Take Five: On Our Radar
Five spots that bring summer tastes to the tongue—think Cuban rooftops, French butter dreams, and Korean-Taiwanese soul worth the trek.
Carlotta’s
Hotel Julian, Nob Hill
940 Sutter Street
Velvet shadows and gin-soaked dreams in a hotel bar that forgot it’s supposed to be boring. The lush horseshoe-shaped sofa reflects the curved bar like a question mark, asking: another round? Tucked inside the historic Hotel Julian, where Hitchcock’s Vertigo was filmed, be part of cinematic history as you dine and drink. Mark your calendars for their new brunch program, starting June 29 with a DJ-studded launch party with Ketel One Botanicals.
DO try their “Dream Came Back” cocktail—made with Empress gin kissed with lavender—it may be your new religion
DON’T leave without sitting in their courtyard
Image by Brianna Danner
Cubita
Mission
2516 Mission Street
El Techo’s Cuban reincarnation brings Havana to the Mission rooftops. Checkerboard floors, Caribbean-beat heavy nights, and that same killer view but now with rum-soaked cocktails that mean it. The Cubano sandwich is a must-try, and their empanadas arrive crisp. The El Presidente cocktail is a gorgeous classic.
DO sunsets + people watching + mojitos
DON’T expect mariachi bands (those days are done), but be on the lookout for Cuban-diaspora focused programming with their partnership with CubaCaribe
Image courtesy of Cubita’s Instagram
Bar Darling
Marina
2265 Chestnut Street
Nature worship meets cocktail culture in Marina’s newest living room. Owned and run by successful bar teams (Peacekeeper, August Hall, Lost Resort, to name a few) that know how to make a bar feel like home. Their farm-to-bar philosophy is “rooted in nature and crafted for connection”, and they mean it.
DO try their fruit and vegetable-forward cocktails for summer
DON’T rush (this place rewards lingering with their community pool table)
Image by Brendan Mainini
Bon Déliere
Embarcardero
Pier 3
Paris without the passport. Butter sculptures guard the bar while vintage Amélie loops overhead. This waterfront stunner makes French food fun again—beef tartare with potato chips, steak frites in black pepper silk, escargot that converts skeptics. The Bay Bridge winks through the large windows as the only reminder you’re still in San Francisco.
DO oeufs mayonnaise with caviar crowns
DON’T order just one basket of bread
Image from Bon Déliere
Yeobo, Darling (opens June 13)
Menlo Park
827 Santa Cruz
When MICHELIN stars collide with homesickness, magic happens. The Maum duo returns with Korean-Taiwanese comfort foods elevated—lu rou fan dressed as lasagna and scallion croissants that rewrite bread service. Low-ABV oolong cocktails meet Korean sool. Absolutely worth the Peninsula pilgrimage.
DO trust the banchan (small side dishes)
DON’T skip the dessert—there’s a signature Karat Cake that served with gold
Image by Chad Santo Tomas
