Excellent bar dining in the City, to me, is defined by several factors:
* It must have bar service that is on par with, or better than, the table service.
* I must feel comfortable going alone.
* The food must be consistently excellent and delicious.
Some of my favorite places in San Francisco to eat at the bar are as follows.
A16
2355 Chestnut Street
San Francisco
(415) 771-2216
Open for dinner nightly and lunch Wednesday - Friday
At A16, you can sometimes walk into the restaurant and be seating immediately at the bar -- especially if it's early in the dinner service. You can also request bar seating when making your reservation, and I have had that request accommodated nine times out of ten.
Absinthe
398 Hayes Street
San Francisco
(415) 551-1590
Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Absinthe and Hayes Street Grill (see below) are two places where I feel that the bar environment is much different from the dining room environment. Absinthe has a lively bar, delicious hamburgers, and you can usually find a seat -- especially if dining at off-hours (think Saturday afternoon at three, for a martini and a burger - perfect).
Florio
1915 Fillmore Street
San Francisco
(415) 775-4300
Open for dinner nightly.
Florio is a neighborhood favorite. Bar service at this tiny bar is complete with cloth napkins and a friendly bartender. The bar seats about six people, so seating is limited, but this restaurant is highly recommended.
Hayes Street Grill
320 Hayes Street
San Francisco
(415) 863-5545
Open for dinner nightly and for lunch during the week.
When I am craving Hayes Street Grill, I usually call and ask them if it's a performance night. If it is, then I come later in the evening after everything has started. If not, I know that bar seating will most likely be available. This restaurant is so close to the SF performing arts district that the traffic here is HIGHLY dependent on what's going on that evening.
The bartenders here are great, and the food is delicious -- if, like me, you're into plain, fresh fish and crispy fries. Pair that with a drink using Hangar One vodka, which they stock, and you're set.
Pesce
2227 Polk Street
San Francisco
(415) 928-8025
Open for dinner nightly and for lunch on weekends.
The picture at the top of this post is from the bar at Pesce. This wildly popular restaurant on Polk in the Russian Hill area holds back all of their ample bar seating for walk-ins. Service is always pleasant, and the Venetian cichetti they serve here are the best in the city.
Star dishes for me at this restaurant are the braised octopus with potatoes and celery, and the smoked fish platter.
In addition to the places above where I have personally eaten at the bar, I have heard great things about bar dining at Gary Danko, NOPA, Boulevard, The Slanted Door and Delfina.