Café en plein air · Produce and Waterfront · 99 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant italien · Mission District · 491 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: Bar manager Ryan Fitzgerald holds regular cocktail classes where participants have their own stations and get hands-on experience in mixology.
1075 California St (at Taylor St), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant américain · Nob Hill · 56 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
56 Gold St (btw Montgomery & Sansome), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant de cuisine américaine moderne · Jackson Square · 111 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar à cocktail · Duboce Triangle · 116 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
1168 Folsom St (btwn 8th & Rausch), San Francisco, CA
Magasin de vente de bière · SoMa · 113 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant américain · Downtown Walnut Creek · 29 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant indien · Japantown · 208 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
1 Ferry Building Ste 23 (at The Embarcadero), San Francisco, CA
Bar à vins · Financial District · 53 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: Bourbons, Scotch, whiskey and gin are specialties, as are cocktails developed by bar manager Brian Means and consultant Jacques Bezuidenhout.
Bar à ambiance tropicale · West End · 93 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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).
SFGate Manager: Locals pack it for Scott Beattie's creative cocktails, from the pink-hued Cucumber Collins to the coconut-foam-topped Mellivora Capensis.
Bar à whisky · Mission District · 109 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
1148 Mission St (btw 7th & 8th), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant chinois · SoMa · 67 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant italien · Central Napa · 80 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
Magasin de vente de bière · Downtown Walnut Creek · 42 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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).
401 Taylor St (at O'Farrell St), San Francisco, CA
Café des sports · Tenderloin · 185 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
11 Glenwood Ave (at Lake Merced Blvd), Daly City, CA
Restaurant italien · Westlake · 56 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
1040 Columbus Ave (btwn Taylor & Chestnut St), San Francisco, CA
Pub irlandais · North Beach · 119 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Café des sports · Cole Valley · 81 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar à sushis · Central Oakland · 38 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant américain · Union Street · 66 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Gastro-pub · Mission Dolores · 317 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: With the overwhelming choices at this bar, the suggested beer pairings and tasting flights are an excellent way to educate your palate.
Pier 23 (btwn Battery St & Green St), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant de fruits de mer · Northern Waterfront · 147 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: Thoughtfully crafted cocktails that change with the seasons are the name of the game, carefully balanced and made with top-notch ingredients.
SFGate Manager: 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.
963 Laurel St (btw Arroyo and Morse), San Carlos, CA
Sandwicherie · 97 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar à cocktail · Downtown San Francisco-Union Square · 250 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
688 Geary St (at Leavenworth St), San Francisco, CA
Bar à cocktail · Lower Nob Hill · 141 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
650 Gough St (at McAllister St), San Francisco, CA
Bar à ambiance tropicale · Civic Center · 329 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Brasseur · Mission District · 288 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
240 California St (btwn Battery & Front St), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant de fruits de mer · Financial District · 164 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant mexicain · Outer Richmond · 67 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar à ambiance tropicale · Nob Hill · 179 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
547 Haight St (btwn Steiner St & Fillmore St), San Francisco, CA
Rade · Lower Haight · 292 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
3814 Noriega St (btwn 45th & 46th Ave), San Francisco, CA
Restaurant coréen · Outer Sunset · 91 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
6150 Geary Blvd (btwn 25th and 26th Aves), San Francisco, CA
Bar à ambiance tropicale · Outer Richmond · 61 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar à cocktail · Hayes Valley · 101 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: Savory bar bites from the tiny kitchen pair nicely with bartender Michael Cecconi's elegant cocktails. Bonus: the monthly Books & Booze Club.
SFGate Manager: 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.
255 Columbus Ave (btwn Broadway and Pacific), San Francisco, CA
Rade · North Beach · 130 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
SFGate Manager: 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.
199 Valencia St (at Duboce Ave), San Francisco, CA
Café en plein air · SoMa · 387 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Restaurant de cuisine américaine moderne · Civic Center · 318 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: 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.
Bar clandestin · Tenderloin · 318 conseils et avis
SFGate Manager: The Wilson Room at Bourbon & Branch specializes in cocktail "flights" - an aperitif, main and digestive - that get more intense as you go along.