The View Lounge ★ 4.2
$$$$
SomaDaily 16:00-00:00.
The View Lounge sits on the 39th floor of the Marriott Marquis with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the SoMa skyline and the bay. Walk-in seating.
TipThe northwest windows look out over Yerba Buena and the Bay Bridge at twilight. Cocktail menu is conservative; pay for the room, not the recipe.
Kaiyo Rooftop ★ 4.3
$$$$
SomaMon 16:00-22:00, Tue-Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri 16:00-01:00, Sat 11:00-01:00, Sun 11:00-22:00.
Kaiyo Rooftop sits on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Place in SF's SoMa, pairing Nikkei small plates with pisco cocktails and a deck looking over Oracle Park.
TipBallpark nights book up fast; reserve the deck side rather than the indoor lounge. The Nikkei menu pairs better with cocktails than wine.
Cavana ★ 4.3
$$$$
SomaTue-Wed 16:00-22:00, Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-00:00, Sun 11:00-22:00. Closed Mon.
Cavana crowns the LUMA Hotel on the 17th floor of Mission Bay with bay views, agave-led cocktails and Latin American small plates from a deck above the Chase.
TipSunset tables along the east edge catch the bay light. Warriors game nights run a different cocktail menu and shorten the kitchen.
Bourbon and Branch ★ 4.6
$$$$
SomaMon-Wed 18:00-00:00, Thu-Sat 18:00-02:00, Sun 18:00-00:00.
Bourbon and Branch in the Tenderloin holds court behind an unmarked door on Jones Street, the speakeasy that restarted San Francisco's craft cocktail era.
TipMain room needs a reservation and a daily password; the Library room takes walk-ins from 18:00. Phone policy is strict.
Wilson and Wilson ★ 4.5
$$$$
SomaTue-Thu 18:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 18:00-00:00. Closed Mon/Sun.
Wilson and Wilson is the SF speakeasy-within-a-speakeasy behind a bookshelf inside Bourbon and Branch, themed as a 1920s detective agency with set cocktail.
TipReserve a week ahead; the three-cocktail prix fixe is the only way to order. Entry is through the Bourbon and Branch door, then the back room.
Local Edition ★ 4.3
$$$$
SomaTue-Wed 17:00-00:00, Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri 17:00-02:00, Sat 19:00-02:00. Closed Mon/Sun.
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.
TipWalk down the staircase off Market; the entrance is unmarked. Weeknight live music after 21:00 packs the back bar fast.