The Marina’s new retro cocktail destination grooved into the neighborhood with wood paneled walls, glittering disco balls, and a menu of drinks inspired by songs from the late 1960s through the mid ‘80s. Former Liholiho Yacht Club and Good Good Culture Club bar director Janice Bailon channeled the free wheeling energy of Marlena Shaw’s California Soul into a layered drink made with vodka, Lillet Blanc, honey, bubbles, and Campari. Food comes from chef Frank Hua (Unco Frank’s) with options like smoked trout roe-topped deviled eggs and fish sliders.  

After a long pandemic hiatus, Union Square Mexican restaurant Colibri has relocated to a new space: this time in the historic Presidio Officers Club. Much of the food menu remains the same as ever, but the cocktail selection is coming back stronger than before with options like a smoked Gruñon drink, which floats on wisps of smoke unfurling from a glass-encased box. The drink menu is, understandably, tequila and mezcal-centric, meant to be enjoyed alongside luscious moles and fresh tortillas. 

Boulevard’s marvelous Belle Epoque dining room, with its winding tulip lamps and rich jewel tones, has regained some of its lost luster. Acclaimed designer Ken Fulk recently did a glam refresh, and some of the best blue velvet seats in the house are now at the expanded bar and lounge. Cocktails are courtesy of industry veteran Greg Lindgren (Rye, 15 Romolo), and include a Boulevardier with bourbon, Campari, and carpano classico, alongside refined bar snacks.

As of March 16, Pacific Cocktail Haven is back. The bar has migrated just a fews doors down from its original location, which was lost to a fire in 2021. Bartender and owner Kevin Diedrich, known for infusing ingredients like shiso, calamansi, and pandan into his cocktails, has brought back some of the bar’s original drinks including the Thrilla in Manila made with Evan Williams bourbon, shiso, calamansi, coconut, absinthe, and li-hing mui.

The latest venture from the Future Bars team rolled into the former Olympic Cafe space on Geary in mid-March. Bottle Club Pub is a throwback to the heyday of American whiskey, with a world-class collection of vintage ceramic decanters and a one-of-a-kind backbar made so rotating shelves showcase an impressive selection of brown spirits. Enjoy one of general manager Jayson Wilde’s cocktails — categorized as either “reviving and refreshing” or “bold will hold” — along with a plate of fish and chips, smashburger, or wedge salad. 

La Bande, that gorgeous green triangular space at the tip of the Proper Hotel, reopened as a gin-soaked tapas bar in September. Pull up a barstool for grilled squid, tomato toast, and gin and tonics.

Ascend to the roof of the Hyatt Place hotel in SoMa for Nikkei cocktails and stunning views that stretch from downtown San Francisco all the way to Alameda. Kaiyo Rooftop brings vacation vibes to the neighborhood around Oracle Park with a cocktail list that includes umbrella-topped, tiki-like concoctions and a food menu that marries vibrant Peruvian flavors with Japanese culinary techniques. 

The Madrigal shimmered open in early December, debuting a new cocktail bar for symphony and opera goers. It’s the latest project from the Hi Neighbor group (the Vault, Trestle, Mama), replacing their own former restaurant Corridor. There are still sweeping windows at the front and a mezzanine up above, but there’s also now a walnut bar, serving cocktails, steak tartare, and duck smash burgers.

After drinking hard for a couple of decades and going dark for a couple of years, Dalva reopened at the beginning of January, with a whole new look for the storied Mission bar. Longtime owner Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud (Dalva, ABV) and new partner Eric Ochoa (Elda) added warmth and style while preserving the Art Deco bar back, along with other details. The new drinks list includes all new cocktails, lots of agave spirits, craft beer, natural wine, and vermouth on tap, as well as snacks from chef friends (think spicy peanuts from Mister Jiu’s).

A trio of industry veterans including Seth Murray, Will Konevich, and Kevin Behrens have flipped the Corner Spot, a bar on Irving Street in the Sunset, into the Sage & Drifter. Coming with experience at top San Francisco bars including ABV, Dalva, and Hockey Haven, the team hopes to make the watering hole a true neighborhood haunt with everything from $3 Tecate to respectable craft cocktails. 

Though it’s not actually accessible from the adjacent Hotel Castro, Lobby Bar continues the long legacy of great bars located underneath great hotels. This swanky lounge, decked out in a peacock-inspired color palette, comes from business partners Jesse Woodward (Hi Tops) and Blake Seely and offers a lengthy list of drinks that riff on classics — for example, the Lobby Bird a play on a Jungle Bird made with rum, amaro, falernum, pineapple, lime, and cinnamon. Bringing big dinner party energy to the room, the menu includes all finger foods, from Scotch quail eggs to a turkey burger. 

Chef Anya El-Wattar’s Noe Valley restaurant is primarily a destination for modern Russian cuisine, but the Birch & Rye team didn’t stop with elegant food; there’s also a selection of house-infused vodkas to be enjoyed by the shot or carafe, or you can dive into the cocktail list for something more complex. Every drink is built on an infused vodka base.

Mothership has finally landed on upper Mission. A trio of industry local bartenders took over the former Virgil’s Sea Room space and transformed it into a funkadelic bar, which quietly opened in October. The patio is currently open for outdoor drinking, serving affordable cocktails and pitchers of margaritas — check the calendar for DJs and upcoming events.