In a city that seems stuck at 65 degrees, the odd 80-degree day is a sign to call in sick, text your friends and get thee to a patio for a refreshing drink and bite.
We’re not talking about the obvious spots — the Mission Rocks, the Zeitgeists. We prefer a cloistered space — the kind shoved way in the back, past the bathrooms and the pool table. The kind that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a sweet little summer bash. Ideally, we’re looking for spots that allow for sunshine to cause your cocktail to streak with rivulets of condensation. Maybe there’s tasty food. Maybe there are dogs. We’re into all of that. Here are six of our favorites.
Blue Whale
📍 2033 Union St., Cow Hollow
One of the city’s most epic back patios is at a high-end Chinese restaurant in Cow Hollow. Unexpected? A little. A find? 100%. The Blue Whale, which opened in the fall by chef Ho Chee Boon of Michelin-starred Empress by Boon, has a sweeping patio that’s a true oasis, complete with tropical palms, stylish seating and a full bar — and plenty of heaters in case the bay breezes start to bite. Try the Kurobuta pork buns, the XLB and crispy duck salad. They pair well with an Asian-inspired cocktail such as the Highnoon, a refreshing highball made with Suntory Toki whisky, yuzu and shiso. —LS
Emperor Norton’s BoozeLand
📍 510 Larkin St., Tenderloin
Despite its regal name, BoozeLand is a dive — one where you can expect a friendly-ish bartender behind the stick and a motley crew of locals around the bar. Venture farther in, past the art deco bar, and you’ll find your way to the narrow patio. The crowd usually includes smokers and dog owners gathered around wooden picnic tables. Enclosed by concrete walls, the patio can be a temperate reprieve from the weather, a perfect spot to sip a cold beer or a classic cocktail. Pro tip: You can bring your own food; as it happens, just a few doors away is Saigon Sandwich, home to one of the city’s best bánh mì. —LS
Casements
📍 2351 Mission St., Mission
Casements’ patio is a hard-won achievement: a reclaimed patch of derelict parking lot that the bar transformed into a sunny spot complete with plants, AstroTurf, murals and live music. (It’s open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends.) The patio is the result of a compromise with restive neighbors who tried to put the kibosh on one of the few small businesses that has managed to thrive on a challenging block of Mission Street. All the same, Casements remains an essential neighborhood bar — “if Ireland had a beer garden in the Mission,” in its own words — with a staggering list of hard-to-find single-malt whiskeys, Irish beers and belly-filling fare, like a beef-and-Guinness stew with a side of curry fries. —AK
The Rabbit Hole
📍 3472 Mission St., Bernal Heights
This cute addition to La Lengua opened in December at the base of Bernal, serving up a snacky, Asian-inspired menu that includes everything from bao to peanut noodles. The equally cute patio, strung with colorful paper lanterns, comes with a bonus for parents: Kids are welcome. While you sip your boba cocktail infused with matcha, gin and rum; lychee martini spiked with Lillet Rosé and Dolin Blanc vermouth; or a beer from a large selection of choices on tap, your offspring can enjoy a Martinelli’s apple juice. No judgment. —SD
The Halfway Club
📍 1166 Geneva Ave., Crocker-Amazon
Six months into its tenure on Geneva Avenue in the old Broken Record space, the Halfway Club straddles the line between bar and restaurant, providing the edge-of-the-Excelsior hood with a great watering hole. The kitchen serves pub classics like sour-cream-and-chive dip and chicken wings with chili garlic oil alongside a full cocktail list, including the five-spice cucumber collins (on tap) and beers from up-and-coming San Francisco producer Enterprise Brewing Co. Beyond the dining room, which has a cool grandpa’s-basement vibe, there’s a backyard with picnic tables crowned with red-and-yellow Vienna Beef umbrellas — the perfect place to snap into the overstuffed Chicago Dog. The relish might not be electric-green, but it’s tangy and pickle-heavy — the perfect accompaniment to a pint of pilsner. —AK
Sunset Cantina
📍 3414 Judah St., Sunset
Pulling up to Sunset Cantina on one of those rare sunny days in Outer Sunset, you might think all the front patio seats are taken. But fear not, there’s a sneaky space in the back that’s sublime for sipping Mexican-inspired cocktails in a setting that’s more Newport than Nayarit. Try the Jalisco Old Fashioned, with chili bitters, if you’re feeling bold — or the watermelon michelada if you’re not. Peckish? The carnitas flautas are a hearty serving of four individually wrapped beauties. But the true lure of the patio is not the sight (and sound) of the nacho machine whirring behind you; it’s the privacy and filtered sunlight. — JB