The strength of the wine list is its concentration of small, mostly California, producers.
Going on off days (or off hours) is the way to enjoy some of the best cocktails in the hood.
Early in the evening and late at night, look for free platters of salumi to go with the cocktails and wine.
Don't miss the Manhattan on the rocks with Early Times, and one of the several beers on tap.
Politely sidle into any of the 16 seats and be reminded of the simplicity of a great drink.
The cocktail ingredients are made from scratch, and care is taken with every detail, down to five types of ice.
They have an excellent selection of local beers, plus hard-to-find beers from all over the world. Bonus: Sunday barbecues on the bar's glorious patio.
Bar manager Ryan Fitzgerald holds regular cocktail classes where participants have their own stations and get hands-on experience in mixology.
Live piano music, a chicken pot pie from chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls and martinis made with Anchor Distilling's Junipero gin complete the experience of this quintessential Nob Hill power spot.
You might linger over snacks like harissa-spiked lamb sliders to fortify yourself. But even a quick pit stop for one of Bix's stiff, proper drinks is a true San Francisco treat.
Boot and Shoe is known for its pizzas, but stands out because of the fresh ingredients used in all its dishes and drinks.
There's table seating for 40 around a patio, warmed by fireplaces, that wraps around two sides of the handsome restaurant.
All the wine goes with the signature item on the food menu - barbecue. It's among the best to be found.
The burgers are among the best in the city, and the crawfish grits and lobster mac-and-cheese aren't far behind.
The don't-miss drink here is the Greyhound (fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, vodka).
This bar boasts a well-done and straightforward cocktail list, a thoughtful selection of 10 beers on tap, and perhaps most striking, a chic yet casual and user-friendly design.
This place has 500 to 700 bottled beers from around the globe, as well as a rotating list of 15 on tap. And with a recent expansion, there's now even more room to lounge over a pint with friends.
Live music is featured 7-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and a piano player 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
There's lots of action in this newly opened Walnut Creek hotspot owned by the trio from San Francisco's Town Hall. It has an excellent wine list, 15 beers on tap and exceptional cocktails.
Try the Peony (gin, coconut milk, lime, bird's eye chili, hibiscus masala nectar) and the Wry Rajah (rye, vermouth, cherry liqueur, bird's eye chili, mango juice). There are also fun bar treats.
For an epic experience at less-than-epic prices, your best bet is the three B's special - a burger, beer and brownie for $20.
Housed in that bastion of San Francisco culinary temples, you'll find a regularly rotating list of nearly 30 wines from around the world available by the taste, glass and bottle.
Bourbons, Scotch, whiskey and gin are specialties, as are cocktails developed by bar manager Brian Means and consultant Jacques Bezuidenhout.
This pioneering spot is an ideal place for cocktails and a snack, such as the house-ground burger, charcuterie or steak tartare.
Don't miss the forbidden Island (a grog of lime, pineapple, spices and liqueurs, served in a souvenir "kapu" tiki mug) and the Chamborlada (a pina colada with a float of black raspberry Chambord).
Locals pack it for Scott Beattie's creative cocktails, from the pink-hued Cucumber Collins to the coconut-foam-topped Mellivora Capensis.
This is San Francisco's eternal nod to bar glamour. Try the classic 1950s martinis.
With more than 400, lovingly curated and served, and a handful of super-serious whiskey drinks that pay tribute to the city's neighborhoods, this is paradise for brown liquor lovers.
Here's a bar where you can go in and tell the bartender the ingredients you like - say, bourbon, absinthe and lemon - and the crew will come up with something that hits the spot.
This place has a back-to-the-past atmosphere where you can order a packaged snack and enjoy a Bloody Mary made with the house mix and a lager from Linden Street, an Oakland microbrewery.
Cocktails rotate daily, as do snacks such as Tasso ham and gruyere cheese sandwich, salmon tartare.
The bar at this stellar Italian restaurant has become a hangout for the area's restaurant industry. The crew behind the bar is meticulous with the crafting of the cocktails.
It's no longer much of a secret, but tucked in back of the Mission District dive classic Dalva, the Hideout is proof of the neighborhood's secret desire to embrace cocktaildom.
It's difficult to choose here from the nearly 20 draft beers and 300-plus bottles, which are also available for retail sale (the lower price on the bottle is the take-home price).
This lively hangout is a beer-and-a-shot kind of place. Try any of the 12 beers on tap and the fried provolone cheese sandwich.
The strength of this 78-seat bar is the cocktail program, a mix of classic and modern blends. But the real reason to come here: the Negroni on tap.
The Daly City landmark is still as busy as ever (all locals, by the way), and for a place with more than 300 seats, that's saying something.
Kennedy's is a one of a kind place: part pub, with 35 beers on tap, and part Indian restaurant complete with white tablecloths and full menu of curries, dosas and tandooris.
With no specific cocktail menu, friendly bartenders will craft whatever you crave, and between Bloody Marys, 20 draft beers and nearly as many in bottles, there's a beverage for every type.
Try the mojito with Bacardi limon and plenty of fresh mint, or anything from the rum list.
Try the custom-designed tasting of four 4-ounce beers and barrel-aged and specialty beers.
The crowd is eclectic, the cocktails are traditional and there's decent grub to boot here.
Twelve Magnolia beers are on tap, and you can choose from five cask ales that are carbonated and served slightly warmer.
In addition to happy hour, look for $3 taco Tuesdays, half-price wine Wednesdays and $25 pitchers of house margarita on Thursdays.
Sake flights are a great way to explore Ozumo's extensive list and the happy hour menu is perfect for scoring some izakaya-style nibbles without breaking the bank.
Whiskey and beer is the focus at this lovingly refurbished Redwood City landmark, a gastropub with a Scottish/California menu.
Go for the generous-sized, not to mention reasonably priced, martinis; stay for the convivial atmosphere and sing-alongs of show tunes, jazz and contemporary standards in the back piano room.
Bar manager Carlo Splendorini's subtle work with cordials and floral flavors is nearly alchemical.
Frank Molloy opened the bar in San Francisco proper, back in 1909; he moved it to Colma in 1937, and the bar remains in the Molloy family to this day. Don't miss the Irish coffee.
The burgers and free breadsticks are the stuff of legend, as is bartender Kevin Young, who's been at the Union Street flagship for more than 25 years.
It may be known for its fried chicken, grits and bourbon pairings, but Picán also makes an exceptional artisan cocktail.
With the overwhelming choices at this bar, the suggested beer pairings and tasting flights are an excellent way to educate your palate.
Plenty of windows make the interior of the cafe seem bigger than it is, and offer a chance to spend those bright cold days along the Embarcadero away from the wind.
Thoughtfully crafted cocktails that change with the seasons are the name of the game, carefully balanced and made with top-notch ingredients.
Drinks are refined but not complicated, the setting is low-key with a popular patio, and appetites can be sated with delivery from Rotten City Pizza, a block away.
Of the 24 weekly changing beers on tap, many are local brews and some are even custom-made.
The beers are lovingly described, and served in appropriately specialized glasses, and the pastrami (top it with chopped liver if you're feeling extra decadent) is first-rate.
Between the quality cocktails and punch bowls designed for sharing, or the wood and exposed brick interior and dim, sexy lighting - think modern-day saloon - we're fans.
The place to be for Raiders fans, Ricky's is also a mecca for any sports fanatic.
With a market list of 100 bottles under $100, one of foremost bottle lists and glass pours of rare wines, plus tight cocktails, this has become a nexus for winemakers and wine lovers alike.
The signature is Blind Pig IPA, but check the chalkboards above the bustling bar, which list the dozens of frequently changing, seasonally inspired small-batch suds available.
As its name suggests, this sleek bar in a gentler section of the Tenderloin specializes in rye whiskey and specialty cocktails made with rye and other spirits.
Dating back to 1861, it's the oldest bar in San Francisco. Don't miss the blues music, played nightly.
Sam's is a classic, and boasts some of the best views around, with San Francisco, Alcatraz and Angel Island in plain sight.
The drinks never fail to hit their mark, whether Cate's tributes to colonial-era rum love or the tiki classics that are honed to perfection. Also, there's an indoor waterfall.
Don't miss the beer tastings, which are like a sampler platter for brews, and the House Burger, made with chile rub and served alongside fries, pickled onions and house pickles.
A piano man plays regularly, and there's often complimentary cheese and crackers lying around.
At most sports bars, food is an afterthought, but here it's often the main thought.
San Francisco's longest-standing restaurant continues to hold its own as a bar. The handful of stools up front are where you go for a proper, no-pretense super-dry martini or rye Manhattan.
Tommy's famous margarita is made with 100% agave Tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar, or choose from hundreds of pure agave Tequilas for a personalized twist.
This inverted version of the Enchanted Tiki Room for adults puts the simulated rain in the center of the room rather than outside, and replaces the mechanical birds with a live band.
With roughly 50 beers on tap, including a handful of hand-pumped options, as well as an extensive bottle list - it's easy to see why the bar has achieved a cult-like status among beer enthusiasts.
It's where soju flows fast and furiously, and where locals go to get their Korean comfort food fix. Crowds are a given, so get here early or prepare to wait.
Try the original 1944 Mai Tai (Trader Vic's dark and light rums, orgeat, orange curacao, rock candy syrup, lemon and lime). The menu offers rumaki, barbecue spareribs and classic Trader Vic's dishes.
While most of the Richmond regulars rely on "normal" drinks, there's a full menu of all the delectable umbrella-topped tiki classics: mai tai, zombie and of course, the deadly Scorpion Bowl.
If the choices seem overwhelming, ask staff members for a suggestion. The Trappist knows its beer.
Savory bar bites from the tiny kitchen pair nicely with bartender Michael Cecconi's elegant cocktails. Bonus: the monthly Books & Booze Club.
The theme is loosely Basque, and happy hour brings $1 pintxos of the day, along with $3 draft beers and $10 sangria carafes.
It draws a lively after-work crowd taking advantage of the delicious bar snacks (with daily deals) and a happy hour that stretches to 10 p.m.
A marble bar, esoteric wines and hearty food are among the many charms of this Italian wine bar in the lower Haight.
For eight years this has been the place to go in Walnut Creek for great international small plates backed by serious wines.
Open since 1948, it's where the Beats convened to quench their thirst. The upstairs nook might be the most perfect people-watching in North Beach.
Lead bartender Jay Crabb - who works from a collection of more than 20 bitters - regularly changes more than half the cocktail menu.
The quirky, mishmash decor, including a shrine to women's shoes, is a hoot, and the secret garden out back is downright magical. Don't miss the pint-size Bloody Mary.
Few restaurant-wine bars have such a convivial attitude and exceptional food — which spans the globe for inspiration — as this.
Here you'll find one of the best Bloody Marys in town, dozens of craft beers on tap, not to mention a darn good cheeseburger - all served up with no-nonsense attitude.
The copper-topped bar up front is the perfect spot to have a stellar Bloody Mary to begin brunch, or to polish off a dozen oysters and sip a glass of Champagne as the sun streams down Market Street.
The Wilson Room at Bourbon & Branch specializes in cocktail "flights" - an aperitif, main and digestive - that get more intense as you go along.
