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Stylish natural wine destination Bar Gemini serves bar snacks from the chef behind Michelin-starred Ernest.
Alanna Hale

16 Hot New Bars to Check Out Across San Francisco

This city has something for every kind of drinker from cocktails and beer to wine

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Stylish natural wine destination Bar Gemini serves bar snacks from the chef behind Michelin-starred Ernest.
| Alanna Hale

San Francisco residents might love an early morning run across the Golden Gate or a hike out to Stinson Beach but don’t let that fact fool you: this is also a city with a deep affinity for a stiff drink. Classic cocktail bars specialize in everything from perfect margaritas to award-worthy craft cocktails. But there’s also pretty much always a handful of newcomers entering the scene with fresh menus and stylish spaces. Here you’ll find the most exciting and interesting places in San Francisco to knock back a drink — whether your beverage of choice means a funky wine, a rare sake, or a solid cocktail.

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La Mar Bar

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Head to this new waterfront bar for pisco punches and fresh ceviche. The new La Mar Bar debuted in mid-March following an eight-week renovation that saw the space expanded and adorned with a massive hand-woven squid created by Peruvian artisan David Goicochea. Now La Mar Bar is pouring what may be the Bay Area’s largest selection of pisco to be enjoyed with a selection of Peruvian snacks. 

Marc Fiorito/Gamma Nine

Heartwood

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Nature lovers and cocktail fanatics can find common ground at Heartwood, the woodsy new FiDi bar from the experienced industry minds behind the Beehive and the Treasury. The cocktail list pulls inspiration from the state of California, meaning a slew of flavors derived from plants and herbs. The bar and restaurant is also open for lunch when the menu includes sandwiches, salads, and other pub fare intended to satiate hungry downtown workers. 

Albert Law

Holbrook House

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Holbrook House, the uber-luxurious new restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the One Sansome building, serves coffee by day and a full food menu at night — but it also hopes to be a destination for post-work drinks. Case in point: some tables come equipped with switches to summon either a Champagne or a martini cart. Customers can then choose from a selection of gins and vermouths, a rotating cast of bitters, and house-made garnishes.

Matthew Millman

The Lark

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The Lark, the longstanding downtown sports bar, is back in a brand new space that’s designed to feel, well, pretty much just like the old one. That means you’ll now find the bar and its sister shop Cask on Market Street between Third and Montgomery, but the team ported over all the most important pieces of decor including the 1961 orange-and-black Studebaker Lark and the McCovey Cove canoe.

Patricia Chang

Dawn Club

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Downtown San Francisco might be struggling to rebound from the pandemic, but Dawn Club, a stunning new bar and jazz club could be a sign that some sectors are thriving. Open since May, the bar comes from prolific local nightlife company Future Bars, who invested in reviving the historic Monadnock building on Market Street. Swing through – though you’d be wise to make a reservation — for regular live music and an extensive selection of whiskey including high-end options such as Pappy Van Winkle, if you’re into that.

Dawn Club

The Harlequin

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New SoMa bar the Harlequin brings big Gatsby vibes to the historic Mosser Building on 4th Street between Market and Mission. Bar pro Phil Chen, also behind Members Only and the Alchemist, aimed to set the backdrop for a 1920s-style party, one where customers can enjoy a pizza or Thai shrimp pasta with a cocktail. The bar shakes up some of the usual suspects including an espresso martini and an ube colada, but there are also drinks unique to the Harlequin such as the Rhinestone Cowboy made with Jack Daniels, Meletti amaro, sasparilla, lemon, and Ceylon tea.

Kelly Puleio

The Felix

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Felix is the underground cocktail spot associated with hit Vietnamese restaurant Bodega. Owner Matt Ho flipped the basement into a bar where classic cocktails come prepared with Asian spirits, the Chronicle reports. If you didn’t have dinner upstairs, there’s also a food menu below including options such as tom yum-flavored Chex mix and shrimp chips.

Dragon Horse

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The SoMa late-night dining and drinking scene got a welcome boost with the early March opening of Dragon Horse Bar, which is staying open until 1 a.m. six nights a week. The bar comes from Mins Group and offers both a Japanese ingredient-focused cocktail list and a short menu of sushi and skewers. The drinks include options such as the Framing Dragon incorporating rose baijiu with Bombay Sapphire gin, hot pot cordial, coconut oolong tea, with yuzu and lime. 

Enterprise Brewing Co

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A pair of longtime beer industry professionals Cameron McDonald and Jesse Hayter joined forces to revive a historic San Francisco beer company this summer. Enterprise Brewing, which originally operated during the city’s beer-soaked heyday more than a century ago, moved into the former Cellarmaker space in SoMa in July and is now selling cold pints — including the California common ale brewed in collaboration with the Anchor Brewing Union. Keep an eye on the brewery’s Instagram for the schedule of pop-ups from local favorites including Rize Up and Outta Sight Pizza.

Sluts, the suggestively named wine bar from the team behind Oakland’s Hi Felica, swung open its doors at 1116 Folsom Street in early February. It’s a vibe-y wine bar specializing in natural selections including bottles from Richmond’s Purity Wines and TyTy Wine, Lula, and Everwild. If you want something to eat after swinging around the bar’s stripper pole (yes, really) there’s a menu of “convenience store favorites” like Lean Cuisines, Flaming Hot Cheetos, Cup Noodle, and Lunchables.

Jeremy Chiu

CAVAÑA

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There’s another swanky rooftop bar open now in Mission Bay from some of the same folks behind SoMa’s Kaiyo Rooftop. Cavaña pulls inspiration from across Latin America meaning cocktails lean into flavors including hoja santa, papaya, mole spices, and poblano peppers. On the concise food menu, highlights include flaky pastel de carne, two kinds of arepas, and an asado roca — essentially a meat-filled board weighted down with steak and sausages. Make a reservation for heading over. 

Anthony Parks, Emilio & Miguel Salehi (Equal Parts Media)

The Lower Haight’s newest watering hole comes from a foursome of hospitality industry experts who helped grow Nopalito. Now they’ve turned their attention to the corner of Haight and Pierce streets, where they’re serving a menu of lean cocktails intended to straddle the line between being exciting and not too fussy. The list includes the Holy Smoke, a cocktail of Manzanilla sherry, Benedictine, and Ardbeg scotch, as well as the Katana made with Suntory Toki whiskey with Dolin Blanc vermouth and ginger eau de vie. Food comes in the form of bar bites such as peanuts brined and tossed with MSG and mala spice, potato chips dusted in dried seaweed powder and served with a miso onion dip, and a grilled beef salad. 

Brendan Mainini

Chris Gaither and Rebecca Fineman, the husband-and-wife Master Sommeliers behind Ungrafted, opened a second project at Thrive City, steps from the Chase Center. The wine bar’s globetrotting menu focuses on bottles produced with sustainable farming practices in mind, while the food selections draw inspiration from the Mediterranean.

Zha Zha Liang

Bar Gemini

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If you’re looking for a chic spot for natural wine and well-done bar snacks, then consider Bar Gemini, the new Mission District bar from owners and partners Dominique Henderson and Alex Pomerantz. They also own Gemini Bottle Shop, and Pomerantz is the mind behind Richmond-based natural wine company Subject to Change Wine Co. At this stylish spot, they’re pouring a powerful lineup of natural wines, which can be enjoyed with snacks such as marinated Rancho Gordo gigante bean or a decadent grilled cheese sandwich. Chef Brandon Rice of Michelin-starred Ernest developed the menu. 

Alanna Hale

Liliana

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Sure, a lot of San Francisco restaurants pair food and drinks, but at Liliana cocktail bar in the Mission, there’s now the option for a four-course live fire meal paired with four different cocktails. It’s an extremely exclusive affair with only four bar seats available and the Live Fire Cooking & Cocktails menu on offer only on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Seatings take place at 6 and 8:30 p.m. and the menu, which will rotate regularly, costs $140 per person. Reservations for Liliana’s new prix fixe menu are now available on Resy.

Tala Wine

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Tala Drzewiecki opens her eponymous bi-level wine bar Tala Wine in the Mission on June 16, the San Francisco Standard reports. That means the city will gain another option for natural wines by the glass and bottle — specifically French, Spanish,f and Italian winemakers who favor sustainable farming practices.    

La Mar Bar

Head to this new waterfront bar for pisco punches and fresh ceviche. The new La Mar Bar debuted in mid-March following an eight-week renovation that saw the space expanded and adorned with a massive hand-woven squid created by Peruvian artisan David Goicochea. Now La Mar Bar is pouring what may be the Bay Area’s largest selection of pisco to be enjoyed with a selection of Peruvian snacks. 

Marc Fiorito/Gamma Nine

Heartwood

Nature lovers and cocktail fanatics can find common ground at Heartwood, the woodsy new FiDi bar from the experienced industry minds behind the Beehive and the Treasury. The cocktail list pulls inspiration from the state of California, meaning a slew of flavors derived from plants and herbs. The bar and restaurant is also open for lunch when the menu includes sandwiches, salads, and other pub fare intended to satiate hungry downtown workers. 

Albert Law

Holbrook House

Holbrook House, the uber-luxurious new restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the One Sansome building, serves coffee by day and a full food menu at night — but it also hopes to be a destination for post-work drinks. Case in point: some tables come equipped with switches to summon either a Champagne or a martini cart. Customers can then choose from a selection of gins and vermouths, a rotating cast of bitters, and house-made garnishes.

Matthew Millman

The Lark

The Lark, the longstanding downtown sports bar, is back in a brand new space that’s designed to feel, well, pretty much just like the old one. That means you’ll now find the bar and its sister shop Cask on Market Street between Third and Montgomery, but the team ported over all the most important pieces of decor including the 1961 orange-and-black Studebaker Lark and the McCovey Cove canoe.

Patricia Chang

Dawn Club

Downtown San Francisco might be struggling to rebound from the pandemic, but Dawn Club, a stunning new bar and jazz club could be a sign that some sectors are thriving. Open since May, the bar comes from prolific local nightlife company Future Bars, who invested in reviving the historic Monadnock building on Market Street. Swing through – though you’d be wise to make a reservation — for regular live music and an extensive selection of whiskey including high-end options such as Pappy Van Winkle, if you’re into that.

Dawn Club

The Harlequin

New SoMa bar the Harlequin brings big Gatsby vibes to the historic Mosser Building on 4th Street between Market and Mission. Bar pro Phil Chen, also behind Members Only and the Alchemist, aimed to set the backdrop for a 1920s-style party, one where customers can enjoy a pizza or Thai shrimp pasta with a cocktail. The bar shakes up some of the usual suspects including an espresso martini and an ube colada, but there are also drinks unique to the Harlequin such as the Rhinestone Cowboy made with Jack Daniels, Meletti amaro, sasparilla, lemon, and Ceylon tea.

Kelly Puleio

The Felix

Felix is the underground cocktail spot associated with hit Vietnamese restaurant Bodega. Owner Matt Ho flipped the basement into a bar where classic cocktails come prepared with Asian spirits, the Chronicle reports. If you didn’t have dinner upstairs, there’s also a food menu below including options such as tom yum-flavored Chex mix and shrimp chips.

Dragon Horse

The SoMa late-night dining and drinking scene got a welcome boost with the early March opening of Dragon Horse Bar, which is staying open until 1 a.m. six nights a week. The bar comes from Mins Group and offers both a Japanese ingredient-focused cocktail list and a short menu of sushi and skewers. The drinks include options such as the Framing Dragon incorporating rose baijiu with Bombay Sapphire gin, hot pot cordial, coconut oolong tea, with yuzu and lime. 

Enterprise Brewing Co

A pair of longtime beer industry professionals Cameron McDonald and Jesse Hayter joined forces to revive a historic San Francisco beer company this summer. Enterprise Brewing, which originally operated during the city’s beer-soaked heyday more than a century ago, moved into the former Cellarmaker space in SoMa in July and is now selling cold pints — including the California common ale brewed in collaboration with the Anchor Brewing Union. Keep an eye on the brewery’s Instagram for the schedule of pop-ups from local favorites including Rize Up and Outta Sight Pizza.

Sluts

Sluts, the suggestively named wine bar from the team behind Oakland’s Hi Felica, swung open its doors at 1116 Folsom Street in early February. It’s a vibe-y wine bar specializing in natural selections including bottles from Richmond’s Purity Wines and TyTy Wine, Lula, and Everwild. If you want something to eat after swinging around the bar’s stripper pole (yes, really) there’s a menu of “convenience store favorites” like Lean Cuisines, Flaming Hot Cheetos, Cup Noodle, and Lunchables.

Jeremy Chiu

CAVAÑA

There’s another swanky rooftop bar open now in Mission Bay from some of the same folks behind SoMa’s Kaiyo Rooftop. Cavaña pulls inspiration from across Latin America meaning cocktails lean into flavors including hoja santa, papaya, mole spices, and poblano peppers. On the concise food menu, highlights include flaky pastel de carne, two kinds of arepas, and an asado roca — essentially a meat-filled board weighted down with steak and sausages. Make a reservation for heading over. 

Anthony Parks, Emilio & Miguel Salehi (Equal Parts Media)

Stoa

The Lower Haight’s newest watering hole comes from a foursome of hospitality industry experts who helped grow Nopalito. Now they’ve turned their attention to the corner of Haight and Pierce streets, where they’re serving a menu of lean cocktails intended to straddle the line between being exciting and not too fussy. The list includes the Holy Smoke, a cocktail of Manzanilla sherry, Benedictine, and Ardbeg scotch, as well as the Katana made with Suntory Toki whiskey with Dolin Blanc vermouth and ginger eau de vie. Food comes in the form of bar bites such as peanuts brined and tossed with MSG and mala spice, potato chips dusted in dried seaweed powder and served with a miso onion dip, and a grilled beef salad. 

Brendan Mainini

GluGlu

Chris Gaither and Rebecca Fineman, the husband-and-wife Master Sommeliers behind Ungrafted, opened a second project at Thrive City, steps from the Chase Center. The wine bar’s globetrotting menu focuses on bottles produced with sustainable farming practices in mind, while the food selections draw inspiration from the Mediterranean.

Zha Zha Liang

Bar Gemini

If you’re looking for a chic spot for natural wine and well-done bar snacks, then consider Bar Gemini, the new Mission District bar from owners and partners Dominique Henderson and Alex Pomerantz. They also own Gemini Bottle Shop, and Pomerantz is the mind behind Richmond-based natural wine company Subject to Change Wine Co. At this stylish spot, they’re pouring a powerful lineup of natural wines, which can be enjoyed with snacks such as marinated Rancho Gordo gigante bean or a decadent grilled cheese sandwich. Chef Brandon Rice of Michelin-starred Ernest developed the menu. 

Alanna Hale

Liliana

Sure, a lot of San Francisco restaurants pair food and drinks, but at Liliana cocktail bar in the Mission, there’s now the option for a four-course live fire meal paired with four different cocktails. It’s an extremely exclusive affair with only four bar seats available and the Live Fire Cooking & Cocktails menu on offer only on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Seatings take place at 6 and 8:30 p.m. and the menu, which will rotate regularly, costs $140 per person. Reservations for Liliana’s new prix fixe menu are now available on Resy.

Related Maps

Tala Wine

Tala Drzewiecki opens her eponymous bi-level wine bar Tala Wine in the Mission on June 16, the San Francisco Standard reports. That means the city will gain another option for natural wines by the glass and bottle — specifically French, Spanish,f and Italian winemakers who favor sustainable farming practices.    

Related Maps