If you’re the kind of person who enjoys being alone, then there’s a good chance that you also enjoy a solo adult beverage in a bar from time to time. Next time you seek a spot at the bar where you'll feel welcomed and won’t feel obliged to chat, try these seven SF watering holes for a little "me time."
Hotel bars are always a great option for drinking solo, especially if you're not super comfortable sitting unaccompanied with a cocktail. Thanks to business travelers, you won’t be alone in being alone. The St. Regis is particularly great because it offers excellent service, boozy drinks and (the key to successful alone drinking) several seating options. Grab a seat on one of the comfy couches or at a table and you’ll receive excellent service, but otherwise be left alone. Find a seat at the bar and there’s a good chance you’ll end up in a conversation with someone you’d otherwise never meet. The cocktails aren’t cheap (this is the St. Regis, after all), but the elegant setting and excellent people watching make up for the few extra dollars you’ll end up spending.
If you work downtown and need a strong drink in a totally unpretentious setting, you can’t go wrong with Sutter Station. This old school watering hole even opens at 7am on the weekdays! It’s a true dive with tons of regulars, a couple of pool tables, affordable drinks and a crowd that will be friendly if you want, but also leave you alone if you’re not in the mood to mingle.
This North Beach saloon is known for its famous Beat Generation clientele, but while drinking at the same spot where Jack Kerouac used to sip his rye is definitely a draw for anyone, a solo drinker will appreciate Veusivo’s upstairs loft where they can look out at the street or down at the bar. The drinks are good and priced right and the bar is open 365 days a year, so there’s no need to worry about holidays getting in the way of much-needed solitary imbibing.
Despite its name, Hotel Biron is not a bar inside of a hotel, but rather a cozy hole-in-the-wall wine bar down a Hayes Valley alley. It’s the kind of bar you go to when you want your alone wine to feel romantic and enchanted. Sip on a great selection of varietals by the glass while you admire the cork ceiling and brick walls. And though there may also be couples cozying up, it’s nothing a few generous pours won’t help you ignore… or maybe even find endearing.
If you’re craving a glass of wine or a cold beer on a sunny afternoon, there is no better place to sit and sip by yourself than the backyard of this Hayes Valley café. The patio feels a bit like a secret garden thanks to all of the trees and foliage that surround it, and it’s big (by San Francisco standards), which means it’s usually not too hard to find a table, especially during the week. Arlequin also offers sandwiches and salads, if you want to enjoy a meal with your beverage.
If you have a hankering for an expertly crafted cocktail without the scene that often accompanies those types of drinks, then head to Maven in the Lower Haight. If you go on a weeknight (the earlier the better), there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a seat at the bar (or one of the communal tables), where you can enjoy phenomenal drinks without the crazy crowds. Maven also happens to have a killer burger if you find that your cocktails are making you hungry.
This bar may be tucked up a steep alleyway in North Beach, but its reputation for serving up amazing cocktails means people always manage to seek it out. Still, it’s usually not so crowded that a person alone would feel uncomfortable, and since the attached hotel offers affordable rooms (by the week and month), the bar tends to attract friendly students and travelers, in case you grow tired of your own thoughts and want to meet someone new to chat with.