The best part about my VAULT days was that I always got in for free :)
My good friends were bouncers here and it was always a plus to know people in places like this... Not just for my protection, but because they were aways accomodating to my needs...
I had one of my birthdays here and it was pretty awesome.
Nice venue for sure- very lavish....
Love it!
No cover! Â
I've always liked the architecture of the place. Stairs and high ceilings. it doesn't look like a high school gym (ahem Pearl) and super empty because everyone is clustered near the back. Â
The main floor is usually house, which I hate. They have a tiny room in the back for hip hop, but it's always packed.
Yes, Dtown SJ doesn't have the best night clubs but this is one of the worst clubs I've ever been to. Â I've been here twice & don't really plan on coming back.
It's funny that they are very "VIP" on the outside with the promoters dressed in nice suits etc b/c once you step inside the club, you know you've been fooled. Can I say SAUSAGE FEST??? Yes, yes I can.
There's no "dance floor" really, it's crowded and uncomfortable. Not crowded b/c there's tons of people and it's cracking, it's just lack of space, downstairs and upstairs. Not so friendly services either: from promoter to bouncer to bartender to coat check person...blah
When you've gone to a club and have found you enjoy talking to the woman working in the bathroom more than the clientele, you know you've made a bad decision in coming.
Clubs in San Jose are not the best anyway, but I wanted to like this one since a handful of my friends keep getting VIP there. I have no idea what anything costs because the tables usually had booze provided, but the drinks were strong. The music was typical club music. I've spent most of my visits there sitting on the sofas, though, because I was just having blah times when I went.
It's too bad because the building is a cool concept. It was an old bank, hence "The Vault." But to be honest, it'd be better to admire the building from the outside rather than the inside. You'll probably enjoy yourself more.
I rarely go to Vault, but whenever I do I usually have a good time.
$20 (the usual amount on most weekend nights) is definitely way too much to pay for cover at this place. I would pay no more then $10, and that's only if the party is poppin'!
The crowd here is a little bit older then the people who go to Pearl, Wet, etc. Â Which basically means less thugs haha. Drinks aren't the cheapest, but they are priced fairly with mixed drinks and shots being around $9. Patron and Hennessy shots are $12, which is about the same as everywhere else. And the bartenders are decent, I complained about the drink being too weak one time, and the girl gave me a new one which was nice of her.
I think I'm being generous right now with 4 stars, but maybe its because I was here on Halloween a couple nights ago, and had a bomb ass time!
Horrible horrible horrible. I hate this place. It has a nice structure and there is a cool old style lounge behind a door but other than that, this place sucks.
PROBLEMS INCLUDE:
*Sausage fest - you think that a club that is filled with 70% guys would let in more women but no. I had already gained entry and had a stamp to be let in. I was outside to get my two girlfriends in who were dressed scantily clad. Bouncers wouldn't let them in despite it being a sausage fest.
*Really dumb bouncers - A bouncer started yelling at the crowd because trying to differentiate between the people who were trying to get in and the people who have already been admitted, went outside for a smoke, and is trying to get back in is too difficult for them.
Oh, and if you go outside on their "patio" to smoke, you can't go back in the way you came out. You have to go to the front and line up with all the other stamped people to get back in. Oh, and their patio is just a parking lot that is roped off.
*Owner doesn't know how to run his business - So we were part of a large group that rented out the entire place. We had over 200 people confirmed on our guest list. On the day of the event, the owner reneged the drink special price. And despite informing him that there was going to be a mass of people, there was a complete shortage of bartenders.
Now known as Area 81, it's a large two-story night club with bar service on both floors for all the drinkers. The entire top floor is devoted to dancing right next to the DJ booth.
Professionally, the new owners/general managers are such genteman and take pride in providing the best service for all of their clients in a timely manner.
Ok people are probably going to say "wtf 4 stars.. blahblahblalh" but to be perfectly honest... Vault is one of those places that (in my opinion) people don't visit that often. I assume it has its regulars like all places but I probably come here about once a year. Now I don't think I can come here more than once a year but the times I do come here I have a REALLY good time. Its never really crowded crowded. You get a different crowd then you would at Wet, Motif, Vivid (or I guess Pearl now).. The crowd here seems more mature, less rowdy but still a lot of fun. The bouncers are not douches like all the other places in downtown, the bartenders know their stuff and there is nice lounge-y seats on the bottom floor.
The only bad thing is the 'dance floor' on the top level. I think they should flip the club around and have the dance floor on the bottom level and leave the top floor to the lounge-ness but oh well.
Overall I think everyone should try this place. Its so much better in my opinion than pearl, motif, wet or even loft.
(but then again.. i rarely go here.. maybe the times I did come here they just did exceptionally well..)
I should give this place 2.5 stars. I normally give clubs 3 stars because there is no such thing as a perfect club. Something is always a miss. There are some things that I did like about this place. Coming in after guestlist meant a short line that moves fast. They don' t hold the line since they know they are getting your money. Easy parking from the garage across the street. Its only 3 bucks at night. Way better than a $280 parking ticket in san francisco. They music was decent with some decent mixing. Lots of old school 90s flavor.
What I didn't like was the fact that it was 20 bucks to get in. For this place? The drinks were your standard pricing but they were mixed horrible. It seems they just slammed all the ingredients together in the name of speed. I'll stick to shots next time. This was one of the most diverse crowd that I have seen in the bay in a long time. White, black , asian , latino all represented. However, that night was mainly stacked with a large portion of indian and middle eastern crowd in there later 20s.
I think i'm done with this place. Its a solid venue but it just doesn't bring the heat.
It was my first time clubbin' in San Jose plus it's my cousin Mee-J's  birthday.  So when she told us that she was throwing her bday at a club. We couldn't pass that opportunity up.  As we entered she told us how this club used to be a bank, hence the name VAULT... the vault was actually in one of the rooms or something.
My cousin is actually a promoter so she had her own private backroom and dj's. Â It was pretty cool, i didn't pay for any of the drinks since my cousin-in-law offered us drinks while he was sorta intoxicated. There was a mix crowd of people from young heads to the older people. The music all over the club was cool. They had an upstairs with a bar and there was a flat screen tv as well. Not too crowded, plenty of bars to buy drinks from.
Overall, great music, great crowd, just a tad bit cramped, but hey it's my first time clubbin' with my cousin, some of the fam, and at a San Jo club/ lounge...GOOD experience!
Till next time-- i've got money in the bank...haha.
4 stars because I'm feeling generous, and I want to give all the praise to George and his fellow bartenders, who were so great to us last night. While I was there early in the evening for a private party, and can't base this off of what it's like later in the night, I can say that there's something awesome about this space in a weird Playboy mansion/murder-mystery house sort of way. It used to be a bank back in the day, and they converted one of the old vaults into a dark room where it seems like orgies or something shady is going on inside.
There's a small room underneath the staircase, which is probably an office or storage room, and there are mirrors on the walls outside of it. My bf was convinced they were 2-way mirrors and decided to moon one. I'm pretty sure he only exposed himself to innocent bystanders nearby.
So, the space itself is pretty cool, and I could totally see it as a perfect spot for a masquerade party, but more like an "Eyes Wide Shut" one. I admit, I've driven/walked by Vault plenty of times, peeked in and just kept walking. It's really not my type of scene.
Like I said, kudos to George and the bartenders there, who made our $10 GG shots worth every dollar. We had 4 shots each, so you can guestimate my level of soberness.
The owner recently contacted me, politely asking me to try the Vault again and experience the type of service they provide. It did not want me to return, but it did make me reconsider my original rating of one star.
My first review was a bit harsh, but in the end, I stand by everything I said. I was knocking how much it costs to get in, buy a drink, and pretty much enjoy yourself. My idea of a fun evening does not include rubbing elbows with tools, being ignored by girls with too much make up on, losing my hearing, and wasting $100 at the bar.
But as much as I do not enjoy going to the Vault, I will admit they have stellar service. You just have to pay a lot of money to experience it.
Back in 2004, I was a part of a bottle service group in the Red Room. Not sure how much was charged, but my portion was $40. There was at least 12 to 15 of us in there. You do the math. Regardless of the cost, the service was excellent.
Back in 2005, I was a part of bottle service near the entrance. It was a terrible location for a table and bottle service as the ladies in our group were freezing (from the open door). But the service was once again stellar.
So in the end, I will raise the score 1-star for the excellent service (that you need to pay extra to experience). The place still has overpriced drinks and has a terrible layout where it is hard to sit and "lounge."
So what exactly is "ultra" about this place besides the prices?
Okay, maybe I'm just not "Ultra Lounge" material. Â I get that. Â But I honestly went to Vault with an open mind, and I have no idea, no idea what on earth was "Ultra" about this place.
I'd been wanting to check out the inside for a while because it looks interesting from the outside. Â So, a couple of Saturdays ago we went the to celebrate a friend's birthday. Â We paid $20 to get in. Â And for what? Â I don't know. Â The friends had ordered VIP service but every bottle on the table was empty except for the orange juice. Â This was probably our friends' fault...I guess they were supposed to order more, I don't know. Â So we paid way too much for a bottle of beer and a gin & tonic and watched about 6 people dance to undanceable music for the remainder of the night.
I took a few walks around the club to try and figure out what I was missing and why they'd charged us $20 and I was at a loss. Â I found a little private room that had nobody in it, but that was it. Â What a damned ripoff. Â At first I was thinking maybe it wasn't any fun because the music was just okay and there was nobody in the club. Â Then I figured out that there was nobody in the club because everyone else had just already figured out Vault's little scam and saved their money for something more worthwhile.
Vault? No thanks!
Since it was a dead night for the most part, the bouncer wasn't crazy enforcing the dress code. Â But the BFMG (message me if you would like to know what that stands for) working the guest list at the door needs to check her attitude. $20 admission? Â On a dead night? Â Are you fucken serious? Â $10 admission on the guest list on a dead night? Â Are you fucken kidding me?
To the bartenders-- Sure, you guys were really nice. Â But hey, I realize it's up to your discretion what to charge folks for your drinks. Â But don't tell me it's $18 if you're going to charge me $20 for it. Â Especially on a dead night when I was clearly sober enough to catch it. Â
I'll give them a little bit of credit though,the crowd knows how to act right. Â For the most part at least.
Vault was lucky that the bouncer didn't enforce the dress code and that the only reason why my boyfriend and I was there was to support our friend's clothing line launch.
**************UPDATE 1/27/09***********************
I will give an official update over the next couple of weeks, but for now, I had to up my rating from 1star to 2.  Business owners that care about their business and their customers?  Nowadays those types are rare, but  because of their great ownership and management, I'd be willing to give them another shot.
Also, I was a bit rough during my first review. Â Especially after having experienced the shittiest of shittiest service at another establishment, it really makes me appreciate the good that this place has to offer.
GHETTO TO THE MAXO.
It if wasn't for Donald Glaude last night, you wouldn't catch me in this mofo.
How considerate of the so-called "owner" to bring us in front of the line and we still had to pay $10 cover. Downtown SJ hospitality at its finest.
It looks big, but it's rather small. There are 3 bars, one in the front, back, and upstairs. Bartenders are good for the most part and there was no real hassle with the bouncers BUT the space sucks and my black jacket was stolen within 10 minutes. So do consider coat check.
VIP tables crack me up. No, thanks.
Donald was awesome, so I will give it 2 stars for pity sake.
Another San hoes-zay letdown...
Friday night...
Music was okay, crowd was terrible, cute girls were minimal but I put on my hard hat and went to work, cuz I wasn't gonna stand around with my balls in my hand.
Early in the night, I'm literally trapped by a girl against the bar...I'm leaning against the bar and she's in front of me with both her hands leaning on the bar and me in between.  She was not cute, nor  ummm...thin.  Under normal circumstances I would've done a football swim move escape...but the place was so wack I didn't care.  I entertained her for a while but then made my escape.
I could go into more details about the night, but I'd prefer not to incriminate myself.
Best part of the night was....sleeping in the car on the way home.
So I just don't like the flow of this place, the vibe, the drinks but I guess it's ok.
Every weekday I hear the guys saying no cover, come on in and looking in - NO ONE!! Â So it hasn't really looked like an awesome place to hang out. Â But going out with some friends on a Friday we got in for free and without wait - though if I had to pay and wait I probably wouldn't have gone.
The drinks are over priced and not well mixed.
The upstairs you have to wait to get up into, regulating the amount of people - um, ok. Â It moves fairly fast but the upstairs is no amazing treat. Â It's crowded, 1 bar, hot, ok music and again, really crowded with no seating.'
The bathroom is pretty annoying to get to - in the basement basically, dark, crowded, gross but has an attendent with an assortment of things you made need.
I just didn't enjoy it - nothing stood out - not the music, drinks, crowd, anything really. Â I'd pass.
It's a freaking lounge, not a dance club. Lounge means a chill place to hear music, sip on some cocktails and make good conversation with friends.
On that note, this is not the place that you want to go if you want to get your boogie on. I got drunk here from their lemon drops (not bad), their amf's (god they tasted like ass), patron shots and there's this pomogranate/cranberry tasting one that's pretty good. I love the barbacks here- so friendly and willing to help. My personal bartender was trying to be a baby bash I'm personator but he was super sweet and always on par.
The bouncers were not assholes and the bathroom was stocked with toilet paper but god really, could there be any more staircases in this place. My eyes barely left the floor in fear that as I walked up or down I wouldn't eat dirt. Warning- it is hella musty upstairs (they need to upgrade on that ac instead of having those ghetto ass sized fans in the 'vip lounges'), crowd is mostly old male, and the music is bad. Plus one for the cute decor though (zebra couches and the plasmas)
The vault reminds of that one MTV "True Life" I'm going to FAT Camp. You know that one episode where all the fat kids are at the "rave" or "Disco" and just having a ball?
Hey, I aint got nothing wrong with bigger people but I have to say I was a bit shocked to see that 90% of the club were in fact bigger woman. NO do not think I'm one of these rude ass people who brings down "bigger" people. Honestly, its nothing like that at all. Â However when I'm standing in line and I have views of nothing other than Cankle Express meets "well rounded" bodies, shoot I will express it!
Setting the big aside, the club is nice. The decor is done up well but really its nothing too amazing. I can't say I was jaw dropped, other than the big women, but truly it was just an avg joint. You have one dance floor in the back. There is a small side room, I guess some sort of VIP section, LOL. The main lounge area fills up rather quickly with an upstairs bar that I didnt even bother going to.
Overall its a nice place and if you like big women, it's all you!
;)
THURSDAY NIGHT! it was college night and there was no one there. A plus is that the bartenders are nice and there was no cover charge (don't quote me on that, we may have just been too early). I walked upstairs and was invited into a wonderful conversation with a nice bartender woman who seemed sincere.
the place was a little small however the music was cool, hip hop and pop was the flavor tonight. dance floor is a little small due to the stairs which are located square in the middle of the establishment. the upstairs dance floor is small too but you can look over the balcony to the people below.
college night  is a nice time to bring a date if you don't want everyone to be grabbing on them.
Never been back however I assume SATURDAY is the best night to go because I drove by on my way downtown and I saw a line of people (Mostly Guys). The crowd seemed to all have dark colors on which made them seem a little older and gloomy. I kept driving.
During the day this place looks pretty cool. A great place for a photo shoot (lol those of you that know my alter ego Angel Lei know that I've shot here many times!). The VIP rooms are really pretty. There's one room that's completely vintage. Antique paintings with victorian furniture. In there you seriously can't hear anything that's going on outside. Then, there's a secret room with pillows and drapes everywhere!! I don't know if they changed things up since the last time I was in there but it was really nice.
Ok so to review the actual Vault as a club...
I hated dancing here because the music wasn't too great. I'm biased so don't listen to me about music selection bc I already know who my favorite djs are. lol. I also hated dancing here because THERE'S NO ROOM! It's like everyone is constantly moving to get somewhere and when the dance floor is SOOOO small the crowd just keeps wandering aimlessly. Not a place you want to go to for a good club experience. The last time I went with my girls I got my drink spiked and I ended up passing out on the stairs. Luckily I knew the security there so they carried me out. I woke up 30 minutes later and I couldn't feel my legs!! I asked the security what happened and why i couldn't feel anything (i was conscious and coherent, didn't even feel messed up aside from not feeling my legs) and they said my drink was spiked. Crazy huh????
I'm sure this place can provide a good time if you're with the right people but for the cover price and the limited amount of space you have you're better off checking out another spot.
Went here last night for a friend's 21st... we had the VIP room in the back which was pretty damn nice... bottle service, a fan, cherries, crazy antique decor...
So before the bottle service began I went and got myself a $9 lemondrop from the bar which left something to be desired it tasted pretty rank at best... All of my friends who got drinks at the bar were less than impressed, but the bartender... or I guess bartendress... was very attentive and quick...
The dance floor is severely lame, it's upstairs and small and make even smaller by the tables and bar up there. Â The set-up is nice with the double sided staircase leading up that is directly in the middle of the entryway.. but they put a big bouncer there when the dance floor has reached "capacity" and then you're just SOL...
The bathrooms are downstairs... which means you have to go down a dark stairway while inebriated.. and if you're a girl... in heels... which was less than spectacular, but they have a girlie in there selling her stuff and handing out towels with her tip basket at the ready...
The music was actually good which is a big step up from the first time I walked in.. then walked out since there was no one in there... so it was good times! Â Lots of skimpy clothes, people of Indian decent, and booze!
Probably one of the better clubs in downtown San Jose. But I've been there to many times though (like 5) and am starting to get bored of it.
The bad: On any given night it is pretty much the same. A smattering of disgusting thugs, a couple of girls trying to be hot by wearing slutty outfits (they aren't), some drunk librarian type girls who oogle you and won't leave you alone, and some old ass goobers trying to look young. Everyone is about 5 feet tall and the music is pretty much the same everynight too. There is a $20 dollar cover, but that can be avoided by simply going to their website.
The good: No Asians! I cannot stress how hard it is to find a club in SJ which doesn't have 90% + asians, this alone makes it nicer. When it isn't crowded (every night but sat) you can meet people and talk to them in the front area, if you can find someone who doesn't look like a monkey. The drinks are pretty inexpensive ($6 for a beer $10 for a cocktail, I'm used to LA) and strong enough, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The club is also nice to be in, with high ceilings, pleasent tables and nicer decor.
That being said, I feel pretty bored with the Vault. I'll give it four stars because I've had a good time there before, and because there really isn't anywhere else to go in San Jo. But it could really use some spicing up, and a slightly younger crowd.
3 things to say to sum up the vault:
1. Poor, poor ventilation = hot sweaty mess!
2. Puney ass area to dance on 2nd floor. Buh-bumpin into everyone.
and 3. Stairway leading down to the bathroom... say whaaat!
That's a mighty challenge for someone thats pretty tore up...
Well I came here on a thursday night. I was pretty much gone so of course I had somewhat of a splendid time. As far as the music goes, it was pretty good since they had a nice lineup of djs that night. Â Loved the friendly mixed crowd. Â And the costs of drinks? Â I'm not quite sure since I didn't buy them! Â But all in all....... sorry Vault. Â I don't think I'll be coming over again anytime soon.
Waited in line for 30 mins w/ only 12 people ahead of us, pay $20 cover, very limited space, there was a line to get upstairs complete w/ douche bag security....WTF, Paid $29 for 3 drinks, finally got upstairs and the space was even smaller. Went to take a piss, the bathroom was flooded.
This place has a great variety...........................................Â...........................of DOUCHE BAGS.
Much better places to go in Downtown San Jose, this place is dissapointing, I went here like over a year ago and the lay out was more open and not sectioned off like it is now. 2 thumbs down
I went to the vault several of times last year and the year before that.
I hate this place!! I have never gone back since and never will!
The crowd sucks ass! They are unfriendly and most of them are very superficial!
Each time that I have gone there it's been the same story. Actually almost all of my friends refuse to go there.
If you like going to places where the crowd is diverse and somewhat bearable...try going to the clubs on the outskirts of San Jose..like Mountain View...Sunnyvale...Palo Alto...etc... They might be alot smaller but they are usually more fun and you can mingle with others easily.
So if you are high maintenance or think your shit smell like roses you should become a regular here.
I don't know why there are two listings - it should be merged or something.....
Sorry, tangent - anyways the place after all these years hasn't changed much. The bouncers are way over hyped - they just think they are bad ass because they are in their suits....to all the bouncers reading this - you look good in your suits.
Still like the bartenders even if they do over charge me. And really, what's with walking up to the dance floor? I guess that's the best they could have done without some major reconstruction. And it's still f'n hot in the place. I know it would look cheesy - but they could put up some major fans up in there and maybe do some major renovation to make the people traffic a little smoother.....but that's just me.
I'm just saying that if they are trying to pass the place as a Las Vegas type venue they could at least put an attendant in the men's bathroom - make the place a little more flashy as opposed to the old bank decor.
Just a thought.
Bouncers suck. Directions to coat check suck. Music is whatever. People are much older than I'm used to. "VIP" section REALLY sucks.
The breakdown:
- Bouncer in the front wouldnt let us in to the VIP section because it was "closed" even though our group arrived literally minutes after. So we had to pay cover even though he let our other friends in later for free. That's what you get when you a hire an asshole as a bouncer :(
- Coat check is DOWNSTAIRS next to the bathrooms somewhere. Soo... when you leave, there's going to a bumrush downstairs for the coat check AND bathroom. Yay!
- There are two "rooms", upstairs is the "trendy" house music. WOW, a really older crowd. And the hiphop room was PAACCKKEDDDD!
- VIP area was literally the corner next to the door.
It's a good thing a friend works the bar or else I'd never go here ever again!
This place is pretty cool, different crowd than the usual ghetto people you meet in the city.
The upstairs is really small and the downstairs area has two separate segments to it. Dancing area is not too big but when it's not too crowded this place is a good size.
Drinks at the bar are ok priced, but I tipped the people twice and they never said thanks or made any acknowledgement of it which kind of irritated me haha.
Music varies so that's cool too..
My friend took me here and while the crowd that night was pretty cool, the dance floor was very small and the place was really crowded. As you make your way through the crowd, you instantly find yourself behind the stair case which you start to circle around before you realize this is it. I start going up the stair case, expecting a larger dance floor. Nope, it's just as packed. There was one guy who looked like he was on ecstasy and spilling his drink all over the place. At times, it can feel a little ghetto and guys are dressed up as pimps and the girls are a bit loose.
The bartenders were nimble with the bottles and the drinks, adding a  little flair as they spun it around and throw the drinks around their backs.
2 stars just because my friend Sally bartends there..
She hooked me up with drinks galore when I went there. The place is smaller than a mofugger, and the dance floor is close to nothing. Sometimes the crowd is cool, sometimes ghetto. The bouncers there are really cocky and give off some major attitude. Not a good thing to do when you're trying to promote your spot. I've met the owner and he was a really cool guy. Invited me back to his table to have some cristal with him. The music was ok, but not that great.
Paying $20 for cover, you would expect a lot more from that place. The only time you'll see me here, is when I'm walking past it...on my way to somewhere else!
EDIT: I had to increase the Vault's rating in light of a situation that occurred at the PURE Nightclub in Las Vegas. After seeing what happened to my friends, and the bruising that they received, I feel compelled not to put Vault so far down in the trash heap. So Vault, enjoy your new found star, but remember, you're almost down there with PURE.
Original Critique:
Vault deserves one star--because at least they were playing some sort of 80s compilation the other night. Â But after that, it was all down hill...
Vault "Ultra Lounge" needs to rename themselves, "Vault: Ultra LAME." Â This place is lame lame lame! Â Picture it. Â First off, you go on a Friday night (and I came from San Francisco no less) and you must negotiate the worst traffic, on Los Angeles proportions, because "Downtown San Jose" sequesters all of the night life to about 3 blocks. Â Then again, it's not much of a night life either.
After parking, you come to the front of the club, which is a converted bank building. Â Unfortunately, the historical Tiffany glass skylight should have told the San Jose Preservation Committee to fight such an atrocious establishment from opening.
All the employees are dapperly dressed in suits. Â Unfortunately, they all looked like Mormons proselytizing on Market and Powell on the weekends. Â They all had little golden name badges (sort of like Mormons as well). Â But the big difference between Mormons and these people, is that Mormons at least know how to read, which is more than I can say for the brutish, boorish and bad attitude staff at the Vault. Â Most of them look as if they read only Yahoo! Personals ads.
The VIP area we were supposed to have was really a corner inside the door of the club with one of those airport-ticket-counter-line-separator-elastic band thingies. Â Some VIP area. Â Also, be wary of their "premier bottle service." Â $150 for a bottle of Grey Goose? Â You have to be kidding me. Â Yes, I understand that bars have to pay and increased mark up on alcohol at wholesale, but even then, $150 is a rip off, especially if we're in the "VIP Area." Â Oh yeah, I forgot, we were shoved in a corner, so really, we should have been expecting to get ripped off, which was just about to be proven further...
After finding out that these bottles were ungodly expensive, I decided to go to the bar, and get a cocktail. Â "One Bombay Gimlet" please. Â But what should the bartender do? Â Pull Bombay SAPPHIRE, which is too herbal for the simplicity of a gimlet (and presumably more expensive) and then mix it with ROSE'S LIME! Â Then charge me $13 for it. Â Excuse me? Â First, you used the more expensive alcohol, followed by pouring some Rose's Lime in to it? Â You couldn't even squeeze real lime juice in there? Â You had to put in green high fructose corn syrup? Â Were you prepping for Saint Patrick's Day? Â Could you be dumber than that?
Obviously, I was the dumb one for being there.
Continuing on, if I saw another pair of denim (nary of a pair of any good denim--mostly standard 501s) or stripey shirt (Club Monaco anyone?) or Payless Shoe Source shoes, I would have barfed. Â Let's not even talk about the women. Â I think the brush I've painted with here is pretty broad.
So.....
The jist?
If you're looking for LAME people, and a loud and LAME place to go drink at, head down to VAULT: ULTRA LAME!
PS--forgot to mention, while outside smoking, I turn to see along Santa Clara Avenue, a rented mobile billboard advertising... THE VAULT! Â So popular you have to rent a mobile billboard to rove up and down the street huh? Â Well, keep trying Vault!
Ok, if you dig it then cool, but personally this place was capital L-ame.
On the outside it looks cool, but once you get inside its crowded with a bunch of dirty old men who don't even bother trying to LOOK rich to grab girls. Which, I don't really care about either way because I'm married but I felt like my friend and I were a piece of meat thrown into the middle of a pack of wolves. All the old dirty men kept trying to touch us, grab us, dance with us, or just oogle. Now Im not trying to be immodest here...dudes as old as my dad trying to hit on me is nothing to be proud of, but that's just what I experienced. PLUS, drinks were weak, and expensive.
Also, if your a chick on the prowl, then MAN Jose is your place. But if your a dude...good luck. According to all my male friends- "its a sausuge fest". I'd rather skip the cover and line waiting and go somewhere fun.
Rude staff, bouncers that think they are secret service agents, a bunch of people that go there to be seen. Â I'm their bread & butter demographic, and even I thought the women were dressed like they were going to work at the Pink Poodle afterward. Â
Drinks are over priced and watered down. Â A red bull and Grey Goose got a tilt of the bottle, hardly half a shot. Â
Hard to move around, poor interior design, overall just sucks. Â
The only thing that is good is the fact that its close and seems to not attract the typical San Jose "I think I'm a Thug" kids in my two visits which were both other people's functions (I'd never put my guests though such a horrendous experience). Â
Go to the City and have a real night out instead of giving this crappy place your money.
This is probably my second favorite night spot in downtown San Jose after Studio 8 (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/qROazVxWRp244UgQ11FEHQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>). As the name indicates, it is built entirely within a former bank vault from days of yore, so it has that nostalgic feel as you walk down the red carpet into the front entrance way.
The night life in SJ is more like a much smaller, more sterile version of LA, with minimal drama and carefree attitudes, as opposed to the griminess of San Francisco. Many people claim that SJ bars and clubs are artificial and bush league, or even use the dreaded "G" word (ghetto), but I don't find either to be the case at all.
For one, who doesn't like having clean, urine free streets, where you never feel like your life or personal property might be violated at any given moment? Also, patrons here are more relaxed and open minded than in their northern counterpart. I have never seen a race related incident at any of the joints down in San Jose, whereas in San Francisco, I've witnessed it too many times to count. Imagine that... a city where Asians make up over 40% of the population (SF), yet get continually picked on.
Down in SJ, an Asian cat would have just as much a chance with a hot blondie as any other guy. Perhaps it has something to do with SJ being more of a local scene, representing the "real" Bay Area, while SF draws in non-locals or recent migrants who don't know what's up. Here, it's like Rodney King's dream of everyone getting along. One love, baby.
As far as The Vault itself goes, I would say that it's more of a place to relax than to dance. After all, it is called a lounge, and not a club. The actual dance area on the second floor is a bit small, and the stereo system isn't even permanently built in, but it serves a purpose if you feel the need for some movin' and groovin'. However, most people come here knowing full well that this isn't your best bet if you feel like shaking your thing.*
The design of the interior is rather lavish, reminiscent of a Victorian house. The staircase leading to the upstairs dance floor is one of those fancy types that has two entrances to the left and right that merge into one going straight up. The bar is long and well packed, with plenty of room to roam.
I never go out on weekends anymore, so I can't speak for those days, but on Thursday nights, this place is often standing room only, with many of SJ and beyond's finest lining up on the red carpet. The chances of getting into a fight or any other kind of trouble are minimal, and parking is always a cinch. I know many people are reluctant to give San Jose the time of day (or shall I say, night), but that's all the better because I enjoy this place just the way it is.
* I hear that there is a second dance floor, but it is never open when I come.
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