The Anchovy Bar
San Francisco
At a glance
The Anchovy Bar, located at 1740 O'Farrell Street in San Francisco, is a wine bar that embraces a culinary philosophy centered on honoring perfect ingredients. Known for its thoughtful approach to pairing food and wine, The Anchovy Bar offers a menu that shifts focus regularly to explore different beverage styles, regions, or specific grape varieties. This intimate venue is characterized by its dedication to quality and an ever-evolving selection that invites guests to experience the nuances of both local and international flavors.
The ambiance of The Anchovy Bar is welcoming yet sophisticated, making it a suitable spot for those who appreciate a focused dining experience with an emphasis on wine. The interior reflects a modern aesthetic, while the outdoor seating provides an alternative for those who prefer dining al fresco. The bar extends an invitation to both seasoned enthusiasts and casual sippers, creating an inclusive atmosphere for a diverse clientele.
This venue is suited for small gatherings, romantic dinners, or a quiet evening with friends. Its commitment to highlighting exceptional wines alongside a menu crafted to complement these selections ensures a memorable outing for patrons. While specific dishes rotate to align with the featured beverage styles, the restaurant maintains a consistent dedication to high-quality ingredients.
Reviews
incredible seasonal seafood, the clams were huge and loved the umami, summer anchovies that are freshly cured and served on sourdough pintxos was incredible. the fish and steak tartares were amazing, although the coriander seeds appeared a lot throughout this menu and more variety would’ve been interesting. the dry sardines on coconut crème ice cream added the perfect savory to a sweet ending.
REALLY loved THIS SPOT. Following the name, the restaurant cleans and pickles their own anchovies. The rest of the menu is the perfect menu to share with the group, starring local oysters, Dungeness crab, and king salmon during their respective seasons. The wine list dives into minerally sparkling and skin-contact wines, as well as vermouth and sherry. Every month there’s a featured wine, and if you like your glass, you can buy a bottle at retail price to take home or enjoy at your hotel. Everything I had was AMAZING. Everything is small and sharing style, perfect way to have a taste of everything. Anchovy pinxto perfect bite. The tartares and crudos are unique and delicious. I LOVED the cherry stone clams. Japanese cucumber salad is amazing. Great selection of wines. Intimate. I wish could’ve tried everthing on the menu. RECOMMEND 100%. I will be back on my next visit.
We ended up at The Anchovy Bar because I didn't make reservations early enough for their more popular Michelin-starred sister restaurant, State Bird Provisions, but we weren't disappointed. The food is creative and interesting, even if not every dish is a smash hit. The concept is a very small menu, with most dishes small like tapas and an emphasis on raw seafood and anchovies. This allows you to share and try a number of dishes with friends. The service was excellent and attentive, and food came fast. Here's what we thought of the individual dishes: - Cantabrian anchovies starter: Excellent, Michelin-star quality. The variety of flavors and textures came together beautifully, and the focaccia they serve it with is amazing. We ordered another focaccia because of that. - Lemongrass clams: Quite good. We ordered the extra focaccia to go with the delicious sauce. - Chicory salad: A nice, well-balanced salad. - Scallop toast: Tasty and balanced, but a bit too much bread. - Tuna raw and cooked: Some interesting flavors here, but it didn't seem to come together that well. - Patatas bravas: It looks cool, and it's an interesting texture they achieved, but I'd rather have actual patatas bravas. This one was light on flavor and a bit heavy and oily.
Had a great seafood dinner here - walked up without a reservation on a Friday night around 5:30 and were seated at one of the last remaining tables. Overall, really impressive dishes - the scallop toast and crab cavatelli were my favorite, but the oysters and cucumber salad were a close second. The anchovy sundae was super unique - it was good, not great, but something I’d recommend trying at least once!
We had a great belated Valentines dinner, yesterday. Monday night and the place was packed. Says something about just how really good it is. We will go back during anchovy season for the famous anchovy toast. Jesse our server was amazing. We gave our highest tip amount last night, that's how wonderful Jesse treated us. Small plates but did not go home hungry. Fun, the small details made all the difference. The focaccia, amazing, the "world peace" peanut milk, omg, wow. Loved the baked oysters and the sundae with the extra crunchy anchovies.
