If you give a cursory read of my website you will soon understand I love San Francisco wine bars. I’ve written about include InoVino, Hotel Biron, and Amelie. With wine bars, as with all drinking and dining establishments, atmosphere is the most important element. Serving good food and wine in a room with blank walls and bland furniture would make the experience purely functional, like having a serving of burrata and drinking a glass of good Zin in a drab hospital room. I know “drab hospital room” is redundant but you get the idea. You want your wine bar to have a personality, a personality that you enjoy and and look forward to spending time with. You don’t want it to have the personality of the dull uncle you fear getting stuck next to at family gatherings.
San Francisco Wine and Cheese–A True Hidden Gem
San Francisco Wine and Cheese not only has a charming personality, it has good wine and good food. Putting the “hidden” in hidden gems, it is a store you would easily walk by, not knowing it existed, let alone open. I know I did many, many times.
You have to ring a bell to be let in. The owner, Shirley, got tired of people walking in and walking out with wine or meat or cheese or whatever else they could grab. So you must ring for Shirley, who will greet you with a big smile and welcome you inside.
In the front is the shop, well stocked with wine, charcuterie, cheese, snacks, and tea. Through the store is the back patio, where you can order glasses of wine and food. And, if you buy a bottle of wine for $30 or more, you can drink it on the patio for free. Since the standard measurement is 5 glasses to a bottle, this is a screaming deal, possibly the best deal in town.
The enclosed bar area has the unassuming feel of a neighbor’s backyard patio. There are potted plants, crowded shelves, assorted chairs and stools and tables and barrels that serve as tables. It is casual, it is friendly, it is small as wine bars go, and all pretensions have been left outside. Just enjoy.
The kind of place you brag about discovering.
This is truly a locals treasure. As a good traveler, which I assume you are because you’re reading this, you want to find places like this one: the neighborhood spots and that many of the residents of the city don’t know about, and certainly very, very, few visitors. They have the personality of the owner, and are therefor unique. You will brag about finding San Francisco Wine and Cheese when you return home, where the less skilled travelers will be envious of you.
I’ve revealed a secret. It is up to you to take advantage and enjoy it.
You’re welcome.
San Francisco Wine and Cheese
141 Gough St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Tuesday to Saturday, 12am–8pm PST
Phone: 510-816-4508