San Francisco has been the West Coast cocktail reference since Bourbon & Branch opened in 2006. Trick Dog turned themed menus into an art form. Smuggler's Cove established the modern American tiki revival. The 10 below are where serious technique lives. Most are in the Mission, Hayes Valley or Tenderloin.
Part of our 50 Best Cocktail Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
Read the world list
The 10 best cocktail bars in San Francisco
01 · San Francisco
Mission
$$
Themed menus · Loud
Each menu is built around a concept. Bon Vivants' flagship. Drinks that survive the gimmick.
Order: What's on the current menu
02 · San Francisco
Hayes Valley
$$
Tiki · Three floors
Martin Cate's tiki temple. Three floors, 750+ rums, the most encyclopaedic rum list in the country.
Order: A Mai Tai with their reserve agricole
03 · San Francisco
Tenderloin
$$
Password speakeasy
You text for the password. Five secret rooms behind the main bar.
Order: Bourbon-led; that's the brief
04 · San Francisco
Fort Mason
$$
Time-philosophy · Library
At the Long Now Foundation. Bar built around the philosophy of long-term thinking. Genuinely unique.
Order: A drink referencing the Bronze Age
05 · San Francisco
North Beach
$$
1907 · Restored saloon
Restored 1907 saloon with serious cocktail program. The Pisco Punch is the calling card.
Order: A Pisco Punch
Weekly editorial
The bars worth going to, weekly.
One email per week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
06 · San Francisco
NoPa
$$
NoPa cocktail bar
NoPa neighbourhood cocktail bar. Quieter than the Mission scene; the technique is just as serious.
Order: Bartender's choice with their seasonal menu
07 · San Francisco
Tenderloin
$$
Asian-influenced · Modern
Modern Tenderloin cocktail bar. Asian-influenced cocktail program, deep sake and shochu lists.
Order: A drink built around their reserve sake
08 · San Francisco
Mission
$$
Modern · All-day
All-day Mission cocktail bar. Casual atmosphere, technical drinks, the Mission walk-in friendly option.
Order: Whatever's the day's experimental seasonal
09 · San Francisco
Mission
$$
Lazy Bear's bar
Bar attached to Lazy Bear restaurant. Local-ingredient cocktail program in a polished but relaxed room.
Order: Whatever uses California-grown citrus
10 · San Francisco
North Beach
$$
Late-night · Cocktails
North Beach late-night cocktail bar. Open until 2 AM. Casual atmosphere, classics-driven menu.
Order: An Old Fashioned at midnight
More SF cocktail barsThe full SF cocktail-bar index by neighbourhood.
See the full list
How SF cocktailing exports itself globally
The bartenders trained in SF rooms have spread to every American cocktail city. Trick Dog and Smuggler's Cove are the world-format institutions. The 10 above are where the form is at its purest. Most peak between 9 and 11 PM; some run until 2 AM in the Tenderloin.
