Golden Sardine swam into the North Beach neighborhood in late January, with a list of wines that shines a big spotlight on Reisling (though there are other varietals available as well) and lots of tinned fish. It’s part wine bar, part wine shop, and part poetry hangout, with owner Andrew Paul Nelson bringing deep connections to the city’s literary scene to the table. “We’re all super excited about the upcoming generation of poets,” Nelson tells Eater SF.

The Bus Stop might not be the first place that comes to mind when looking for a good cocktail in Cow Hollow. But as of late 2023, there’s a swanky lounge upstairs called the Left Door and it’s a destination for ice-cold martinis infused with Monterey Bay seaweed, olive brine, and Hog Island sea salt brine with a side of caviar. The bar encourages customers to dress to impress and limit phone usage.

The former Trade Routes space on Polk Street is now home to a late-night street market — or at least, a bar inspired by one. Polkcha opened in early February and offers a tight menu of Asian-inspired cocktails such as the Back Bay, a sesame and Sichuan peppercorn-flavored Old Fashioned, and a pandan-infused Negroni made with tequila called the Hua Hin. All drinks cost a cool $15 so it’s also a budget-friendly drinking den decked out in neon signs and with a life-sized robot gracing the back wall. 

Holbrook House, the uber-luxurious new restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the One Sansome building, serves coffee by day and a full food menu at night — but it also hopes to be a destination for post-work drinks. Case in point: some tables come equipped with switches to summon either a Champagne or a martini cart. Customers can then choose from a selection of gins and vermouths, a rotating cast of bitters, and house-made garnishes.

As of early February, the Blue Room is serving live music and classic cocktails. The Nob Hill bar comes from the same folks behind Stookey’s Club Moderne, which is located just next door. But unlike that bar, the Blue Room aims to offer a quieter experience — a dedicated place to enjoy a drink like an Aviation or Sidecar alongside a healthy dose of jazz.

Head to the lobby of the LINE SF hotel on Market Street for an intimate cocktail experience at the aptly named Dark Bar. Open since mid-February, this moody drinking den offers cocktails from well-respected local bar talent Danny Louie. The drinks reflect an exploration of fermentation so expect complex flavors and ingredients such as those seen in the Cloud Nine, which features koji whisky with smoked tea, lacto-fermented apricots, amontillado, winter melon, and yuzu. There’s also a roving bar cart serving highballs made with Japanese and Taiwanese whiskeys. 

You can certainly have a full dinner of Mexican and Persian fusion fare at this dark and moody SoMa lounge, but the swanky atmosphere also makes it a great destination for happy hour or post-dinner drinks. The cocktail list includes drinks such as the Chilosa, which blends St. George green chile vodka, cilantro, lime, coconut, and gol gav zaban, a purple flower used in Persian teas. Pair a drink with sharable plates including chips and dips or mini skewers.

There’s another swanky rooftop bar open now in Mission Bay from some of the same folks behind SoMa’s Kaiyo Rooftop. Cavaña pulls inspiration from across Latin America meaning cocktails lean into flavors including hoja santa, papaya, mole spices, and poblano peppers. On the concise food menu, highlights include flaky pastel de carne, two kinds of arepas, and an asado roca — essentially a meat-filled board weighted down with steak and sausages. Make a reservation for heading over. 

The team behind Outer Sunset sandwich and beverage shop Palm City Wines opened Bar Jabroni in late March, but whether it's actually a restaurant or a bar depends on who you ask. What’s for sure: Chef Robert Hernandez, former chef de cuisine at Octavia, created a food menu that’s just as funky as the wine. Head to Lower Haight for a glass of chilled red and a green garlic and date pancake or a bottle of skin contact wine with a plate of roasted arrowhead cabbage. 

The Lower Haight’s newest watering hole comes from a foursome of hospitality industry experts who helped grow Nopalito. Now they’ve turned their attention to the corner of Haight and Pierce streets, where they’re serving a menu of lean cocktails intended to straddle the line between being exciting and not too fussy. The list includes the Holy Smoke, a cocktail of Manzanilla sherry, Benedictine, and Ardbeg scotch, as well as the Katana made with Suntory Toki whiskey with Dolin Blanc vermouth and ginger eau de vie. Food comes in the form of bar bites such as peanuts brined and tossed with MSG and mala spice, potato chips dusted in dried seaweed powder and served with a miso onion dip, and a grilled beef salad. 

Chris Gaither and Rebecca Fineman, the husband-and-wife Master Sommeliers behind Ungrafted, opened a second project at Thrive City, steps from the Chase Center. The wine bar’s globetrotting menu focuses on bottles produced with sustainable farming practices in mind, while the food selections draw inspiration from the Mediterranean.