Six San Francisco cocktail bars or restaurants serving cocktails — and good vibes — that should be more well known than they are. But lucky for us, these are “just between you and me” (wink, wink).
What a Neighborhood Cocktail Bar Should Be: Olde Fashioned, Russian Hill
Since my old fashioned youth, homeschooled and weaned reading classic literature and poetry, journaling extensively and watching old movies, I’ve been an old school kind of girl. Thus retro and classic drinking (and eating) establishments have always been “my jam.” Enter Olde Fashioned, a new Nob Hill/Polk Gulch cocktail bar I just visited in soft opening mode this October 2026, officially opening now.
With an investor partner, owner Will Herrera also runs retro-cool listening bar Harlan Records near Union Square (my 2023 review). At his new Olde Fashioned, the sign alone inspires, giving off turn-of-the-century (1900s) meets 1970’s vibes. The Victorian era touches the interior, heavy on ornamental brass and vintage paintings.
The bar glows, its decor inspired by SF’s iconic Victorians, contrasted by floral wallpaper from dance bar Zhuzh that was in the space prior. On my visit, the TV was thankfully off, with a seafaring painting screen that added to the warmth of the lighting, copper and woods.
Read the rest on Substack: 6 Under-the-Radar Cocktail Bars You Should Know