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    El Chato

    4.6 (58 reviews)
    ModerateWine Bars
    Open 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    El Chato Photos

    Business Info

    EL CHATO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - El Chato

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lauren L.

    Super cute wine bar that has parrons, which are a fun (and messy) way to enjoy wine. Tried a couple dishes and they were all so delicious. We loved the gambas, a jambon and cheese over toast, and a toast with tomatoes. The favorite was definitely the gambas, packed with so much flavor! The bar itself had good vibes and sometimes have live music

    Claudine R.

    I've been here one time and I really enjoyed my experience. They have a good wine selection with some food but if you're looking for a big meal, I wouldn't say this is the spot to come to the space itself is very big and good for groups and I love that they have events at this wine bar

    Becca H.

    The best wine bar in the mission. This spot always gives the best Spanish vibes. Great wine, tapas, and atmosphere. There is almost always live music, band, dj. We could not stop eating the anchovies and sardines! The wine is also great and several options to choose from. I recommend!!

    Sylvie P.

    What a fun dinner spot! I love the ambiance inside and the service was pretty efficient. Shared a bunch of small plates with a friend and everything was so delicious! Great value and selection of wines, vermouths, and others. Everything tasted fresh and well seasoned! Would come back!

    Rose vermouth they have
    Thomas G.

    One of the most authentic tapas places we've been to outside of Spain Their Jamón Ibérico and pan con tomate hits the spot every time. Pairs really well with a nice vermouth and soda. Definitely recommend

    Crudo
    Madeleine H.

    (3.5 stars) Had a fun girls' night at El Chato ! Great spot for wine and catching up with friends. We ordered the crudo, pan con tomate with jamón, and tortilla. The pan con tomate with jamón was my favorite. I'd probably skip the rest. Everything was a bit bread-heavy (but that might've just been because of what we ordered). Service was friendly but a bit spotty. They forgot a few items and we had to follow up several times for drinks. Still, the ambiance more than made up for it. I'd go back, but probably just for drinks and a few light bites like the olives or Marcona almonds.

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    9 months ago

    Lovely wine bar with great wine selection! Ordered Nice to Meet You meat plater and a glass of wine with my partner.

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    11 months ago

    Great wine choices and great ambiance. We also had the olives and pan con tomate, enjoyed it all at the outdoor seating on a nice sunny day!

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    1 year ago

    This wine list is fantastic, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is great. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

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    11 months ago

    Best wine bar in San Francisco. Rafa and Erin go above and beyond and their selection of wine is unbelievable. This place is a can't miss

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - El Chato

    Review Highlights - El Chato

    El Chato is an incredibly fun wine bar in the Mission that transports you to Spain for the evening.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Arcana - View from the bathroom and more plants for sale

    Arcana

    4.5(268 reviews)
    0.5 miMission
    $$

    If you love plants you'll adore Arcana in San Francisco because it's a beautiful sanctuary of…read moreplants and cool vibes. Located in the legendary Mission District of San Francisco, this wine bar is a great spot to catch up with friends and enjoy small bites and yummy crafted cocktails. Their decor is very chic and I especially loved all of the hardware, glasses, tables, and benches. This place was styled by a great design artist. Even though the place was pretty packed and can be kind of noisy, I still felt very calm amongst all the healthy plants and loved the sophisticated 70s inspired glassware. Another great feature of this place is that you can buy most of the plants because they have some for sale so after a couple of cocktails, I was ready to redecorate my whole house with all the plants. I ordered a yummy Rose blend that was super crisp. Also enjoyed the Truffle Fungi! A delicious Shiitake and oyster mushrooms with parmesan and arugula on toasted bread. Their Spanish inspired potatoes were delicious with their dipping sauce. They have lots of gatherings there and DJ sets on the weekends. Lastly, a photographer would die to take pictures here. There is no bad shot as the design artist made sure every section of this cute wine bar was picture perfect. Loved all my photos and videos. I look forward to returning to this exquisite wine bar!

    Came here on a Saturday night after dinner for a girls night out. There is a cool photo booth…read moreoutside, which was high-quality and even gave you a video of your session. I love the decor of this space! It is definitely intentionally and tastefully decorated. Loved the lighting and plants. They had Lord of the Rings playing on the wall. The vibe is artsy, warm, a little dark, and overall a cool place to mingle. The bathrooms and tables were kept clean. I liked it that the DJ was live mixing. Getting a drink was fast and easy. The high top tables were a bit wobbly, so we spilled half a drink on there. The drinks are strong. I recommend going upstairs to sit instead if you want to hear your friends better. The tables are bigger up there too. The rooftop was closed off but I'd like to check it out sometime.

    Photos
    Arcana - Downstairs

    Downstairs

    Arcana
    Arcana - Upstairs

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    Upstairs

    Birba - Deviled eggs

    Birba

    4.4(225 reviews)
    1.6 miHayes Valley
    $$

    Food is kind of one note (what I was able to get by myself without spending a fortune). The…read morebocquerones had too much lemon, they really would've benefited from a fresh herb (parsley? Cilantro?thyme?) or some arugula, something to balance it out. Would be best to come with someone else (if you have someone to go with you, I didn't) and share more dishes, I think. The marinated artichokes were good, not amazing, but a large portion and pleasant enough. I wish they had more veggies or a salad option. The seats are not comfortable, this is not a place to come and relax with a book. The parklet seating is nicely sheltered from the breeze, but can be noisy. The music, outdoor setting, and service are all good. Flatbread was lovely and soft when hot, hardens to a crispy cracker when it cools. The Woody's sparkling N.A. rosé was a bit flat (flavor wise). I've had better ones (especially for the price). I'd definitely come back with a friend or a date. It was a depressing spot for dining solo, and it would be hard to come here with a bigger group.

    Update! Came here for the front patio…read more My server was friendly, quick, and helpful. I enjoyed my wine but didn't get any food. The outdoor parklet was the perfect synthesis of indoor and outdoor. I'll definitely be back to try their "cheeky" hour with select discounted bites and drinks.

    Photos
    Birba - Inside

    Inside

    Birba - Smoked Salmon Dip

    Smoked Salmon Dip

    Birba - Hibiscus quencher (red) and Birba Spritz (clear)

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    Hibiscus quencher (red) and Birba Spritz (clear)

    Waystone - Fries and chicken bites

    Waystone

    4.8(91 reviews)
    2.9 miRussian Hill, North Beach/Telegraph Hill

    We believe in second chances. And by we I mean me, my friends, and Tom…read more We showed up last night and immediately the atmosphere was different. Every single table was full and bustling. The people were laughing, the drinks were flowing. It smelled really good, which we would later find out was from the food especially that Mac and cheese. We started off with different wines, some that Tom recommended based on what we told him we didn't like or did like. He apologized for our previous experience and was genuinely a nice guy. Honestly it's very admirable for a business owner to take feedback to heart and want to incorporate it. Plus he's a really cool guy when you get to know him. The staff was busy running around but still made time to come check on us. Our final verdict is we came on a bad day. This time we got the actual Waystone experience. We finally got to try the chicken bites with a creamy aioli, fries with yogurt sauce, and the star of the show was the Mac and cheese. Tik tok did live up to the hype and we will have to come back for one of their jazz nights. Be warned this place gets busy! But it's worth it.

    Waystone is technically a wine bar, but spiritually it's a community living room disguised as a…read morejazz lounge with snacks. Yes, the wine is excellent..(not selling you 'natural' actively fermenting bottles) thoughtfully curated... the cab franc , interesting without being pretentious. Yes, the bites hit (shoutout to the watermelon salad). But what really makes Waystone magic is the people. Everyone who works here is warm, funny, and present in a way that makes you feel like you belong, whether it's your first visit or your 50th. Live jazz nights here are their own kind of therapy. I once saw a harpist who made me feel like I was floating inside the music. No cover, no pressure, just ridiculously good musicians making the whole place glow. One thing I love: the rotating local art. The walls change every so often as new artists take over, and it completely shifts the energy of the space. You might not love every piece, but that's kind of the point--it's alive, it's personal, and it's supporting real artists in SF. And if you do love something, you can take it home (yep, everything's for sale). Whether you're here for the jazz, the wine, the art, or the people.. waystone shows up with soul. I'd give it six stars if I could.

    Photos
    Waystone - Ribs and Mac and cheese

    Ribs and Mac and cheese

    Waystone - Fries

    Fries

    Waystone - Bar area

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    Bar area

    Roaming Goat - Dates, halloumi

    Roaming Goat

    4.5(170 reviews)
    3.0 miMarina/Cow Hollow

    Have dined here twice and both times did not disappoint! The service is great, and the food is…read morefresh and delicious. I especially love the dip trip and grilled halloumi. The burrito salad was alright, could have used a little more flavor in my opinion. I really like the small plates and sharing atmosphere of this place, and appreciate all of the vegetarian forward options. The space is small and intimate, definitely great for a date night or girls night! I will say if you make a reservation (I'd recommend, it's a small place and gets busy) be sure to be prompt as part of our group was running about 10 minutes late, and the servers kindly let us know we only had the table for an hour and a half, which is fairly strict on weekends.

    Came by on a Sunday during happy hour. We ordered a few food items off the happy hour menu: hummus…read moreand muhammara (a must!) with pita, aleppo fries, and falafel. We also ordered the non-happy hour burrata salad and the filet kebab. Our server was very attentive, though our main food items were somehow forgotten and we had to remind them.. but once they arrived, everything was great! I loved the pomegranate in the burrata salad. I also appreciated the non-alcoholic options, including my favorite Fentiman's rose lemonade. I would definitely recommend this place, especially for happy hour. My only small critique is the restroom, since the entire restaurant is so classy and chic, it would have been the perfect finishing touch if the restrooms matched the same vibe.

    Photos
    Roaming Goat - Inside

    Inside

    Roaming Goat - Brussels

    Brussels

    Roaming Goat - Outside

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    Outside

    El Chato - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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