Where to Drink in the Bay Area

San Francisco has taken a few hits in recent years, from pandemic fallout to exaggerated “doom loop” blame. But even as many now claim yet another SF renaissance, locals know that the City by the Bay never stopped being one of the world's most vibrant cities—and a drinking capital.

One could easily compile a list of legendary SF bars from the last 50 years alone. But the city’s bona fides go back even further, to the 19th century, when famed barman Jerry Thomas crafted and refined drinks that are today considered cocktail canon, like the Manhattan and the Blue Blazer, the latter among the earliest examples of flair bartending.

SF has remained a leader in the cocktail renaissance that started in the mid-aughts, many of its leaders now shaping global drinking preferences. Simply put, it’s a great town to drink your way through. Here’s where to get a taste of the SF’s most iconic sips.

True Laurel

753 Alabama St, San Francisco, CA 94110
@truelaurelsf

True Laurel is an obvious inclusion on this list, given its lengthy list of accolades. They’re well-earned: Since its 2017 opening by the team behind two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear, True Laurel has stood out for its Noguchi-inspired design; dreamy bar bites like gougères stuffed with cheddar mousse and tomato jam and its signature dry-aged beef patty melt; and inspired cocktails featuring house ferments and unusual infusions. Add in a killer (and vintage) spirits collection and pop-ups hosting the world’s top watering holes? No wonder everyone is clamoring to get in.

Don’t miss: A number of True Laurel “classics” start life as off-menu experiments. They include the sophisticated Pea-Casso, which combines vodquavit (vodka and aquavit) with snap peas, cream sherry, citrus, and flat tonic. For something more herbal, the Doctor Away invigorates the palate with Oaxacan rum, Granny Smith apples, lovage, dry vermouth, and a house-made green pine cone distillate.

Bar Orso

1148 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
@barorsosf

Merchant Roots might be among SF’s geekiest, most ambitious restaurants, with theme-driven menus that change quarterly. So when the team behind it opened Bar Orso inside the restaurant in February 2026, it was little shock that the same whimsy and quirkiness was in full effect. Self-described as an “immersive woodland escape where guests drink their way through California’s wilderness,” its drinks are anchored by house-made concoctions like candy cap mushroom ice cream, green tea cotton candy, and caraway and rye tincture. A modest selection of small plates similarly pays homage to California terror “from Monterey’s kelp forests to the soil of San Joaquin.” Drop by on Fridays and Saturdays for the five-course pairing menu, which changes nightly.

Don’t miss: The Orso, served in a clear glass bear, is a house signature that tastes like walking into a NorCal redwood forest feels. It features a house-made nocino-fernet (delivering notes of green walnut, anise, licorice, sarsaparilla, and sage) topped off with house-made redwood needle distillate and a wild-foraged botanical soda.

Still O.G. and Alter Ego

66 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113
@stillog.bar
@alteregococktailclub

This dual-concept cocktail bar is just what San Jose needed. The wood-panelled Still O.G. fronts the space, slinging crushable draft cocktails, Japanese-inspired skewers, and smash burgers against a soundtrack of DJs spinning vinyl soul, hip hop, and R&B records through a top-notch sound system. Venture to the back and you’ll find moody and sleek Alter Ego, which offers refined small plates and inventive, elegant cocktails. Drinks are both intelligent and fun, served in funky vessels like cactus mugs or coupes with glass squid tentacles for stems.

Don’t miss: At Alter Ego, the Annabel Lee is an unexpected smoky-and-sweet combo of Singani 63 Bolivian brandy, French pommeau (apple brandy with juice), smoked pineapple, chili, tamarind, and lime. Out front at Still O.G., the Kickstart My Heart is a potent (and caffeine-spiked) blend of aged rum, amaro, pineapple, pandan, and coffee.

Pacific Cocktail Haven

550 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
@pch_sf

Opened in 2016 near Union Square, Pacific Cocktail Haven—or P.C.H., as it’s colloquially known—has earned accolades from the Spirited Awards, North American 50 Best Bars, and the James Beard Foundation. It all makes sense when you walk into the glowing, inviting space, which includes a buzzy front patio and a deep-cuts, spirits-lined bar. Bartender and owner Kevin Diedrich serves some of the world’s most creative cocktails, many of them celebrating his Filipino roots with Asia-Pacific ingredients. This is actually the bar’s second location; the original, located three doors down, was decimated in a devastating 2021 fire. The stellar team has nonetheless managed to keep the same laid-back vibe, informed service, and creative, crushable cocktails.

Don’t miss: There are so many iconic Diedrich drinks and exciting newcomers, it’s hard to resist trying them all. Start with the Oh Snap, a long, refreshing glass of gin, manzanilla sherry, sugar snap peas, citrus, absinthe, and tonic. Playful recent additions from their tight bartending team include Numb and Number from Lane McCormick, a mix of pisco, amaretto, green Chartreuse, mango, and the lime-like citrus sudachi.

Golden Sardine

362 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
@goldensardinesf

Golden Sardine delivered a heavy dose of nostalgia when it opened in North Beach in 2024. A cozy wine bar, poetry bookstore, and tinned fish haven all rolled into one, Golden Sardine channels the neighborhood’s beatnik spirit and history with black-and-white photos, stacks of indie poetry books, and regular poetry readings. Owners Andrew Nelson and Caitlyn Skye Wild have created a space for wounded wordsmiths and wine geeks alike—blissfully partnered with sardine tins—as well as local and global winemakers. Gather around the upright piano upstairs, the cramped, buzzy bar downstairs, or on sidewalk seating watching Columbus Avenue crowds roll by.

Don’t miss: The menu features frequently changing offerings from a range of wine regions, with special focus on heavy hitters like Burgundy or German Riesling, plus deep-cut organic wines and local treasures. Don’t miss the blessed selection of vermouth and sherry.

Starlite

450 Powell St., San Francisco, CA 94102
@starlitesf

Perched on the 21st floor of The Beacon Grand, Starlite opened in 2024, a reimagining of the iconic Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. This time around, it’s better than ever with sweeping SF skyline and Bay views. It still manages to masterfully channel the glamour of Denton’s legendary drag shows, parties, and chill DJ, all set against a backdrop of velvet, animal prints, and bold florals. It doesn’t quite feel like a nightclub, though, despite impromptu dance parties in the later hours. That’s thanks to elevated bar fare and inventive cocktails by bar vet Scott Baird.
Don’t miss: The Swedish Gimlet, fortified with silky lime cordial and herbaceous aquavit, is a sleeper hit, while the Tulip Martini with strawberry-infused gin, manzanilla sherry, Mommenpop Lime aperitif, and Cocchi Americano Rosa is the embodiment of refinement.

Cavaña

100 Channel St., 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158
@cavana.sf

Cavaña, nestled on the 17th floor of the Luma Hotel in Mission Bay, is where the skyline meets Latin soul. The view from the fit pit-outfitted rooftop is really something, affording glimpses of the Twin Peaks neighborhood and the Bay Bridge. But it’s the cocktails—crafted by brothers Emilio and Miguel Salehi—that make the bar truly great. Chef Edwin Bayone III complements it all with ceviches, birria, tuna tostadas, and flaky Brazilian pastel pastries. Come for the skyline, stay for the Caipirinha.

Don’t miss: The decidedly spirit-forward Caipirinha, kissed with lime oils and anchored with crushed ice, is one of the best versions anywhere (Brazil included).

BlindPig Speakeasy Lounge

1113 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
@blindpig.speakeasylounge

Modern Chinese cocktail bars are few but mighty in a city with a significant Chinese population, home to the Western world’s first Chinatown that's been going strong since the 1800s. Joining Chinatown bars and drink-forward restaurants like Moongate Lounge (upstairs from Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s) and Empress by Boon, Derrick Li’s BlindPig is an intimate speakeasy on Lower Nob Hill. It's only accessible via secret password, posted weekly on their Instagram. Hidden behind a convenience store photo wall featuring images of Asian candies, the bar specializes in ingredient-driven cocktails served in quirky glassware, including a pink pig with a straw propped in its (ahem) behind.

Don’t miss: Drinks have a culinary bent, like the pineapple bun-inspired Pig Steals My Purple Corn, which features a blend of mezcal, blackberry, toasted nuts, citrus, and a changing seasonal ingredient, like rhubarb or prickly pear.

Stillwater

23 Broadway Boulevard, Fairfax, CA 94930
@stillwatermarin

This bar from longtime SF bar vet David Ruiz is worth the trek out to Marin County’s hippest little town, Fairfax, where the single main street is lined with live music venues. Ruiz opened Stillwater in the height of the pandemic with wife Margaret, a Marin native. Rustic wood, dim lighting, a back patio outfitted with a fireplace, and inviting covered sidewalk seating make for a warm landing place to tuck into on-point food like duck-fat fries and an ahi tuna poke bowl. Cocktails are unfussy and crowd-pleasing while still feeling thoughtful and city-worthy, a feat this talented team achieves with SF precision and laid-back, small-town ease.

Don’t miss: On the refreshing side, Siamese Dream delicately perks up mezcal, lime, and seltzer with basil and chili oil. Meanwhile, the big and bold King of the Road is a seamless melange of Scotch, citrus amaro, lemon, tamarind, date, and absinthe.