Finding the right first date spot in SF means finding a room that does some of the work for you. These places have something worth talking about - a hidden entrance, an outdoor movie screen, a menu that invites decisions.
Russian Hill · 1113 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
A speakeasy bar in Russian Hill where every cocktail is an original recipe built around Chinese baijiu and Asian regional ingredients, all inspired by the Journey to the West folktale. Walk-in only, password required: f…
North Beach · 28 Waverly Pl, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
An upstairs lounge rotating its cocktail menu through the Chinese Agrarian calendar. Twelve seasonal chapters, each with its own spirits and flavor profile, so what you drank last month doesn’t exist this week. Natural …
Financial District · 550 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
A candlelit cave à manger where the weekly-changing menu lives only on a giant marquee board and walk-ins are the intended mode. The wine list runs hundreds of organically farmed, small-grower bottles. Grower Champagnes…
Mission · 2534 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
An open-air courtyard behind a blank Mission facade where films project on whitewashed brick at dusk. The California-Mediterranean menu changes daily with what’s in season: oysters from the raw bar, the perennial Madras…
Mission · 3010 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
A long corner bar on 20th Street in the Mission that treats its cocktail menu as a recurring art project. Each version built around a concept, retired, and replaced with something new, which is how Trick Dog has held tw…
SoMa · 701 3rd St 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
A Nikkei rooftop bar on the 12th floor of SoMa's Hyatt Place, with views toward Oracle Park and a cocktail menu running Peruvian pisco alongside Japanese-inflected drinks. The outdoor terrace runs tropical (bamboo, gree…
Financial District · 568 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
Tropical wallpaper, checkered floors, overgrown ferns, and a tiny atrium separate this Financial District cocktail and raw bar from every other minimalist room in the neighborhood. The bar is the right seat. From there,…