Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Coffee

As if our love of food wasn't enough, we also enjoy the excellent selection of coffee roasters, breweries, wineries, distilleries, and bottle shops in the Bay Area. It is a broad and eclectic mix of small chains and world renowned brands.

To start you off, here are some great lists from Eater SF:

Here is our big and incomplete list (in no particular order)! You can also view all of these places and more on our annotated Google Map.

Coffee & Tea

If you are a coffee lover, like us, you are going to love exploring some of what SF has to offer. Our personal favourites are Snowbird and The Richfield, as their Zatara pour over is to die for. Please see our extended list of recommendations here.

  • Snowbird — our favourite coffee place in the city, we highly recommend the Zatara pour over or an espresso if you stop in
  • The Richfield — sister location to Snowbird, serves breakfast (slowly) too
  • Four Barrel — delicious coffee served at a variety of locations throughout the city
  • Blue Bottle — this is just a solid coffee place with locations all over the city and now across the nation
  • Boba Guys — need a break from coffee? Go here for some excellent boba milk tea
  • Flywheel Coffee Roasters — very yummy coffee served in a hip cafe
  • Ritual Coffee — solid coffee with multiple locations and also sold at many other places
  • Sightglass Coffee — more delicious coffee
  • Beachside Coffee Bar & Kitchen — great food (try the waffles!) and yummy coffee
  • Samovar Tea Lounge — lounge dedicated to tea of all kinds
  • The Buena Vista — a San Francisco institution that claims to have re-invented the Irish Coffee in 1952, an amazing spot to visit

Beer

We couldn't resist recommending some of our favourite breweries as well, as Matthew's epic love of beer always takes us on new adventures. We've compiled a list of our favourite breweries and bars. It was impossible to keep this list short, as there are just too many amazing spots to visit and enjoy.

  • Almanac Tap Room — one of our favourite breweries and tap rooms. They have a very extensive list of sour beers
  • Sessions — this amazing restaurant has delicious American food and an EXTENSIVE beer list. It is one of our favourites, and right next to Matt's work!
  • Beer Basement — This is an amazing bar. The owner curates an extensive, wonderful draft list of beers. The area is a little rough, so we don't recommend it for the less adventurous, but it is a great place.
  • Mikkeller Bar — delicious brewery and pub
  • Woods Beer Company — Super fun brewery with lots of unique beers. This guy really pushes the limits of flavors. Woods Cervecería is the original location and you can get a crowler to go and drink it in Dolores Park!
  • Monk's Kettle — great beer list and a wonderful seasonal menu
  • City Beer Store — extensive beer store and bar!
  • Healthy Spirits — if you are looking to pick up a bottle to enjoy back at the hotel, we highly recommend Healthy Spirits
  • Russian River Brewing — For those willing to leave the city, this is an amazing brewery in the Bay Area. Beware though, it is very busy on weekends and you should check to make sure there are no events going on, as it can make the wait to get in hours long
  • Lagunitas Brewing Company — Delicious beer for those willing to trek outside the city. Their outdoor space at the brewery is a wonderful place to hang out if the weather is nice
  • The Rare Barrel — an all sour, barrel-aged beer company in Berkeley
  • Upcider — cider house-gastropub! What more could you want?
  • Coin Op Game Room — super fun bar complete with a great beer list and classic video games
  • Rogue Ales Public House — this is a great brewery from Oregon and their location allows for large groups
  • Sunset Reservoir Brewing — great beer and delicious pub in the Sunset District
  • Standard Deviant Brewing — chill BYO food spot with games

Wine

If beer isn't your thing, NOT to worry! There are also a ton of great wine bars in the city and if you want to travel further San Francisco is super close to the world-famous wine regions of Napa, Sonoma, Russian River, Santa Cruz, and more. We've compiled a list of our favourites here. Sarah is still forever striving to find an amazing wine that gets more than a "yep, it's a wine," reaction from Matthew!

  • Eno wine bar — great selection and they do wine pairings with food and chocolates!
  • Inner Fog — where we had our first date!
  • The Hidden Vine — This place is a gem, wonderful laid back bar and great wine selection
  • High Treason — super hip wine bar we like near our apartment
  • Wine Down SF — cute little bar right near SF MoMa, complete with a little kitchenette in case you are dying for an empanada while sharing a glass of wine
  • Atlas Tap Room — great bar with a good beer and wine selection
  • Francis Ford Coppola Winery — this place is a fun mixture of great wine and movie memorabilia
  • Matanza Creek — set amongst gorgeous lavender fields, this is a winery we're dying to try. No appointment necessary for tastings. Let us know if you go!
  • Porter Creek Wineries — we stumbled upon this little gem, for which the tasting room is little more than a shack. The guy who poured our tasting was extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and the wine was excellent. We definitely recommend this place
  • Seghesio Family Vineyards — 120-year-old winery specializing in Zinfandels and Italian varietals
  • Dutcher Crossing Winery — beautiful winery focusing on small-lot winemaking

There are literally hundreds of wineries in the Bay Area, here are some links to help you plan your visit if you want to explore more:

Cocktails & Distilleries

And to round things off here are our favourite cocktail bars in the city. Trick Dog, hands down, is the most fun to go to. It is always packed, super loud, and has a unique hand crafted menu that they change quarterly. We recommend you go to the back and up the stairs where you can ask to be seated for a meal or just drinks in the loft. It is wonderful. Oh, and try their kale salad!