Best-of list · City Guide
The best bars in San Francisco right now, from Mission District cocktail dens to North Beach institutions. Our editors' picks across every neighbourhood.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
We've spent years working through the best bars in San Francisco, and the city still surprises us. The fog rolls in, the cocktail culture runs deep, and the neighbourhood bar scene is unlike anywhere else on the West Coast. This is our current list — the places we'd actually send a friend who's in town for one night and needs to get it right.
San Francisco earned its cocktail reputation the hard way. The city's bartenders came up through a culture that valued technique and sourcing before those words became industry clichés. These are the rooms that define what the best bars in San Francisco look like in practice.
How we picked
San Francisco rewards bar-goers who come with a plan. The best bars here are spread across distinct neighbourhoods that each have their own character — a crawl that starts in North Beach and ends in the Mission will feel like visiting two different cities. We recommend the cocktail bars first: Trick Dog and Smuggler's Cove are both operating at a level that justifies a flight.
If you have more time, dedicate one evening to the Mission District bar scene specifically. ABV, Trick Dog, Zeitgeist, and Elixir are all walkable from each other and represent the full range of what the neighbourhood does. Book Bix for a late dinner — the kitchen there is as serious as the bar.
Marcus covers the West Coast, Latin America, and Pacific Rim bar scenes for barsforKings. He has been drinking professionally in San Francisco since 2009 and has strong opinions about which Mission bar has the best mezcal selection.
Last reviewed 2026-05-04 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.