Came to this cute spot for a private event in the second floor and it was amazing! Plenty of tables…read moreto sit at and the bartenders were super nice and welcoming. My friend ordered pizza for the event. So the pizza is not from here.

Sip, sip, sip it up! I just LOVE sippin' on some wine, especially really good wine. Talk about a…read morehidden gem! This wine bar is hidden from plain view and tucked away in the Excelsior/Outer Mission. Some friends and I discovered this little gem while looking for a place to have a nightcap. Sippin' Wine Bar is located on the second floor of the Bottoms Up Bar, but the vibe is totally different. Not sure if the two bars are actually affiliated, but they are like night and day. The stairs leading up to the bar are lit up and the interior of the bar is just absolutely gorgeous! It's spacious and low lit with an extremely sexy ambience. The decor is just out of this world! They have the cutest tables and sofas. The lamps and artwork are very unique but visually appealing, and the tables are set with candles that create a very sensual vibe. There's a small but adorable little patio where you can relax and get some air. The interior designer deserves a pat on the back AND a few glasses of wine (wink wink). Speaking of wine, they have tons and tons of it! Their selection is extensive and they make it really obvious with all of their lovely wine bottles that are on display. I really enjoyed their Angeline Pinot Noir as well as the Kungfu Girl Riesling. They serve food here as well. We had just come from dinner, but a few of us who shall remain nameless (cough cough) were still hangry and ordered garlic noodles, garlic fries, and tater tots. Yep, somebody's breath was stankin' but it wasn't mine! Although I didn't try any of the food, It smelled wonderful. There was no food left behind, so I'm assuming that it was delicious! The owner Shirley was fantastic! She happily hosted our group and let us sample several different wines from her collection. She mingled with us as well and talked about the business. The bar is still relatively new and opened a little over 2 years ago, so she is still trying to generate more business. I'm hoping that more people will frequent this place because I really enjoyed it and would love to see it stick around. So glad we stumbled upon this spot, and I'm looking forward to many more future visits.

Oh what a cozy and cute spot! So happy to find this!…read more Plenty of easy parking outside. Very quiet area. Really appreciated the introduction and explanation of the flights! Learned about sake. Will return to try more flights and def bring friends.

We came here for an early Mother's Day celebration and ended up leaving as sake club members, so…read morethat tells you something. The brewery and tasting room is located in an industrial part of the city. Upon arriving you walk right into the brewery and head to the tasting area in the back where tables are set up right next to the actual brewery. Flights are $15 each and we worked our way through all of them. They offer quite a range and our favorite was the spicy flight. Each flight came with a detailed explanation of what we were tasting... covering the brewing process, alcohol content, and food pairings for each sake... and there was plenty of room for questions. That kind of walkthrough makes a real difference, especially if you're newer to sake. You leave actually knowing something. A few things: there's a small bites menu, but you can bring your own snacks as long as you take your trash with you when you leave. Dogs are not allowed. There's plenty of free street parking. Tastings are only on Saturdays and first come first serve. I also can't rave enough about the owners who have a way of giving each group their full attention even when the room is full. Pricing is fair for what you're getting. The sake is genuinely good, and joining the club was an easy decision... members receive perks such as free flights and a discount when purchasing product. We can't wait to visit again.

Love this place! Been to this bar a handful of times and each one has been a pleasant experience…read more Never too packed or noisy (when I've been there). The staff has always been friendly and polite, and also the type of people I have encountered playing pool here have been genuinely cool. None of the douche-y people that you find playing pool at other bars. I understand they have a back area but since I have only been here at night it is always closed. Indoors is a darker mood with ample seating and has always been clean when I am there. Technically in the tenderloin but a block down from Van Ness, so the area isn't too shady in my opinion. Definitely a place I recommend checking out.

Dive-ish, lively and enjoyable, a veritable Tenderloin institution in SF…read more Look for the bright neon entrance on Larkin Street as you walk from City Hall or the UN Plaza after a rally or festival. Feels tight when you first walk in, but there are several spaces, as if the place evolved room by room into the building it lives. Great mix of people creates a unique experience every visit. Reasonable prices and Pliny on tap! A pool table and shuffleboard toward the back and a great patio for 'fresh' air, smoking and dogs, and a wall-sized Emperor Norton mural. If you have a chance, walk around and admire the memorabilia from the self-declared "Norton I., Emperor of these United States." Efficient bartenders and service staff, I could see they were friendly with locals and loyals, but too loud and busy to stop and chat with newbies. A unique destination to fill out, or start, your SF pub and bar bucket list.

TLDR: Cute sake/wine bar with a pretty interior. Excellent…read morebrew&vino selection. Very very clean & professional service. Literally a hidden gem. I met here with an acquaintance to discuss something important over drinks & we had a special time. The nature of our discussion was certainly influenced in a relaxed manner by the mild volume music playing, soft lighting, and high ceilings. The interior was beautiful, very custom lighting covers & wooden racks. Somewhat large selection of wines/sake but it wasn't overwhelming due to the simplified menu that they provided. Service was top tier, a server stopped by about three times to collect empty containers, refill water, and check-in about how the drinks were. With a friendly expression on their face each time. The lucky dog sake juice box and beer combo was SUUUUCH a good move! I've been a fan of the lucky dog/cat/chicken brand, for their fun packaging of beers. However, I did not know that they craft sake wine boxes too. That is out of this world! And I believe that, to use a baseball metaphor, they "hit the ball out of the park!" On this one. The beer wasn't half bad either. Would I recommend going to Millay? Hell yeah dude!!!

Stopped by on a Saturday night after a dinner date and loved it. Can't believe it's taken me this…read morelong to visit. The playlist was good and the music was loud enough to where you can still have an intimate conversation. Drinks selection was solid and I had both wine and tea. The staff were cool. Will definitely visit again.

This is like a second home to me. The staff are great, and all very knowledgeable. The selection of…read morewines is great and they have TONS of hidden gems. And once you get the layout of the place it makes a ton of sense, it's well organized considering the mass amount of selections they have.

Would give it a 0 star if there is. Originally I was planning to get some wine for my banquet…read more Went in, no one greeted, or offered assistance. FINE! I'll look around by myself. When I went to pay for my two bottles, the last focusing on her laptop, I ask for wrapping paper s to prevent the bottles from breaking, the lady gave me one small paper bag when I have 2 bottles with me. Still on her laptop, didn't give me the receipt. I'm there thinking did my payment go through? There was no response whatsoever from the lady. She and the place giving me the vibe that she is looking down on people. Never ever will I go back or recommend other people.

They charged us $4 for opening a can of beer - beer corkage??? - and one of the beers I actually…read moregot it from the refrigerator myself and opened it myself. This is such a ridiculous charge. Not where I want to spend my money as a local resident. Highly unrecommended. ...And then they sent this extensive explanation about corkage like I don't understand what it is. I have a friend who has a wine bar here in San Francisco, and I have had beers in a wine bar before. This extra charge is absurd.

I have been in a half dozen times or more since my last review. I still think they have one of the…read morebest selections in the area that covers a wide price range (probably under $10 up to $200+) and their wine buyer(s) always bring in great bottles so there's quite a bit of diversity. The prices are reasonable IMO. Yes, you can probably find a lot of their wines cheaper online, but nothing beats being able to open it up and enjoy it on premise for just $15. The staff are incredibly knowledgable as well when I feel like exploring something new. Don't be afraid to ask for help and let the staff know what styles of wines you typically enjoy. When I have some writing to do, I love sitting in the bar with a bottle of wine to do a little work while people watching and enjoying some great wine.

A friend had mentioned Embarc Wines, and I was looking forward to checking it out. I had never been…read moreto a place with wine on tap before, where you can select your own wine and serving size, though I've been to similar spots that offered beer instead. A few of us went on a weekday evening after a gym class, and fortunately the atmosphere was casual enough that we didn't feel underdressed. It was pretty quiet, and there were still plenty of high-top tables and lounge areas available when we arrived. The staff were friendly and explained how everything worked - they link your credit card to an Embarc card (with a QR code), which you then scan to select and pour your wines. I appreciated that there wasn't really a pricing incentive for larger servings - so, in a way, that made it easier to try smaller 1 oz tastings of multiple wines without feeling pressured to commit to half or full glasses, which is ideal if you enjoy exploring different options like I do. We were a bit pressed for time since they closed at 8pm that day, so I'm def looking forward to coming back to try more drinks (they rotate their offerings) and spend some more time enjoying the ambiance.

Really cool concept! I loved that I could try as much as I want and get a taste, half glass, or…read morefull glass of any of their wines. When you walk in, there are loungey sofas and high top tables with wine dispensers on both sides of the room and a bar in the back. You can grab a seat anywhere you want and then approach the bar for a tap card and run down of the wines they have. The tap card can be used to dispense any of the wines on the walls. I loved being able to try a bunch. I will say it got a little tedious to get up and down after every taste and disrupted good conversation, but you can just grab another glass and get two at a time! The wines were basically sorted old world and new on the two walls. There was also one case (so four wines) of non alcoholic wine! I have been super interested to try more non alcoholic wine so would love to see this featured or switched up every once in a while! The person working the night we went was very nice and helped me when a spout didn't seem to dispense right. That said, the recommendations felt a little off? I said I like white, crisp, and on the drier side like a chenin Blanc. They recommended a Chardonnay and a Moscato? I did try the Chardonnay, but it wasn't to my taste buds. Just felt like they gave me the most popular recommendations. I also somewhat miss the explanation that comes with tasting from a traditional server but I'm sure I remember none of that info so it doesn't seem as important to add back into this experience. They had a couple premade food items in a fridge (cheese and meta plates). After my three tastes I would have loved something salty and light to snack on like popcorn, so hopefully the snack selection expands just a bit. Overall cool experience, you get exactly the wine you pay for, and I love being able to try so many! I do plan to bring a few other friends here to experience embarc wines!

My wife and I stopped in to drink a bottle of Cab, Valravn. That allow you to drink what you buy!!…read moreLove it.

Being new to the area, we stopped into Castro Village Wine Company for a glass of wine and were…read moreimmediately impressed. The space is inviting and relaxed, making it an easy place to pop into whether you're exploring the neighborhood or just looking to unwind. They offer a great selection by the glass, and I loved that they also have wine flights available. It's a perfect way to try multiple wines and discover something new without committing to just one option. What truly made the experience stand out was the staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and happy to offer suggestions without being pushy. It felt genuine and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. Overall, Castro Village Wine Company is a gem. Great wine, a comfortable atmosphere, and outstanding service make this a place I'll absolutely be coming back to. A must-stop if you're in the Castro.