Poodle Dog Restaurant & Brothel

One of San Francisco's most famous French restaurants ran a brothel for the city elite

"To eat at the Old Poodle Dog meant that you were eating at one of the city’s crown jewels. San Francisco’s ranking class of lawyers, bankers, politicians and more made their way to the elegant French restaurant every week, dressed in their finest suits and elegant gowns.

When they clinked their champagne glasses and glance up, they’d catch a view of the restaurant’s mascot — a black poodle — posed in various scenes across the ceiling fresco. It was a “pictorial art achievement,” one historical newspaper proclaimed upon its opening.

The dishes weren’t any less impressive. For about $1 a meal, customers could have a lavish multiple-course dinner of pheasant soup, the catch of the day and a large mixed salad with fresh vegetables. Waiters moseyed over for tableside service so guests could carve their own slice of roasted meat and top their plate with a generous scoop of mustard. Meanwhile, kitchen staff whizzed by in a state-of-the-art kitchen that featured a French range with a broiler and a modern-day hood. The wine cellar held nearly 20,000 bottles.

The Old Poodle Dog had a setting unmatched, but just beyond the beautiful China and white tablecloths was something far less proper.

Within the dining space was a hidden passage that led powerful men to a secret elevator lift and up to private rooms on the third, fourth and fifth floors. It was there where they had evening trysts with sex workers who entertained the members of the city elite. Just before the privileged men exited the elevators, they would turn to the lift operator, look them dead in the eye and place a polished coin in his hand as their unspoken treaty to keep things hush-hush… "

https://www.sfgate.com/food/history/article/One-of-San-Franciscos-most-famous-French-16538867.php