The interior of San Francisco's True Laurel. Credit: True Laurel

An Expert's Guide to
San Francisco's 11 Best Martinis

By Omar Mamoon

Discover 11 variations of San Francisco's signature drink along our very own Martini Trail.

Ice cold martinis are so hot right now. I’m talking about the classic cocktail consisting of chilled gin and dry vermouth served with an olive or twist (or both). And while there are infinite variations, including subbing in vodka as the base spirit, there’s no wrong way to drink your drink. Dirty or dry, shaken or stirred, the choice is yours—and your preference should be accommodated by a good bar and bartender. Luckily, San Francisco has plenty of both.

From classy hotel lounges to dimly lit dives, and from some of the Best Bars in America to the World’s Best Restaurants, we have plenty of places where you can wet your whistle with a well-crafted martini. After all, San Francisco is where the drink is said to have been invented in the first place.

Now just to be crystal clear: cocktail history can be cloudier than a hungover head; while no one can be definitively certain of the drink’s origin, one popular theory suggests that the martini evolved from the Martinez cocktail supposedly invented in the late 1800’s at The Occidental Hotel, which is where the current Galleria Park Hotel stands. The more you know!

Now I’m no cocktail historian; I’m simply here to tell you where to drink well. These are my favorite 11 places to drink a martini in San Francisco. Follow the trail and drink ‘em all (but not all at once).

1633 Haight Street

Zam Zam

To understand why Zam Zam tops the trail, you have to realize that a martini is a mood, and this Haight Street legacy business puts you in the right one with its Middle East-meets-Art Deco design. Originally opened in 1941, the late Bruno Mooshei was behind the circular bar for most of its existence, stirring up bone-dry martinis. His legacy continues today, with bartenders who will spritz just a whisper of vermouth on the chilled martini glass before pouring in your ice cold spirit of choice. Get yours Bruno’s way—with gin and olives—and make it a mini. It stays colder longer, and you can drink more of them.

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753 Alabama Street

True Laurel

As far as high-end cocktail bars go, True Laurel might be the best in San Francisco, perhaps even the world. Co-founder and bar director Nicolas Torres makes a freezer martini that’s colder than Ocean Beach, using a secret blend of two different gins, four dry vermouths, and a touch of quinquina wine for a bittersweet note. It’s finished with a tincture made from locally foraged California Bay Laurel, along with Meyer lemon oil to lift, lighten and brighten.

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450 Powell Street

Starlite

Starlite is a grand and glam time with a nice view to boot. Located on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand Hotel, the historic space once known as Harry Denton’s Starlight Room is continuing its legacy with a creative cocktail program led by industry vet and bon vivant Scott Baird. His Dirty 90’s Martini uses Grey Goose Vodka infused with extra virgin olive oil for flavor and texture and is shaken so hard you can ice skate across the shards on top. It’s served with a trio of blue cheese stuffed olives, a lemon peel, and a sidecar (over ice, of course). It’s the details that matter.

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1525 Fillmore Street

The Progress

First, they smoke buttery Castelvetrano olives, then they make a rosemary infused oil. When stirred together with gin and vermouth, you get a slightly smoky and subtly herby martini that leaves a thin fatty film that sticks to your lips after the first sip. It’s so good! Each component in this complicated cocktail in harmony, brilliantly, as you’d expect from the creative geniuses at The Progress.

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4 Valencia Street

Martuni's

You come to Martuni’s for a martini, of course; but you’re really here for the vibe, where on any given night the piano room is packed with patrons singing and drinking joyously in unison. Martuni’s is an Esquire Magazine best bar for a reason: it’s an icon and an institution.

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6101 California Street

Pearl 6101

Bar star Nahiel Nazzal’s oceanic spin on the martini is like taking a boozy sip of the sea. It’s got nori infused gin, a mix of dry sherry and semi-dry Italian white vermouth and gets garnished with a cocktail onion and a pickled sea bean—there’s nothing quite like it. This one pairs extra well with oysters on the half-shell.

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355 11th Street

Californios

When we talk about fine-dining Mexican restaurants in America, there’s no restaurant quite like chef Val Cantu’s Californios in SoMa. A meal here lasts hours and features over a dozen courses. Before you begin, order their spin on a martini. It’s made with Mexican micro-batch gin, substitutes a splash of scotch and scoche of mezcal in lieu of vermouth, and is garnished with fiery habanero stuffed olives and dots of chili oil. A sip will make you feel alive again.

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1707 Powell Street

Lillie Coit's

Nick Floulis is keeping the heart and soul of San Francisco alive, late into the night, at Lillie Coit's with Oyster Jubilee, a nightly special where if you buy six oysters, you get six more on the house. Pair them with his excellent dirty martini, which uses Junipero gin made by hand right here in San Francisco.

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417 Stockton Street

Bar Maritime

The nautically themed Bar Maritime smartly tapped industry vet Larry Piaskowy to lead the cocktail program. His Maritime Martini is a vodka-based spin that features sake and Japanese plum wine (umesho) in lieu of vermouth, as well as a marinated pickled plum (umeboshi) to snack on when you’re done sipping. It’s low-ABV and sessionable, so you can throw a couple of these babies back no problem.

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543 Divisadero Street

Club Waziema

Before Club Waziema was Club Waziema, it was Club Morocco, a legendary jazz bar where all the greats like Billie Holiday and B.B. King played back in the day. These days it’s owned by Nebiat Tesfazgi, an Ethiopian immigrant who can be found behind the bar, shaking and stirring a mean martini. Ask for the food menu; their injera will help soak up all the alcohol in your stomach so you can have another round.

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1906 Van Ness Avenue

House of Prime Rib

When I found out Joe Betz, the legendary restaurateur behind House of Prime Rib, had passed, I cried. Then I hopped on the 49 Muni bus and went straight to the House of Prime Rib (or, as locals know it, HOPR). I sat at the bar and poured one out for Mr. Betz. I’ve always gone to HOPR to celebrate something; a birthday, a holiday, a milestone. Now whenever I go, it’ll be to celebrate one of the best and most generous humans I’ve had the privilege to know. Starting a meaty meal with a martini will always and forever be a non-negotiable at HOPR.

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Omar Mamoon

Omar Mamoon is an independent writer based in San Francisco, specializing in food, drink, and travel. You can find his work in publications like Condé Nast Traveler, San Francisco Chronicle, Resy, and Esquire magazine, where he’s contributed to lists such as “Best Bars” and “Best New Restaurants.”