The coolest bars and restaurants in town

SF thrillist

It's time for a new edition (easy there, Bobby Brown) of the Thrillist 47, giving you the best new and new-ish places to eat and drink. Some had to go, while other hot spots could not be denied (Bitters, Bock, and Rye FTW!). Have a look at the list (organized by hood; this isn't a ranking) and make the most of your next night out.

SOMA

saison

1) Saison
178 Townsend St; 415.828.7990
Not only does Saison dole out a ream of classy libations, but their seafood is as fresh as it comes, and they dry-age all of their meat in-house.
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jamber

2) Jamber Wine Pub
858 Folsom St; 415.273.9192
Sure, they have 20 kegged vinos on tap, but despite the wine emphasis the menu's anything but hoity-toity, with options ranging from poutine to the PB&Jam: pork belly, peanut butter, and bacon Jamber jam.
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25 lusk

3) Twenty Five Lusk
25 Lusk St; 415.495.5875
This two-story resto n' lounge was built in a former meat-processing plant/smokehouse erected in 1917, and pours 250 kinds of vino to go with contemporary American grub like a top sirloin w/ apple-mint demi-glace, and a braised pork cheek terrine.
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Umami Burger

4) Umami Burger
242 King St; 415.904.8626
The best place to grab a quick burger before a Giants game, Umami's offering all their amazing eats including the Manly Burger with beer-cheddar, bacon lardons, and smoked salt onion strings.
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rn47

5) RN74
301 Mission St; 415.543.7474
For having 3000 or so bottles of French & new world Pinots, RN74 has surprisingly affordable, not to mention tasty, Franco-Cali eats. Don't miss the sweet bread ragout w/ blue prawns.
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cavalier

6) Cavalier
360 Jesse St; 415.321.6000
From the team behind Park Tavern, this upscale British pub-inspired restaurant has a bacon sandwich and fish 'n chips you'd be a fool to not get.
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marlowe

7) Marlowe
330 Townsend St; 415.974.5599
The perennial fave still packs 'em in with their poulet vert and grilled pork chop w/ porcini jus.
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NORTH BEACH/ JACKSON SQUARE

eden lounge

8) Eden Lounge
1652 Stockton Street; 415.989.7300
This hidden upstairs bar inside of Park Tavern fits a select 45 drinkers in its about-as-large-as-Rye room, and offers a curated selection of not-available-at-Park-Tavern seasonal cocktails, plus a small menu of bar snacks.
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comstock saloon

9) Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Ave; 415.617.0071
An elegantly appointed, throwback cocktail bar with classically gourmet pub grub featuring flasks labeled "Rye", "Scotch", and "Bourbon", a 150yr-old absinthe fountain, and a working spittoon, which is a reminder that throwbacks aren't always actually elegant.
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original joes

10) Original Joe's
601 Union Street; 415.775.4877
An old classic resurrected in North Beach, OJ's is repping the same 1950s cocktail list (think Vespers, Aviations & Grasshoppers) and good Italian eats that made them a Tenderloin institution.
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THE MISSION

trick dog

11) Trick Dog
3010 20th St; 415.471.2999
The result of three years of labor by the Bon Vivants, TD pours out throat-tickling tipples like the Mr. Big Stuff with Calle 23 reposado tequila, Gran Classico bitters, coconut, bay laurel, and lime, all served in a freaking pineapple glass.
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west of pecos

12) West of Pecos
550 Valencia St; 415.252.7000
This huge Tex-Mexery not only promises some delicious/way-more-authentic-than-Chevy's grub, but they also make a mean margarita to go with it.
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Namu Gaji

13) Namu Gaji
499 Dolores St; 415.431.6268
Delve into platters of oysters & raw scallops, “Crispy” comestibles (potato puffs w/ parmesan, fried garlic & gochujang aioli), and grilled, house-butchered pork chops complemented by sake, house-label vino, and beer.
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The Abbot's Cellar

14) The Abbot's Cellar
742 Valencia St; 415.626.8700
From the dudes behind MK, this suped-up, beer-centric restaurant features a daily rotating menu designed to pair with said suds, which are chosen each week based on meetings between the chef and the cellarmaster.
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St. Vincent

15) St. Vincent
1270 Valencia St; 415.285.1200
This upscale-but-still-affordable tavern from the James Beard-ed wine director at Quince/Cotogna offers 100 wines under $100 and bar fare like smoked pork rinds and hand-rolled pretzels w/ cultured butter.
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Cerveceria de MateVeza

16) Cerveceria de MateVeza
3801 18th St; 415.273.9295
Three of their signature suds are brewed with South American yerba mate tea that naturally caffeinates the brew. That's right: caffeinated beer.
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Mission Bowling Club

17) Mission Bowling Club
3176 17th St; 415.863.2695
This warehouse-residing restaurant-cum-bar-cum-bowlery has food from the chef behind the Mission Chinese Food empire, and a bar program that runs from local drafts (Magnolia & Russian River) to $3 PBR.
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Virgil's Sea Room

18) Virgil's Sea Room
3152 Mission St; 415.829.2233
If you're looking for a bar with a little of the typical Mission pretension, plus an amazing back patio, you've come to the right place.
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Southpaw BBQ

19) Southpaw BBQ
2170 Mission St; 415.934.9300
Having done time at Delfina and Twenty Five Lusk, the chef at Southpaw has the chops (!) to cover the gamut of Southeastern goodness, and the ingredients to back it up: imported Allan Benton TN hams and cheese grits from a friend's 100yr-old mill in Mississippi.
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Hi Lo BBQ

20) Hi Lo BBQ
3416 19th St; 415.874.9211
Load up on killer grilled & smoked meats available by the pound (brisket, spare ribs, and various cuts brined in both hard cider and sake), then get loaded on signature 'tails like the Jerk Mary: a traditional Bloody with jerk seasoning.
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El Techo de Lolinda

21) El Techo de Lolinda
2518 Mission St; 415.550.6970
In the former Medjool space, this rooftop accompaniment to the classy Argentinian steakhouse downstairs is definitely classier than the former but a little more casual than the latter, and they have some great cocktails to enjoy while shielded by see-thru walls against this city's awful wind.
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Flour + Water

22) Flour + Water
2401 Harrison St; 415.826.7000
This critically acclaimed, rustic-yet-slick outpost pays homage to the "four pillars... of old world and authentic" Italian grub, resulting in pizzas cooked for no longer than two minutes at a balmy 800 degrees in a wood-burning oven.
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HAYES VALLEY/ CIVIC CENTER

Rich Table

23) Rich Table
199 Gough St; 415.355.9085
The menu's eclectically American like you've probably never seen, with oysters on the half in ocean broth, corn fritters w/ yeast & cilantro salsa verde, and a hanger steak with nettles, Basque peppers, and button mushrooms.
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AQ Restaurant & Bar

24) AQ Restaurant & Bar
1085 Mission St; 415.341.9000
The open kitchen plates Monterey squid-topped charred avocado, while the local craft beers run through an industrial-pipe-like custom tap system.
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Biergarten

25) Biergarten
424 Octavia St; 415.252.9289
There are always a half-dozen rotating Germanic brews on tap, and they come in full liters and halves, in case you think you're gonna boot.
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tbd

26) TBD
1077 Mission St; 415.431.1826
From the guys behind AQ, this camping-themed restaurant cooks all of their food using a giant, custom Grillworks grill.
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THE FILLMORE

the social study

27) The Social Study
1795 Geary Blvd; 415.292.7417
Housed in what used to be a cannabis club, the tiny Study is run by an aesthetically pleasing former Farmerbrown 'tender, and's part coffee bar, part bar bar, meaning morning-time Four Barrel Coffee, and morning-time-if-you're-Gary-Busey epic beer-tails.
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LOWER HAIGHT

maven

28) Maven
598 Haight St; 415.829.7982
The two-story space brims with artful illumination, and the menu pairs every single dish (Thai tempura-fried calamari, bacon 'n duck sliders) with a cocktail and beer/wine option.
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rickybobby

29) RickyBobby
400 Haight St
This super-popular neighborhood spot is totally dominating all-American comfort food, complete with a burger that has two patties made of beef and bacon.
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FIDI/ UNION SQUARE/ THE TENDERLOIN

tradition

30) Tradition
441 Jones St; 415.474.2284
From the Bourbon & Branch empire, Tradition has not one, not two, but eight drink menus that span the entire tippling lexicon, from Tiki, to dive bar, to speakeasy, to English pub.
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per diem

31) Per Diem
43 Sutter St; 415.989.0300
Cherry Chocolate Bock and Hennepin Saison flow from a dozen taps housed inside a converted antique water heater, while top-notch, choose-your-booze-venture cocktails are mixed behind a walnut-wrapped marble bar.
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burritt tavern

32) Burritt Tavern
417 Stockton St; 415.400.0561
The ever-popular bar got a full restaurant added on, complete with private booths with closeable curtains... for enjoying your steak better.
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Bluestem Brasserie

33) Bluestem Brasserie
1 Yerba Buena Ln; 415.547.1111
BB's distinct cocktails include the American BBQ (El Zarco Jalapeno Tequila, Noilly Prat Dry, housemade tomato juice w/ a BBQ-dust rim), but don't skip on "fresh, simply composed dishes" like berbere-spiced goat sausages.
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Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen

34) Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen
401 Taylor St; 415.775.7979
Upscale-ish pub eats range from first bites (mini bleu cheese burgers on pretzel buns), to more satiating sandwiches (a pork belly grilled cheese with tomato & onion relish), while the drink program was curated by the old Burritt Room bar manager.
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35) Redford
673 Geary St; 415.563.8192
This huge, double-level bar in the Tendernob (sure, we'll acknowledge it's a neighborhood) is almost a Marina-style place with a wide drink selection and edibles like a huge make-your-own sandwich Pastrami Board (technically for two) that comes out with a plate of cheeses, mustards, and breads for you to pair with the sizzling-hot 'stram.
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RUSSIAN HILL

Leopold's

36) Leopold's
2400 Polk St; 415.474.2000
This antler-filled Austrian bierhaus is an ode to all things Oktoberfest, featuring eight mostly German beers on tap and 12 more bottled, all available by the pint/liter/boot and served by lederhosen-attired coeds.
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INNER SUNSET

37) The Corner Store
5 Masonic Ave; 415.359.1800
Hit up this awesome gem of a spot that has an outdoor patio, great drinks, incredible brunch, and The Corner Store Burger, which's got bread & butter pickles, garlic aioli, pickled red onions, and bacon jam.
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THE MARINA

tacolicious

38) Tacolicious
2031 Chestnut St; 415.346.1966
The Ferry Building's deliciously inventive Laiola's morphed into Tacolicious, a brick n' mortar that serves Coca-Cola braised beef and shot-n-a-beer carnitas tacos.
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the tipsy pig

39) The Tipsy Pig
2231 Chestnut St; 415.292.2300
Their tuned-up pub grub's exemplified by starters like pulled pork sloppy sliders and roasted bone marrow w/ crushed gigante beans.
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POLK

Bitters, Bock, and Rye

40) Bitters, Bock, and Rye
1117 Polk St; 415.440.4490
This giant spot at the edge of the 'loin and Polk is part-restaurant, part-old-school wooden tavern, with their own beers and a ton of different Southern BBQ from a Thomas Keller alum that pairs great with their smoked jalapeno margarita.
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FURTHER AFIELD

comal

41) Comal
2020 Shattuck Ave; 510.926.6300
The brainchild of the former manager of Phish ('natch), Comal's a woodsy, 140-seat Oaxacan resto in Berkeley with a menu from a Delfina alum that includes whole chickens roasted in a wood-burning hearth, plus tetelas (corn turnovers) and tlayudas (basically open-faced crispy burritos).
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Brotzeit Lokal

42) Brotzeit Lokal
1000 Embarcadero; 510.645.1905
This beer garden hidden in Oakland is a traditional German beer garden housed in a building that used to be a brothel (!!) and happens to have an amazing waterfront view that goes perfectly with European brews.
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Hog's Apothecary

43) Hog's Apothecary
375 40th Street; 510.338.3847
It's definitely worth the trip to Oaktown for a whole-animal restaurant with a 7ft-tall wooden pig, a door handle shaped like a butcher's axe, and, oh yeah, 32 local beers on tap.
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Freehouse

44) Freehouse
2700 Bancroft Way; 510.647.2300
Gastro grub's made by the same chef that opened Monk’s Kettle, who apparently digs giant pretzels w/ cheddar pilsner sauce, and pulled pork w/ porter bbq sauce and jicama slaw.
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American Oak

45) American Oak
2319 Santa Clara Ave; 510.521.5862
With a small front patio that belies its barn-sized interior, American Oak is a brown liquor sipper's paradise in Alameda, serving the East Bay's largest whiskey collection.
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moxy

46) Moxy Beer Garden
3136 Sacramento St; 510.547.6699
This Berkeley beer garden has a great outdoor patio and some can't-miss burger action, like their bleu cheese and bacon combo.
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Public House & Mijita

47) Public House & Mijita
24 Willie Mayes Plaza; 415.644.0240
This delicious beast of a restaurant pours 50+ draft, cask & bottled brews and 60 tequilas, so be sure to fortify with their spiced lamb sliders and grilled Gruyere sandos.
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