Chelsea Place

Chelsea Place is a really fun bar and a great place to hang out if you want to meet some true locals who spend a lot of time here. Everyone I've met at the bar during the 5 or so times I've visited have been hilarious and fun to talk to, and the bartenders are always funny and make the whole bar super welcoming (shout-out to May, Skylar and all of the other bartenders I've met). Love this bar and don't think there is any other place more authentic and local feeling in the city than here. Also, they've really stepped up the number of beers they have on draft (it's still no beer garden, but it's no longer 3 taps like it was when I first visited).

I would not say go here at all unless you want to be uncomfortable. Deffo a locals joint! We had two bottles of bud light. We didn’t tip as the server was so rude. Clearly didn’t want to do her job. We asked a second sever for a drink, she opened the beer we put the cash down and the rude dreadful one picked our money up tossed it as us and told us to get out because we hadn’t tipped her. She yelled so loud my family back in the uk would hear her. What a disgraceful act.

I’m visiting from Southern California and came two days in a row. 100% because May, was not only a fantastic bartender and friendly host, but could play the cowbell and tambourine like nobody’s business. I fully endorse this bar.

Chelsea Place saved my live. In 1967 I got my draft notice to go and die in Vietnam. Sitting at the bar I met Tom Kenny waiting for his wife, Mary, to get off work. Tom was a captain in the Army Reserves at the Hospital in SF. Tom used his influence to get me into the reserves that were not used in Vietnam. I owe Tom and Chelsea for this just being there. Can I give you a picture of that time to hang on your wall?

This is a cute dive bar... for locals only. For tourists, they charge cocktail lounge prices. We stopped in when the bar was opening and got one well drink each. There was no menu or receipt, the bartender verbally told us our total. It was much higher than we expected for again, two simple well drinks. I would never go back because I think she took advantage of us visiting. Fellow drinking tourists, keep walking to The Summer Place! You won't be disappointed!

Yea so I came here to have a few drinks before my 5:00 am flight. Started chatting it up with the locals and got pretty tipped up. I believe the bartenders name was sky, super cool and friendly. She needs to move to Texas. Anyway I ended up missing my flight cuz I had too much fun here. Best dive bar in SF hands down. I know dive bars, I’m from Wisconsin.

Full of regulars. Someone had their phone connected to the speakers and was playing an array of great music. They all belted their hearts out to Britney Spears. The very next song was some new rap/hip-hop that they proceeded to know all the words and bass line. Crowd was probably late 30s and 40s. Very lively and friendly crew Drink prices were great

Great little pub in the heart of San Francisco. Good service and great tunes.

May the bartender really made our experience, fast service with a smile and sense of humor. She heard it was out friends birthday and made a specialty shot with whole cream and a candle. We left and came back and again! Great prices, good vibes.

May was the best bartender and made the experience 100% better! Give her a raise!! Stop here the next time you visit San Francisco!

We were in town for the weekend (Fri-Sun), staying near Union Square. We moved out of the area about 4 years ago and haven't been back to SF for a while, so we decided to take a walk to China Town...until we passed by the open door at Chelsea Place, when having a beer took precedence. It was probably around 2pm on Friday and there was only 1 other at the bar. Nevertheless, 3 hours later, we left after having had a wonder conversation with Jennifer (the owner) and the other patron, who said he lives nearby. Before posting this review, I glanced at what others have said and now I wish we had the time to come back, later in the evening when this is hopping!! Jennifer has owned Chelsea Place for the past 30 years. She's lovely and this place just a great, neighborhood bar that we will definitely be back to, the next time we're visiting SF

Great mojito and she can make a good custom drink if you request it! Super nice and has great service. We came on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't busy. The place has a lot of charm and feels very authentic.

May is the best. Drinks are strong and a good time If you're in town looking for a good bar this is it !

DO NOT COME HERE!! Staff assaulted us on Halloween night. Threw things across the bar, threw drinks at us, and then tried to dismiss what happened to us. Happened within the span of 10 minutes. We were completely cordial and respectful, staff reacted inappropriately to other patrons behavior and we were mistreated in the process.

Hey Neeve D. from Miami, FL Thank you for visiting San Francisco! I'm not the owner or anything, so I can't respond to your post directly, but feel a need to jump in here... From your post, I remember your visit, I was one of the people at the bar the night that you came in. The pub crawl comes in to (what is) my local bar a couple nights a week, and mostly the folks on the pub crawl are nice, respectful of our city, and the establishment they are visiting. Neeve. D from Miami, Fl, you were none of these. You were, from the outset, rude, entitled, and disrespectful of the staff at the bar, and the other patrons at the bar. I don't know what's it's like in Miami, FL, but in San Francisco, when someone has a spot at the bar, we don't try to move in on that spot when they go for a smoke or to use the facilities. You were told several times that someone was sitting in the spot you were trying to take over. What can't you understand about that? You kept pushing on the customer that was sitting in the spot next to you. You yelled at the bar staff, you yelled at the other customers, you were rude to everyone. Why did the bartender complain to the leader of your pub crawl? Well because of you! You were the reason the pub crawl was encouraged to move onto the next stop. You ruined the evening for the other folks on your pub crawl, and everyone else at Chelsea. We love visitors to San Francisco, but please be respectful of the local staff, customers, and norms in our city, I would expect no less of San Franciscans visiting your fine city of Miami, FL.

This has been our family bar for years but this is a great bar for whether you're with a group or want to have a drink alone. Peaches was our bartender last night and have amazing customer service and made us feel really welcome. Always excited to come back every year

Excellent service, great prices for the city, and a laid back welcoming environment to all who walk in.

This Dive bar was fun, but now it's getting too serious. Bartenders are mean and expected to give big tips.. Right.. Watch for little Asian Friday night and Saturday.. She expects to get big tips or if not, they will over charge you.. Cheers everyone!

May and Peaches Were the absolute best amazing bar maidens ever Excellent service , beautiful and great people to be around . Happy Birthday to me

I stopped in this bar bc the music was a vibe as I was initially walking past to another bar. Our bartender Skylar was such a vibe! She is sooo sweet and welcoming and just her personality alone made me and my colleagues stay longer than expected. Jennifer, the owner walked in a little later and she was just as cool and to kick it with. I'm definitely visiting this bar again while I'm here in San Fran for work. They earned the 5 stars! **HIGHLY RECOMMEND **EDIT** May, another bartender at Chelsea's place has been by far THE BESTTT!! She is so easy to talk to and her energy is unmatched! Catch her on Monday, Friday, and Saturday.

This is the spot to go! May was amazing and she was so happy to serve our group. Every time I'm going back to SF, we're coming here!

Don't know how this place is still in business. It was cool back in the day but the service has changed for the worst. Better to go to the Tunnel Top. They have better bartenders and the bathrooms don't look like a scene from a horror movie.

This place is awesome. Friendly server named may was excellent, awesome vibe if you like pub vibes! Including it in my stops from now on.

SUCH A COOL BAR IN SF. Great music, vibes and also sometimes bubbles. Mai is amazing.

HORRIBLE service. Went in here for a pub crawl, bartender yelled at us for sitting in a seat that was apparently taken, though no one was there the entire time. She ended up screaming at the lady who ran the pub crawl for no reason. The people at the bar were also incredibly rude, worst bar experience I've ever had, appalling behaviour

Coming here for 10 years it's like cheers everyone know everyone and it's the best place ever sf best dive bar Jennifer is the best

Best bar! so much fun! we had the best time! great music! may is the best and she gives the place so much positive energy!

If you just want a low-key traditional dive bar to grab a beer after work, or at any point during the day, this is the spot! Love it

Stopped in to watch the 49ers play while visiting SF for the weekend. Easily our favorite stop of the entire trip! May is so much fun and made us feel right at home. She made sure we had plenty of snacks & pizza throughout the game, plus a round of shots with a candle to blow out when she realized it was my fiancé's birthday! Love the cozy dive bar vibe and will definitely be back the next time we're in town.

And Yuki is a great bartender! I stopped in once a year ago and she remembered me when I came in again tonight!

Pretty much the only one of these kinds of bars in SF worth going to. It's far enough away from tourist and business hotspots to where you'll mostly get locals, and some of the bartenders are proper characters. Been coming here for a decade and still go back occasionally when I'm in town. I've had many crazy nights here.

great place. Excellent Service. the bar tenders were amazing and fun. had a free great time.

Great dive bar with attentive staff that make you feel welcome and like you are a regular. I come here infrequently for travel and am always welcomed with a great big smile!

Had the best time here when visiting San Fran last month, May the bartender made our experience amazing! We will be back every time we visit. Thank you for the great time and delicious drinks!

Sandra and May are the best! We had an amazing night out thanks to the two lovely bartenders working around 9:30 pm on 10/26/24. We will definitely return thanks to the wonderful service and quality drinks we received.

Best dive bar in San Francisco! Fell in love instantly with everyone here!! Bartenders are amazing and the regulars are the best people you will meet. Kevin & Dwane are the best regulars ever!

May was amazing! Was so welcoming and fun! Can't wait to come back! The smile...the bubble gun...the fella playing music hit a home run too! Thanks for letting us invade your bar!

Bartenders will say it's a locals bar so it automatically justifies their horrible behavior toward anyone new. I'm from San Francisco and I've never felt so disrespected in my life. The staff is drunk and disorderly and they yell incoherent things at you randomly. This is my first negative review I've ever left. Support other bars.

This bar is so cute. May was so sweet and generous I loved spending time at this Bar. Actually the best bar tender I think I've ever had in my life, absolute ANGEL.

The bartenders made this the most epic part of our trip! They were so pleasant and entertaining. We danced and laughed the night away in the perfect dive!

Chelsea Place in San Francisco is the best dive bar in all the world. It's a great place to come and meet local San Franciscans. There is no better bartender and friend than May! Customers like David, Ceaser, Gregg, Kevin, ASAD and others make this a truly special place.

I was visiting from Las Vegas and I met the most amazing and attentive bartender I have ever met. Thank you May you are amazing.

May the bartender is great! She was very energetic and made watching the Super Bowl a lot of fun! And Jennifer was amazing as well! Will definitely be back here in the future !

Amazing vibes. Had a great time in the superbowl. May and Jeniffer were awesome. Would recommend 100%. Will be coming back.

If you're looking for a no frills, unpretentious bar in SF to just chill and grab a drink, Chelsea Place is your spot! I initially came only to watch the last inning of the Giants game, but stayed much longer for the drinks and service. Shoutout to the bartender Lalita, who was very friendly and gave me a generous pour of Jameson whiskey

Small bar, stiff drinks, great service. Our bartender had a fondness for illuminated tambourines and salty snacks. Great atmosphere

It may be located in a somewhat touristy area of San Francisco, but this is one of those neighborhood bars that will welcome tourists with opened arms and make them feel as if they're right at home. I arrived at the hotel across the street late on a Friday for a mileage run (first time in San Francisco) and wanted food. I saw this place and decided to stop in for food and a drink. Well, there was no food, but there were plenty of drinks. From the moment I arrived, the regulars were welcoming and polite, and the bartenders were attentive. The drinks were incredibly strong and cheap, and they were so nice that they actually went in the back and found some chips and nachos cheese to put together a snack for me, since I was hungry. I'd definitely come back here the next time I visit San Francisco, and you should, too!

Hot chicks, cool bar, free shots. Come to this great dive. Good selection of Spirits.

got the Chelsea Place special. Soup and a beer. Great place. Great vibe and great bartenders! May is an awesome bartender and takes very good care of us. Makes an effort to converse and its very friendly!

Bartender May is the best. Love playing the dice game. Good vibes and drinks def check it out

Come see May!! She is so lovely, this a a great dive and the drinks are great. Try the Tokyo mule!

We came from LA. May made our night. Come try her cocktails. I recommend California cream...da best

Top notch service and strong service. Best place to go to if you're staying near Union Square and are looking to have a few drinks in a relaxed atmosphere any day of the week. No brainer if you're in the area and looking for a good time and nice atmosphere. May and Sandra are the best!

John (owner of the Shelton theatre) brought a group of us here after one of his shows last weekend and we all had such an amazing time! The 2 ladies behind the bar made us all feel welcomed - took shots with us and even let me and the girls behind the bar to play around with their antique cash register. They probably thought we were being weirdos but we were super intrigued. Drinks were reasonably priced and they sure do have a heavy hand when it comes to mixed drinks/cocktails - no complaints here! This was our last stop and last night in SF so we hung out for a couple hours. Chatting with our new friends and made some great memories, glad that Chelsea Place was a part of our trip. Cannot wait to come back & visit again. :)

Avoid at all costs. I have always loved this place but there's a new bartender who wouldn't let our music play on the jukebox (actually used her app to skip it-- we're talking the smiths, Led Zeppelin, like nothing offensive) in favor of her auto tuned crap, and basically was making the whole evening about herself. If you're not a single man who likes to ogle Asian women (that's the schtick there) then you won't feel welcome. I will never be back.

Pretty good chill dive-y bar and nice place for an unassuming happy hour drink. When we went we got good service, and although they didn't know how to make some of the stuff we asked they were more than happy to look up a recipe and mix new drinks up they hadn't made before. Most of the people there looked like regulars but there was still room for us to grab some drinks. The regulars didn't seem thrilled over a recent price hike in the drinks on special for happy hour, but I didn't think they were that expensive so it wasn't that bad. The stairwell down to the bathroom was old and felt a little treacherous at times but overall it was a good place and a nice stop in after a long day of travel and walking.

Chelsea Place is a great dive bar with a few options on tap, bottle service, and some mixed drinks. You don't come here for craft cocktails, come here for the ambiance, locals hanging around, and the nice bartenders. We stop by every few weeks as it's in our neighbourhood and we love the people there.