Nuvo Hospitality, the team behind downtown bars and eateries Dr. Funk, Five Points, Hella Good Burger, and O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub, brings a new culinary destination to downtown San Jose in a location just five blocks from SAP Center. The Pressroom will open in the historic 1884 Lyndon Building, on the corner of West Santa Clara and North Almaden, in what was once the original home of The Mercury News, and will be home to the adjacent Bar Mercury, an evening cocktail destination. “We really believe in downtown San Jose,” says owner David Mulvehill in a statement. “We’re excited to bring this new restaurant to life in such a historic location.”
The restaurant’s seasonal menu highlights elevated contemporary Californian food and drinks, reflecting how we eat today with ingredient-driven dishes that embrace local products and global influences, combining classic dishes and modern touches. Pasta is made fresh in-house, thick cut bacon is candied millionaire’s-style before topping the burger, and a Tomahawk pork chop is served Katsu-style. The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner with brunch on weekends; lunch and weekend brunch service began the week of March 31. A selection of dishes from the opening menu include:
● Birria-Style Beef Ribs with chimichurri and radishes
● Roasted Sea Bass with marble potatoes, zucchini, and XO sauce
● Beef Wellington with potato puree, baby heirloom carrots, and mustard demi glaze
● House Burger 2 4-ounce Ninma Ranch patties, secret sauce, house pickles, Tillamook cheddar, thick cut millionaires’ bacon, sunny side up egg, and sesame brioche bun
● Pork Tomahawk Katsu with fermented black bean sauce, roasted mushrooms, and marble potatoes
Separate menus are available for private events.
The cocktail menu blends classic inspiration with modern twists, offering a lineup of drinks that are both familiar and inventive. Classic cocktails are upgraded with house-made infusions, clarified citrus, or split-base spirits. Martini fans can choose between a classic gin martini with olive-oil washed gin, Dolin blanc vermouth, and optional olive brine, or a riff on the vodka martini with gran clasico bitter apéritif,
grapefruit, lemon, honey, and a champagne float. Particular emphasis is placed on seasonal ingredients and local produce, herbs, and spirits. The Byline Spritz speaks to spring with strawberry-infused tequila reposado, lemon, honey, and a champagne float, while the South Bay Smash promises to be another warm-weather favorite with vodka lemon, blackberry, orange bitters, and elderflower tonic. Carefully crafted low-ABV and zero-proof cocktails are also available, such as the Evening Edition with chai spices, honey, lemon, and soda water or the Standby with pineapple, mint, lime, ginger ale, and n/a bitters.
In addition to cocktails, the restaurant offers a full wine list with an emphasis on lesser known or undiscovered wine regions, with careful selection to highlight wines that offer great value, as well as a number of beers.
Designed by Basile Studio, The Pressroom is inspired by the building’s rich history. The spacious 160-seat dining has a modern, industrial look with dark metal tones and exposed ductwork. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light and open to a forthcoming outdoor dining area, while greenery—woven between tables and suspended from above—softens the industrial feel. Cognac leather seating, teal and navy hues and rusty orange tones that nod to the region’s mining past add color to the space. A striking lenticular art installation offers a dual perspective: an antique printing press from one angle and a pop-art composition layered over vintage newsprint from another. A central bar with open overhead shelving anchors the room. Oversized typewriter keys along the corridor to the restrooms, and a mural on an exterior wall that shows a newspaper with actual headlines from history, offer a playful nod to the building’s legacy.
The adjacent Bar Mercury, accessible both by a separate entrance and through the main dining room of The Pressroom, presents a striking contrast. Darker and more intimate, it embraces a sophisticated yet moody mid-century aesthetic, with deep teal and navy hues, custom mosaic tile flooring, rich walnut paneling, dark bronze lighting and fixtures, offset by white marble tables. Hexagonal booths at the front are great for small groups while a separate lounge area at the back can be enclosed for private events. Larger groups can book the entire bar, or the main dining room.
The Pressroom is located at 189 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113.
