San Francisco has been a drinking town since the Gold Rush, when saloons outnumbered almost every other business. Today you can sip Irish coffee where it was popularized in America, drink in bars where the Beat poets argued, sit in a tiki lounge in a hotel basement or settle into a Mission beer garden. Here are the bars worth seeking out, grouped by neighborhood.
In this guide
This guide is part of our San Francisco nightlife hub. For late-night ideas beyond bars, see things to do at night.
North Beach classics
- Vesuvio Cafe: across Jack Kerouac Alley from City Lights, with stained glass, balconies and Beat history.
- Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe: a cluttered, cash-friendly bar full of maritime curiosities.
- Tosca Cafe: a historic Columbus Avenue bar known for its house cappuccino, a brandy and chocolate drink.
- Comstock Saloon: a restored 1907 saloon with classic cocktails.
See our North Beach guide for the rest of the neighborhood.
Fisherman’s Wharf and the waterfront
The Buena Vista Cafe at the end of the Powell-Hyde cable car line has served Irish coffee since 1952 and pours thousands a day. It is touristy but fun, and the bartenders line up a dozen glasses at a time. Watch the cable cars turn around outside.
The Mission
- Trick Dog: one of the city’s most creative cocktail bars, with a menu that changes theme.
- Zeitgeist: a big, no-frills beer garden with picnic tables, a long-time local favorite.
- Elixir: one of the oldest continuously operating saloon sites in the city, with a friendly neighborhood feel.
Tiki and themed bars
- Smuggler’s Cove in Hayes Valley: three floors of rum and tiki drinks.
- Tonga Room at the Fairmont on Nob Hill: a tiki lounge built around a former swimming pool, with scheduled indoor rainstorms.
- Pagan Idol in the Financial District: an immersive tiki bar with a volcano and a ship’s deck.
Beer bars and dives
Toronado on Haight Street is one of the great beer bars in the country, cash-friendly and loud. Li Po Cocktail Lounge in Chinatown is a dimly lit classic known for its strong Chinese mai tai. For a view with your drink, see our guide to rooftop bars in San Francisco.
Tips
Bars must stop serving alcohol at 2am in California. Many classic bars are busiest after 9pm on weekends. Most places take cards, but a few old-school spots prefer cash. Use BART, Muni or a rideshare rather than driving, since parking near nightlife areas is difficult.
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest bar in San Francisco?
Several bars claim the title, including the Old Ship Saloon and Elixir, both on sites that have hosted saloons since the 1800s.
Where was Irish coffee first served in America?
At the Buena Vista Cafe near Fisherman’s Wharf, starting in 1952.
What time do bars close in San Francisco?
Last call is before 2am, when California law requires alcohol service to stop.
Which neighborhood has the best bars?
North Beach for history, the Mission for cocktails and beer gardens, and Hayes Valley for tiki and wine bars.
Photo credits
Featured image: Carwriter1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fisherman’s Wharf and the waterfront: BriefEdits / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.