I'm hesitant to tell everyone about my favorite spots. Part of me wants to keep them a secret, but the other part wants to see them thrive because they deserve it. I've been coming to this location through its previous incarnations, but El Lopo is by far my favorite. There's a reason I keep coming back. It's not around the corner for me, but I'll happily catch the bus just to spend an afternoon or evening here. The cocktail program is unique, with drinks centered around sherry, vermouth, and wine rather than the usual spirits. Even if those aren't normally your go-to, trust the bartenders. They know their stuff and are always happy to recommend something you'll enjoy. The food changes with the seasons, featuring locally grown California produce. The bartenders are also welcoming, and make everyone feel like a regular. It's the kind of place where you can settle in, strike up a conversation, or simply enjoy your meal and drink at your own pace. As a fun bonus, they also organize trips to Spain. I joined one of them, and it was an incredible experience. It was thoughtfully planned, full of amazing food and wine, and gave me a deeper appreciation for the culture that inspires everything they do at the bar. Great drinks, excellent food, wonderful people, and a place that's worth going out of your way for. I almost don't want to recommend it because I want to keep it to myself, but it's too good not to share. read more

Fun night at the quirky El Lopo before our concert. Daniel served us and we let him pick everything. DRINKS: Do not order Sangria. Turns out I am not a Sherry fan. The Vermouth he picked was good though. FOOD: We had a sampling of a lot of small plates but didn't get any pics of that. Our cleared plates is all that was left. A few things were unusual tasting but that is the experience we wanted. read more

We met up with friends at El Lopo after they had already been bar hopping for a bit, so we had some catching up to do. The spot was chosen by our "wine" friend, but they also serve a lot of different of sweet wines, sherries, and cocktails for the rest of us "non-wine" people. I got a particularly interesting cocktail that iirc was like an anchovy salted caramel - not sure if that's part of the regular rotation, but there were a lot of cool cocktails like that. We sat in the back and it was a good vibe for yapping. Didn't try any food, but I definitely want to revisit to get some tapas and try some sherries. read more

Cute vibe in here. Server/bartender was nice. Trivia man HATED US. Too annoying I suppose but not really. He was rude but i'm sure he doesn't care what we think anyways or vice versa. Tapas were underwhelming. the potatoes were most enjoyable. Tapas were giving almond mom who chain smokes cigarettes. Good for first date probably. read more

El Lopo - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friends and I came by for a girls' night and honestly loved everything we ate here. price: ~$30/person post-tip and tax recs: spanish olive oil bread, yukon gold potatoes, octopus - Chips and Dip: Surprisingly fluffy lavash crackers with what tasted like a foamed cream sauce. Well-balanced and not too overwhelming! - Spanish Olive Oil Bread: we almost ordered a second portion of this. The quince butter was amazing, and we couldn't get enough of the texture of the bread. - Yukon Gold Potatoes: Crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Slathered in sauce -- super shareable! - Empanada: I believe the flavor we got was tuna. It came out looking like a slice of pizza. Savory and well-balanced -- friends who like tuna would love this! - Octopus: I was such a fan of the sauce -- at some points, I was just eating it like soup. The octopus is briney, salty, and bouncy while the sauce is light and sour and pairs so well with the crisp arugula and radish. Staff checked in on us consistently, and we found the menu to be cute and humorous. We split a bottle of orange wine five ways, which was just enough for all of us to have a good time! read more

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Great vibes! It's a Spanish wine bar with tapas but they have beer, ciders, empanadas, charcuterie, and good food as well. I love the tables and decor--it's sort-of rustic. With the windows open and a nice San Francisco evening, it's a vibe. They have live music some nights! Service is very good. We enjoyed the daily empanada--it had tuna, which was slightly surprising, but good. They have a snacky hour and it means 1 complimentary tapas with each drink you order! We got almonds and peppers, very yummy. The menu is chill--it's like if someone casually wrote a menu with their friends to explain the different sections. It's fun! It fills up! Lots of people come here before shows. The bathroom is clean and shared with the barber shop next door and is very far in the back. Will be back! Good for groups, date nights, family, and more! read more

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Very Local Neighborhood supportive Place. They are Very casual down to earth friendly establishment that knows there Stuff when it comes to Spanish wines, Vermouth, sherry and Spanish influenced Tapas! I've enjoyed the fact that they are just Beer and wine and not Full Bar.It makes them more unique . Always something fun happening from Sherry oake/karaoke Tuesdays, wed Trivia, special guest music and all the holiday fun. Its not a big place but packs good Vibes. read more

Spanish influenced food. Their wine and cocktails menu is incredible. Very, very tasty drinks. I recommend their vermouth ones. Super professional and attentive server with a lot of knowledge on the menu (both food and drinks). Place is cozy, beautiful and very clean. It's a very cute restaurant/bar if you are looking for something a bit different than the usual SF menus. I also tried their homemade tuna empanada and it was super yummy! read more

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We came here after an event and were lucky enough to not have to wait for a table. Our waitress came and took our order, but didn't really come back to give us updates on the food. We were all starving and the food took forever to come out. We got one dish like every 15 minutes and after wondering where two out of 5 of our dishes were, it turns out they were out of them, but didn't tell us until we asked for the check. The food we did get was good, but not good enough to come back for ok service. The only thing that made it to our table were the bread, the potatoes, and the empanada. read more

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For a time, there was a place I so adored that I vocalized my desire for them to offer some sort of Christmas-Club-adjacent experience. That is, I wanted to give them money monthly just so it wouldn't feel so expensive when I actually dined there. The person to whom I vocalized this desire was the reason I unearthed El Lopo. I was trying to one-up her on ideas for interesting places to dine and drink when I stumbled upon it and their intriguing "take-care-of-me club" which, amongst other things, allows its members to send a free drink to a stranger during each visit. I didn't wind up joining their club or even coming here with the person who was the reason I found it. I came with my son, thinking I'd surprise him with their very Spain-adjacent offerings only to learn that he'd been here before, for their "sherry-oke" night (sing a song and get sherry for only $5). We enjoyed several drinks, anchovy-stuffed olives, and queso fundido. It was enough for me to come to the conclusion that while I really liked the vibe and atmosphere at El Lopo, their food wasn't enough to my liking to cause me to join their club. If you're looking for a fun bar with a lot of different nightly activities and a really good aura give El Lopo a try. I'd be happy to return and try more of all they have to offer which, admittedly, is quite a lot. read more

El Lopo - Lots of fun events here at El Lopo - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a bar with tapas not a tapas restaurant with vermouth. Knowing that and not expecting the opposite and this would be a 5. From the website it felt like maybe it was more a mix of tapas and vermouth/sherry but it was definitely a bar. A great one but don't make my mistake and come hungry. I'm sure some people could make it into a meal but it really didn't work for us. Despite that, the service was great (I want to say Mitch, but might be misremembering) and the drinks were awesome! Took me right back to the markets in Madrid. I'll be back for more drinks another time! read more

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So much fun! They specialize in Sherry, but with a whole range of Spanish wines, beers, and ciders. The bar is based on an alternate history where Spain/Mexico continued to control California and kept up the cuisine traditions. The food and ambiance is great, and the service is good to boot. Would recommend wholly! read more

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Perfect Madrid taberna vibes in SF but with an added twist of California - glad I rediscovered this place in 2023 after visiting once in 2019 - have been to events, gone on their Spain trips, and just generally enjoyed the singularity that is El Lopo. Always tasty bites and interesting beverages on the menu. read more

This review is based on the service, vibe and appearance of the place. It's a good looking spot and the service is great. Menus are cool. Staff and fellow bar goers were friendly. That being said this is not a full bar. They do not have whiskey or bourbon. I do not recommend their take on an old fashioned. If you like wine I am confident they can get you something you will enjoy. read more

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I really like the vibes here. It's casual, inviting, and chill. And the staff are happy to explain the wine options and recommend one that you may like. And they currently have good non-alcoholic options for Dry January. The food options are tapas-style, so small plates that are executed well. So far I've had the broccolini, bread with quince butter, and the churros. I think the menu is seasonal or changes depending what's available for that week.. but if you see churros, get it. It is so delicious! My friend and I just got that and a carafe of one of their robust reds and it was a perfect pairing. It's a dark and intimate venue so it's better for smaller groups, but they do have a few tables to accommodate larger groups. I'm not sure if they do outdoor seating during the day since the city changed the rules on that. They have karaoke and trivia nights, as well as other events. So if you're looking for a unique bar with a local vibe, definitely check them out. read more

El Lopo is a really cool spot! The service here was spectacular, the cherry on top to a candle-lit get together over a delicious meal; we were well taken care of and quickly attended to. I ordered the homemade hazelnut horchata from the non-alcoholic beverages menu and it was delightful, though $7 for a short half-filled glass made me wistfully yearn for more. My friend got a red wine recommended by one of the kind employees. For food, we got the Spanish-ish Tortilla (delicious, though as the name implies, differing from the typically thick Spanish omelette in height), House Bread and Butter (probably my favorite part of the meal, with sweet/crunchy/fluffy toasts and mouth-watering flavored butter), Slow-Cooked Octopus (really good! I haven't had octopus before but it was a pleasant surprise), and Galician-style Empanada (our second favorite dish, with sweet squash and yummy sauce). Absolutely no regrets with any of the dishes; what a wonderful meal! read more

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Nicest bartender, but the worst drinks ive ever had. The watermelon cobbler was the biggest jabait ive ever seen in my life. It was a watermelon fresca + a sherry and ive even tried the sherry by itself and was just fine. Together, it made the worst drink ive ever tasted in my life :(( idk how they messed up watermelon that bad :(( the interiors are super cute and quirky and they host Trivia night on Wednesdays but the drinks were disappointing :(( read more

El Lopo - Art - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great food, awesome selection of sherry and friendly service. Mitch and James were super knowledgeable.

El Lopo, a hidden gem on Polk Street. I am so glad that my friends and I came to this place. Great food, drink menu, service, and cozy vibe. To be honest, we came for some churros (from Yelp images), and when we arrived, we were told the menu is no ok longer available and that it changes every two weeks (which I think is amazing). Instead, we ordered marinated grapefruit bites, smoked trout toast, chickpea cake, steamed Totten Inlet mussels, and empanadas with sherry, red wine, and rose. Also we ate the baggett so fast where server asked if we want more (which we of course said yes too) without knowing it would be charged, but overall, we loved the spot as the food came out quickly, and we were all well taken care of. We plan to visit this place again and look forward to seeing the bi-weekly updated menu! read more

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Amazing drinks, good food, great staff. Cute place. Def recommend for a date or chill evening.

Love the vibes here - low key and fun! Food: While they have a small food menu, we enjoyed each dish and left with a full tummy. - point Reyes toma cheese: this is my favorite! A softer cheese that pairs really well with the jam - Brussels sprouts: not crispy but great flavors with the sauce at the bottom - lamb meat balls: love the sauce, meatball was good but a bit dry - mussels: fresh and great sauce! Drinks: They have an assortment of vermouths, sherries, and wine (can purchase half bottles!) Service: everyone was very friendly and helpful with recommendations on food and drinks They also have trivia on Wednesdays! Be warned, it's pretty challenging and there's a good amount of regulars so you gotta bring your best game! read more

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Great food and cocktails, shoutout to Mitch for a great night of fun and service. Come for karaoke or trivia night for extra entertainment!

LOVE THIS PLACE ! I wish I live in the city so I can come back more. The food was great, good portion for tapas. Very flavorful. I enjoy talking to the staff, so friendly. Their drinks selection and recommendation are great! It is a cool vibe too read more

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great service and quality wine and food we came in for a night cap after dinner, however, saw the jamon being carved and caved. spectacular selection of wine (spanish wine, sherry) and menu by the team. what made the visit special was the service and the ambiance the staff curated. they are welcoming and have interactive experiences (board games, books, trivia night, HH). we will definitely be returning for HH - what caught our eye was the buy one, gift one (buy something on their HH menu, and gift a glass of wine to a stranger). what a great idea if you're new to the city or open to meeting new people. read more

El Lopo - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had a great evening on a Sunday night when we saw the most talented dancer and singer perform at El Lopo. The food and the wines are outstanding. It's like returning to Spain on a magic carpet ride. Apparently she's only there once Sunday a month so call for details. read more

El Lopo - There's a picture of her poster - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Last night, my husband threw me the best surprise 30th birthday party here at El Lopo! My husband said that Daniel, the owner was really awesome throughout the whole process. Food: My parents and hubbie did a tasting menu before the party to figure out what they were going to serve. He chose about ten different tapas that were served throughout the night. It was well-paced. As the celebrant I was so busy and only tasted three of them, but the ones I tried were delicious! Especially the short rib toast and mussels. The rest of the guests raved about the food and wine! Flow of the night: From 4-6pm, they allowed my friends to get there early to set up. They were still serving the general public at the time too. Then from 6-11pm, the venue was booked exclusively for our guests. We just had to meet a spending minimum, which my husband easily did by purchasing 24 bottles of wine and a bunch of tapas for the guests to enjoy. From 9-11pm, we did nonstop karaoke at the top of our lungs! It was seriously such a blast. Side notes: I think the venue holds about 54 people. The staff was amazing the whole night! They let us use my Spotify playlist, we were able to bring our own cake and cookies at no additional charge, and they were really great at making sure everyone's needs were met! read more

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Excellent tapas, solid cocktails and chill vibes. If you're a fan of sherries and vermouth, this is your place. Food: 4/5 - Octopus was a bit salty and a very tiny portion for the $25 price tag - Mussels were decent. - Wild Board - lamb meatballs were solid Drinks: 5/5 - the negroni is exceptional - we tried a really nice, smooth yet funky sherry as well Service: 5/5 - friendly, attentive without being overbearing Atmosphere: 4/5 - it's a cozy space that's perfect for catching up with a friend or two max - intimate and chill read more

Strolled in an a weekday evening and I loved that there was enough people for ambiance but not so many that you couldn't hear your conversation. Ivan and Tim are so gracious and full of hospitality. I love the bar's aesthetic and how Ivan knows so much about wine!! They also have this decanter like vessel where you can pour the wine straight into your mouth. I am way too horrible with hand-eye coordination to try it but it was interesting to see other people try it! I think it's supposed to aerate the wine but I could be making this up. The food was fantastic and I love that you can do a charcuterie board cuz that is my love language. It also turns out I like olives...I was surprised to find that out! I like their crispy potatoes and empanada. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other dishes! read more

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We came around 5pm and it was pretty empty. I love the cozy, intimate vibes of the bar, and the service was great. I got the wild mushroom toast. Hadn't had a mushroom toast before, but I loved the flavors. It was just saucy enough, and the green onions (?) on top we're just so flavorful. My friend got the mussels and was gifted (through the happy hour bogo) a Spanish 75. The mussels were really good (esp the broth), and the drink was light and citrusy and refreshing. read more

El Lopo - Mushroom toast - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The place is great the atmosphere is great, Alicia is super nice and knowledgeable. It was great to learn about sherry. The Spanish olives with anchovies were to die for and I need to come back to try the rest read more

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What a lovely little Spanish tapas bar. Nice wine selection and a good set of food and snacks. Came in one night and it was super crowded (too many parties in the back). There was trivia going on (which I generally dislike) but we played anyhow and lost (we did start late in my defense). But the trivia was kinda grass roots and fun. The owner told us it was super crowded because there were some birthday parties going on that day. So we came back the next week (really) and it was quieter but still had presence and was fun (and we did trivia again!). Great place wish it was closer to my hood but totally worth the short cab ride. read more

TL:DR- this is not a restaurant, it's a bar with some food (not as advertised). Considering all the other options in the. Ciry, hard pass for food, maybe okay for a drink. Food: Food was good, limited vegetarian options but the available food was decent. Not good enough to come back but good for when we there. Drink options were good and plentiful. Great selection of sherry and vermouth. Service: Fail. Service was abysmal . The cooks probably honestly spent as much time eating their meals and checking their phones as cooking. I think their dinner was better than ours! The servers spent more time drinking at the bar and on their phones than serving. Our order was "forgotten" twice in one sitting. Sometime toward the end of our meal the chef burned her hand but by that point all of the above had happened. Caveat emptor - this is a bar with propane powered burners cooking the food, not a kitchen. Ok if you want a snack not if you want dinner (which is what they advertise) Ambiance: Funky, down-home, chill. No refinement here, our plates were shipped and cracked but that's the schtick and it works. read more

Really great find on Polk with a huge assortment of delicious eats. Started with anchovy-filled olives and mushroom toast... both were delicious. Sardines were also just perfection. Finished with the mussels and octopus (which was super tender) rounding out a really great experience overall. Service was excellent and friendly and also seems like it would be a great spot if you just wanted drinks. Overall cool interior. read more

What a Little gem! The staff are so passionate about their craft and the food was amazing.

We came here on a warm Sunday afternoon, just in time for live guitar music (they have live music every Sunday). We enjoyed the covers of Radiohead, some 80s hits, and of course, Hotel California while sipping on Spanish wine. The alley seating was spacious, and offered good people watching opportunities. We tried a few of the white wines and really enjoyed the driest one on the menu (can't remember the name). We also tried the Yukon potatoes appetizer and it hit the spot, paired well with the wine (the spicy sauce and aioli sauce were so yummy!). Overall, service was attentive, prices were reasonable, and we really enjoyed the ambiance here with the live music. We'll definitely be back here soon. read more

El Lopo - Outdoor seating - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I just about had the greatest night with my friends here, we listeNed to music and talked for hours under the purple lights, I also love the cozy wooden atmosphere. (staff were amazing too, they will charge your phone if asked :3) read more

It was okay. Didn't have that many food options and it was a bit odd. Not sure if I would go again

Came on a friday night but the vibe was super chill. If you want a relaxing friday night to drink some good wine and actually be able to talk with some snacks, this is the place for you. Also close from fun bars and the lamb meatball was bomb. read more

A fun lowkey bar, just had drinks and they were great! They have some games also if you're there with a group and want to play. read more

El Lopo - Late sunset and watermelon sherry drink - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Had a great night hanging at El Lopo. I went with a few friends. Sadly places in the city are still closing sort of early. So sometimes it's hard to just find a random place to have some drinks and apps. We saw this place online and decided to check it out. We had a charcuterie plate and the olives. We also tried a few of their delectable drinks. Our waiter/bartender was great to talk to (also the owner of the restaurant/bar) and we had some very informative and fun conversations. The ambience at this place is amazing. Cute seating. A really cool spot at the front window and outdoor seating makes you feel like you're in Spain! There were a few items that they were low on so they let us know and made some substitutions for us which ended up being delicious. It was a bit pricey for me and my friends but I also feel like I'm starting to get back into the night scene and bars and restaurants have needed to raise prices which I totally get. Everything was tasty and the drinks were good as well as the mood and vibe of the whole place. read more