Tony Nik's CAFE

- Just an amazing neighborhood bar - I’ve always been looking for some bar where you can go (no matter whether alone or with company), sit down, and have some nice drinks and great conversations with the bartenders or other guests. I think I found one and this is the place. Thanks to Tony Nik!

Hands down the best bar in North Beach. Always an excellent place to meet up with friends. Never a bad moment.

I love North Beach! It is not every time I visit SF I am lucky enough to find an open seat here…so was very happy to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon in this wonderful room. Fantastic bartender, great conversation…reasonable prices… what more could one ask for?

Happened upon this spot on our walk to Coit Tower - what a gem!! This is the kind of place you want everyone to know your name 😉 great drinks, amazing service!! If Sebastian the owner is behind the bar you are in for a real treat!

Excellent chill vibe, full of locals having a sip before work. Bartender was very welcoming and the drinks were perfect. Stop in when you are in the hood.

Super friendly neighborhood hip vibe with private bathrooms

Just found this EXCELLENT bar after seeing it in Ted Danson’s wonderful new show, A Man on the Inside. Oddly the show presents the bar as a restaurant, where Danson’s late wife’s favorite meal was linguine with clams. The thing is this is a bar…no restaurant included. That said there are plenty of nearby restaurants. Try Firenze by Night. The parents started it years ago, and dad is often still on location, but the ‘’ kids’ seem to now do a great job of running the place. Wonderful food, great characters on both sides of the bar, or join repeat regular diners at a table with friends or family. Both Firenze and Tony Nik’s are wonderful North Beach hot spots that can be easily visited during the same day out.

Great chill spot when it's not crowded LOL drinks are on point and the bartender and staff are friendly and attentive.

Can't believe I hadn't been here before - I looooove the old school cocktail bar vibes. I had a paper plane and it was delicious and well-made. A very cool place to stop into for a drink, will definitely be adding it to my recommendation list for friends and visitors.

Classic bar in the center of North Beach. Lively, accommodating and fun with a diverse crowd, interesting people to connect with and of course great cocktails! Enjoyed the unique mezcal Negroni and good gab with the friendly bartenders and great service.

Ian rocks. Definitely drink here. Best secret booth in the city. Don't just walk by.

My first time here, and this bar makes everyone feel right at home! Beer on tap was amazingly delicious along with the ambiance. LOVE it.

Really good cocktails with an extensive selection of spirits! Great place to sit at the bar and chat with friends, bar staff are super friendly too. Only slight downside is they didn't stock any Pisco the last time I went, but the other cocktails available made up for this! Place can get pretty busy at peak times!

We stopped in for an after dinner cocktail and sat at the bar. We were immediately greeted by a bartender (I feel bad, I cannot remember his name) but he was there Sunday night of February 26th. We gave him some ideas of a cocktail that we each wanted and he made his bartenders recommendation and did a fantastic job! We continued to sit there chatting with him about the area, about his time living in Denver (where we are from) and his recommendation on some delicious treats at a bakery on our way back to the hotel. Great conversation and great cocktails. Cute place too. I like the atmosphere.

Deliciously strong and beautiful dranks in North Beach?! Don't mind if I do! What an awesome bar! I don't really kick it too often in the city these days, but lately I've been finding myself out here more often than usual. I guess I can thank my friends for that. I'm not typically the type to haul it to the city for bar hopping excursions, but I'll be damned if I say that I wouldn't make a special trip JUST to come back here again. Tony Nik's has got it, y'all! I can't remember the last time that I've had this much fun at a bar in the city. We loved the hell outta this place! Came here for post-brunch drinkies after stuffing our tummies with some AYCE deliciousness at Chubby Noodle down the street. As soon as we walked in, we were not only greeted by the bartenders, but the other bar patrons welcomed us in too. We instantly started chatting with the other patrons at the bar. Many of them were locals and probably knew that we weren't regulars. Some people don't like to be bothered or are super comfortable just hanging in their own clique, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's something about meeting people in a fun space that just makes me so happy. Maybe because this hasn't been the norm for almost the past 2 years now, but I've been craving that social aspect of the bar. And that's exactly what I got here. Everyone was so friendly and just enjoying themselves. Sebastian is the MAN! Such a fun bartender! We kept him busy but he had no problems crafting up our cocktails. And speaking of cocktails; they are delicious! Esthetically pleasing, strong, and yummy. Yuuup, all that jazz. We actually had several rounds of drinks (maybe 4?!). I honestly can't remember how many rounds we had, but I do remember how yummy their lemon drops and Moscow mules are. Also, there's this drink called "Pearsuation". GET THAT! If you like a sweet and fruity creeper kinda drink, this one is for you. The martinis are quite popular here as well. A couple friends got some dirty and apple martinis. I didn't try them but they raved about them and ordered more than one round. I love that they bump those good ol' oldies tunes! Not that I don't enjoy today's music, but the classics are always fun to jam to at the bar. I love the diverse demographics too. Young and old, men and women, different races and faces. Just an all around super fun vibe. If I had to classify the type of bar that this is, I'd say a classy dive. Not bougie but not super divey either. But for this area, Tony Nik's is totally winning. I'll be back for sure.

I love this place. This place is the definition of North Beach. Sebastian is wonderful & always friendly. Great cocktails, great music & good company.

Fun spot to grab a drink before or after (or both) dinner in North Beach. When we saw a break from the rain during a recent storm, we took the opportunity to enjoy a gorgeous, sunshine-filled afternoon in San Francisco before seeing Dear San Francisco at Club Fugazi, the former home of Beach Blanket Babylon. While many places caught our attention for possible pre-show drinks, we opted to pop in here, located a short walk from the theater and near a lot of great dinner options. Sebastian was welcoming and made us tasty classic cocktails. The cocktails are reasonably priced for the area ($12-$14). Cheers!

Cozy bar near Washington Square that has great cocktails and a neighborhood feel. We chatted with the bartender / owner who was very friendly and told us the history of the bar. Overall recommend and would go back for a drink.

Came here with my daughter. She enjoyed this local hangout in north beach. Super duper nice people in bar, and although it looks and feels like a neighborhood bar, there is a super nice classy environment. Updated and clean!!!! Plus bartender can make very good craft cocktails. A better wine selection would be wonderful

Congratulations to the awesome bartender turned NEW owner. This place is always a great, chill time. We love the local feel and everyone is just enjoying a relaxed time there. This place can get rowdy during north beach events or santa con, for example. But usually, its quiet, low key with great service. You can find a seat either at the table or bar even though it's a smaller space. Often times, we make a stop here while waiting on a table for dinner.

Great hole in the wall bar! Not much seating up front but more in the back. Great service also.

We were in town for a short weekend and we stopped in for a drink before heading to dinner. Grant (bartender) was so cool and made great drinks. We come to SF at least five time a year and we also find a new gem. Definitely stop in for a drink and you can't beat North Beach You are guaranteed a great time.

Wonderful neighborhood bar! Met the owner Sebastian and he made me an exceptional Negroni. The atmosphere is great and it's a nice place with eclectic charm.

Being able to enjoy hanging out in a bar has been something many of us have been unable to do for quite a while. On a recent visit to San Francisco with my daughter, we discovered this amazing North Beach bar on our first night in town. The place was busy and it looked cool and intriguing so we went in and within a few minutes were able to get seats at the bar. An evening of fun was about to begin! The drinks here were great and the banter with the bartenders made for such a fun night. Partway through the evening we made a new friend who was visiting from Australia. It was so much fun that we decided to visit again on the next evening and both of the bartenders remembered us and helped us find seats at the bar again so we could drink and talk. Where do you find such a great place like this? Well, this one is a real gem.

Lived in North Beach for a year and this was one of my favorite bars. Staff is friendly and provide great service. Great location too close to everything

Service was awful and bartenders are rude. There's many other options in north beach.

GreT stop before or after dinner in North Beach. Super friendly bartender and eclectic friendly patrons. Will def go back for a pre or post libation. DON'T TOUCH THE PHONE

Love Tony Nik's. A San Francisco old school hot spot. Great drinks, great service and usually playing some fun tunes. You almost always run into a good conversation. And the bartender didn't kick my mom and I out when we danced in the little high top space at the front of the bar. My friends and I usually prefer the back areas for our conversation and cocktails. It's kind of a place you might start out at and then wander North Beach then end up there again.

A bar is held up by it's staff. The history and mystique is important, but the bartender is the hub of operations. In my humble experience, I've never met a more friendly and accommodating bartender than Tim. He was a wealth of information about restaurants in the area, bar history, and good cocktails to try out. We trusted his opinion on making drinks and he did not steer us wrong. Thanks Tim, you rock!

super chill and accommodating dive-y bar in North Beach. Sebastian (owner?) was awesome and really did a great job taking care of our large group who came in after a late dinner where we had already had a lot of drinks. I don't think we were obnoxious, but definitely a little high-maintenance. He was great and didn't make us feel unwelcome at all. I left a large tip, hope it was enough! Highly recommended!

One of the treasures of north beach. Great times, good people, solid cocktails and drink selection.

My top cocktail bar pick in the area. Accomplished bartenders, relaxed, but classy atmosphere and a friendly group of locals. This place also gas a sturdy parklet that kept me dry during recent significant rains - and was a great oasis to have a Last Word with to-go lunch I picked up from Tony's Slice House a few doors down.

I love this place, and be happier that it survived COVID!!!! Thanks again for the superior service. The vibe, and all- around excellence!!!

Lowkey depending on the time and date. We went and got a ticket from Molinari's and were about 45 minutes away from getting a sandwich so dipped into Tony Nik's for a quick drink. The bartender Sebastian is super nice and very friendly. Drinks are reasonable for the location. Nothing insane but a good wellmade cocktail.

This little hole-in-the-wall looking bar is easy to miss and easy to write off, but it's got some awesome drinks, beautiful ambiance, and over-the-top service. We come here a few times a month to relax and get away from the tourist feel of the area. It's generally not busy when we come in (early evening on Saturdays) and the bartender is quick to get our drinks, usually making them right in front of us as we sit at the bar and having a conversation about whatever topic you bring up. Tony Nik's is one of our favourite bars to stop in at to relax for a bit. Definitely recommend.

Come here early on a lazy Saturday afternoon and build a rapport with Sebastian, who is now in my top 3 bartenders of all time. This is the sort of place where, though everybody might not know your name, they will ask for your name and once you're five drinks in... the vibe will be 100% right. Just do it.

I have been coming here for years. My first experience with the new owner was years ago. And it wasn't pleasant. However, as someone who is very forgiving. I came back despite my experience. I came back and genuinely tried to get to know Sebastian at his core. Now unfortunately things people have said about him for years has clicked. I found out that Sebastian had the opportunity to take ownership years ago. Something I didn't repeat to anyone. I held in confidence. An opportunity that I am still very happy that he had the chance to get. I have traveled extensively - and still even though I had a less than delightful experience upon first meeting him - I came back to support him and check in. Last night, I came in because I saw the article. Which I found out, from his own mouth - He contacted the chronicle and not the other way around. I had been stopping by to congratulate him formally, with flowers and a cared and chocolate. He was never in. Last night after work, I realized it was his shift, and I always liked to visit him his last 30 min. The time where I felt like I could really talk to him and get to know him. I really enjoyed it - despite a terrible first impression years ago - his music taste is amazing, and getting to know more about him, his dedication to his children & wife. it was just truly one of my favorite experiences. I love getting to know people one on one. Since he has acquired the establishment - I have now unfortunately had three incidents with him that were extremely rude - much like my first encounter with him. I have friends and longstanding residents in the area who refuse to support him because - well. I found out the hard way last night. Sebastian is a prick. And I am being pretty nice about it. I came in to congratulate him, and apologize for the last time I saw him (a customer pissed allover the toilet seats, I stupidly sat down and was covered with piss - which was the first time I had experienced this in this establishment and I approached the suspect - and she admitted to pissing all over the seats) Anyways that's neither here nor there - I came in last night to congratulate him and three men were there - one man kept trying to talk to me. I have been in this neighborhood a long time. I don't like talking to men when I am alone. I often get propositioned, or become a free therapist. A guy kept trying to talk to me, and I ignored him. Sebastian had an attitude about it after they left. And told me he didn't like that I didn't talk to these men. I started crying - because I have been approached by men several times in the neighborhood and have been solicited. I am a certain way towards strange men in North Beach for a reason. I brought up the fact that he has a daughter, and I hope that he can recognize that - its not a single woman's job to talk to men, ever - or after midnight - fuck especially not after 1:30am. I literally sobbed my whole uber ride home because I just wanted to say congrats. My uber driver said to me: Fuck that guy. I don't think you are genuinely a nice guy, anyone can hear it in your tone, the way you talk. It's fake. and just because you have this establishment now doesn't mean anything. I literally showered you with compliments - only to find out the paper didn't contact you. You contacted them. Which makes sense that the smile you gave for the photo was confusing for everyone. Fake. Fictitious. Sham. Simulated. Phony. Fictitious. SPURIOUS! Me: "I saved the article! I'm so happy for you! I have never seen you smile so big!! Him: "Everyone says that. but I am genuinely a happy guy." Sebastian. I truly wish you & your family the best. I now officially know why - you can't hack it as a coach for kids. Which you told me you weren't nice enough! nor had the patience. A nice girl from Wisconsin should be coaching this kids - hell - even owning a bar. Midwest is best - and if you haven't been there - its a good place to know how to treat others, and navigate different personalities with something you don't have - aka respect for others. You aren't genuinely nice/caring towards others. Maybe it's selective. Who knows. Who cares. Lastly - if you got something worth goin on - the paper contacts you - not the other way around. Good Luck Sebastian, and good riddance. Just remember. Life is a wild ride, and they way you treat others can come back to haunt you when you need support most. I hope you remember that if you ever come upon hard times as you age.

Amazing cocktail bar with an old school vibe!! The owner is magical when it comes to his drinks - HIGHLY recommend!

This is a must stop when visiting SF. Comfortable and super welcoming. Just a delight to go and refresh your energy.

Nice "loungy" bar in San Francisco. Just stopped in for one while walking the area while visiting. Looks nice, went in. The bar tender was on point and made nice cocktails. The place had a neighborhood feel, not touristy. Good music playing, not too loud. Overall, a comfortable, not stuffy nor touristy place for a drink.

Small, quaint, intimate bar! We stumbled here randomly after eating Golden Boy Pizza, and ever since then it's been a routine. The bartenders are awesome, the drinks are pretty good, and the vibes are definitely something else!

Definitely Not for dogs. I had my small 10lb dog sitting on a chair so he didn't get stepped on and they weren't cool with that. Oh well. Not for me.

Great cocktails and a killer vibe! All the bartenders are fantastic and Sebastian is the best! Come before or after dinner for some good energy. The people who are in the know belly up at Tony Niks.

Great cozy space to get a well made paper plane cocktail. Visited on Monday night, only couple of other patrons, one bartender.

If you're standing in the rain in front of Tony's Pizza Napoletana and are reading this. I know a place that's warm, serves delicious cocktails and just a few short steps from Tony's where you can dry off and drink a tasty bourbon drink while you wait for your table. Leave your cell phone number with the hostess and head over to Tony Nik's Cafe. It's the perfect place to sit and sip and discuss your pizza plan of attack. The vibe is casual and there is usually plenty of space to scoot up at the bar or just head for one of the tables and be prepared drink away.

A bit of a throw back bar tucked away in North Beach - stopped for a real cocktail - bartender was super nice, crowd was fun and the drink was really good. This is not a cafe though, no food. But looks like it still was exactly as it probably was back in the 50's. Fun stop

Check this out anything with the name Tony is freaking awesome. Yeah i said that lol this place rocks. This place is slim dark and cozy just how i like it. Once again nothing was crazy busy on this tuesday night so we got A1 service. The crew sat close to the door so some of us could drink and catch those dang Pokemon. After putting back a few i found that i was in love with the St. Ruby.This will definitely be my new north beach pitstop.

Honestly, I don't know how this place has such great reviews given how creepy and aggressive the bartender is. I came here with a girlfriend and we ordered two drinks. Quick, ordered and were ready to sit down. The bartender took a look at the check after I signed it and wasn't happy with the tip I left. He said that he made an extra drink because he overheard my friend ordering from the other bartender and supposedly thought he was to make it. He told us that if we wanted that drink we needed to leave a bigger tip of $10 (which is the price of the drink). It was very weird and my friend and I were thrown off by how aggressive he was being, so we changed our tip amount. He then left and was nowhere to be seen. My friend told the female bartender, "I think that is our drink. The male bartender said that we could have it because he made it as an extra." She responded, "Oh, this is for a person down the bar." Overall the whole interaction was very weird and really ruined my experience at this bar. Because of this I won't be returning. I've never experienced such an aggressive/sneaky bartender. He was overall just creepy. The drink he made was alright at $10, but it was hard to feel comfortable at that point. I recommend you take your business elsewhere. So many better bars on this street.

The new owner, Seb.,has really improved this place. It is much more inviting and clean, the whole staff is friendly and pour a great cocktail. He is very personable and really has made this a North Beach staple again. Great place to stop and have a night cap.

This bar has been in this location since 1933 and from what I could tell from my brief visit (2-beers, my only 2-beers), they would prefer to go back to that time when San Francisco was just a bunch of gold-diggers and local yokels. I was 86'd for talking too loud. zI'll admit, I was born in the Northeast and have a loud voice but I was not obnoxious, rude, vulgar, nor offensive. I was merely excited by the conversation I was having with other customers (A woman, her daughter, & the daughters fiance). All was well, I was seated at the bar, right next to the door, engaged in conversation when the bartender came up and told me to "dial it back" a bit. I thought he was kidding and said 2 words: "What flavor?" I was then told to drink my beer and leave? Seriously? Like that? When I apologized, for maybe having offended him on some way, He responded, "You haven't shut up since you got here." I tried to diffuse the situation by explaining I grew up in the Northeast and had a penchant for speaking in a loud voice but did not intend to offend him. He replied, Why don't you go back there." I knew then this was a real loser. Nice hair, good Manhattans, extremely self-centered idiot. "This is my bar..." kind of mentality from a bartender who has obviously spent most of his life pretending to be a nice guy than actually learning how that comes about. I may have been unintentionally loud, but he was being intentionally rude and arrogant. When I first arrived, 4-ladies walked in for a drink, each with these funny looking antenna like headgear, each slightly different. They stayed for 1 drink and left...I asked, "What's with the antenna?" He replied, "They're a bit ditsy." I said, "I don't know, it looked like they were having some sort of ladies night out thing, like a birthday or some other celebration. He said, "Their too old to be acting so young and having so much fun." Seriously, absolutely incredible... I would definitely return, to get his name and the owner's number...

Nothing special. The bar was pretty crowded when I came on a Saturday night, but we were lucky enough to get a table after a good twenty minutes of standing. It's pretty loud, so good luck holding a conversation, but in general it wasn't bad. Staff came by to clean up our drinks after we were done, which was nice. Drinks aren't cheap, but welcome to SF haha

Wow, people should not judge this place by the sign! I came here with my boyfriend and some friends for some drinks after dinner. As soon as we walked in, I noticed a nice bar near the walkway. There were a few tables and chairs for customers to enjoy their drinks. We all decided to sit at the tables near the back of the cafe. I liked how there are tiny candles on each table. It was definitely a dim and romantic setting. =) This bar also plays music kind of loud, so it feels like a club..lol. Since I read a lot of great things about the 'lemon drops', my boyfriend wanted to try it for his birthday. One of my friends got him the lemon drop, and he loved it! The drink was placed in a nice martini glass with a slice of lemon on the side. (See picture) I decided to buy my boyfriend a drink for his birthday. He told me that he wanted a 'rum with coke'. I walked up to the bartender and ordered it. When the bartender asked me 'what type of rum?', I was a bit confused..lol. Since I actually don't drink, I went back to my boyfriend to ask him what kind of rum..lol. After asking all my friends and boyfriend for the rum type, they told me to get 'Captain Morgan'. I walked back to the bartender and said 'Captain Morgan!'. =) The bartender asked if I wanted lime. Again, I was confused..lol. The bartender was nice enough to put it on the side, so I didn't have to go back to my boyfriend to ask. The rum & coke cost $6, and my boyfriend enjoyed it. I noticed at around 10pm, the bar got really packed and super loud. Since we couldn't really hear ourselves talking, we decided to leave. Overall, this is definitely a great bar!

The service at this place is terrible. I came in with my girlfriend and asked for either an Apple or raspberry martini. The bartender said they didn't have any "flavors" and only made "grown up" drinks. I was totally turned off after that comment and just ordered two beers instead. We left immediately after finishing our beers cause the place felt totally unwelcoming at that point. As we were walking out, I noticed almost every other table with a fruity drink. This place is gross. Definitely won't ever be going back.

Woah baby. Another North Beach Institution here folks. Great for a pre or post-dinner cocktail. Be friendly because the space is narrow, like your mind if you think you're too good for Tony Nik's!

Things you should know: 1. The sign out front is original and dates back to the 1930's. It's one of the oldest in North Beach. 2. The word "cafe" appears on that sign, a relic from a time when establishments serving alcohol were also required to serve food. Tony Nik's serves no food. 3. Tony Nik's serves fabulous cocktails. I can personally vouch several times over for the quality of their Moscow Mule ($9). 4. Said cocktails are created by cool, unpretentious, bartenders lacking hipster credentials. This is a plus. The bartenders are skilled at "surprise me" orders so go ahead, live dangerously. 5. A lack of hipster credentials doesn't imply a non-hipster crowd but the night I visited it was a perfect mix of ages (20s thru 60s) and types (locals, tourists, suburban, urban, hipster, and non). 6. Tony Nik's soundtrack is infectious. Fantastic music to accompany your imbibing but tuned to a pitch over which one can still hold a conversation. 7. What looks from the outside to be dated will cause those not in the know to walk on by. Adventurous souls and those with insider knowledge will walk in, belly up to the bar, and groove in the mid-century lounge ambiance. This is possibly the coolest bar in North Beach. 6. Credit cards accepted only for charges exceeding $20.

This bar has a great atmosphere! It's longer than it is wide and surprisingly has a lot of seating towards the back. The bartender was amazing. They have a small menu but if they can make it for you, they will. And they'll keep making things for you until you like it. 10/11 would recommend.

Thanks David, great start to a birthday weekend. Friendly & knowledgeable & makes a great drink!! Nice little locals place on a busy Columbus Avenue