So I'm still living in 1995 without a smartphone: I didn't have access to Yelp's review highlights, which means I had no way of knowing this place serves a DELICIOUS GIMLET. Instead I had to settle for a standard Firestone Pale Ale. It really would have been nice to have tried their signature drink though... Besides their drinks, I think I may have been here on an off-night; the place was somewhat empty and everyone looked too old. I was practically as old as the children of the patrons of this place. read more

The basil gimlet. Get it. ASAP. I came here after a Friday of legal work, and 83 Proof was perfect for that. Indeed, for any work for that matter. This is not a place for a quiet drink to reflect on the last week; this is a place to meet with friends and chatter about what you're doing this weekend. As for some logistics, get off BART at the Embarcadero, and you'll be there in 3 minutes. I made it that fast in stilettos. The service is fast and friendly. There are plenty of places to stand and sit. A great casual, not really dive-y vibe--highly recommend for happy hour. This place gets a solid 4 star--which is open to being adjusted upward. read more

Went straight from SFO with my bestie for some much needed drinks! First two rounds were the basil gimlets, which btw were DIVINE!!! Third and fourth round were the Hef's. Come early if you can to get a seat, because it can get pretty crowded!! read more

Since I am anal and do not take negative/positive feedback lightly---I like to check myself so I don't wreck myself (yes, cheesy) hahaha...,excessively.., (swear no OCD)...anyway, haven't seen the douche from my original post; however, have visited at various times with a various number of people. Everyone, aside from the douche (who no one can honestly identify), are attentive, friendly and warm. Have absolutely nothing but respect for Ownership/management. It is a very well run bar with attentive and respectful owners/bartenders. I enjoy myself immensely here. read more

There are many places in city but this is now one of my favorite places in SF for cocktails. Their signature drink basil gin certainly good but you should ask the bar tender to make throw something with bourbon if you like. Tried Manhattan with a twist and also smokey and spiced which too good. read more

83 Proof - Wow'd by the skills and the variety of drinks that try offers. Mezcal with agave nectar and God knows what else. Try it! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Love this bar! It's intimate with a low key crowd. The service has always been really quick, and the drinks have always been really tasty and creative. read more

I've been meaning to try out this bar for awhile -- super close to campus, doesn't have a sign in the front (bonus points for attempting to be obscure). It's a fun place for happy hour, definitely will put in my list of places to hit up in the near future. Great spot. read more

Nothing special. Barkeeps were friendly. Drinks were ok -- no specials. Gotta figure out a different place to go next time. Nothing seems to last very long in the finance district. read more

Always a greet place to have happy hour, can get packed so get there early. Tip your bartenders

Bars with no sign just seem cooler when you're there. Cute bartenders help too. It's nothing *super* special but a nice place to grab a drink or for a preparty... read more

Post dinner, we needed some proper fuel in terms of alcohol since I only partake in one glass of wine with dinner. I'm often in this neighborhood and always looking for good bars. I pulled up yelp and was surprised to have never found this spot before. After walking in and noticing no sign outside, and a nice dark interior I was taken aback by the selection of whiskey especially bourbon, this was a winner. We started off with a couple beers, they have some good options on tap. I had some type of tasty Pilsner, but I forget the brand. While we were putting back our second beer I noticed the bartender making some very interesting bourbon based concoction, and began asking questions about it. It had a name, which eludes me, but it had some type of blood orange liquor, bitters, something else bitter, and bourbon with a lemon peel in it. It was an interesting and tasty cocktail. These guys are true mixologists and whiskey lovers, just explain what you like and they will craft something interesting you will enjoy. A real gem for this area! read more

Best time to go is 8-9 PM on a Saturday. This bar is a gem for weekends. We went after seeing a movie at the Metreon, and easily got seats at the bar. Since it was early, the bartender Mark was able to be really creative, and would ask questions create unique cocktails for us. He made me a drink with vodka, apricot bitters, lime and honey. It was fantastic. We ended up staying for a few hours, and the place never got insanely overly crowded which I loved. It was an ace bar, for extremely reasonable prices given the attention and detail that went into our drinks. read more

83 Proof - Mark makes the best cocktails! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Chill place with bespoke drinks. Bartender will make you whatever you like or invent something on the fly. Their most popular drink is the basil gimlet, which is nice and refreshing. Service is good and was quick when I was there. read more

This is a nice place to go for after-work drinks. The prices are reasonable and the drinks are good. Next time I'm here I'll have to try the basil gimlet mentioned in the other reviews. However, the bar can be hard to spot. There's no signage out front other than the street numbers, which aren't that big to begin with. The music can get loud, making conversations difficult. Also, it can get chilly near the front since they leave the front window open, so bring some layers. read more

Decent spot for a quick drink. Watch out though, this place gets SUPER packed!!! The drinks overall are rather good, but I simply cannot get into the whole standing room only, super loud, super packed bar scene. And when I say this place gets loud, I mean real loud....you can barely hear the person standing next to you even if they're yelling. Their drinks are rather delicious though! They also have a vast array of drinks so you can find just about anything. The bartenders are also pretty friendly and attentive. I've been here on several occasions and have had mixed experiences. I went around 2 pm once to grab some wine with some co-workers and it was actually rather nice. Not crowded and most of all not loud so I would highly recommend going during off-peak hours in order to truly be able to enjoy your experience. Tips: -If you want to be able to hear the person you're with and not be elbowed every three seconds go before 4 pm in order to avoid losing your voice from yelling over everyone. -You virtually can't go wrong with drinks, so don't be afraid to try something new! read more

one of my favorite bars in the fidi area! the only downside is it gets REALLY packed after 5pm on work days. so if you're able to skip out of work early, highly recommend coming here at 4pm for your apres work refreshment. or do what i do and come out for a couple drinks before returning to work :) it is one of my favorites because it is not pretentious, drinks are actually affordable considering the area (gasp! under $10 for a cocktail?!), and if you come early or late enough you can definitely grab a table downstairs or couch upstairs to hang out. read more

Came here 2 Fridays ago for Happy Hour while catching up with a friend. The place is nestled right off Market Street and while the place isn't too big, the place was busy and filled with people getting ready to start the weekend. The establishment offers well-prepared drinks and I saw a lot of various 'whiskeys' that they offered. I didn't venture that night into anything beyond beers, so, I'll have to be back soon. read more

Ridiculously loud after work, even on weeknight and nowhere to hang. Good looking interior but I prefer someplace where i know that at some point, a space will open up where my friends and I can sit a spell. read more

I threw a belated birthday shindig here over the weekend. Apparently, there was another birthday gathering happening on the same night so it got really packed as the night progressed. The bartenders here are very friendly. The interior is chic. If you claim the seating area upstairs early you can have a reasonable amount of people to sit with you. The drinks are poured quite strong and are very reasonably priced. It's pretty well tucked away so if you don't know where you're going, you might mistake this unmarked building as just another random place in the city. I had a good time here partying like a rock star and I'm pretty sure my friends did too. I will more than likely go back, hopefully, on a slower night when it's less packed. read more

Not bad. Cool thing about this place is that it is unmarked--no signage. You have to stumble upon it or have someone point it out to you. Small space downstairs, with a few tables. Gets crowded fast. Good beers on tap. Upstairs mezzanine area provides a nice view of the bar area with room to lounge. TV downstairs usually tuned to sports. Suprisingly, a fairly even mix of guys and gals here. Low key and laid back place to relax. read more

Small bar, nondescript from the outside. The front door has an "83" on it, but that's about all you can see. It's across the street from a Jack in the Box, just for reference. Drinks here are pretty strong, I think. Was pretty buzzed off of a Long Island (or maybe I'm just lightweight), and quite affordable to boot. Bartenders are nice. Bar is small. Clean bathrooms. There is also a small area upstairs to lounge around, but it is quite smalllllllll. Decent place to pregame with friends before going out to other places. read more

83 Proof which is located at 83, 1st St. How clever! This is a cool little bar which I would recommend. The drinks were fairly priced. They have an upstairs area where there are some couches. I wish they had food to line the tummy before getting some liquor in it but the only thing they had was trail mix. They also need to reduce the volume of the music a little bit so the patrons can have a conversation. read more

Good place to hangout after work. Me and my girlfriends arrived around 5pm. We were lucky to get the bench in front of the window with a nice view of the street and people passing by. They have a pretty big selection of alcohol and the ambiance is great. Definitely a cool spot to have happy hour. read more

Too crowded for my liking with the after-work crowd on weekdays. Wait for when the crowd dissipates a bit or bar hop elsewhere.

I like 83 Proof. I like the space. I like the floors. I like the bartenders. I like pretty much everything about it... except the location. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I mean, for an after work bar it seems just too trendy. It seems like it belongs next to Oola or Rye or something. Still, a super awesome bar. read more

Why the hype? I miss the days where I could actually walk into this place, and not stand outside looking like a loser waiting to be let in. And even when you get in, we are crammed like sardines with everyone else in there. And almost impossible to get the bartenders' attention with everyone else waiting cash around. But their drinks ARE delicious, and if you don't go during a popular day for happy hour you can probably get a table. read more

Weird. Never would have guessed this place was a bar. It was a bit packed for my liking (especially considering it was a weeknight), but the excellent service (find the bald guy with the glasses), the amazing drink (a pomegrante tequila cocktail), and the kinds of people who come here make this place a fun spot for a post-work drink. They also have Yamazaki scotch. Didn't have a chance to drink it but I've been longing for it since my trip to Japan two years ago... And rarely do you find it! Nice selection. read more

Well, this place is close to work, and that's why I go. I couldn't imagine ever making a point to take more than 5 minutes to get here, unless it's still the closest bar to you downtown and you're done with work. Looks spiffy & has a great selection of liquor, but in the end it's just another non-descript bar built for those running the rat race. read more

What really sets 83 Proof apart is the care that goes in to the drinks. They actually make the drinks, not just mix them. For example - whiskey sour - they don't just pour some sour mix atop a weak pour of whiskey, they actually squeeze lemons and limes and a touch of soda water to actually make the drink. You don't find this sort of thing many places, its almost a shame to have beer or wine. Of course the down side of this is that the bartenders are very, very busy and it can take a loooong time to get a drink on a busy night. It also gets very full, very fast and can be difficult to get through the pack. All in all, a very nice little spot to stop for some quality libations. read more

Beautiful awesome bar. Small, intimate, great bartenders, elegant and sexy decor and strong drinks. Upstairs there is a private, VIPish lounge area. The crowd is good looking, and friendly so there really should be no complaints. Really can't say much more, I had so much fun, I don't remember any other details of the place, even with all the times I've been here! read more

This place has a great ambience with lots of seating - the upstairs area is definitely cool. It's pretty small, but when we went on a Saturday night it was fairly quiet...not that I minded. Will definitely need to come back again - it looks like this is one of the places to be for HH. This place is definitely a little hard to find - just look for the number #83, because it doesn't have a sign. It's on the same side of the street as Walgreens. read more

I like how it's so subtle.. I went on a Friday.. lots of people. Looks like the usual FiDi crowd, business suits and all. Very very crowded. I really liked the set up though. It was very clean, and there's a balcony up top too. Overall, presentation wise, it's great... the look, the style, everything. Drinks were tasty. What they DO need to do is install some AC or something, it gets HOT! read more

You can easily miss 83 Proof walking down 1st street because the street isn't fill with other bars and restaurants nor is there a sign outside but once you walk in - it's worth it! Great happy hour spot but it is small and narrow so get there early. It's fun to sit at the bar and flirt with the cute bartenders and be able to see all the people walking in. Drinks are not that expensive. Overall it just has a great vibe and good crowd... check it out! read more

I love love LOVE this place! It's an unmarked spot with no sign - just the street address number 83. It's on my way to the transit terminal so I stop by once in a while for a glass of chardonnay or beer. Always packed and crackin'! The crowd's usually your early 30's/40 fidi crowd needing to unwind after a long day's work. Also I never had a problem with getting the bartender's attention for a drink, even when crowded. read more

Cool spot for happy hour! I met my friends downtown for HH on Friday, and easily spotted them and (except for one of the four rounds of drinks we got), drinks were relatively easy to get. This is definitely a popular spot for HH but the crowd was cool and polite (very un-Marina), drinks were VERY reasonably priced (a grey goose pear with soda water was $7), and my friends and I were able to secure a spot easily without having to feel like sardines. My only small beef with the spot was that: 1. The music was rather loud, so it was hard to have a conversation 2. Freakin' hot in there. Super cool joint to meet up with friends and start a night off. :o) read more

Update: It's getting a fourth star, because I tried them again, many more times (I moved to an office building right here) when they were less busy, and the bartenders are great. Just avoid them during the height of happy hour. Drinks aren't that expensive -- $10 for a well made cocktail. I was really happy with them the last few times I've been here. read more

Okay, I didn't realize Sky was an owner, but I did think he was great, friendly, smiling, and most importantly, a good bartender- made eye contact right away, made sure someone had taken my order etc. Good looking too. - What things stuck out? Music was a bit loud for a happy hour. Perhaps like 4-8 could be just a little softer and relaxing before kicking it up into night club mode. Although I could just be especially sensitive to this, since the night before I tried out Azul, and it was like a Sat night at 5:00 on a Wednesday. Upstairs was closed for a private event- not sure what time that was at, but it made there be no sitting, and it got very crowded. Weird mix of people too, Bridge and Tunnel crowd that blocked the only seats at the bar, but never sat in them. Odd. So four stars. I would go back, my partner in crime said no way, but I think another shot in about 2 months might give a different perspective. Kinda like wine breathing. ( Ha, just read some other reviews, sounds like great Yelpers think alike!) read more

Oo, me like. Classy little bar in SOMA w/ a cozy interior. Loved the live jazz band that was squished in the corner- it's just what a bar like this needs. There's an upstairs space, but I didn't get the chance to check it out- next time! Drink menu hasn't taken shape yet, but the bartenders have some consistently creative hits that they like to recommend. I had a basil-something-or-other that was a bit on the sour side, but mucho satisfying after a long day at work. Bartenders were friendly & drinks were cheap! I think it was around 7 bucks- a steal for post-happy hour SOMA spots. If I can make it all the way out there again, I'd love to stop by. It's a bummer that there isn't much else around to hop to, but if you work in the area and just want to grab a drink, this is the spot. read more

Since moving to SF, I've been looking for a great local bar. Unfortunately, I don't live in an awesome neighborhood where there are bars just down the block, and I can just stop by after work or grab a drink whenever I feel like it. 83 Proof has become that place for me. When you walk in, you'll see a long bar on the left and a little upstairs lounge in the back. If you take a look at the bottles behind the bar, you'll realize that you're not looking at crappy liquor; there's some really excellent stuff on that wall. But instead of expecting to pay an arm and a leg, the drinks are reasonably priced and reasonably potent. The fact that the owners are bartenders make them even more dedicated to their drinks and their customers. Last night, my roommate and I stopped by in order to just grab a quick drink before heading to another party. They had two large parties and the place was packed. Even with so much business, The bartenders took the time to talk to their regulars between orders. Thanks for making me feel at home, guys. read more

Came here for New Years. It's a small joint, but comfortable enough, and the men's bathroom is sensible enough to have a urinal and a toilet. -1 star for no walls on the toilet though, and oddly the men's line was backed up more than the women's. Bartenders were nice, and overall a bar with good decor. I'd try coming here on a non-holiday sometime. read more