Although the Belvedere is a bit divey and funky it's still a fun place to add on your bar hopping list.
The door guys take their job super seriously so don't try and bring a fake ID or pull any tricks. They'll ask you questions like 'how's it like being a Virgo?" When you are really an Aries.
Inside, it's dark and crowded. The drink here are heeeeeavy pour. I think that's a plus because I want my money's worth. But just a heads up for those who aren't trying to get too buzzed!
Pool and air hockey are both available for a dollar a game. I love air hockey and pool is a work in progress. It's great having something to do at a bar rather than just standing around :)
It is the best (non dancing) just straight up traditional bar in town. It's got class, good mixed crowd, great service. Eric the bartender is great!
The atmosphere is good. Pool tables, juke box, places to sit, outdoor seating. Pizza joint upstairs called Joey's
Good selection of drinks. Good drink mix. Well run place.
I like this place.
The door guys take their jobs too seriously- I stopped remembering my 'sign' a few years ago-besides it's changed now, right?
It's one of those comfortable, easy, unpretentious places that you sort of return to without meaning to.
The women's bathroom is tiny, dank, and in need of some lysol.
Only bar I've ever been to where I heard HIM and then Queen back to back- my drinks at the time told me that was awesome!
Caveat emptor: this is not my scene.
I have to give the Belvedere major ups for being the classiest, cleanest, and definitely most popular of the dive bar trifecta in this general vicinity. The street corner of College and Mendocino definitely offers some unique options; it's like the Northern California alcoholic version of a Cosmo quiz. Which dive bar suits YOUR personality?
The bouncers out front were very friendly, so we (my bro, Paisa Alex, the FK and myself) walked in with very high hopes. We were hoping to meet up with some friends that we never actually found, but we decided to stay and take in the scene anyway.
It took ENTIRELY too long to get served. Granted there were a number of people, but I would hardly call it 'full.' There's a large anteroom with pool tables and a patio outside, and then there's this strangely large circular-shaped bar -- sort of -- that we gravitated toward and found some seats at. Our drinks were really -- REALLLLLY -- strong, which is a plus, and after we seated ourselves the bartenders were super cool and attentive. I don't know. It just felt too... nice? I'm not sure how to describe my sentiments exactly.
It's definitely got classier and more hip clientele than the other places across the way, but... I dunno, maybe I'm just not classy or hip enough. I for sure didn't feel welcome by the other 'regulars' -- it's not that I search for that validation, because I don't, but -- I don't know for sure, I think it's a chill spot but not one that I would call my dive bar home. A-OK.
Oh, The Belvedere. Often the last stop on a bar crawl in downtown Santa Rosa (if you can get in), or a place to get a few drinks on a random Monday or Tuesday night. It great for what it is: cheap drinks, pool, jukebox, and likelihood of running into friends, co-workers, or high school classmates. The drinks are cheap, pours are heavy, and the bartenders are awesome.
Review Source:This is my favorite bar to hang out at in Santa Rosa. The drinks are affordable and the employees are all very friendly. The patio in the back is great to hang out on nice days (even if it is a bit smoky). One thing that I love is that Joey's, The restaurant upstairs, takes orders in the bar and is open late. I always crave food when I drink.
Review Source:Five stars because this has to be the best bar Santa Rosa has to offer. Â I grew up here before I was of drinking age and then moved. Â Since returning and trying most of the bars for a 20 something like myself this one is just above all the rest. Â Good drinks in a cool atmosphere with an outside to smoke. Â That's pretty much the deal.
Review Source:The Belvedere is my favorite bar in Sonoma County...even California maybe. I lived in Los Angeles  for several years and yearned for a place as awesome as this. The outdoor patio is a definite draw. In the winter time, they have lights in all the windows and in the trees and it's really pretty.
My friends and I don't go out much anymore (getting old sucks) but when we do, we only go here.
The blonde bartender that the poster under me called retarded is amazing and, most assuredly, NOT rude OR retarded. Then other bartenders are always super friendly and helpful with drink suggestions. The Bel is best on weekdays, as on weekends it can get INSANELY busy (which is all the more reason the bartenders are awesome....they basically babysit scores of drunk assholes all night) and often has a long line to get in...but it's just more proof that this is the place to be.
Being new to Santa Rosa, I haven't fully 'experienced' all of what the local bar scene has to offer, but the Belvedere is definitely my favorite bar in town.
The staff has always been very friendly, the bartenders are great & the drinks are relatively cheap.
I'm a big fan of the whole 'dive bar' feel of it. A place where you can go, play a game of pool & have a beer without feeling cramped in a room (well, usually..)
I love this place & plan on visiting more often.
Head upstairs for family-friendly dining from the same menu. Â I spent a lot of time at the bar many years ago and never even knew there was a restaurant upstairs!
The food was really good. Â I had the Chicken Pasta Carbonara. Â The Belvedere Bread with dipping sauce was wonderful. Â Other in my party had the steak sandwich, a cheeseburger, and the salmon. Â All said their food was great. Â Same menu and cook as downstairs, but with a quieter, family-friendly atmosphere.
The crowd here is a cross between the Renaissance Fair and the dorks who sat alone in the high school cafeteria.
However, they have fantastic beer, the service is good, the bar is unique and it is inexpensive. Â
Great place to start. Â Lots of ugly people to look at.
The bouncers take themselves WAY to seriously. Â Chill out guys....my ID is real.
What really stinks is that I only finally went to Gary's about a month before moving away from NorCal.
What a great dive!
Staff is friendly and the atmosphere is all fun.
As you 'round' the bar, there is a great photo/mural of Santa Rosa. The bar is wood w/ pillars and every seat has a great view of what the artender is up to or some manner of zoo-life unfolding in the bar.
You can find most anything your heart desires on the jukebox and the bartenders aim to please (read: will help you find your right drink for the night AND treat you good) - take care of em and they'll look after you.
This place is conducive to more fun and more drink and you wont want t o leave ... my advice is to think ahead on your transportation so you can concentrate on having fun.
The Belvedere was my regular hangout and second home for quite a few years. Â I started hanging out at the Belvedere about seven or eight years ago back when Chuck and Ester owned the bar. Â Gary came in and cleaned the bar up a couple of years ago. Â Repainted, got rid of some staff and added a few new people.
The staff at the Bel is top notch. Â The bouncers are friendly but serious about their jobs. Â Don't bother trying to get in without a valid photo ID. Â The bartenders are all great. Â The security staff is friendly and professional.
The drinks are a stiff pour at a reasonable price. Â They have a large selection of beer but none on tap.
The outdoor patio is a great place to hangout and the heaters keep is comfortable even in the winter. Â
The crowd is unpretentious and the reason I became a regular at the bar. Â There can be a bit of a clique but there are some great characters to meet. Â It's a comfortable crowd.
The restaurant is great. Â Everything on the menu is good with my favorites being the cajun chicken pasta, the chicken ravioli, the chicken sandwich and the buffalo burger. Â The garlic bread with dipping sauce is fantastic.
It's Santa Rosa's version of Cheers...
This is, hands down, my favorite Santa Rosa bar. The bar is the street level part of a converted Victorian, which is just as cool as it sounds, with an outside patio (with heaters in the winter) where you smokers can get your cancer on. The second story is the restaurant, where you can sit and eat, or simply have your food cooked and delivered to you in the bar. Even farther up are apartments.
The Bel is a fantastic ambiance. There are the requisite pool tables (five of 'em), an air hockey table, one of those internet juke boxes, and plenty of space to sit and hang out with your friends. The bartenders are first rate, and will never do you wrong. Trisha and Eric, especially, are great-- very nice people and quick, efficient bartenders. Miss Trish pours a strong drink-- always a plus. While the good things about this place survived Gary's purchase, the bad things (and people) did not, so if you haven't been back since it changed hands, it's time to try it again.
Now, the food. The food is so good! I have NEVER had a meal there that hasn't been fabulous, nor have I ever heard anyone I know having anything less than a stellar meal there. The prices are excellent and the servers are so sweet (Johnny is the best!). You cannot have a bad time eating here, and it's so convenient to eat here before heading down to the bar.
Now, a few disclaimers:
if you want a beer on tap, this isn't the place for you. They serve liquor and bottles of beer, which I find just fine. The selection is excellent, and I've never been disappointed with a drink there. As long as you're not a douchebag, you'll do just fine. If you're going to be rude, go somewhere else, because the staff won't put up with it (and why should they?)
If you're a jock type looking to be a douche or a sorority girl looking to dance, take your lame ass to Seven or some other crap club/bar. The Bel is a mellow place to kick back and relax with your friends, not a place for your drama. You're more likely to find jeans and mohawks here than you are to find collared shirts or techno, which IS A GOOD THING.
Come to the Bel to eat or to chill out with your friends and talk to people, it's worth it every time. We closed this bar down after my wedding, which is the ultimate compliment I could think for a bar. The Dirty Bird sucks now, but the Bel is better than ever. You might have to wait in line to get in, as they reach maximum capacity pretty often, but it's worth it, and the sheer number of people wanting to be there should tell you something,
Staff is great! The bartenders are always super friendly, and they guys at the door too. This is rare is Santa Rosa (with all the a-holes that work at CANTINA, Tex, Seven, etc.)
I LOVE the atmosphere, I love being able to smoke ciggs outside with my drink and sit under a heater if its a chilly night...
I love the low ceilings and the chairs on the north end of the bar.
I haven't eaten here yet, but one of the guys I know who works there says I have to try it so I will update when I do...
I've been going here for years and always had a good time. This is a bar I've recommended for people to go to if they are in town and looking for a cool atmosphere, fair priced drinks, and at times a good amount of people to talk to.
I've always enjoyed the staff, drinks, pool tables, and outside area. The one thing you will find with this location is it's a locals spot so you will see someone you know from some aspect of your life.
It can be great for some co-workers to go to after work and it's also fun to grab a quick drink at before hitting some other locations. To those who are reading, don't hesitate to go. It's not a dive bar, a pricey bar, or even pretentious. It's just the Belvedere - kinda like a "Cheers" for Santa Rosa.
Have Fun
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It is so funny that I was reading people calling this place a dive bar, but actually now that I think about it that is exactly what this place is. Â It actually seems kind of fancy from the outside. Â It can also get confusing when you have security screening people and making people take off there hats. Â WTF. Â A dive bar with a dress code? Â The drinks are dive bar drinks dead on average. Â A lot of people here seemed focused on getting hammered, particularly on the weekends.
Review Source:This is only for the bar
For a dive bar it's fine. You don't come here expecting to get great drinks. They don't have beer on tap and most of their drinks are tiny. Granted, you're paying very little.
It's fine for hanging out with friends and having some drinks but if you like good drinks and quality beer then this isn't the place.
To start the bartender Keith made my drinks the way I wanted. I usually order custom drinks and he was very accommodating. The early crowd was the usually after-shifters getting their buzz on but around 8 pm the night life started arriving. Both crowds were pleasant. The only downfall was it took almost an hour to get my dinner when I ordered in the bar. The good thing was they comped my meal and my first three drinks!! (sweet!).....so I had two more. I had dinner, and got drunk for $20.
I went on a Tuesday
After almost 10 years of frequenting (read getting drunk at) this fine establishment, I've never actually had dinner here... until tonight!
I had to try the cheeseburger because a couple of friends stress that they are absolutely the best in town. I'm not sure about that yet but they are indeed very good -- certainly rivaling Super Burger and other great burger joints.
The patty was the perfect size (although slightly overcooked), the lettuce was fresh and the bun was also great. However, I must admit that the absence of pickles was somewhat disconcerting.
I also had fries which I ordered "extra crispy" and sure enough, they were perfectly golden brown and delicious! And crinkle-cut, which was definitely a nice surprise.
I'll do my best to go back before another decade passes!
My girl and I had a drink here a few Friday nights ago, then we left. Â
  As we drove past it looked quaint, like it may have had a bit of character, some good music, possibley a place to relax, maybe even ( god forbid ) find an interesting conversation with a local in the know. Â
  This is where I tell you that I could write this review about any bar in this silly town, and that this experience has been general in nearly every bar to which I have been in any of the North Bay "cities." Â
    ***Also to any non-local using Yelp to find a good "dive bar" to fit the above mentioned criteria NOTE: the use of the term in most all reviews concerning NorCal county bars I have read in no way represents what the term means in a metro setting or anywhere else in the world I have been.  To the best of my understanding and experience the term "dive bar" in this area means something like "terrible music, vehemently anti-intellectual people, perfunctorily dirty and run down setting, sad, bereft of any drinking class."
We sat down at the bar near ( you can never be too far away ) a group of 40 something TRASHED lot lizards, one was completely in tears, the others were gawking and graveling about...who cares. Â
The jukebox was playing a Shania Twain remix, I asked to be medicated, I received a drink. Â
 The female demographic entirely consisted of Full-Queen size midnight mattresses.  There was a few wrangler-lads, a few fat tough guys with Chinese characters and/or old-english tattoos, and a couple dudes who looked like they were also on their first and last drink. Â
  From what I could tell the bar's layout itself wasn't all that bad, although the black lights in the back beer pong room made me sad.  The outside area looked like a nice place to relax if it wasn't sequestered by the Fred Durst fan club meeting there that night, one of which was yelling " I just got out of jail, again!"
Good for you Fred.
I ordered a chicken fajita wrap and asked for mustard instead of ranch dressing. Â The mustard was so strong that I was literally choking! Â When I asked them to make another one without the rancid mustard, they did, and made me pay for a second wrap. Â So my lunch cost me $23 for a truly mediocre wrap. Â
I'm saddened that the food is so horrible, because the mansion is gorgeous, and perhaps we could have another place similar to Ca' Bianca.
3.5 really.
The Belvedere will always hold a special place in my heart, simply because it was our fall back when we didn't know what else to do. And it is easily the best of the dive trifecta if only for the back patio. I really like the back patio. Unfortunately, so does everyone else so it gets quite crowded. But this is the kind of place where if it existed in San Francisco it would be over run by hipsters and douche bags in a hot second and therefore cease to be cool.
Happily, the majority of people in this town who go out to dive bars like this are real white trash or at least bordering on it and so this bar and others like it continue to be real and truly divey.
Part of me loves the fact that you have to wait in a orderly line to get a drink. But it also is a testament to their bartenders that they either don't want to work their ass off or they aren't good enough to do so without fucking up. Nevertheless I have always gotten decent service here.
There are also pool tables which was the main attraction whenever my friends came here. It just bored me stiff waiting for them.
All in all a good time.
Ahhh the Belvedere. The bar is in an old Victorian house, its dark, the bar is great and the inside is way cool. I liked going here for cocktail when i got the chance. Â The cocktails are great, the price is right and the atmosphere and divey like i like it.
They have pool tables inside and good outdoor seating too. If you like cool local joints id day go check it out and have a drink.
I can be comfortable in upscale lounges, underground dives, and everything in between. Since the passing of my beloved barcode, I have sought and found solace in Gary's at The Belvedere.
It should be known, that if you are a local, The Belvedere got new ownership in the summer of '07, and is NOT the place it was before. It's been cleaned up, but not to the point it lost it's... cozy nature. Also, a few bartenders that once poured, pour no longer. All of these are good things.
The bartenders are the reason to go. Every single night, there are competent, friendly, and FAST bartenders. Drinks are reasonably priced if not cheap, and for the people who need to "do something" while they drink, there are five pool tables, air-hockey, and a video game thing at the bar. The outdoor patio is large, heated, equipped with speakers from the jukebox inside, and unless the place has a line at the door, you can always find a place to sit.
Extensive bottled beer selection, and all the usual cocktails and liquors available. Don't think about showing up without ID, as there is security at the door starting at 9pm every night, and they are serious. Good people, but serious. And, if you show up after 9pm on a Friday or Saturday, expect a 10 minute wait at the minimum.
[UPDATE - The Belvedere is now serving lunch and dinner! And... they've got the best burger in town. It was once at Barleycorn's but now it's at the Belvie. Things are always getting better...]
This place has great beers and is divey-ish without not being so much so. I love how eclectic it is as far as the crowd and the decor itself is strangely charming. Plenty of pool tables, a heated patio, and air hockey!
Just watch out for the slopes in the floor or you'll trip and I'll probably laugh at you.
When I clicked "Write a Review," I was about to start hatin' on the "Belvy," but then I had to ask myself why I spent enough time there in my NoCal days to have such a strong reaction. It's not the bar; it's just that suburban 20-somethings (inevitable in Santa Rosa's non-divorcee bars) are annoying.
The staff are great (if sometimes a bit crabby), they have good beers, and you can get kicked out of this place in no time flat. It's well-known that they 86'ed a certain 90's sitcom star when she was in town filming a movie. They have a stringent "no cursing" rule and I almost got tossed for putting money on the pool table. These idiosyncrasies, which were annoying when I was in my mid-twenties, make for great stories nowadays. It was great last summer to be back in town and experience yet again their "no exceptions" id'ing policy.
If you live in Santa Rosa, like to shoot a little pool, and don't mind some silly rules or frat-boy stupidity (hence the rules?), you have to visit the Belvy.
For the ambiance alone I will love this place forever.
It's the coolest bar made in the lower level of an old ass victorian house. Â The inside is amazing. Â The outside is super tits. Â They have those heater things and tables as far as the eye can see. Â And what's Desi's most favie thing in the world? Â OUTSIDE smoking where you can bring your drinks too. Â And here you don't have to get cold. Â At least not too cold. Â Also they got air hockey and pool. Â And it's just cool.
Pretty interesting place. Â Clearly some rich bastard's basement from decades ago.
Good bottles beer selection, good service, and the bartenders have been great every time I've been here.
The crowd can get a little bit frat-like, but if you sit on the other side of the bar you can hang out comfortably and laugh at the upside-down backwards visors while enjoying the company of your own friends and the bartender. Â Nice patio, too.
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