A great wine list changes a meal. These are the Bay Area rooms where the list is as considered as the cooking — plus the one shop I actually buy my bottles from.
The most beautiful and romantic restaurant in the city. The indoor dining room is stunning, and the outdoor space with the movie is its most unique feature. The food is consistently good and seasonal. Start with oysters, then a picnic dish and some appetizers. Go for the fried chicken (sometimes it's roast chicken) or the steak. For dessert: if they have the chèvre cheesecake, get that — if not, the birthday cake is amazing. Ask for the big wine list if you're a wine lover.
Mediterranean and Turkish. Don't get the tasting menu — pick what you want. I go for the California Tahdig, the Arayes Kebab, and either the whole fish or the steak. The must-try dessert is the California Kunefe. Wine markup is a bit steep, but the selection is good.
Best seafood in SF and the whole Bay Area. Daily fresh menu, and the oyster selection is fantastic. I like the lobster roll, the crab and oyster Rockefeller, and the clam chowder with its Tabasco finish. The wine is fantastic, and bottles are half price on Wednesdays.
Great Italian wine selection from the former owner of La Ciccia. Lorella and Massimo are superb hosts. Lovely Italian bottles, some homemade small bites, and curated meats and cheeses. Fantastic for wine and a light meal.
Famous for the heritage roast chicken — or maybe famous for the wine list. A wide selection of hard-to-get bottles. It can get pricey if you like both food and wine.
Solid French bistro. Good rillettes and pâté, moules frites or steak frites, and tarte tatin to finish. Small but great wine list. I can't find another solid French bistro in the city anymore. This is THE ONE.
The rooms on this list all have lists worth ordering from rather than settling for. For buying bottles rather than drinking them out, K&L Wine Merchants is where I go.
