Swirl On Castro

Always a good experience. Went for lunch. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. I love the food from Heroic Italian that operates in their space. And they always have a nice selection of wines by the glass. Can almost always find space to sit in their parklet or sidewalk tables. If you join their wine club, you also have access to their back patio but it can often be chilly.

I like this place, I drink whites and they have a nice selection and by the glasses AS WELL. The place is chill and kinda off the horizon, yet right there; which I find calming and convenient. The boys are cool and helpful

Love the place. Great selection of wine by the glasses (local and imported). They have outdoor booths and now have on site food catering. They partnered with an Italian kitchen ‘Heroic Italian’. I’ve been coming here for years and always had a great time. Very close to local entertainment and restaurants. Good place to start a night out in the Castro!

Cute wine bar that offers a great membership that gets you access to their back garden space. Delicious bites from Heroic Italian that operates out of their kitchen on site.

Best wine bar in town!!!!! So welcoming Staff is wonderful Comfy sofas and chairs and a cute little menu Prices are pretty good too!

Great wines at a good price and employees are knowledgeable and happy to talk about any of the wines. I purchased six different bottles that were all as described and recommended. Despite living in the south bay, I'll definitely be back to purchase more soon. Looking forward to trying the biscuits with wine after Covid.

It's so easy to like this place. They have a large wine and bubbly selection, the staff are helpful and easy and fun to talk to, and the backyard is so peaceful; it's one of my favorite backyards in the entire city. Can't wait to go back there!

Really love this wine shop! Join the wine club to get access to the back patio, a wonderful quiet haven right next to the busy Castro. The club is a pretty darn good deal actually and gets you a 10% off your purchases too.

Adorable neighborhood wine shop with a really cute outdoor back patio accessible to wine club members. The vibes are lovely, service is awesome, and I always discover new wines with each visit. They also have some great non-alcoholic options along with delicious bites from Heroic Italian. Look no further than Swirl for your next neighborhood happy hour!

This place is awesome Warm and welcoming- comfortable Great staff and a small menu Wish they had better selections of wine by the glass sometimes but- It's one of the best spots in the Castro

Lovely place for a glass of wine, a salad, and people watching on a pretty day. Good outdoor seating with a mix of tables for 1-2 people and also a parklet with tables for up to six.

Casual sandwich and wine spot in the heart of the Castro. Ample outdoor seating (pet friendly). Laid back SF vibe. QR code ordering for food. Purchase wine inside the shop.

Most expensive, shittiest pour in the Castro. The food (Heroic Italian) is good. Same location but Swirl, the wine bar, is a complete rip. And they're so precious:. "enjoy!"

Cute little wine place that is also open on Mondays. For glasses, they have a list of current recommended wines. Staff is pretty knowledgeable about the wines and give a lot of great recommendations. The cafe itself is a bit small, but that's most of SF. There's outside seating but depending on the day, it can get pretty windy. Although I only got glasses of wine, it's also a great place to pick up a bottle of wine.

We had a really nice time at Swirl. Super friendly staff and a great selection of wine and spirits. Will def be coming back. They have a back patio but it's open for wine club members only.

Stumbled on this cute wine bar (also has beer) while strolling through the Castro. We were w my 15 week old puppy and to our delight- the outdoor Parklet (one of the nicest) had private little enclosed booths that allowed my puppy to safely nestle in. The wine option was great - and I'll definitely be back! With or without the pup!

Swirl is a cozy spot in the Castro with an excellent selection of wine and spirits. I can count on them to have something I have not tried before, and it's delicious. On the wine side, I appreciate how they carry a balance of old and new world wines. The wine club is also convenient, and of great value. Easy to get to on the Muni or the bus (24/35 come to mind). All of the staff at Swirl are kind and helpful too.

Service is good, the wines are good too, the business model sucks. They charge $10 if you purchase a bottle and if you are not a club member. First, we are purchasing a bottle from them, we are not bringing our own bottle for a "corkage" fee. Then, they don't even try to sell you their membership, maybe if I get a good sales pitch I may become a member. Anyway, good wine but not worth it if you are planning on getting a bottle or two to enjoy onsite. We had a glass of wine and walked over to Castro Village Wine Co. and their wines are great, service superb and no $10 charge if you purchase a bottle or a few. Cheers.

Food - 5/5 Service - 1/5 (this applies to the system, not the actual server who was ok) Venue - 4/5 (very limited outside seating) Nice sandwich and wine, but the ordering system is cumbersome to the point we almost walked away. Why is it so hard to have a server take your order, bring your order, and take payment for your order? Sometimes logging into a website, entering all your info including credit card (again because it doesn't remember when you did it all 5 minutes ago), ordering then hoping it all worked ok isn't the easiest or enjoyable experience. Especially annoying if you want to add something to your order as you have to do it all over again. Having to go inside to pay for a Diet Coke because it can't be added to your bill, and is provided by 'someone else' is lame.

We had to stop at this cute wine cafe for a glass of wine while visiting The Castro in San Francisco. It was expensive but we enjoyed our visit. We paid $18 per glass of wine. It was more about the nostalgia of the neighborhood the. The actual wine. They serve food as well but we had already eaten. It was worth the quick visit.

While waiting for our tables across the street at Anchor Oyster Bar, we decided to grab some wine here to pass time. The three of us all decided to get the flight of 3. The three glasses of 3oz pours were pretty good pours and got me on a pretty good buzz afterwards. I opted for the wine flight ($16), which was refreshing and crisp. The flight deal was totally worth it and allowed us to get a little taste of everything. While the space is small, it was cozy and intimate. I also liked how easy it was to close out our tabs individually for a quick process. This was a nice stop before our dinner in the lovely Castro neighborhood.

Swirl wine bar and shop, including in-house pop up restaurant Heroic Italian, is so good, I don't want to tell you about it. But I do because I want them to be around for a long time. We come for wines by the glass at the tables in the sun out front, and order delicious, flavor-filled savory food from Heroic Italian to accompany the wine. Seriously enjoyable environment, customer service and quality food and drink. Nice jazzy but current music playing. Tables and parklet booths in the sun and shade. And you're spending at local business, not big corporate joints (no offense to them but it's nice to support small, local folks doing a great job). Love love love these two businesses.

I was saddened to hear that Jerry, the original owner of Swirl, sold to another owner. But after frequenting the place under new ownership I realized that A. These people are 100% honoring Jerry's legacy of excellence (there's not a bad bottle in the place) and B. They are extremely ambitious in creating a truly delightful food program that is making me want to come back every weekend. Kudos new management. You guys are crushing it!

Such a positive vibe from the staff here, and the place was jumping. Great selection of wines by the glass, and with a nibble of delicious food, Bob's your Uncle, wonderful time had by all. Enjoy!

Cute little liquor shop, wine bar, and food to accompany. I think what's great is the little parklet on a nice day...I have spent way too much time there chatting with friends. There's a back patio where you have to be a club member or some other kinda nonsense (I think)...since I'm not ready to be a subscribing member, I'll stick to the street parklet when I can land a spot (even though that back patio looks lovely).

First, let me say, I love the Parklet! Great little private enclosed booths. I'm embarrassed to say I have never tried any of the wines, but soon. I have yet to get past a cold beer and some yummy nibbles by Heroic Italian. This has become a monthly meeting place for a friend and myself. So far we have had the following from Heroic Italian: Bruschetta toast points, always good, creative and beautiful presentation. The Roasted Artichoke Hearts are delish! Plentiful enough for 1 person. Chicken Tetrazzini Sandwich. Again, plentiful, but with all the ingredients, it still needed a bit more "punch", as it was a bit bland. But that didn't stop me. The gal who owns, runs and prepares all the meals is so sweet. I agree with another reviewer, I'm not a fan of ordering through a QR Code. Thankfully the owner is always willing to just "take our order". Stop by, say Hi and have a little nibble with your preferred alcohol choice.

Nice wine bar with outdoor seating at the front and a cute members-only patio out back. Selection was good and bottle prices decent with some great food options from neighboring Heroic Italian which you can order from the table.

Amazing service, called last minute to see what half bottles they had. He told me of the 1 Champagne they had in a 1/2 bottle size. I drove over and picked it up. Didn't catch his name, around 730pm on a Sunday. Sweet man!

Need a great bottle of Wine? Need to get away from it all? Swirl is the place for you. They now have a spectacular patio oasis where you can enjoy your bottle of wine. Bring a friend and relax in style

Great wine, food, vibes, and generous pours. We were coming here so often we decided to become members and enjoy the garden setup out back.

It's so easy to like this place. They have a large wine and bubbly selection, the staff are helpful and easy and fun to talk to, and the backyard is so peaceful; it's one of my favorite backyards in the entire city. Can't wait to go back there!

I love this place - everyone that works there is knowledgable, approachable and gives excellent service - Jerry the owner has hired an excellent staff. Josh, Tim, Stanley, and the others do such a great job - I love going by there and having a glass or 3 before heading out to dinner. The wines and spirits there are unique - and most of the time not offerered anywhere else in the city. And the wines by the glass are affordable and I swear, there is not a dud in the bunch! Great Job Guys!!

Love Swirl! It's hip and trendy, but they've got some great finds if you spend time with one of their salespeople. I came in here on Christmas Eve and was shocked to find it open, let alone open with an awesome staff! My husband had to work late and it fell to me to buy wine, thanks to these guys I was celebrated for my choices! They are really great at listening to your tastes and making reccos. They also have this rad barrel thing I'd never seen before that chills your wine in minutes while you wait! As a tasting bar it can get pretty crowded, but it's a nice place to go for a glass.

Wines by then glass is where it's at! It's got a good selection and friendly staff, a bit pricey but worth having a glass or two to taste the variety!

I always make a pit stop to Swirl on Castro whenever I'm in San Francisco. First of all, they almost always have Pliny the Elder in stock, and don't limit you to one or two bottles like other places do. The employees are all lovely and super helpful, and the wine bar in the back is amazing. I'm currently enjoying a brut rosé from Mirabelle that's making my whole week. Their selection is second to none; this city is so lucky to have Swirl!

As I member do I get a discount on ur wine/champagne tasting or is it the same for everyone

Lovely little wine bar / wine shop with pleasant owners and employees, a nice selection, and enough inexpensive wines that I can afford to actually make decisions! Wine for the people; not for snobs.

One of my favorite places in the city! Great selection of wine and very friendly, accommodating staff. Also love being able to enjoy the backyard wine lounge for club members.

Where do I start. The staff is highly knowledgable. They remember what you like and give you active recommendations based on what you've ordered in the past. Their selection is extensive and ever changing. While I'm sad to see my favorites go, they always have a recommendation on what to try next. They have a wine club and back patio to enjoy your purchase on site. A quick chilling machine will bring your champagnes to drinking temperature in under 5 min so you can enjoy your purchase right away at the shop or any of the nearby parks. Lastly, its worth mentioning the liquor selection. This place has an extensive selection of unusual gins and whiskeys, as well as liquors and bitters. Honestly, I could buy all my alcohol here and never feel like I've missed out.

Castro gem with an eclectic selection of international wines, delicious sandwiches and a cozy patio space out back. Great spot to grab a bottle and relax with friends.

I love this place. They have a great wine selection/club, a beautiful outdoor patio to drink a glass of wine with friends and the owner is friendly/hot.

A beautiful place with amazing staff. We felt like family, very welcomed there, and joined the wine club. :) Love the calming backyard, gracious and friendly owner, and neighborhood vibe. The selection is wonderful!

I've been coming to Swirl since we moved to San Francisco almost 7 years ago. Swirl is a gem and I felt compelled to write a review just to say how fond I am of this well-run business. Swirl has managed to do that rare thing: create a space that is (what appears to be) a successful business and is also an important community space for the Castro. Thanks for all you do!!

A good selection of wines for any budget! There's little seating but it definitely gives the space a very intimate feeling.

It really doesn't get much better than the combined knowledge of Max and Casey. If you haven't been by this place, do so on a Friday in the early evening. Such a nice and friendly mix of people and such a welcoming vibe -- due mainly to the hosts, Max and Casey. When it comes to wine shopping this Christmas, I am going to skip over the lackluster folks at the large chains and get me some amazing wine and knowledge, too. These folks are thankful for your business and you will get what you pay for. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Okay, who drank all my wine?!? So, I'm all out of wine at home. What's a girl to do now? ((Enter Swirl on Castro.)) Swirl. What a captivating name. My gf & I had some time to kill before our massage appointment @Always Tan Skin & Body. We saw the cute little wine bar/shop and decided to come in for a quick look see. It's a cute & cozy little spot located in the Castro, nestled between trendy restaurants, bars, & other miscellaneous shops. They have a nice assortment of whites, reds, dessert wines, sake, & other spirits/liquor. They even served Absinthe- something I've never tried but always heard so much about. The nice fella behind the counter explained its acquired black licorice taste and 140 proof in alcohol content. Woah. That's pretty strong. The back area holds a wine bar which offers tastings that average about $3 per taste. Nice. Bottom line: Cute little wine bar/shop that has lots to offer, not to mention friendly & personable staff. Tip: Exclusive wine tastings go down every other Thursday.

Love this spot! Reasonably priced wine and an AMAZING backyard for wine club members.

Very interesting place! We were in the Castro today taking our elderly friend to lunch. After we dropped her off at the bus stop, we went to the edge for a drink. We were ready to to return home via muni/bart to the east bay,but I wanted some wine and some JW Red for my sweetie. And I remembered a little place up the road that had hand blown grappa bottles in the window. So, I think we found it. We entered. No one really greeted us. The staff was busy. We were looking at wines when some other patrons came in. Immediately recognized, they were greeted enthusiastically. We ended up getting some help after asking. Got 2 bottles of wine and the Johnny Walker plus a muddler for our friend Valerie. I think I'm just spoiled. Living in Alameda and frequenting the same places all the time, we usually get the vip treatment...

Excellent selection of wines in a day and age when everyone wants over-oaked Chardonnays and identifiable reds. They have a wide range of European wines. Better yet, stop in for a meal at Heroic Italian, Swirl's co-tenant, which serves extraordinary Italian style sandwiches and salads. Here is to their success!

If you're looking for a great place for a wide wine collection then this is it. The selection is huge. My girlfriend and I happened to be here with another couple and we really did have an awesome time. The was a neat little bar/wine shop area and the owners and staff were welcoming and exceptionally pleasant. My gf adored the wine shop and I have to say that the prices are reasonable considering the quality of products that they carry. They even have a tasting area where we were able to try a few sampled! They really were accommodating and it made for a great evening out. It's a lovely place but the owners really bring this place to life. We left with a few bottles in tow, and would definitely be back. It's a great fine for wine enthusiasts.

We used to enjoy this place every time we visited San Francisco. It had been 4 years since our last visit so we were looking forward to enjoying some wine today. The place has turned snobby and pretentious. Very disappointed.

Swirl was great. Came here for a friend's bday...we created our own napa experience. by picking spots to wine taste. This place is cute. Not super big but they have couple tables to sit at. The staff is super sweet and attentive. The really tall white guy that works there, is def not gay...he ended up giving my friend his number. pretty slick if i will say. Aside from that...cute spot. Great selection of wines and liquor. I would come here again.

Love their selection of wines, friendly staff and the ability of sitting out front to have a bottle! One of our favorite places in the Castro.

Just moved from San Diego and needed to find a wine bar ASAP. This place was awesome and I decided to join the club. The servers are amazing and very knowledgeable and the owners are great they really care about their clients. The wine selection is great. We are making this our Date night spot for when we come to the city.

Just stopped in after walking by. It was Monday night so easy to find a seat. Had a lovely French syrah. Sat unmolested as I savored my glass. It was really nice, the relaxed atmosphere and the wine. I'd go back and welcome suggestions. But for that night it was perfect.

What a great spot...small gem right on Castro street that if you walk by too fast you think it's just like any other small wine shop. It's not. The wines they carry are fun and interesting and not the run-of-the mill stuff. They carry wines that they themselves find interesting and intriguing, and can talk to you about the details of them. But my favorite part is the wine tasting options--yes, they have wine tastings and little tables in the back where you can enjoy them. You can do flights or choose glasses, and the guy that was there when we've always been there (KC) truly is knowledgeable but not an air of arrogance or snootyness at all. I love how they have their wines arranged in "boldness" or by "splurge"...a new way of arranging wines, but also helpful to the wine novice as well I'm sure. If you keep an eye out they have some really good finds for great prices as well. We will continue to go back when we find ourselves in that area of SF.

Have I mentioned lately that I am a bad influence on my friends and I like to make them do things they don't want to do, know better than to do, and all out shouldn't be doing? I haven't? Here are some examples: after work pedicures always turn into out-til-2 drinking binges, complete with dancing on bars, coyote-ugly style. On weeknights. A couple of hours at a karaoke bar turns into an after party at a stranger's house til 5 a.m. On a weeknight. A "quiet", quaint Sunday brunch turns into a morning hike up and down Castro, solely for the purpose of drinking. And drinking more. Damn, I am good at making people bad. This time, and the time before that, and the time before that, I have had a lot to thank my pushover friends for. Swirl consistently ends up being one of the best bad decisions I help them make! Sure they make excuses about how they need to get work done, clean their house, go to the gym. But instead I plant their asses comfortably in a stool at a darling mosaic mini bar at the back of this well-stocked and well appointed shop/wine bar. The owner is amazing, as are most of the employees, and the tasting menu is pretty expansive, considering the size of the tasting area and the fact that the focus really seems to be on retail, space-wise, anyway. I'm a huge fan of the current white flight but whatever they have on the menu is generally good, too, and you can pick and choose from the tasting list to put your own flight together. Or just drink a glass. Or four. Or five. Or a half glass or a bottle or a Belgian beer or any combination that will keep your friends drinking instead of being productive members of society. Whatever you do, call me on your way. I'll meet you there, with my friends, who should likely be doing something else.