By: Kat Bein By: Kat Bein | November 15, 2021 | Food & Drink
We San Franciscans are so fortunate to live in a top-shelf food and beverage city. Seriously, we’re spoiled for delectable bites and stylish sips, and our craft cocktail bars are some of the best in the biz.
Next time you’re ready for a high-end happy hour, need to impress some tourist friends or family in-town for the holidays, try one of these notable bars and lounges with enviable mixologist menus. Most include food menus or at least a few snacks, as well.
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2736 20th St. / Website
Warm wood accents and nautical themes welcome you to this Mission District hang. Sale into a great evening with creative cocktails including a bright and delightful Pisco Punch, a fizzy gin-based High Line, or a bourbon-based Yacht Rock with citrus flavors. We’re also fans of the Antidote with tequila, mezcal, honey, ginger, turmeric and lemon. Get it served hot on cool SF nights.
2545 24th St. / Website
This classy but casual neighborhood bar and lounge offers stylish sips in a fun atmosphere. The menu boasts a variety of natural wines, draft beers, and canned or bottled brews, but the cocktails take center stage with fanciful mixes. Toki the Bear features Japanese whisky served in a bear-shaped glass. Moon 83 blends Venezuelen rum with coconut-washed gin, sherry and spiced pineapples; and the Lambo takes the classic Old Fashioned for a spin.
Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Boulevard, 2 Marina Blvd. / Website
Feeling a little bookish? This one-of-a-kind bar is one-part cafe, one-part museum, one-part library and all-parts worth a visit. Sip seasonal craft cocktails surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and check out the calendar of salon talks if you’re feeling extra cultural. The menu is always rotating, but there are some forever favorites you’ll always find; including the Decanted Mother-in-Law with bouron, curacao, maraschino, amer and bitters; and the I've Grown To Love Life Too Much with cognac, spiced peart liqeur and cremem de cacao served neat with a pour of sparking wine.
842 Valencia St. / Website
The swingin' '60s come to life at this free-spirited cocktail bar that boasts some seriously cool concoctions. The Beehive's signature cocktail includes botanist gin, sarsaparilla honey, ginger, lemon and salt; and it only gets more adventurous from there. A mid-century modern lounge welcomes private events with its own entrance and bar. Plan a vintage get-down and get ready to groove.
3174 16th St. / Website
True cocktail enthusiasts will adore this creative spot with a variety of rare and favored spirits, wines and more. The sleek and intimate interior puts the bar front and center, while the menu centers around full-page spirit-specific spreads, offering the best in whiskey, tequila and mezcal, brandy and rum, gin and vodka, and more. Each spirit also gets its own craft cocktail menu with a handful of fabulous mixtures. Pair with one of ABV’s delicious bites, and you’ll have an evening to remember.
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2301 Fillmore St. / Website
Cheerful and rustic, The Snug offers elevated comfort food that explores international flavors, alongside a beer, wine and cocktail menu that'll turn heads. Each beverage rings with refreshment, from the mezcal-based Prickly Pear to the nitrogen-infused Margarita. The Paloma Slushy and Bloody Mary sound perfectly brunchy. The Snug offers a curated menu of non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails, too.
2289 3rd St. / Website
Everything's better under the sea, and The Sea Star takes that to heart with a beautifully-blue interior that boasts its own giant octopus light fixture and other fun oddities. Alicia Walton curates the menu, offering in-house cocktails ready for mixin’ or pre-mixed and on draft. Try the Wild Ride with Denizen rum, Liquid Alchemist raspeberry syrup, uchuva eau de vie, banana liqeur and lime; or the House Old Fashions made with Sea Star's own private Buffalo Trace barrel whisky, sugar, bitters and orange.
3608 Taraval St. / Website
Tucked among the Outer Sunset's ocean air, White Cap serves sensual sips in a trendy but no-fuss setting. Founded by SF native Matt Lopez, former Treasury and Beehive alumnus Carlos Yturria sets the cocktail vibe. Enjoy tropical flavors with the mezcal-based Palapita or rum-based Treasure Island, among many others. High balls, classics and a long-list of spirits are also available. There’s even an in-house mocktail worth a sip.
1695 Polk St. / Website
Family comes first at this high-brow neighborhood bar, and love is at the heart of each flavorful mix. Named after family members and loved ones who inspire the Harper & Rhy crew, you'll enjoy getting to know the character of each craft brew. Sip on something spicy with the Britt & Kell's Serrano vodka, fortified wine, lime and chili oil; or try a bright and juicy Spee & Beast with Japanese whisky, lemongrass, lemon and sparkling blood orange.
15 Romolo Pl. / Website
For more than 20 years, 15 Romolo has been serving sips and smiles alongside tasty bites near Embarcadero. Pick a tune from the jukebox and let loose with a Pimms Cup with gimn, lemon, ginger, cucumber and mint; a Pixie with vodka, lemon, mint and elderflower; or a Velvet Jukebox with tequila, lemon, sloe, manzanilla and ginger.
Photography by: M.S. Meeuwesen / Unsplash
