Nice little surprise. One of the best burgers in SF

Unique custom drinks, super friendly stuff. Often rather busy, but they just expanded a bit their venue and has more space. Great place for interesting small tapas type of dinner.

Bar was cute and quaint. Food menu was difficult to decide between. The drinks were delicious. My favorite was the Switchback with the fresh muddled fruit. Everyone there was friendly and knowledgeable. I would go back in a heartbeat!!!!!

Amazing drinks... fun and friendly bartenders. I know that there are a lot of places you can get great cocktails at in SF but not many places where the bartenders immediately become friends with you and give you free snacks. Will be back next time I'm in town! Oh and try the southern exposure (pictured)!

Total date spot. Perfect spot to grab drinks on any night. Beautiful dark ambiance, leather seats and booths with candle lights, the works to get your romance on! They offer a full cocktail menu, wine, whiskey, and more. Appetizers and small bites. Service is great. I'm a fan!

Wonderful outdoor and inside seating! Considering SF is a horrible City if you own a car and finding parking can take half an hour, half a mile away from most places, I thought it was relatively less difficult to find parking around here. And the bar was nice. Good lighting, and seating, and good service. Had to use my vaccination card for indoor seating, and I appreciate them doing that to ensure everyone's safety.

Great place to stop when I’m in the neighborhood. Excellent cocktails.

Excellent cocktails. Bar staff are friendly and attentive. It was not a busy night, so maybe that makes a difference. The experience was great sitting at the bar. We did not order food but the menu looks adventurous.

Alembic has two of my favorite cocktails in the city: the Golden Child and the Salt Bay (seasonal). A great place to go after work or to meet up with friends. Just don’t wait too late because it gets busy especially (obviously) on weekends. The snacks like polenta fries and hush puppies are also not to be missed.

This review is on the drinks only, never had the food here. Probably the best bar staff I've come across in the city. I find most high-end restaurants say they have excellent bartenders, but I've yet to find any that compare to Alembic. Sweeter doesn't mean better. If you have to make something sweet you're doing it wrong. I went here on my first date with my girlfriend (Shout out to the Dino Princess) and it's been love ever since. Alembic and her (she also makes a mean drink). They can pretty much make anything you like, but I'd suggest going down the cocktail menu and trying something different. I had one had celery in it, and it was divine. Don't be afraid to venture into liquor types that you don't like (I'm not a huge whiskey fan) as they'll treat you right. Just have a little trust.

A very cool bar on Haight St that has an interesting theme night: The Savoy Cocktail Book night. You get to order pretty much anything out of that book, and these are some pretty funky cocktails from like the 20s and 30s, I believe. We ordered a variety of drinks with names like Elk's Own and The Corpse Reviver. They were surprisingly good, and it was just fun to look through that book at all the crazy recipes! The staff here is very friendly and helpful, and a lot of the drinks we ordered happened to be suggestions by the waitress. An unpretentious bar with a nice relaxed vibe, filled with good cheer and even better libations. That's a great bar in my opinion, and I think it'll be a regular stop for me whenever I'm in SF.

Although this place is mostly known for their cocktails, the food here is some of the best I've had in the city. The dishes are a little small (made to share) but worth every penny. I will definitely be coming back!

Great atmosphere. The music was fantastic, with the likes of Fleetwood Mac playing. As a Scott the selection of whisky is great! Worth a visit if your on a date or want a no frills, no gimmicks, honest old school drink.

The cocktails here are mixed right--well balanced, and inventive, which made it tough to choose. An enthusiastic local who overheard us discussing plans to check it out gave rave reviews to the bar snacks, and without his suggestion I would have overlooked the jerk-spiced duck hearts without a second thought. However, after experiencing the dish's perfect texture--paired simply with pickled pineapple--I am now officially a convert. Sunday night was busy, and not too crowded--since it's definitely more of a bar atmosphere, I was surprised to see a pair with two kids enjoying a late dinner and a bottle of wine--but no one seemed to bat an eye.

Best bar that I've been to in San Francisco! The mixologist are amazing and can tailor your beverage to your liking. There's a variety of beers on draft too. They have bar bites and entrees as well. I can't speak more highly of this place!!! Try it out whether you're a local or visiting.

Best cocktails I've ever had. Everything i got from their menu was delicious and made to perfection: definitely a craft here. The couple of off-menu drinks we ordered were masterfully made as well. Delicious.

My favorite cocktail bar in SF. Southern Exposure is a great drink, as well as the Blood and Sand if it's in season. More local flavor and quite cozy. They always have a tasting available (usually whisk[e]y, sometimes other spirits like gin), with half ounce-ish pours of three bottles.

The most underrated bar in SF. Consistently good and unpretentious food/cocktails/beer. Rotating food and drink specials and excellent vibe.

Expanded dining area and now serving brunch. Delicious, expertly made cocktails and beers on tap. Boiler makers for the adventurous. Eclectic decor and eats to match.

Loved this place, upscale hole in the wall vibe. Drinks were creative and good, albeit a bit small. The food was very good for bar food. I had the vegan (house made patty) burger and was very satisfied. Chips were good and everything else at the table looked delicious. If I lived in the neighborhood I’d hang out here all the time.

Great bar! The drinks are really interesting and the food was fantastic! They have house made chips which were absolutely perfect! Great atmosphere and knowledgeable bartenders. I highly recommend this spot.

Good Sweet Baby. I ordered an old fashioned, and that was delicious, but then I ordered the pork chop. The one with an onion and peach compote. Oh. My. Sneezus. I could not stop talking about it. It was the most amazing thing. 5/7. Would recommend.

Great drinks and a solid food selection. Everything from rum to sours, from lillet to fennel. You can snag a scotch egg with your duck hearts, and a fried chicken sandwich. The seats are comfy and during the day there’s lots of light.

These cocktails are of the charts amazing, and definitely something you will not find at any bar! Loved everything about it!

Friendly bar tenders and quality drinks. The service is good! I enjoyed having their “who loves the sun?” seasonal drink. It’s so pretty and delicious and with gin. Don’t let the egg whites scare you away. It’s also want a smaller glass, but it definitely is boozy. Is foamy but we’ll balanced with sweetness. And it’s pink! Overall, this far has quite a delightful experience, and I highly recommend it!

One of the best meals I've had in months. Duck hearts and fried chicken should not be missed. Cocktails top notch!

Great service,atmosphere, cocktails and snacks. Thank you,we love it here and we will always come back.

Wonderful craft cocktails and yummy bites...try the polenta fries... addictive!!

We enjoyed the drinks and were really pleasantly surprised by the great food!!

Best cocktails in the city! And this little nook with games and comfortable seats in the back is great!

Hands down the best cocktail bar in the city. The food is amazing with a thoughtfully creative menu that has something for everyone. Executed with care by their talented kitchen crew. Southern style brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Put together by yours truly. Authentic shrimp and grits that you can't get anywhere else this side of the Mason Dixon line.

Not that this places need another awesome review... I really liked this place! I went on a Wednesday night and it was packed. I soon realized why. The drinks here are little drinkable works of art! I ordered a bourbon old fashioned and was in heaven! The vibe is very chill and the decor is rustic meets modern. We snagged a couple bar seats shortly after I arrived, and although it took the bartender a few minutes to get my drink order, I wasn't upset because it was super busy in there. I can't wait to go back and try more of their signature cocktails!

Perfect cocktail bar with handcrafted ingredients. There is always something new on the menu that will surprise your senses. The staff are always friendly and wildly knowledgeable about each drink. Food is very good too.

Solid brunch with delicious scotch eggs, nice service very friendly and good potatoes/omelette.

Awesome bar with a trendy yet very chill vibe. If you feel at home in a dive bar, you'll get that same feeling here but in a way classier package. Cool patrons that mostly keep to themselves or strike up a relevant conversation. Great place for a chill after work (somewhat pricey) cocktail. Can't to come back here and kick it with a glass of bourbon from there decent selection.

Scotch eggs were tasty and drinks were perfect! Loved the vibe!

My favourite bar in the city. Incredible cocktails with inspired and surprising flavors and great seasonal offerings means that you will always have something delicious and curious to try! Amazing curated beer selection also and great scratch-made food. I love everything on their menu: the burger, the house chips, scotch egg, the wings, the pickles, the olives, the pate, the fries, the mussels etc etc all great! Check out the monday night classes too, super fun for a date night or solo adventure (just… dont plan anything important on tuesday morning!!)

Bianca Fredborg Madsen

Hands down the best place to go out in the upper Haight. Amazing cocktails, very good food and lovely interior and ambiance. They serve the best brownie with vanilla ice cream I have ever had.

N

This is a really nice place on haight street. Yummy food amd great drinks!

Kathryn Heal

Great cocktails. We appreciated that the seating was shielded from the road. Fries were crunchy and very satisfying. Would go again!

Isaac Pariser

A large menu with lots of fun out of the ordinary drinks. Recommend the Black Manhattan! Nice dim warm lighting inside and they play good music ᵕ̈

Ojan Genc

Incredible cocktails, super interesting mixes, very personable staff and great vibes all round!

Megan “Meg-Dogg” K

The food was awesome, we had the pork enchilada special. Service team seemed a little stressed but it was slammed so understanding. Great atmosphere before GD60!

Rinka Yoshida

Liked their seasonal and special cocktails a lot. It has an inviting atmosphere that’s quite laid back ✨

Cody Jaffe

We live in the Inner Richmond, and were excited to hear about the Alembic being just a short walk away over on Haight. Immediately as we stepped in off Haight we were surprised. Despite the fairly nondescript exterior, the inside was very classy with a beautiful wooden bar and black tin ceiling. The drinks were excellent! I started with the Night Market while my partner started with the Golden Child. The Night Market was super effervescent, and provided a nice punch with the cucumber, chili, and lemongrass coming together to linger on the palette nicely after each sip. The Golden Child was very interesting also, with a softer and subtler flavor profile. For the second round, I got the Playground Love while my partner got the Blue Velvet. The Blue Velvet had a nice rounded blueberry taste, but the Playground Love was my favorite of the night. I was pleasantly surprised at how forward the milk tea flavor came through, and the pistachio and rhubarb provided a nice rounded flavor as well. With how good the cocktails were, we are now really interested in checking out one of their mixology classes. We'll be back to get the summer cocktails again before they're gone!

Ross Cole-Hunter

We took a great cocktail making course, focusing on Amaros, which we came into with a bit of a blind spot, but left with a much better knowledge. Very friendly bartender (and owner). We're keen to return on a regular night to sample the rest of the menu

Emilie Sark

love the cocktails here. tried the ‘good soup’ cocktail which is inspired by tom yum soup and it was great! when you sit in the park let they serve everything in plastic cups. Obviously doesn’t change the flavor but the cocktails just didn’t feel as elevated. Totally get why they don’t want glassware out there though. The polenta fries are a MUST order. The buffalo wings were also great, love their bleu cheese. A great spot to check out on haight street for craft cocktails and bites!

+4

AJ F

One of my favorite cocktail bars in SF.The bartenders are super nice and very talented.

+4

David Fu

We came here from the cold to wait out before dinner elsewhere in the thick of NFL finals. It's a lovely place for a cocktail bar...she has a sort of an eclectic charm to it on account of its name. My wife tried the Negroni recommended by our dinner host which his wife had when they first dated here. It's differently concocted from the one back home as this one uses tequila but still very good. I settled for a ginger ale but wished they had Hollows & Fentimans alcoholic ginger beer. Still, a charming place.

Marcus Parisian

Great food tonight. Went with the flat iron steak and was cooked to perfection. Palenta fries, pretzels, and beer was very filling. Liked the atmosphere being super chill, as I played cribbage with my SO before and after dinner. Music was also solid and so all around it was great vibes.

Chantal Chips

An awesome place to hang for food, bites drinks! I had the bone marrow and olives both were very very delicious and portion was perfect!! My friend ordered a cocktail with pollen sprinkled on top!

Carin Whitaker

Great cocktail bar with a chill vibe. Cocktails are made from scratch and are complex and creative. They have a good happy hour and $1 off food. We did not order any food but everything that came out of the kitchen looked delicious! We had a swizzle that had rum and gin with a but of a tiki vibe but not sweet. I recommend highly!

+6

Jimmy C

Food was so good! Came here for restaurant week but also ordered from the regular menu, this was our first time here but we were pleasantly surprised. The ambience is more like a bar because it's loud but the food is more like something you'd expect from a upscale restaurant. Everything was delicious and plated beautifully. It was a Saturday night so it was pretty busy, we had reservations and still had wait a bit and even after we sat down we waited a while for our drinks. Definitely will come back to try the rest of the menu.

+5

Solid place to get cocktails and food. I recommend the bone marrow, just the right amount so you can indulge but not feel gross after eating it. The duck bao was also good. Not exactly bao, but the flavor was on par. Friendly staff. Overall good place.

If you want a good drink in the Haight, well this is the place. I like that the cocktails are not only delicious, but also they are unique. It does have that hipster vibe, but without the pretentious attitude. People actually chat it up with you - although you might find yourself having a rather odd conversation, the important part is that people aren't worried about taking the perfect selfie or checking in on whatever "social" app is hip. They offer food, but the menu wasn't all that appealing to me. But I do have to give it up for having chicarrones on the menu. Deliciosos!

The bar makes the Alembic. Some of the best drinks in the city, served by some of the most knowledgeable bartenders. When I ate here, I felt the food was generally fine - some cool appetizers (try the chips) - but seemed under-portioned. I'd be willing to try it again, and definitely come back over and over again for the cocktails.

Great place for cocktails but not necessarily for food - unless, of course, you are not hungry in the first place. It's delicious for sure but better bring a microscope to find the food on your plate ... Thumbs up for the German beer selection.

Great beer selection, incredible pub food menu (as in super bougie), and good vibes. The cocktail was pretty weak (booze and flavor wise), which is odd because that’s their thing.

Rich food in modest portions. I sampled the bone marrow with toast and the pork belly sliders, both of which were good. The bar has an amazingly large selection of drinks and cocktails!

Fabulous drinks, great appetizers, the meatballs were amazing. One of the best Moscow mules I've ever had! Great ambience and our bartender Brett was quick and attentive.

The food is really great, using ingredients in elaborate way and perfect if you like tapas size portions. The quality for price is really hard to beat in SF. One thing that though can be hard to endure for a duration of a full meal is the music that tends to be too loud and repetitive. In total fairness half of the place is actually a bar.

Really cute place to grab a bite and some cocktails. The cocktail list seems very thought of, each having a short story and description of ingredients. They each come in specific glasses and focus on the ingredients, so some of them can be very strong. The Blood and Sand was very good. The food was great, though it was very meat oriented. Loved the bone marrow! Would come here for a snack or to complement the drinks but not for a balanced meal :)

Neat place for a drink or a light meal when you're in the Haight. It seems like there's a lot of places like this popping up in the area which is great since there aren't a ton of other options nearby. I had expected the beer prices to be higher from the look of this place but the drinks were actually priced fairly reasonably. The service was attentive - almost too attentive. Our waitress was really trying to push some of their dishes although we weren't looking for food at the time. Their food is a little different than normal and definitely not your average bar food. Overall, a classy place for a drink in the evening with some friends.

One of the finest bars I've visited. The space is intelligently designed, it's not hard to move around, even when it's busy. The service is friendly and attentive. The beer list is various and has good selections of all different styles. But where I'd say they really shine is with regard to those exquisite, exquisite cocktails. The Vow of Silence is a must-try if you're a whiskey lover. And if you like whiskey but not something too straightforward the Brown Derby is most excellent. This would without a doubt be my local spot if I lived in the area.

This place is cute for a small group or a date. Their whiskey collection is fantastic and their unique twist on old fashions, Manhattan is fantastic. Really well crafter cocktails, totally recommend it. The space is small and within the neighborhood it's one of the few only upscalish bars so might get crowded.

Excellent cocktail and spirits menu, with many new takes on classic cocktails. Food is focused on less common cuts of meat, including a wide variety of offal, served in creative and interesting ways (the duck hearts are spectacular). Good food and good drinks, what's not to like?

The drinks were well made and delicious, but it was slow on receiving them. I understand craft cocktails take extra effort, but we were waiting over 20 mins for each round and they would all come at separate times. Also, we arrived around 9pm and almost every table was open, however they wouldn't let us sit unless we ordered food, which seemed odd to me.

Alembic is a well rooted bar in the great history of Haight street. It's dark, rustic feel and decor makes you feel like you've been here before. The bartenders are serious about their drinks so be prepared to wait a while for yours to be made - it will be worth the wait. Their cocktails are inventive and boozy and satisfy your need to feel like you are drinking the way our forefathers drank. The drinks certainly aren't cheap, and as a small bar, it can get very busy quickly, but this mainstay on Haight is always worth the trek. One of the better bars in the city.

I went to Alembic for dinner, specifically to try the bone marrow because of the 7x7 Big Eats list. I was lucky enough to be seated right away, which seemed rare based on how long the line got throughout the night. I ordered the octopus carpaccio (special), bone marrow, and brioche dessert. My friend ordered the prix fixe menu: cold asparagus soup, steak and a dessert (which escapes me right now). Overall the food was very good. My choices for food were more unique and tasted great. The prix fixe menu was good, but nothing you couldn't get somewhere else. The drinks were fantastic. They have a great cocktail menu, and plenty of whiskey choices. Service was slow and at times it seemed like we were forgotten. It took a long time to get a drink or a menu from the rotating pair of servers that seemed to be tending to our table. I had a great time, even with the spotty service. The music and decor were fun. The food and drinks were excellent (if expensive).

This is where I fell in love with Scotch and finer spirits. The bartender there (this was about three years ago probably) was named Danny and he introduced a variety of Scotches for us and also some Tequila. He had a great knowledge of the products he was offering and that's A+ bartending right there. The place is a bit small and pricey, but it's a neat little bar with quite the atmosphere.

It's a good cocktail bar and it suits every night plan! Wanna go out with friends? Sure! Grab one of the front tables Date night? Ask for one of the small tables with a candle, it's not the most romantic place on earth, but it has it's own style. Need to do some time on the amazing neighborhood of Haight Ashbury... enter alone and find a spot on the bar, you will meet a lot of interesting people

This is a great place to stop by for a drink, with friendly staff and rustic decor. However, I was told this is a place which has some of the best cocktails in the city. I was very amped for this, and was especially excited given the eclectic menu. We got a mezcal drink, and old-fashioned, and a manhattan. All were very solid, but none were out of this world. I was a little let down by this, but I suppose I'll have a to try a few more.

Great place for some fine cocktails! It's a little small, but in the city that's to be expected. The service was ok. There are small dishes you can order here as well, but I didn't try them. I would definitely go back!

Good food and good cocktails. Service was quick despite the place being pretty busy. It's well staffed I'd say. Not a cheap place though by any stretch. It seemed a bit loud for my taste but overall a good experience

My best friend brought me here when I was in town to visit in early March. The specialty cocktails at Alembic are good and the bartender was super friendly and helpful. Inside is cozy - friendly but a little short on elbow room. Low light and quiet on rainy days. Best for parties of 1-3. I could see this being a good stop on a date night, but it worked well for just two dudes hanging on a Sunday.

I've never eaten here, so this review is only for the bar and drinks. The mixologists here know what they're doing. The cocktails are both varied and delicious. Their menu has classic cocktails on one side and "new-school" on the other. Last night, I had a Nine Volt, which contained grape juice and gin, and it was a wonderful transition from wine to cocktails. I also sampled the Royal Smile, and my friend loved their classic Bourbon Old Fashioned. How can you go wrong with that? This place deserves 4.5 stars. In addition to the great cocktails, it has a nice vibe, and there are a lot of options for before and after in the Haight. The reason I chose 4 stars is because it's usually very crowded. It is hard to get a seat at the bar, and there isn't very much standing room near the bar. Go anyway, order yourself a cocktail, drink, be merry, repeat.

Cocktails and food are both great but not outstanding

Mike D

Stopped in on a whim. Cool spot. Mind boggling selection of spirits. Nicely crafted cocktail. Pleasant staff. Food was good though we only sample a few items. Would definitely go back if in the area again.

Mark Buckley

All drinks or food is ordered at the bar. No table service. Great looking bar with many liquor options. Could have been a bit more personable to the newcomer. Might be more of a “locals bar”.

Ange G

Bar area gets pretty crowded. They have a variety of drinks. I enjoyed their food but the portions are on the smaller size. I recommend checking this place out.

+1

Drinks are fine. Very overpriced. Came with my fiance and mother in law. She doesn't like mezcal so I asked to sub tequila in one of the cocktails. They said they don't do substitutions. I mean I know they're different spirits but tequila for mezcal isn't that big of a jump, especially if it makes a customer happy. Their drinks aren't so amazing that they cant simply sub out one alcohol for another. Kind of pretentious in my opinion

Interesting cocktails and interesting appetizers. Their food and drink is good enough, but better for it's innovation. They're quite busy; don't count on fast or patient service.

First off, this menu is very intense. The description is very thorough and creative. With that said, I can't remember what I ordered except that it was some type of strawberry drink. My drink was ok. This place is definitely known for its craft cocktails. It's very trendy and the whole place is one big bar with a few tables here and there. They do serve bar food.

They have really great craft cocktails here, don't get me wrong. But it is pretty crowded most of the time, and for the amount of cash you have to spend for a drink, you really can't enjoy that much variety without feeling like you just drank half of your paycheck. No complaints about the quality of the spirits though, the blood and sand I had here was one of the best I've ever encountered.

For most bartenders in SF, this cozy little nook happens to be the bartender after-hours hangout. The bar area is extremely cramped; in fact, we were placed on a waitlist for a seat at the bar. At 9pm, this can be extremely frustrating if you're only trying to jump-start your night. So plan accordingly if your party is larger than 4. The ambiance is suitable for dates and the exotic cocktails were crafted with care. Expect top-shelf alcohol and appropriately priced near the high-end. I would definitely recommend divorcing the bar from the dining experience. Do the cocktail some justice and savor the taste by itself. The hostess was a Nazi and wouldn't allow my friend to use the restroom until we were officially seated. I would gladly give it a 4-star otherwise. I'll definitely revisit the place to try their food and perhaps upgrade the OK rating.

Good cocktails but wow, extremely overpriced. $18+ each on Haight street. The bartender was also just an awful person to be around on a Sunday. Grumpy and did not make us want to stay. This place used to be amazing back when they opened and for years - avoid in 2025.

G

Everyone bragged about this place but it was just alright when we had visited last night. Service was quite odd. Our bartender wasn’t acknowledgeable in drinks as we would hope. At one point, she would asked us what it was. Weird huh? Drinks were decent. But their fries were damn good! So fluffy and light. Nice crisp to it. That was probably the best thing there to me! haha it’s a habit that I order fries or tater tots at bars. Pairs well with drinking!

Would have loved to stayed here and eaten but the waitress literally barked at my adult children ( all above 21 ) for their ID before she saw me . A legitimate ask but there is a polite way and a rude way….. she chose the latter. Manners cost nothing .

Insisted a Rye Manhattan must come with a lemon twist… incorrect and unwavering. Will return but selective in regards which bartender to order from. Happy Birthday JS!

Great food, chill place, Incredibly rude staff. More than usual bars, they don’t even try.