I guess Monday's are pizza and Fernet day. This cute little bar with its caged up liquor was the first stop to our night. He got the Fernet flight which I thought was supposed to be best served AFTER a meal but whatever, any excuse to drink. I wanted a lychee cocktail but the bartender recommended a special drink not offered on the menu. I'm not a fan of cocktails or mixed drinks but this drink was exceptional. Not too sweet, not too strong, perfect for this lightweight. The bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable not to mention, they have a great sense of style. read more

Weehee I think I found the perfect spot for grabbing drinks on a weeknight. As you walk in a warm cozy feeling sets in. You look to your right and see 2 big boards with their selection of Amaro and Fernets. Since both of these are digestifs I suggest going here after dinner. I tried the amaro flight. Don't remember the name exactly but it had the cardamaro. That's a great way to introduce yourself to the world of amaro. They also have flights of Fernets. Bartenders are friendly, people are happy. All in all a great way to drop in for a drink on a weeknight. read more

Bar 821 - Amaro flight - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sorry Nicole, we people who are "so marina" have descended upon your adorable Divisadero Row. We just love the lounges. Stylish, fun, good conversations, great bartenders, people who look good without trying.... This place should stay open later, like 4 am. The bench-like seats along the wall are built just right for extra-curriculars, just like a good couch, soft as hell but not too slippery, nice and sturdy with plenty to hold onto for appropriate leverage...just kidding.....sort of. This place is how you want your living room to feel. Plus I've always wanted my own bartender. read more

A part of me almost doesn't want to write this review as it's so close to my house and a total treasure that i selfishly want to horde to myself. SADLY, i'm moving neighborhoods soon though, so y'all are in luck as i let the cat out of the bag! i popped in on a Wednesday night to meet up with a date and found the atmosphere to be cozy and intimate, but not too frou-frou that i felt uncomfortable in a t-shirt and flats. the crowd is a relaxed mixture of locals which also helps keep the environment on the chill side. the bar has a massive selection of Amaro drinks if that's what you're into, but they also do a fantastic job with classic cocktails of all kinds, and had a solid top-shelf selection of other spirits as well. i ordered the boulevardier to start ($5 during happy hour, WHAT IS THIS INSANITY?!) and moved onto a classic whisky sour as the night progressed. the bartenders are the perfect level of cordial / friendly and aren't shy but also never overtly intrusive. personally, i like having friendly banter with bartenders whether i'm flying solo or with company, since it makes the whole place feel more neighborhood-y. we didn't have a chance to sample the snacks but they looked delicious. as a single female, it's also nice to know there's a solid go-to place that i'd be comfortable hanging out at by myself without fear of creepers or obnoxious tech bros. i'm sad to change neighborhoods but would easily make a trip just to come back here. read more

Great wee bar, I'm not quite sure what Amaro is and I'm not a fan of Fernet but they have other things too. Nice vibe comfortable couch seats next to the window. Bartenders are cool, attentive. The Peat & Peat is damn good (Peaty Scotch, Allspice, brown sugar, angostura and orange) if I ordered it back in Scotland I'd probably get hit with the whisky bottle, but when in Rome and all that. Opens at 5pm by the way, not 4pm. read more

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Quite literally stumbled on this gem of a place after dinner at barvale down the street. Did not know it was an Amaro bar (we were amateurs?) until we asked the bartender why Montenegro was hanging on the bar, as we sipped our beers. He teased us for our original order and poured us tasters on the house and we were sold. Highly recommend. Great vibes, knowledgeable staff and great drinks - as long as you don't order beers :) read more

Bar 821 has a good Monday night happy hour with half price bottles of wine (choice of one white and one red -- they come in ~$16/bottle). It's a comfy place to lounge and hang out with friends when you're looking for something low key. Definitely also a plus that they let you bring food in (and Little Star is across the street)! Recommended. read more

Here's a strange concept -- a bar that specializes in Amaro and Fernet. Yeah, so apparently they're Italian herbal liquors with digestive properties. Think bitters and vermouth. Suggested serving is on ice with sparkling water. It's not cheap so if you don't know if you like it, you can spend even more money to try a "flight" of them. My friend commented that it seemed like they were trying to make this absurdity a cool trend. We just happened to be in the area and it looked nice inside. It was only 5:11 PM on a Saturday so they'd just opened. The place was freezing and the metal seats felt like a slab of ice under my ass. I shivered while looking at the menu and we finally decided on one drink of the day (a $5 happy hour special) and one other cocktail ($11). They looked nearly the same with a cinnamon stick and orange peel. Hers tasted like sour orange juice, mine tasted like strong liquor with bitters. The bartender was wonderful. Helpful, sweet, fun to watch making the drinks, attentive. He asked us how the drinks were and the best we could say is "interesting." Three more couples filtered in while were there so maybe this place is doing alright. Not sure I will be back but it's an attractive hipster joint and I wish them luck. read more

Bar 821 - Two specialty cocktails - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The best place to have a private party. The space is fantastic. The staff is phenomenal. We got to bring in our own food and play our own music. This is my favorite neighborhood bar. read more

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Decided to check out this bar after dinner at Barvale with a group of friends. Glad we did! Bartender was very accommodating and knife skills were impressive! Enjoyed watching him sculpt the ice cube for my whisky. Definitely a plus that they had a good selection of liquor there and he also took a shot with us. Great selection of music. What's not to like? Looking forward to my next visit :) read more

Came here after work and this place gets packed. They serve great cocktails, but the place is pretty small and crowded. It took a few minutes to have our drinks ordered and made. They were playing some old school music. Cool spot, but wouldn't recommend for big groups. read more

It's no lie that this place has got to be one of the most chill bars I have ever went to. Their Happy Hour is indeed, a HAPPY hour ($3.00 cocktails..and not JUST beer or ONLY certain cocktails.. MOST cocktails). The actual place isn't too big, so it's quite cozy, the lighting is good and their tables and chairs are low and comfy for the most part. What I must say is that their drinks are delicious. I like the fact that they incorporated soju as a key liquor as it has a naturally sweet and mild taste by itself (to me anyway ;] ) and they have a plethora of different champagne cocktails as well. I had three Lychee Mermaids (they were THAT good) and it all ended up being 9 bucks not including tip. The Korean Special was quite delicious as well. The only thing that I have a problem with the fact that they only take cash and you can't keep a tab. That's pretty annoying and although I understand this during a busy time, we were the only ones in that bar that day. Other than that, it's quite a delightful place! read more

So their crazy cocktails tend to be too citrusey (citrus is good but so much you pucker is not) but really how often can you pay $5 for someone to work that hard on your drink. It's rare. Stick with the champagne cocktails, they're a little ligther on the citrus read more

Place is great, bartenders are friendly, nice seating. You'll have a great time Don't be scared to try the canned food. It's of this world. Also thank you to Kaled for being a great bartender. Showing us the best hospitality. read more

Small, nice neighborhood bar (it says so on the window next to the door before you enter). --DRINK-- I had the Lychee Champagne Cocktail. It's a mix of champagne and lychee juice/syrup and topped with one lychee. The flavor was okay. TAO restaurant in Vegas makes a killer Lychee martini with bits of lychee. --OVERALL-- If you don't like hipster, Hollywood type place, this is the place for you. It's unfussy and down to earth. read more

Bar 821 - Bar 821 - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Bar 821 is quickly becoming my go-to bar in SF. Get there early enough to grab one of the comfy seats by the window or take a seat at the bar and mingle with any of the knowledgeable bartenders - especially if fernet or amaro are your thing. Also, happy hours ends at 7:30, which I love! Also, shoutout to Ade - he makes a mean gin gimlet and is an amazing bartender! read more

Interesting little bar. It's specialities- digestifs. Amaro and Fernet, all kinds of, literally. Smells and feels like an herbal garden, friendly agreeable crowd, music is loud but tasteful. Bartenders are friendly, they do take their time, it's not the place to get hammered in succession, nor a sleazy pick up joint, feels more like a low-down hangout neighborhood joint. Like. read more

My friends and I used to go here fairly regularly, at least until it changed. We went there on Saturday night for some birthday drinks. The bartenders took our basic order (4 beers of the same type) and came back and said we just ran out out that, indicating some other beer we didn't order. I also asked for a glass of water and they gave me a glass that held about a cup of water. The most annoying thing was that the music was obnoxiously loud. This place used to be reasonably quite and lounge-like. Apparently now they try to replicate front row at a concert. We could barely hear each other and left after one drink. read more

5 years later, still unimpressed. The small-time hipster in me says this place has potential. The realist in me (after many visits) says this place is overcharging its patrons and could do with better-portioned drinks and service. $29 for two drinks, one being just a straight-up shot. Dude. read more

I liked this spot.. it's a charming bar with strong cocktails. We tried the Montehattan & the From Milano with Love, both good drinks. Even though we were there for Happy hour on a Sunday (5:30-7:30pm) it wasn't too packed which I enjoyed. Minimal options for food (I think I only saw a cheese plate on the menu) but certainly a good bar to checkout if you're looking for a relaxing spot to have a few drinks. read more

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Heaven, to me, is a bar where I can booze it up with a large, luscious, and frothy Hoegaarden and not worry about whether I'm "cool" or "attractive" enough to be on the premises. Seemingly plucked from the streets of Amsterdam, dropped on Divisadero, and populated with a smattering of neighborhood denizens, heterosexuals and the people who love them, Bar 821, my friends, IS that bar. You'll find a great line-up of beers and bubbly champagne cocktails here. There's also a chill, discreet, almost DL vibe, and if you know me, you KNOW I'm all about the DL thing. Until, that is, I get a call from his wife accusing me of being an ankle-grabbing homewrecker because she hacked into his email and found all our sordid correspondence, thus forcing me to call him and say "LOOK BITCH, you betta choose between wifey and your 2.5 kids or my exotically starved body," OF COURSE he chooses ME, all is wonderful for a few months until he asks me to undergo a sex change operation, so I use some ruse like "Let's visit the Sears Tower in Chicago, sweetie" in order to drag the motherfucker on Jerry Springer where I call him out and he throws chairs and punches Steve the security guard in the face and tells the audience "Y'all don't know me, suck my *BLEEP!*" Something like that. ANYWAYZZZZZZ, I had a wonderful time here celebrating the birthday of the sexy Sassy S. The fabulous dotRachel was there of course, along with Quinn S, Jenniflynn, Bucky K, Lauren S, and AKA G. I also invited myself to lesbian night at Mecca since I STAND STRONG with my Sisters in the never-ending struggle to do what we want with our VERY LARGE SEX ORGANS. Unfortunately, I didn't stay long enough for cake or porn consumption, but I heard both activities were very filling. But WHO IS THIS CHEWIE G people keep mentioning? Was he there? Do I know him? Most importantly, DOES HE HAVE A YELP PROFILE?!? 'Cause you bitches KNOW I don't associate with anyone who isn't on yelp -- fucking PLEBES!!!! Okay, okay, I'm joking. Chewie is a really great guy: cool, sweet, and charming. He told me he used to have moobs, though now they're morphing into meaty, muscular pecs that I wanted to massage with Crisco. Yeah, he's THAT sexy. For a terrorist. read more

Decent bar with interesting decor and a fair amount of space. It has the typical bar stools and high tables with the corner having more comfortable seating. Their sweeter cocktails were good but their savory ones were actually a bit sweet, which was odd. read more

You know you're in trouble when your cat tells you to leave the house. Our dialog went a little something like this: Mr. Biscuits (the cat): "Get off the couch mom, I'm sick of your moping. If I have to watch one more hour of "Sex and the City," I'm gonna lose it." Me: "Okay Mr. Biscuits, but where should I go?" Mr. Biscuits: "I'm just a cat, how the hell should I know?" Okay, Mr. Biscuits is OBVIOUSLY not a Yelper, so I call my girl. J-Len, I need to get out of the house, out of my sweats, and interface w/the real world. I'm looking for somewhere close, should I feel the need to run home, and with kind lighting. She says, meet me at Bar 821. It's only 4 blocks from your house, Ms Lazy Bones. And they have a limited bar menu, which should keep it nice and simple as not to confuse your addled little brain. It's been awhile. Me: "Mr. Biscuits, help me find an outfit to wear." It's hard to tell from a cat's expression, but I chose black and white stripes, which he seems to only wear. (His wardrobe is rather limited.) Relieved to have the house and remote control to himself, he blinks in my direction as I leave. Mr. Biscuits: "Pick me up some cheetos while you're out." Rrright, I set off into the strange, yet exciting world. J-Len was right -- only 4 blocks away, and the lighting kind and cozy. It's a weeknight, so not too crowded, the tempo and atmosphere just right. I had the cab, she the champagne. A good night, definitely worth leaving the couch for. Thanks for the push, Mr. Biscuits! read more

What a lovely little neighborhood bar! If your friends are a bunch of outrageous party people who regularly get banned from establishments during massive saturday night blow out parties, I recommend this bar on a weeknight. This place bans people. read more

Things that make luis m forget that he can't order a jack n coke: - $3 Guinness Draught - super cheesy, topping heavy pizza - Anal Bandits - ridiculously large nipples - Trojan Vibrating Rings They might not be able to satisfy your craving for the hard hootch here but it's nonetheless a very cool spot to chill with a few people, have some drinks (beer, wine, champagne, sake...), and waste away an evening. Very clean and stylish on the inside, plenty of seating space, and a great bartender all make this place very inviting. read more

You know you're someone when members of the Yelp Illuminati like Peter Mmmmm., JT F., Heidi A., Bucky K., Darin I., Lauren S., Mick F., Jenniflynn R., Quinn S., and even the much mourned and beloved Chewie G. show up to your birthday party. So Sassy S. you should feel like you've made it. You're somebody. Me, well, I'm nobody. Since it was your birthday party, and not my birthday party, and no one showed up to my birthday party, and I sat alone in a corner with a party hat on and a sash that said "Birthday Girl" and ate 3/4's of a German Chocolate Cake with my hands. But that's a whole other review. Of cake. 5 stars. Bar 821 is small and dark and loud. They let you bring in your own pizza and porn (Sounds like a typical Friday night for you, huh? Stay classy.), which anyway you spin it sounds like one hell of a party. Happy Hour until 7 gets the birthday girl drunk enough to start telling people what they are doing wrong in their life and talking about how she is a prude, and at the same time lets Rachel G. not feel TOO bad about sending her home with JT and Peter and a bag of porn and chocolate. I haven't heard from her yet. Should I be concerned? read more

This place reminds me of the bathroom at the Mint. But it's in the neighborhood and the happy hour is a deal and half: $3 mocktails and beer. Can't be too picky, I guess. read more

I'm a fan of this bar, hey it's in my neighborhood, but I have to say I'm sad they do not serve hard liquor and also have some odd opening/closing hours. That said, the space is cozy and intimate, and you definitely feel like you're in a local - yet hip - establishment. read more

Note: neighborhood secret bar is no longer a secret. get over it. i'm over it. just like I'm over thinking that madrone could be my own private drawing/eye-candy/antique sofa lounge, or that Popeye's may one day get kicked out of the hood. Anyway, what surprised my friends and me during our recent visit, were the champagne drinks! I've been to 821 dozens of times, but never ventured beyond wine or beer. I'm not a huge lychee fan, but i found myself with a tall slender bubbly glass including a lychee at the bottom! Another darling champagne drink, called "Valentine" included a strawberry & a chocolate chunk at the bottom...for roughly $4...I just about fell in love... Bar 821: smooch. read more

Maybe there's a legitimate reason for this, but last night the bartender at 821 was completely rude- telling me and the two males I was with as soon as we walked in the door at 10:30pm that "they were done", and that we "had to leave", when there were at least 15 other people inside the joint sitting at the bar and at tables with full drinks. Everyone turned and gave us prejudging death stares. He could have been polite about it. If he had been nice and explained to us why, I wouldn't be so bitter. It was the way he talked down to us that left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt like he judged us when we walked in, deemed us to be not hipster enough and told us to leave without giving us any sort of reason. Although they probably assumed we weren't locals, I live four blocks away (in SF since day one), and I'll never be back. First and last time. read more

A nice, small neighborhood bar with an impressive selection of liquors and cool atmosphere. This was the first place that came up on the Yelp app when we realized we still had some time to kill before a show at the Independent. The bartender was working hard yet still made eye contact with us as we sidled up, telling us it would be a moment. A professional at work. Drinks were strong and tasty. They made a mean Old-Fashioned for my friend P. And my Bombay and tonic was perfect. My only complaint was the place was packed at 9 pm on a Friday and space was quite limited. I made an attempt to hit the single, unisex bathroom, but the long line made me do an about-face and decide to look elsewhere. It was time to go to the show anyway, just a block away. read more

If Bar 821 were a drink, it would be the Black Velvet. The pairing of Guinness with Champagne is the perfect contrast between the everyday and the extraordinary that makes this place so unique. It's one part lounge, one part neighborhood watering hole, one part hipster dive. And it works together beautifully. I've been here twice now and both times I have felt so relaxed and at home. The noise level never gets too high, and people are respectful of each other. The crowd is mixed, from people waiting to eat at Tsunami to the guys from Everlasting Tattoo a few doors down to the regulars. The first time I was there, I watched a really cool skateboard video and just hung out while I sipped my Black Velvet and waited for my Little Star Pizza to be ready. The next time, I brought my friend Michael and we had a grand time shooting the shit and enjoying the $3 Happy Hour cocktails. That's right, 5-7pm Happy Hour = $3 for everything. You be hard-pressed to find a better deal than that. I prefer the Champagne cocktails to the soju drinks, although my friend liked the Apple Mojito a lot. For the champagne cocktails, I would recommend the Ginger one or the Lychee. There is also a Chocolate/strawberry one that I would love to try when strawberries are in season. As for my beloved Black Velvet, it will have to remain but a memory, as this lovely concoction is now off of the menu. Lighting is low (good for dates) and seating is relatively comfy (bench seats and padded chairs, or bar stools) - and the bathroom has these amazing walls that you just have to see for yourself. It's a simple bar with a good atmosphere and very friendly service - a place where you can relax with friends in a chill neighborhood environment. Note: Cash only. (At Happy Hour, you can get 6 drinks for $18! Yeah!) read more

Live in the hood. Came here for my friend's going away party. They started cleaning up an hour before they close. Great, fine... continued to drink our drinks. 33 minutes (according to yelp) before they close and turn the lights on while playing Calvin Harris and Rihanna's best song. No one asks me to pay for my drinks. I ask them for a bill, they seem surprised. I pay. Bizarre vibe. read more

Last Friday a friend of ours convinced us to swing by Bar 821 for Happy Hour. The night before we had drank and ate and spent too much, therefore we had promised ourselves a nice quiet Friday night. We arrived at 5:15 and ended up stumbling home at 2:30 in the morning... Our ship crashed upon the rocky shores of intoxication after hearing the Syren song of good cheap drinks. Happy Hour is that good here. Technically it lasts two hours, but during those two hours everything is three dollars. Granted they don't have a full bar but they do have great beers, wine, champagne and soju cocktails. We drink our way through happy hour and then went around the corner for some sushi. We eat and drink our way through dinner and evidently we lost track of time because the waitress asked if we would like to finish our bottle of sake at Bar 821. Bar 821 is owned by the same people that own Nihon and Tsunami, where we were eating at the time. For the inconvenience they gave us each a free drink at the bar. Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in... We walked back in to a much more crowded bar, but they had put us at a reserved table with our drinks waiting on us. The sun had dropped during dinner and the bar wasn't near as bright and looked much better. Do you know of any bar that looks better during the day? That's not to say the bar isn't pretty because it is. It is very tastefully decorated. Throughout out the night service was top notch and I am sure we will be coming back in the near future. Hopefully, next time my internal fortitude will be a bit stronger and I will be able to call it a day after Happy Hour ends... read more

I just discovered the coolest little hole in the wall bar last week and sure, 221 of you fools scooped me, but I don't care, this place is rad and it can use another review! I was having drinks with my friend who rarely leaves the 4 block radius of his house, and since I am only drinking vino these days, he suggested this place. As I walked up the block, I was looking for some place called 821 and of course, it's the address. I don't know what it is about bars that take that direction, but they always seem to be pretty cool. Take 83 Proof for example. Maybe too many bars are over thinking fancy titles, when your addy is a good route to go. Just sayin... Anyhoo, when I walked in, I instantly loved the fact that it was nice and dark. It wasn't dark and divey like I generally tend to gravitate towards, but instead it was dark, modern and very cool and still approachable and comfy. Definitely not an easy decor cocktail to mix. The bartender (Joey) working that night instantly made me feel at home and definitely scores my coveted 5 stars for blasting Richard Ashcroft for the entire time I was there. He must be psychic since RA is one of my all-time faves!! I will definitely be returning! The wine was deelightful and reasonably priced, the crowd was very neighborhoodie (not the sweatshirt line) and all in all, it was a damn fine time :) Yay, 821. Simplicity at its finest :) read more

I seriously need to get a tattoo. If I had one, I too could hang out with the cool kids at places like Bar 821. Walking in with my Banana Republic self here on a weeknight I am reminded just how uncool I really am. The crowd here is definitely hipster and am willing to bet that everyone (but me) had at least two tattoos. The bar offerings are good, however the wine by the glass list can probably use some work. I was impressed that they had Duval Belgian beer by the bottle. You rarely see it and I took full advantage and ordered one or two or maybe three. My friends were all about the strawberry mojitos and some weird champagne drink that included some strange fruit thing that resembled an aliens head. Yes, I know what an aliens head looks like. The music was eclectic and heard everything from Blink 182 to Echo and the Bunnyman and a twangy country tune that I actually liked. It may have been a little on the loud side and it made it difficult to have a converrsation, but we were there to drink so it was all good. The tables are a bit cramped and had to keep shifting my legs around so I wouldn't trip anyone. read more

This tiny little bar is around the corner from its sister restaurant, Tsunami. We wandered in while waiting for our table to open, per the recommendation of Tsunami's hostess (and after walking in and immediately out of Fly because it smelled like barf...YUCK). We got scolded like schoolkids for playing with the candles on the tables. We like hot wax...what can we say?!! SORREE! But other than that, this place is alright. 812 is quaint -dimly lit (uh, candles...that we couldn't touch), cozy seating, yummy Soju cocktails, and right around the corner from kick-ass sushi. read more

I don't know how this bar can have so many reviews and still retain that easy "neighborhood" feel. Used to be a good, unknown first-date bar: laid-back, dark, anonymous...well, no longer. Last night there was a table or two occupied by non-NOPAians, but generally you'll run into your friends and neighbors here. The drinks are DIRT cheap. $5 for all Soju and Champagne drinks. Yup, $5. I had the champagne ginger thing....$5. The soju-lychee thing....$5. Another $5 and my ass is sliding off the chair....all in good humor, of course. Happy hour is $3. Ok, that's enough reason for anyone to come. read more

Five stars for decor, atmosphere, service and patrons. Tragically, no bar can earn five stars without hard alcohol. read more

Inevitably in any city, a person finds their regular place-- and I was going to 821 after work all the time. The place is not fussy at all. . read more