"This place has been making incredible cocktails since 1998, which is one reason to plan a trip here. The other is that the speakeasy/gastropub situated off a quiet alley in North Beach sets the bar high for all other cocktail spots in the city. It’s also cozy, dimly lit, and minimalist—there are seats at the bar and along the wall and not much else, so you can focus on moving past the small talk stage if you’re with a date, or talking about culturally relevant things with friends." - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez