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In a city flush with swanky cocktail bars, cozy wine shops, and stellar dives, it’s not hard to find a place to grab a drink. But pinpointing the perfect spot for a nightcap? That’s a little trickier.

As the name suggests, a nightcap is the drink you get when you want “one more” to close out the evening. After a heavy dinner, it could be an amaretto or a final glass of wine at the spot around the corner. For those in the industry, it’s usually a liquid salve after a long shift — a way to loosen the proverbial tie before heading to bed. 

In the latest edition of our Pro Tips series, we chatted with 11 chefs, bar managers, sommeliers, and restaurant owners about where they go to wrap up the night.

Nightcap: The Snug, 2301 Fillmore St., Lower Pacific Heights
Whether for the end of date night with his wife or a low-key evening with friends, Schechter loves this cozy cocktail bar. Yes, it has great drinks — he says the dirty gin martinis are always perfect — but the upscale yet welcoming ambiance and bar team keep him coming back. “It feels like a neighborhood spot where bartenders actually remember you. There’s something to be said for consistency. When you walk in, you know you’re in good hands.”

Nightcap: Stookey’s Club Moderne, 895 Bush St., Nob Hill
When he has a day off from his nationally acclaimed soul food restaurant in Oakland, Davis inevitably finds himself at either Brazen Head or Stookey’s Club Moderne. Brazen Head is nostalgic, since it’s where he and his partner, Zara, went on their first dates. There, they order a snack and Rusty Nail or Sazerac when “the hunger is still kickin’ around after a fancy dinner.” Otherwise, Davis heads to Stookey’s, an art deco bar in Nob Hill, where he’ll order an aviation or a New York sour (a whiskey sour with a float of red wine). “I love a good classic,” he says. “Both of these places have stood the test of time and don’t try to follow trends or appeal to people that take photos of their drinks with a flash.”

Nightcap: Casements Bar, 2351 Mission St., Mission
Casements, a modern Irish cocktail bar, has become the post-shift hangout for Brown and the rest of the crew at two Michelin-starred Lazy Bear. “Somehow, it manages to be both intimate and buzzing, making it perfect for soaking up those classic Mission vibes,” says Brown, a 2025 James Beard Award finalist, citing the bar’s hospitality, knowledgeable staff, and curated whiskey selection. His usual order? A pint of Guinness, “one of the best pours in the city.”

Nightcap: Loló, 974 Valencia St., Mission
Kapur’s preferred spots are small businesses in the Mission, where he lives and works. Because of its diverse crowd and “dynamic” cocktail menu, he gravitates toward Mexican restaurant Loló, where it’s “always welcoming, always a vibe.” He typically orders a mezcal margarita. 

Nightcap: Harris’ Restaurant, 2100 Van Ness Ave., Pacific Heights 
Though Osipenko’s favorite spot for a nightcap depends on the day of the week, his drink of choice never varies. “This is a year of martinis for my lady and I,” he says. On early nights off, they’ll slide into Harris’ Restaurant, order a few gibsons (a martini garnished with a pickled onion), and sit back to soak up the live jazz. On nights that spill into the early hours of the morning, he’ll end up at Brazen Head with a dirty, shaken martini and a plate of escargot.

Nightcap: ABV, 3174 16th St., Mission
On a weeknight, the crowd at ABV is a mix of regulars and service-industry folks seeking a solid, unfussy drink and post-shift meal. Salehi knows this well because, often, he’s one of them. When he lived on 16^th Street (he has since moved to Potrero Hill), he came to ABV at least three times a week. He’d wash down his burger and fries with either a Gin & Celery or a Cascahuín (a blue-agave tequila from Jalisco, Mexico) and soda. “I think ABV has really become the standard for a San Francisco neighborhood cocktail bar,” Salehi says.

Nightcap: 20 Spot, 3565 20th St., Mission
For Yun, the wine bar 20 Spot is unequivocally the best place to grab one more. In fact, it’s practically the only bar she goes to, thanks to its perfect combo of cozy laid-back vibes and warm, welcoming staff. “It’s like hanging out at your bestie’s dinner party,” Yun says. During the week, you can find her sipping one of the vermouth drinks — “I’m a lightweight!” — and catching up with the staff.

Nightcap: Lost Resort, 2736 20th St., Mission
Casements and Lost Resort opened within months of each other in 2020. That’s one of the reasons Anderson feels a kinship with the Lost Resort team. “We send folks to them, and they send folks to us. We’re all pals. It feels like a community,” she says. For a drink and snack to end the night, she heads to the airy spot for her usuals: oysters and crispy Brussels sprouts alongside either a dram of mezcal with a beer back or The Lighthouse, a cocktail made with mezcal, the aperitivo Cappelletti, carrot, lemony honey, and bitters. “It might not necessarily be next to your house, but I can guarantee it’s worth the bus or cab fare home,” Anderson says.

Nightcap: Arcana, 2512 Mission St., Mission
After 10 p.m. on weekends, Sadr is usually at Arcana, a wine bar with vaulted ceilings, soft lighting, and wall-to-wall greenery — aspects that make it “truly unique,” he says. With its curated list of orange wines and live bands, Arcana is the “perfect place to hang out and enjoy the music with a nice glass of natural wine.” 

Nightcap: Indie Wine & Beer Bar, 175 Green St., Telegraph Hill
When she’s not at Nopa enjoying a cocktail while waiting for some of the raved-about chocolate-chip cookies to take home to her mom, Pitts likes to end her nights at Indie. For two years, she has made this off-the-beaten-path spot her go-to a few times a week. While she typically opts for Champagne, Burgundy, and Italian wines, she’s sure to always check out what other older vintages are on offer that day by the glass. 

Nightcap: Bar Part Time, 496 14th St., Mission Dolores
After a busy service, Naputi often craves a ranch water and grilled kimchi’zz at OverKill Grill inside Bender’s Bar & Grill. But if he’s in the mood for wine, Bar Part Time is where he’ll end the evening. “It’s a great place to throw back a couple of glasses and vibe to the rotating cast of DJs,” he says. “There’s no other wine bar like it in the city!” Since he’s coming from Prubechu just across the street, he’ll usually grab a few al pastor tacos from street vendor Tacos El Charro before heading over.