For Dante Javar, Matrix in San Francisco holds some special memories. The lounge from then-mayor Gavin Newsom’s PlumpJack Group and Paul Getty opened in 2000, taking over the historic rock venue founded by Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane. Matrix evolved
from its days as a live rock venue to an ultra-lounge in the 2000s, ultimately closing in 2018. Now, thanks to Javar, Matrix is back — and this time in Napa. The lounge is set to open on Friday, September 4. “We’re going to try to funnel a lot of those musicians and the people that are showing up in Napa and doing art, to have a place to come and have cocktails and lounge out and experience a new iteration of the Matrix,” Javar says.
Javar, who is also the owner of 1331 Cocktails, has worked previously in Healdsburg, Oakland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. Along with co-owner John Truchard of Uptown Theatre and Napa Music Hall, Javar and his team are reimagining the storied venue for 2026. To that end, Javar is not only building a food and drink program to keep up with the times, but also a venue that feels like an experience. Think moody rooms with dark red velvet banquettes, dramatic chandeliers, gold lamps, and hyperdramatic lighting. Music will also be a factor, although less pronounced than previous Matrix iterations; guests can expect a DJ and a killer sound system, but without the dance floor, as Javar is wary of having DJs become the focal point. “The younger people who are going out and drinking wine now, I want them to be able to feel the music,” Javar says. “I want them to be able to lounge out.”
At Matrix, the beverage menu caters to both the health-conscious crowd and those who don’t drink. It may seem counterintuitive for a bar, but Javar says he’s been noticing an increase in folks who are more active and healthy. But rather than“sugary NA cocktails” or “distilled tomato water,” as Javar puts it, Matrix’s menu leans into so-called “functional” wellness with drinks that suit sober crowds and also work for pre-gaming. Take, for instance, Beat That Nut, a caffeinated drink that pairs black tea, beet juice, coconut water, and agave, with vitamin C, B12, and electrolytes. Temple of Gains, meanwhile, mixes dark chocolate, peanut butter, organic banana, and agave with 24 grams of protein and creatine. (There’s also an alcohol-filled version called Forbidden Gains, made with añejo rum and banana liqueur, that also folds in electrolytes and creatine… you know, for your health.) “If you’re going to sit here all night and have cocktails, listen to music, and enjoy yourself, let’s promote vitamins, minerals, whatever’s legal we can do,” Javar says. “Let’s make drinks where there’s a reason for it. So you can have our activated charcoal martini that gets two grams of creatine.”
That’s not to say there aren’t any non-protein, non-creatine drinks on the cocktail menu. Javar and his team are whipping up some traditional cocktails, too, such as Matrix Old Fashioned, which combines Maker’s Mark with, of all things, a reduction of Olde English malt liquor — “to give it this rich breadiness,” Javar notes — that’s later infused with turbinado sugar, and gets hit with Angostura bitters and herbs. Espresso martinis are also on the menu, and the team is splashing out with three versions, the first of which merges vodka with coffee, chocolate, and pistachio liqueurs, paired with espresso made with beans from Ohm Coffee, plus vanilla tahini. The Better Believe Margarita, meanwhile, mixes tequila with mango, orange liqueur, and agave, with Thai chile pepper and yuzu kosho. As for wine, Matrix’s somm has placed a focus on Champagne and sparkling wines, as well as local reds and whites.
The Matrix team tapped Cassan and Alex Macaraig of Winston’s Napa to run Duwende, a late-night menu that runs on Fridays and Saturdays. Customers will see inflections of Filipino food in items like adobo popcorn and pork belly lumpia, mixed in with other influences, such as Hong Kong chow mein, crinkle-cut fries with chile crisp queso, and scallion-ginger chicken wings. There’s also Matrix-branded caviar made with Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, to pair with the aforementioned Champagne. Other nights that Matrix is open, a smaller menu will come from Andaz Napa, such as a smash burger and charred shishito peppers.
On top of music, there’s a plan in place to throw events at Matrix, including charity fashion shows. It’s all about putting the space on the map for anyone to enjoy. “[Matrix is] just a really curated space that isn’t just about cocktails,” Javar says. “Even though we’re a bar and a lounge, we wanted to make a place that, even if you didn’t drink. We wanted people to still enjoy themselves.”
Matrix (1045 Franklin Street, Napa) debuts on Friday, September 4.
