Passport Magazine Online 11/01/2009
The Barber Lounge in San Francisco is a feast for the eyes, and a buffet for the body. The spacious layout with a blend of retro and modern furnishings and plentiful natural light makes you feel like you're entering someone's ultra-hip home, rather than a full-service salon. Greg Griffin, out owner of The Barber Lounge, says his "diversified staff allows a more diverse range of clients to feel at home in this space." Included in this multi-cultural staff you'll find an old school Italian barber, a Pacific Islander drag queen metal band drummer, a gay Latino hairdresser, a Brazilian bikini waxer, a couple of lesbians, a Fijian shaver, a Puerto Rican barber, and a hetero male Vietnamese "nail ninja." Oh yes, there is also Louie, an adorable French Bulldog who keeps an eye on things as he paces the hardwood floors in between naps. Old school barber services such as a mustache and beard trim ($15) and a Hot Towel Shave ($35) are available in a masculine alcove with traditional barber chairs. Nail care is provided in the back area of the loft, under Louie's watchful eye. Body treatments, facials, and spray tans are done in private rooms. The center of attention here is the large salon area, where you're apt to see every possible hair service being done at any one time. Throughout the loft, walls are lined with works by local artists, as the full-service lounge sometimes doubles as an art party gallery. Whatever your beauty needs, The Barber Lounge likely offers what you're looking for. This is not a day spa setting, however, so what you won't find are showers or steam and sauna facilities, a slight drawback for massages, but this is the one place in town where a Leather Daddy can proudly walk in for an Express Mani/Pedi (60 min, $50) and a Head and Face Shave ($65) without being judged. - Joseph Schmitt
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