convene 100 Stockton is a contemporary event venue with seven distinct meeting spaces. It is conveniently located near ample public transit, and their dedicated on-site staff provides excellent hospitality and AV support.
Pro Tip: Be sure to take advantage of their hotel partners, who offer exclusive rates for companies renting the venue.
Best For: Large conferences and product launches
715 Harrison Street is a swanky event venue in Soma with multiple rooms, two dance floors, and three bars. The sound and lights system is state-of-the-art, ensuring any event here is photo-worthy and one hell of a party.
Pro Tip: Take advantage of this venue’s ability to offer you the “complete package” where their expert event planners take care of all the details.
Best For: Holiday parties and celebrations
Pier 27 is a contemporary private event venue that spans two stories and offers stunning views of the Bay Bridge and Coit Tower through floor-to-ceiling windows. The open concept design of the second floor makes this space incredibly versatile.
Pro Tip: Pier 27 is a true SF rarity in that there is ample parking onsite; take advantage!
Best for: Large conference
In this section, we are going to explore the corporate event venues that are a good fit for an event with >200 guests.
Mosaic at Three Embarcadero is a premium corporate event space in FiDi with three distinct meeting rooms, full AV support, and catering capabilities. For small events, take advantage of the Bay Room for 40, the Oak Room for 50, or the Redwood Room for 140.
Pro Tip: If you are a client of the Embarcadero Center, make sure to inquire about discounted rates.
Best For: Small conferences and presentations
The Box SF is a historic event venue in SoMa with unique corporate event spaces. All of the rooms here have a rustic, old-fashioned charm, and there are no food and beverage minimums, making this a venue a great value pick!
Pro Tip: If you book the Gate Room, you can hold your meeting around a table that is over 330 years old!
Best For: Small conferences
Digital Jungle is a high-tech corporate event venue in SoMa with a mainstage room for 250, 10 best rooms, and a workshop room for 40. If your event has many tech elements in play, this venue is more than capable of handling them.
Pro Tip: This venue has advanced live streaming capabilities, so it’s a great pick for an event that is going to be attended virtually as well as in person.
Best For: Presentations and virtual events.
Inject some zen into your next corporate event by renting out The Commons. This is a community space that can be rented out for corporate events and comes equipped with AV, sound, projection capabilities, and set-up/tear-down services.
Pro Tip: This space is a bit unorthodox for a buttoned-up corporate event, but it would be perfect for a wellness brand.
Best For: Wellness brand events and product launches
The convenience of having your event at a hotel cannot be understated, especially when folks are flying in to attend. This section highlights event venues that are attached to hotels.
The San Francisco Marriott Marquis is home to a freshly renovated events space with 68 total event rooms and a grand ballroom area that can fit 5,000 people. They have all the AV capabilities you could need, and reasonably priced in-house catering.
Pro Tip: The SF Marriott Marquis is a certified Green Business, so if sustainability is a part of your company’s mission, this hotel is a great partner for you!
Best For: Large conferences in the SoMa neighborhood
The Hilton San Francisco Union Square is the largest hotel in California, complete with 45 meeting rooms and a Continental Ballroom that seats 2,000. There is a 24-hour events team on staff here who will go above and beyond to ensure your event goes off without a hitch.
Pro Tip: The beautiful Cityscape Lounge has 360° views of the city and is a highlight of the event spaces on offer here.
Best For: Large conferences in the Union Square neighborhood
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco is an upscale hotel in FiDi that has 15 event spaces of various sizes. The waterfront views and phenomenal food on offer are the two standouts at this conveniently located hotel venue.
Pro Tip: The Regency Club Lounge is perfect for a 150-person luxury dining experience, complete with stunning views.
Best For: Large conferences on the beautiful Embarcadero
The St. Regis is a high-end hotel with beautiful event spaces, broken up into 10 event rooms, with the largest seating 400 guests. This is the most luxurious hotel with an event venue on this list, which means that every detail here will be attended to with the utmost care.
Pro Tip: Be sure to inquire about white glove service and custom event menus when booking.
Best For: High-end corporate events
Think museums, historic spaces, and unexpected locations; good for client entertainment.
The Melody of San Francisco is housed in the shell of an old church that has been transformed into a premier event venue. The high-arched ceilings and stunning stained glass windows are juxtaposed by a modern AV setup and advanced technological capabilities, making this a statement venue for corporate events.
Pro Tip: If you really want to stand out, see if you can get permission to have someone come in and play the 300-year-old pipe organ during the event.
Best For: Turnkey corporate events and product launches
The Exploratorium is an interactive museum on the Embarcadero with hundreds of unique exhibits and great views of the city. The imaginative environment makes for an original event where you can be as inventive as you please.
Pro Tip: Check out gallery bundle options to curate the perfect selection for your event.
Best For: Artsy corporate events or fundraising galas
At Oracle Park, you can host a corporate event anywhere— from the rival teams’ clubhouse, to the field, to a VIP suite! Renting out a suite for the night is a great way to talk shop while enjoying the game, but for a huge event, take to the field and make the most of its 1,000,000+ square feet.
Pro Tip: Request the Gotham Club & Gameroom for a chic event space with a Speakeasy-Style vibe.
Best For: VIP client events
Hold your corporate event at San Francisco’s most recognizable landmark, the Ferry Building! This location brings all the wow factor you could ask for, and you can choose between spaces like the illustrious Grand Hall, Port Heating Room with a view, or either of the outdoor plazas.
Pro Tip: You can book the Grand Hall and Port Hearing Room together to fit more guests at your event.
Best For: VIP events and galas
If you’re looking to host an executive dinner for 20–50 guests, we have excellent recommendations. Here we’ll be featuring our top 4, but be sure to check out our post on Coolest San Francisco Restaurants with Private Rooms for more.
Ernest is a market-driven Californian restaurant with a menu full of fun global flavors. The private room for 14 has all guests seated at the same table, where you will all enjoy a delicious 4-course tasting menu served family style.
Pro Tip: Ask the event staff about playing a curated playlist for your event; they’re very flexible!
Best For: Executive Dinner
Prelude is a Southern restaurant in the Mission offering a tasting menu that the Michelin Guide describes as having “hearty flavors tempered by an edge of refinement.” You can utilize their lush private dining room for 14 or book the cozy “Salon” for 28.
Pro Tip: This restaurant is in the beautiful Jay Hotel where you could put up guests for the night.
Best For: Executive dinner, or team building event
Quince is a 3-Michelin-Star contemporary California restaurant that serves a seasonal menu of meat and produce sourced from Fresh Run Farm. The private room for 18 is lush, with crystal glassware and table settings designed by local artisans, setting a mood of quiet opulence.
Pro Tip: This restaurant has also been awarded a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, so if your company is aligned with environmentalism, this spot is a great pick for your event.
Best For: Executive dinners
Acquellero has been serving homemade pasta and Italian sweets to satisfied customers since 1981. The private room here is a mix of cozy and upscale, with warm colors and soft lighting making you feel welcome in the space.
Pro Tip: The wine pairing is expensive ($185/person), but worth it!
Best For: Executive dinners
Sometimes a traditional event venue isn’t the right fit for the corporate event you’re envisioning. Here are some of our favorite alternatives!
An Avital Interactive Meal is your food and activity all-in-one, because traditional dinners are boring! You get a 4-course meal with 3 beverage pairings (alcoholic or N/A) and 3 fun foodie activities interspersed throughout the meal.
Pro Tip: We work with the best restaurants in SF, so be sure to inquire about our restaurant partners list.
Best For: Team building events and client entertainment
Take your corporate event to the streets of SF on a walking food tour! We offer pampered tours of North Beach, the Mission District, and Chinatown where you eat the equivalent of a four-course meal over the course of three hours, while an expert guide gives you insight into the neighborhood with quirky insider stories!
Pro Tip: We can handle all dietary restrictions, just let us know ahead of time!
Best For: Team building events and client entertainment
Make good use of the San Francisco Bay by hosting your corporate event on the water! Companies like Luxe Cruises specialize in corporate cruises and have special events managers who can help you achieve the goals of your event on the cruise.
Pro Tip: Ask about the Angel Island team building package.
Best For: Luxury client events
City View at Metreon, 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Convene 100 Stockton, O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
715 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Pier 27, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA, USA
Mosaic, Three Embarcadero Center, Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
The Box SF, Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Digital Jungle SF, Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
The Commons, Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Marriott Marquis, Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Hilton San Francisco Union Square, O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
The St Regis Hotel, 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
The Melody of San Francisco, Broadway, San Francisco, CA, USA
Exploratorium, Green Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Oracle Park, Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA, USA
Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA, USA
Ernest, Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Prelude, Battery Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Quince, Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA, USA
Acquerello, Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Once you’ve found the perfect venue, then comes the actual event activities and vendors. Here are our favorite SF vendors for corporate events.
Popcorn Seasoning Bar – Make your own savory or sweet popcorn seasoning, then package it up as a take-home gift
Cocktail Spice Rim Blending Bar – Blend a custom mix of spices, salts, and zests to create your own cocktail spice rim
Bitters Blending Bar – Learn the art and science behind making cocktail bitters, then bottle up your own creation to take home
Spiced Nut Mixing Bar – Choose from a variety of nuts, spices, and seasonings to craft your perfect nutty and savory snack
Water Tasting Bar – Learn how to distinguish the flavors in water as you would with fine wine at this interactive tasting bar
Hands-on Cocktail Bar – An expert host will teach you how to shake up a signature cocktail or mocktail when you book this hands-on experience
Tongue Twister Bar – Explore your taste buds as you push flavor boundaries with incredible activities and experiments, like flavor tripping and Sichuan buzz buttons.
If you’re looking to memorialize your event with photography and video, call up the folks at Shootday. They have 4.9-star reviews across the $5,000+ events they’ve recorded over the years.
Pump up the jams (and the adrenaline) at your event by hiring a DJ like those at Heart of Gold DJS. This company staffs all female+ DJs, and has a lot of experience spinning the tracks at corporate events.
A unique vendor that is getting traction is hiring a live painter for your event. Book an artist has a roster of creatives who will do everything from creating an oil painting of your event to drawing caricatures for clients.
You can rent out a fun-sized version of your favorite retro arcade games through Small Change Arcade. They’ve got nostalgic favorites like Frogger, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong, and so many more!
You might recognize Magical Katrina from Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” music video, or from Penn and Teller’s acclaimed magic show “Fool Us”. Clients love Magical Katrina’s signature style, which blends drama, mystery, whimsy, and comedy. She can make your CEO appear onstage in her stage show or run a magic workshop on Zoom for your team.
Avital Experiences has been hosting corporate events in San Francisco since 2011. If you’re looking for a dining event, our Interactive Meal is your meal, your activity, your venue AND your vendor, all in one.
If you already have a venue, but need an engaging activity or activation, check out our Interactive Bars. These are hands-on culinary stations where guests engage with quick, fun, foodie activities.
Avital Ungar is dining and restaurant expert and the founder of Avital Experiences. She has spent 15+ years designing dining experiences nationwide and has been featured in The New York Times, Shark Tank, Travel Channel, Bon Appétit, and more. Learn more
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Water Tasting Bar
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