The best bars in San Francisco to drink at right now

This year marked the long-awaited revival of the famed Starlite, a rooftop lounge on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand hotel. The bar debuted a completely new interior and fresh new menus from local mixology star Scott Baird (Trick Dog) and small plates from D.C. chef Johnny Spero. The historic spot has been serving cocktails atop the Union Square hotel since 1928, including a storied chapter as Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, when Sunday drag shows drew consistent crowds. Today, the swanky decor serves as the perfect setting for its nightly vinyl-only music. Find baked oysters, tuna crudo, and furikake fries; wash it down with a Cable Car Redux, Porn Star Martini or other signature cocktails. 

Featuring Japanese-inspired craft cocktails, Bar Iris is more than just the sister bar to next-door Michelin-starred Nisei. The cocktail menu by Bar Manager Timofei Osipenko—drawing from flavors like red shiso, Okinawa yam, yuzu, sour cherry and nasturtium—stands proudly in its own right, equally inventive and refined. And while beverages are the star, don’t miss the stellar food menu from chef-owner David Yoshimura: miso cream cheese-stuffed shishito peppers, classic kara-age fried chicken, and mochi tater tots with nori sesame and a salted egg yolk miso aioli. A library of rare whiskeys awaits those seeking them, too. 

Secluded but inclusive—that’s the motto behind Bar Nonnina, a tiny bar tucked away inside Fiorella, an Italian restaurant in the Inner Sunset. While walk-ins are welcome if there’s room, it’s smart to snag a reservation to ensure a spot at this 14-seat bar. After walking through the main restaurant and the rooftop bar, this hidden cocktail lounge is tucked away down a discreet corridor. Inside you’ll find a warm and intimate space aglow with a fireplace, an overflowing floral display, and two long, high-top tables. The craft cocktails on the menu change with the season, with a couple of mainstays including the Slushie di Modena, a Lambrusco slushy using shaved ice made from a specialty machine imported from Japan. The small food menu provides snacks or full meals, ranging from a trio of nuts, olives and crackers, to a seasonal pasta and salad.

Stepping into Bar Sprezzatura will make you feel suddenly transported to Europe, with a stately wood-paneled bar, blue velvet couches and large dome lighting fixtures. Recently opened in the Financial District under a partnership between notable mixologist Carlo Splendorini and TableOne Hospitality, the bar aims to honor the casual elegance of coastal Italy with creative takes on classic cocktails paired with cicchetti (Venetian bar snacks) from executive chef Joseph Offner. Given its location, Bar Sprezzatura is an obvious choice for visitors staying in the area, but it’s definitely worth the trip for locals, too.

Once upon a time, El Rio was a Brazilian leather bar. Today, this brightly colored, all-inclusive space caters more to the lesbian crowd, with plenty of indie bands and nights dedicated to worthwhile causes to draw those from diverse corners of the city. Afternoon Ping-Pong competitions on the outdoor patio give way to free Friday happy hour oysters on the patio, Friday night and Saturday afternoon dance parties, and Wednesday night Queeraoke.

Head across the Bay to the historic Cavallo Point Lodge, nestled at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge on national parkland, for a drink with a view inside its recently renovated bar. Farley is a refined American bistro—the redesigned interior brings a modern feel while maintaining its original historic character. Saddle up to the green-tiled bar, get cozy in a booth with views of the Golden Gate and indulge in a menu of cocktails inspired by native botanicals. Pair your drink with dishes like seared ahi tuna, umami fries, mushroom risotto, and Niman Ranch New York steak.

The team behind the Michelin-starred Mr. Jiu’s opened this upstairs lounge dripping with mid-century elegance, so you can snuggle into a red-velvet booth under lotus-shaped brass lamps. The extensive cocktail list includes seasonal offerings and signature drinks based on the Chinese lunar calendar and spiked with black garlic, plum, oolong and other Eastern ingredients.

By location alone, Fort Point Beer is the best brewery in the city. Their retail space, located on the Embarcadero side of the Ferry Building, is perfect for people watching and views of the Bay, and on sunny days, patrons gravitate to Fort Point’s outdoor picnic tables. The beer produced here includes ultra-drinkable Kölsch-style ale, American IPAs and a smattering of other unique styles like a blended Saison, Nuremberg red ale and a nitrogen-charged summer porter. Order a hot dog with all the fixings or a soft pretzel and stay awhile.

This Old Oakland cafe and bar has one of the East Bay’s few quality rooftop bars. Inside, the inviting space is illuminated by warmly-lit chandeliers hung from exposed wooden beams. Outside, cushioned couches and greenery make the patio feel like home. The menu is a mix of Latino and southern cuisines, with large and small plates of tasty bites like tacos and mac and cheese with smoked cheddar and green onions.

Inspired by the golden era of supper clubs, Members Only is a craft cocktail bar (with a second bar, Finders Keeper, on the downstairs level) in lower Nob Hill. The name pokes fun at the often-exclusive scenes in SF—in reality, it aims to provide an inclusive and welcoming space for people to gather. Both dimly lit bars in this space offer a curated cocktail list and excellent late-night dining options—the dinner menu is available until 1am on weekends, offering everything from a fried chicken sandwich to two types of burgers and lighter bites such as shishito peppers.

The light-bright Anina is a sun-kissed tropical breeze. From its colorful Moroccan-tiled bar to its wallpaper of leafy greens and oversized florals, the space is a breath of fresh air in a city whose cocktail culture can tend towards darker environs. Like its decor, the cocktails here are buoyant and sunny and include a handful of tiki-style punch bowls and spritzes like the seafoam, a mix of elderflower, Salers aperitif, lime, prosecco and lemongrass. A picnic table-packed back patio makes for a cheery beer garden on sunny afternoons.

Last Rites is not your average tiki bar. The island vibe here is dark and deadly: more zombie than friendly-islander, more cannibalism than drinking from coconuts. Inside the body of a lost plane, bartenders here mix rum cocktails that are a far cry from the typical saccharine scorpion bowls. Try the shareable Marine Layer, a combination of rum, gin, pear eau de vie, sherry, lemon, orange, cashew orgeat and egg white.

Sleek and dark, hidden away on the second floor of the China Live emporium, Cold Drinks specializes in Scotch whisky. Tuxedoed bartenders sling half a dozen styles of highball, including the Shanghai Shanty made with Benromach 10, carrot and orange juice, ginger-honey syrup, bitters, peaty Scotch and Anchor lager. Unique cocktails feature unexpected flavors (think candy cap mushroom bitters and black pepper syrup), and you’ll find a handful of wine and beer selections, as well. A condensed menu of Chinese bar delights like duck fat caramel popcorn and crispy lotus chips with five-spice sesame dip will help you out when you find you’ve had one too many.

This stylish new addition to the LGBTQ+ bar scene is an expansive venue with a pool table up front plus a dance floor wallpapered in nudes. Jolene’s namesake margarita (made with mezcal and hibiscus agave) and bottomless mimosas pair well with the dinner and weekend-brunch offerings, which include plenty of veggie options. 

Liliana is the sister bar and lounge to Osito, San Francisco's 100 percent live-fire restaurant from chef Seth Stowaway. Tucked away in the Mission, the wood-lined and dimly lit bar is a perfect place to grab a drink on a date or with a friend — you'll get a taste of Stowaway's mouth-watering, smoky menu without the hefty price tag it takes to get the full tasting experience next door at Osito. The bar food menu changes regularly but has recently included spot prawns, roasted chicken, and trout dip.

This mid-century modern bar from the chef/owner of Lazy Bear is a playful, color-drenched space inspired by artists like Man Ray and Isamu Noguchi. Behind the bar, True Laurel’s mixologists craft creative cocktails like the West Coast Bounty, combining grapefruit wine, pear brandy, raspberry and gin. True Laurel features two separate spaces—the main bar and a reservation-only bar-within-a-bar serving a tasting menu of original cocktails and small bites of grown-up comfort food like broiled oysters and crispy hen of the woods mushrooms.

In the tradition of Suppenkuche and Biergarten, Fort Mason’s newest German beer hall is made for friends, those you know and those you haven’t met yet. Filled with natural light, Radhaus pays homage to this former Army machine shop with subtle industrial touches. An open floor plan set with communal benches and an oversized bar keeps beer-and-pretzel–lovers close for shared marveling at panoramic views of the Bay through the bar/restaurant’s wall of windows.

Trick Dog is still going strong after a decade on “best of” lists from around the world. The well-stocked bar is the centerpiece of the moodily lit, lofted space. Upstairs, white tablecloths for diners consuming bites like chicken nuggets and tuna ceviche tostadas form a counterpoint to the bar’s industrial-chic vibe. The food and cocktail menu change themes biannually, with recent iterations ranging from a poetry-inspired offering to a tattoo motif to a pirate-forward set.

It’s hard to decide whether the Royal Cuckoo is more cocktail lounge or dive bar because, really, it’s both. With soul and old-school R&B on the hi-fi and a dark, narrow interior dominated by a light-strung bar, the Royal Cuckoo can feel romantic, neighborly or the perfect place to drown your sorrows, depending on your perspective. At the end of the bar, an organ player is regularly on duty, occasionally joined by a full jazz band. Though it can get crowded at peak hours thanks to its location just outside the Mission, the Royal Cuckoo remains frequented by a broad mix of oddballs, hipsters and old-school San Franciscans.

The Comstock Saloon is an homage to a bygone era of San Francisco where bars were rough and tumble and full of nefarious characters up to their elbows in gold or down to their last dime and drinking their dreams away. With a mahogany bar over a century-old, navy toile wallpaper and a ceramic-tiled floor in blue and white, the saloon adeptly stokes the fire of memory. Among the classic cocktails, Pisco Punch is made with pineapple gum, lemon and, obviously, “secrets.” The fare is elevated comfort food with dishes like grilled octopus corn dogs and lo-mein cacio e pepe with pecorino, parmesan and Szechuan pepper.

When the Riptide was engulfed in flames a few years back, the Outer Sunset collectively fell into a deep depression. Because this isn’t just the best beach-adjacent bar in the city, it’s a true neighborhood spot where locals meet, play bingo and cozy up in front of the fire. Luckily, the resurrected Riptide is an excellent approximation of the original, with the same hunting lodge feel thanks to a fireplace, moody lighting and vintage touches. Most nights have an activity, including open mic Mondays, surf movie (“wet”) Wednesdays and live bands on the weekends. The cocktails are strong, culled from an easygoing menu that isn’t trying too hard, and the beer menu ranges from the cheap to the craft.

Charmaine’s, the Proper Hotel’s rooftop bar, has a city-inspired cocktail menu crafted by the Bonvivants (of Trick Dog fame.) Cocktails range from classics to a frozen Watermelon Catapult, while fare from executive chef Jason Fox, who oversees the hotel’s other restaurants, comes as elevated bar bites: pretzel rolls, pork belly skewers and a cheeseburger. The roof deck, perched 120 feet over Market Street, is stylish, but the vibe is laid-back—largely due to its hoodie and T-shirt-clad tech patrons.

Combine grandma’s living room, Gypsy Rose’s dressing room and a cabin in the woods, and you’ve got Marianne’s. Named for the glamorous Marianne Faithfull, this speakeasy in the back of the Cavalier inside the Hotel Zetta is intimate and eclectic, with taxidermy, stained-glass lamp shades and patterned textiles. The bar has two areas: a communal lounge and semi-private booths available for reservations a week in advance; a limited number of walk-ins are accepted nightly. Several cocktails, including the Sticky Fingers (rye, scotch, Angioletto, vermouth, Grand Marnier and lemon bitters), are available communal-style for a table of six.

High Treason is an unpretentious take on an often stuffy beverage, made by sommeliers for sommeliers, or at least for people who know their wines. The narrow space is dominated by a streamlined wooden bar crowned by sculptural wine crates and a wall lined with bright modern art. High Treason’s wine menu is extensive without being overwhelming, highlighting careful selections of wine, beer, cider and sake from around the world.

At P.C.H., longtime cocktail master Kevin Diedrich takes a playful perspective on otherwise sophisticated drinks: an old-fashioned finished with miso butter and rum, a negroni made with gin, coconut-washed Campari, bitters and a buttery marzipan-like house-made pandan-leaf cordial. But Diedrich’s menu goes well beyond classics. The mixologists here use flavors—celery, curry, roasted corn and candy cap mushroom dust—more commonly found on a plate than in a glass. While the creativity of the drinks may intimidate cocktail traditionalists, the bar, a neighborhood joint with brick walls and friendly faces, is anything but pretentious.

Opened in 2016, Horsefeather led the charge in the return of mid-century modern-inspired bar restaurants to the Bay Area. The bar’s arts-and-crafts interior is made of artistically interwoven wood on the ceiling, patterned tile on the floor, and a gold wall accented by blue panels. Even its cocktails have a taste of the old school, with housemade syrups crafted from wine, sugar and fresh fruit and herbs—some grown-up like the California Cooler (gin, celery juice, lime, thyme sauvignon blanc syrup, sparkling wine), others childlike like the Breakfast Punch (corn whiskey, rum, spices, citrus, clarified Cinnamon Toast Crunch-infused milk). Both dinner and weekend brunch served inside or on the plant-strung patio feature dishes like chilaquiles and Wagyu beef roast, respectively.

Zeitgeist’s long, banquet-style picnic tables foster a loud, friendly, chatty scene. This low-key, metal-blasting beer bar is one of the best day-drinking patios in the city, despite—or maybe because of—its lack of frills. Bikers (…cyclists, that is), neighborhood regulars and hipsters mingle out back, surrounded by wacky murals. The Bloody Marys are legendary, served at any time of day, and the extensive beer list favors local breweries like Lost Coast, Anchor Steam, Bear Republic and Russian River Brewing Company.

This old-school Upper Haight cocktail dive hasn’t changed much since its first opening before World War II—and that’s what makes it so great. The small space accented with Moorish arches, crimson walls and dim lighting is almost entirely filled by a horseshoe bar that faces a large mural with characters from a Persian folktale. Don’t expect Zam Zam to offer you a fancy cocktail menu or list of craft beers; that’s not what they do. Stick with classics like the martini, and you can’t go wrong.

This Mexican eatery boasts one of the most toast-worthy views in the city. The open-air rooftop bar is bordered by glass walls, which protect you from breezes but allow the sun. (Big umbrellas are unfurled midday to block the glare.) Opt for summery concoctions like the Hummingbird, made with pisco acholado, ginger, chamomile, lime, yellow chartreuse and a dash of bitters, or the beachy Techo Tonic, which blends El Tesoro Blanco, apricot liqueur, falernum, sherry, lime and tonic. String lights and heat lamps flicker on at dusk, casting a moody, cozy glow.

The Bardo is an impassioned ode to mid-century home entertaining, decorated with vintage furniture arranged in intimate living room-like lounges. With the hi-fi in full swing, the bartenders swirl libations to the retro soundtrack of soul, jazz and R&B from behind a swanky wood bar. The menu is chock full of creative interpretations of 1960s cocktail culture: Drinks like the Papa Bear, with hibiscus washed tequila, Pimm’s, botanical infused gin, passion fruit and fresh lemon juice, and A Walk in the Orchard, made with double rye, Cynar 70, apple cider, lime juice, white pepper thyme and maple syrup, are served in mismatched vintage glassware the owners have collected for years. Lounge fare comes in a range of dinner party hors d’oeuvres like olives covered in cream cheese, pimentos, and toast crumbs and larger plates like pork belly pot pie.