Bar, restaurant, cigar recommendations in San Francisco?

I've never been, but the one bar that I want to go to in San Fran is Bourbon and Branch. May be a little too trying-so-hard-to-be-old-school-that-it's-trendy but I still want to try it out. ~ Huntsman

I have never been to SF either, but here are two places I would check out if I did.

http://www.absinthe.com/

and

http://www.anchorbrewing.com/

The first place really takes cocktails seriously. Their bartenders have a book (i think called Art of the Bar) in which they discuss reviving classics and creating new drinks with classic proportions using fresh natural mixers.

The second place is one of the breweries responsible for craft beer in America.

Good, good call on Absinthe.

Bourbon and Branch was great in the beginning, but I think it is not as good now. Nothing has really changed other than the crowd, which has really declined. The other problem is that they try to make the drinks too good. By that I meant that they seem to discount the fact that some drinks are supposed to be made with a mixer, like Rose's, and that using fresh lime juice kills them. I like Absinthe for dinner, but the bar tends to be hit or miss. The food is quite good, most of the time. In reality, though, anybody with sense would go to Zuni, which is better, with a much more interesting crowd, and is just a few blocks away. They don't make such a big deal about their cocktails, but they are generally better, and the food is about ten steps above Absinthe. It is right at the junction of normal and abnormal San Francisco, so you see a bit of everything. Suppenkuche, just down the street, has an extensive selection of beer, and really good German food. It is pretty popular, and the crowd is extremely friendly. One thing that is worth doing if you are in the Haight is to grab a sausage at Rosamunde and then go eat it at the bar at Toronado next door. The sausages are great, the bar has a huge selection. Both are kind of scuzzy, but in a very honest way. Cigar bars are few and far between. There used to be a good cigar shop called Sherlock's Haven, but it closed a few years ago. For wine bars, Cav and London Wine bar are the two best. Most of the others are newish and they don't store their wine well. As far as swanky cocktail lounges, I generally avoid them. The good bars are all closed, and the new ones are too pretentious. If it is a nice night, the patio at Le Colonial is not bad for a drink. The bars I actually like in San Francisco tend to be ones that have been around for a long time, and mainly they are in North Beach. Tosca is my favorite in that neighborhood, then Spec's, Tony Nik's and Vesuvio. The bar at the Huntington, on Nob Hill, is very nice, the bar food is great, but it is quiet. The associated restaurant can be very, very good, but it can also be crappy. The bar at the Ritz Carlton is nice, and they serve sushi, but I haven't been in years, so things could have changed.

LWB is the one on Sansome, right? White facade? I used to go there a lot. Haven't been in ages.

Yes, but apparently it closed very recently (6/1). I guess I will have to strike it off of my list .

Instead of Bourbon and Branch, try Alembic on Haight. For a serious splurge at a "see and be seen" bar, I like the Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel near Union Square.

If you're in the Mission, check out Laszlo on Mission Street (just off Mission and 20th, attached to Foreign Cinema).

For restaurants, I love Foreign Cinema for brunch, but am not that crazy about dinner there. YMMV, because I'm a pescatarian (seafood or vegetarian only).

My favorite splurge restaurant right now is Ame, 3rd and Mission Street, across from Yerba Buena. Absolutely phenomenal food. I haven't been, but my wife is crazy about Qoio (pronounced "qwah").

The Slanted Door is a long time staple, right on the Bay in the Ferry Building. It's loud, and the food declined for a while, but lately they've been hitting it out of the park.

Yay Cav!!!! Whoo hooo!!

What? Dammit!


Went to Alembic shortly after it opened and although the Scotch selection was extensive and varied, the staff was clearly still training and not very good. I'd be curious to hear of others' experiences and have been thinking of giving it another try sometime.

+1 on the Rosamunde & Toronado combo. Quintessential Lower Haight right there. Tunnel Top isn't a cigar bar, but people were smoking there every time I've been; and an interesting crowd. If you go to Zuni, you can also grab a drink at the Orbit Room. They used to have a bartender there that made some of the best drinks in town IMO. If you're in town on a weekend and it's sunny and warm, the patio at Taylor's in the Ferry Building is a good spot to get some sun, drink beer and people watch. Or, get to Zeitgeist early and snag a table and put your food order in right away as it can take an hour to get something from the grill when it fills up. There's always the burrito lady...

If you're in SOMA, then hit up the Chieftain for beers, or Hotel Utah for live music. I always thought Hotel Utah had one of the best menus of any plain-old-bar in the city.

Oh, and the only cigar place I can really think of is the cigar bar on Montgomery. The patio can be nice if it's not too crowded with young junior executives thinking their cool just because they're smoking a cigar.

Enjoy the trip!

Enjoyed the post, thanks.

Try Hotel Biron instead, on Rose street up the block from Zuni. Great little place with a really interesting and constantly changing wine list. The owner, Chris, is a great guy who used to be the bartender but bought out the original owner.