Best Bars in San Francisco: Cocktail Lounges, Rooftops, Sports Bars and More

San Francisco’s bar scene runs the full spectrum, from century-old saloons that survived the 1906 earthquake to cocktail lounges on the world’s 50 best bars list, all packed into one of the most walkable cities in America.

The city that invented Irish coffee has been refining its drinking culture for over 150 years, and the current scene might be its best yet. North Beach is buzzing with new energy, the Mission continues to produce some of the most creative cocktail menus in the country, and 2026 brings an added charge with the FIFA World Cup drawing soccer fans from around the world to the city’s bars and waterfronts.

Whether you’re visiting San Francisco for the first time or looking for somewhere new to take out-of-town guests, this guide covers the best bars in SF by category, so you can find exactly the right room for the night you have in mind. Pair it with our guide to the best Michelin star restaurants in San Francisco for a full night out.

Planning to explore the city before the drinks? Book Dylan’s Famous Tour with Muir Woods and see San Francisco’s best neighborhoods, the Golden Gate Bridge, the ancient redwoods of Muir Woods, and the charming waterfront town of Sausalito, all before you settle in for the evening.

The Classics: Historic Bars in SF

Some bars earn their reputation over decades. These four have earned it over generations.

The Buena Vista Cafe

This Fisherman’s Wharf landmark sits at the foot of the Hyde Street cable car line and holds a legitimate piece of San Francisco history. The Buena Vista Cafe is where the Irish coffee was introduced to America in 1952, and they have been perfecting it ever since. Grab a seat at the long wooden bar, order one, and watch the bartenders line them up in rows. It is one of the most satisfying rituals in the city.

Vesuvio

Sitting directly across Jack Kerouac Alley from City Lights Bookstore in North Beach, Vesuvio has been a bohemian fixture since 1948. The walls are covered in art, the crowd is eclectic, and the atmosphere has changed very little since the Beat poets made it their living room.

Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe

Tucked down a narrow alley off Columbus Avenue, Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe is exactly the kind of bar that makes San Francisco feel like nowhere else. Maritime relics, photos, and curiosities cover every inch of the walls. Cash only, no pretension, and a regular crowd that will happily talk your ear off.

The Saloon

The oldest bar in the city, The Saloon on Grant Avenue survived the 1906 earthquake when much of North Beach did not. Come for the live blues, which runs most nights of the week, and stay for the atmosphere that no amount of renovation could ever replicate.

Best Cocktail Lounge and Speakeasy in SF

San Francisco’s cocktail scene punches well above its weight. These five bars represent the best of it, from Prohibition-era speakeasies to internationally recognized craft cocktail destinations.

Bourbon & Branch

Bourbon & Branch is one of the most atmospheric bars in the city, modeled after the actual speakeasy that operated illegally at this location from 1921 to 1933. Ring the buzzer at the unmarked door near Union Square, give the password, and step into a dimly lit Prohibition-era room where the cocktail menu is taken very seriously. Reservations are strongly recommended, though walk-ins can access the Library bar with the password “books.”

Pacific Cocktail Haven

Pacific Cocktail Haven, known locally as P.C.H., sits a few blocks from Union Square and has built a national reputation fast. Founded by award-winning bartender Kevin Diedrich, the bar draws on Asian-Pacific flavors to produce some of the most creative and balanced cocktails in the city. P.C.H. has won Best American Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail and earned recognition from the World’s 50 Best, making it one of the most acclaimed craft cocktail bars in the country.

Trick Dog

Trick Dog in the Mission District has been one of San Francisco’s best cocktail bars since it opened in 2013, and the accolades have followed. It won Best US Cocktail Bar in 2025, but what keeps regulars coming back is the biannual themed cocktail menu that completely reinvents the drink list every six months. The space is a converted warehouse and the bartenders execute at a consistently high level.

True Laurel

True Laurel comes from the team behind two Michelin-starred Lazy Bear, and the same precision carries over to the cocktail menu. Ranked No. 17 on North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2025, the bar uses hyper-seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, many foraged by the team, to produce cocktails that change daily. The small plates are equally good. Grab bar seats if you can and order whatever the bartender recommends.

Cavaña

Cavaña sits on the 17th floor in Mission Bay and brings a Latin American lens to its cocktail menu, built around agave and rum-forward drinks that celebrate the flavors of Central and South America. The Caipirinha is one of the best in the city, and the skyline views make it a strong choice for a first drink of the evening or a nightcap.

First time in SF? Let us show you the city by day before you discover it by night. Explore our award-winning San Francisco tours here.

Best Bars in San Francisco for Views: The View Lounge Guide

If the drink matters but the view matters just as much, these five bars deliver on both counts.

Top of the Mark

Perched on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill, Top of the Mark is one of the most iconic view bars in the city. The panoramic windows take in the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city skyline in every direction. The martini menu is extensive, live entertainment runs most nights, and the whole experience earns its reputation as one of San Francisco’s great hotel bars.

Starlite at the Beacon Grand

Starlite sits on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand in Union Square and reopened in early 2024 after a full renovation. The cocktail menu was designed by Scott Baird, co-founder of Trick Dog, and pays tribute to San Francisco through drinks like the Cable Car, a riff on the classic Sidecar. A nightly vinyl DJ, sweeping city views, and a glamorous Art Deco interior make this one of the most atmospheric bars in the city right now.

Cold Drinks Bar

Hidden on the second floor of the China Live culinary complex in Chinatown, Cold Drinks Bar sits behind an unmarked bat-marked door and rewards those who find it. The vibe is old Shanghai jazz era, the bartenders wear tuxedos, and the Scotch list runs to over 350 expressions. It is intimate, stylish, and unlike anything else in San Francisco.

Rise Over Run

Rise Over Run occupies the 12th-floor rooftop of the Timbri Hotel in Mid-Market, formerly known as the LINE Hotel. A greenhouse-style solarium, fire pits, and a greenery-lined outdoor patio give it a lush, distinctive feel. The cocktail menu draws on American-Asian influences, and the skyline views from up top make it a strong choice before or after a night out in SoMa.

Kaiyo Rooftop

Kaiyo Rooftop sits on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Place in SoMa, directly next to Oracle Park, and brings a Japanese-Peruvian sensibility to its cocktail and food menu. The views stretch across the downtown skyline to the Bay Bridge, and the tropical design makes it feel closer to a vacation than a bar night. Reserve ahead, especially on Giants game days when the neighborhood fills up fast.

Best Bars in SF for Sports and the 2026 FIFA World Cup

San Francisco’s soccer culture runs deeper than most American cities. The San Francisco Soccer Football League was founded in 1902, predating FIFA itself, and the city’s diverse immigrant communities have kept that passion alive ever since. In summer 2026, the Bay Area hosts six FIFA World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, and the city’s bars will be electric from the first whistle in June through the Round of 32 on July 1.

Check out our FIFA World Cup 2026 Bay Area Guide for everything you need to plan your trip around the matches. 

Danny Coyle’s

Danny Coyle’s on Haight Street is the anchor of San Francisco’s soccer bar scene. It serves as the official home for supporters clubs representing Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich, all of which will have players competing in the World Cup.

On match days the pub opens as early as 7am, fills with scarves and jerseys, and delivers the kind of atmosphere that makes watching soccer in a bar worth doing. Pool, darts, and weekly trivia round out the non-match nights.

Kezar Pub

Kezar Pub sits on Stanyan Street at the edge of Golden Gate Park and has been a neighborhood sports institution since 1936. It is the official home of the Liverpool FC supporters club in San Francisco and opens as early as 6am on weekends for early kickoffs. The wings are among the best in the city, the beer selection is strong, and the location makes it an easy stop before or after a walk through the park.

Mad Dog in the Fog

Mad Dog in the Fog reopened in the Upper Haight after closing during the pandemic and has returned to its role as one of the city’s most reliable soccer pubs. It opens early for European matches and draws a committed crowd of football fans for Premier League games and major tournaments. Expect plenty of screens, a good beer selection, and a casual atmosphere that never takes itself too seriously.

Maggie McGarry’s

Maggie McGarry’s in North Beach was opened by two Irish natives in 2006 and has built a reputation as one of the most welcoming soccer bars in the city. It draws an international crowd on match days and opens early to accommodate European kickoff times. By evening, the energy shifts as live music and DJs take over the stage, making it one of the few bars in SF where you can watch the World Cup and end up at a proper party in the same room.

Planning your time around World Cup match days and other SF events this year? Our San Francisco Events Calendar 2026 has everything you need to know. 

The Best Wine and Specialty Bars in San Francisco

Not every night calls for cocktails or a sports bar. These four cover the rest of the spectrum.

Smuggler’s Cove

Smuggler’s Cove in Hayes Valley is one of the most singular bar experiences in the country. Opened in 2009 by rum expert Martin Cate, the three-level tiki bar holds the largest rum selection in the United States and has been recognized by the World’s 50 Best. The cocktail menu draws on over three centuries of rum history, the vintage tiki décor is immaculately done, and the whole place feels like an escape from the city the moment you walk in. Order a Mai Tai and work your way from there.

Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist on Valencia Street has been an SF institution since 1977 and remains one of the most unpretentious bars in the city. The draw is the massive outdoor beer garden, 64 taps of craft and European beer, and legendary Bloody Marys. It is come-as-you-are, first-come-first-served, and exactly the kind of place you end up staying far longer than planned. A true Mission District original.

Big Finish Wine Tavern

Big Finish Wine Tavern opened in the Mission in early 2025 and immediately filled a gap in the city’s drinking scene. With over 50 wines by the glass, most served on draft and priced well below the SF norm, it makes exploring wine from around the world accessible. The food menu is solid, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the whole concept is built around neighborhood hospitality rather than exclusivity. One of the best new bars in the city.

Jilli

Jilli arrived in the Mission in June 2025 and brought something the city’s bar scene was missing: a Korean sool jib, a traditional communal gathering place built around makgeolli, a milky fermented rice wine poured from teapots into metal bowls. The small plates are equally good, from popcorn fried chicken to spicy tteokbokki blanketed in melted mozzarella. It is relaxed, communal, and one of the most interesting new bar concepts to open in San Francisco in years.

Your SF Bar-Hopping Travel Guide

San Francisco is one of the most walkable cities in America, and its bars are spread across distinct neighborhoods that each have their own character. A few tips to help you make the most of your night.

North Beach is the easiest place to start. Vesuvio, Specs’, The Saloon, and Maggie McGarry’s are all within a few blocks of each other, making it one of the best stretches in the city for an unhurried bar crawl on foot.

The Mission and the Haight are the city’s other natural bar-hopping corridors. Trick Dog, True Laurel, Zeitgeist, Big Finish, and Jilli are all concentrated in the Mission, while Danny Coyle’s, Kezar Pub, and Mad Dog in the Fog anchor the Haight. Both neighborhoods are well served by BART and Muni.

Most bars in San Francisco run happy hour between 4pm and 6pm, which is the best window to grab bar seats at some of the more popular spots before they fill up.

Pair Your Night Out with a Day Tour of San Francisco

The best night out in San Francisco starts with the best day in the city. With 20+ years of experience and 5,700+ five-star reviews, Dylan’s Tours makes it easy to see San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods, landmarks, and natural beauty before the evening begins. Find the tour that fits your schedule and make a full day of it.