Bourbon and Branch in the Tenderloin holds court behind an unmarked door on Jones Street, the speakeasy that restarted San Francisco's craft cocktail era in 2006.
Tip: Main room needs a reservation and a daily password; the Library room takes walk-ins from 18:00. Phone policy is strict.
Address: 501 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Wilson and Wilson is the SF speakeasy-within-a-speakeasy behind a bookshelf inside Bourbon and Branch, themed as a 1920s detective agency with set cocktail flights.
Tip: Reserve a week ahead; the three-cocktail prix fixe is the only way to order. Entry is through the Bourbon and Branch door, then the back room.
Local Edition runs out of the SF Hearst Building basement on Market Street, fitted with vintage printing presses, low light and a long cocktail list under FiDi.
Tip: Walk down the staircase off Market; the entrance is unmarked. Weeknight live music after 21:00 packs the back bar fast.
Pacific Cocktail Haven on Sutter Street in SF is Kevin Diedrich's craft cocktail room, ranked 16 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 with a Pacific Rim program.
Tip: Walk-in seating fills by 20:00 on weekends. The bar prefers the high-top counter for solo drinkers; reservations only fit groups of three or more.
Wilson and Wilson is the SF speakeasy-within-a-speakeasy behind a bookshelf inside Bourbon and Branch, themed as a 1920s detective agency with set cocktail flights.
Tip: Reserve a week ahead; the three-cocktail prix fixe is the only way to order. Entry is through the Bourbon and Branch door, then the back room.
Local Edition runs out of the SF Hearst Building basement on Market Street, fitted with vintage printing presses, low light and a long cocktail list under FiDi.
Tip: Walk down the staircase off Market; the entrance is unmarked. Weeknight live music after 21:00 packs the back bar fast.
The Hideout at Dalva is the SF back-room cocktail bar tucked behind the Dalva dive on 16th Street, fitted with banquettes and a six-seat bar for stirred drinks.
Tip: Enter through Dalva and walk to the rear door that looks like a bathroom. The room seats around twenty; arrive before 20:30 on weekends.
Pacific Cocktail Haven on Sutter Street in SF is Kevin Diedrich's craft cocktail room, ranked 16 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 with a Pacific Rim program.
Tip: Walk-in seating fills by 20:00 on weekends. The bar prefers the high-top counter for solo drinkers; reservations only fit groups of three or more.
True Laurel in SF's Mission is the cocktail bar from the Lazy Bear team, ranked 17 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 with a Northern California ingredient list.
Tip: The kitchen plates fried chicken and burgers until late; the cocktail list works in seasonal flights. Walk-in for the counter, reserve for the patio.
Twin Peaks Tavern in SF's Castro opened its plate-glass windows in 1972 as the first US gay bar to let the sidewalk see in, still drawing the daytime drink crowd.
Tip: Afternoon at the front window is the social anchor of the neighbourhood. Cash bar runs quicker than card on busy Saturdays.