Dalva

"Dalva is a Mission cocktail bar that hits the sweet spot: it’s affordable, impressive, and relaxing all at once. The decades-old dive (which got less divey and more swanky after a makeover) works best if you come with a date since most of the tables are two-tops. But if you’re alone, it’s easy to scoot onto a barstool and drink fantastic cocktails, which achieve the rare SF feat of costing $14 or less. Coming here before or after dinner nearby is always a great idea—the wavy orange mural, geometric tiles, and more wood than a sauna make it easy to kick back and order more than one round." - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez

"This cocktail bar hits that sweet spot of being affordable, impressive, and relaxing all at once. It used to be a dive but got considerably less divey after a recent makeover—there’s now a minimalist orange wave mural, geometric tiles, and an abundance of light wood accents. And even if you never saw Dalva in its old form, you should still get here for a date or quick pre-dinner drink. Come here when you want fantastic cocktails that won’t make your wallet burst into flames, since their excellent highballs achieve the rare SF feat of costing $14 or less." - Ricky Rodriguez, Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway

"After a stylish makeover, this bar looks a little bit like the Overlook Hotel. Stop by and grab a beer at the storied neighborhood favorite, or dip into the Hideout at the back. There’s a fresh menu starring a dozen cocktails and a few highballs, including the Friend of the Devil, a clarified milk punch laced with rye, chocolate stout, and cherry, served over an engraved ice cube." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"After a stylish makeover, this bar looks a little bit like the Overlook Hotel. Stop by and grab a beer at the storied neighborhood favorite, or dip into the Hideout at the back. There’s a fresh menu starring a dozen cocktails and a few highballs, including the Friend of the Devil, a clarified milk punch laced with rye, chocolate stout, and cherry, served over an engraved ice cube." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"Dalva is a Mission cocktail bar that hits the sweet spot: it’s affordable, impressive, and relaxing all at once. The decades-old dive (which got less divey and more swanky after a makeover) works best if you come with a date since most of the tables are two-tops. But if you’re alone, it’s easy to scoot onto a barstool and drink fantastic cocktails, which achieve the rare SF feat of costing $14 or less. Coming here before or after dinner nearby is always a great idea—the wavy orange mural, geometric tiles, and more wood than a sauna make it easy to kick back and order more than one round." - Julia Chen