From fireplaces to hot tubs, here’s where to warm up in San Francisco this winter. Photo by Rick/Flickr.
We all know the Mark Twain quote: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” If that’s the case, then imagine a real winter… While no snow drifts down on to the City by the Bay, San Francisco can get windy and rainy and definitely calls for cozying up next to a fireplace with a hot toddy every once in a while. Here’s where to warm up this winter in San Francisco.
Cocktails and Drinks for Cold Weather
Sip on hot tea at the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park, the Imperial Tea Court and Samovar Tea Lounge at Yerba Buena Gardens as well as great coffee at local institutions like Blue Bottle, Four Barrel, Ritual and Sightglass, but this great cocktail city really shines when it comes to beverages that get the blood circulating in winter. Start with the standard Irish coffee made famous by Buena Vista Cafe. Then move on to Blackbird Bar on Market Street, which offers a festive winter menu heavy on whiskeys and spices – there’s even a mulled wine egg nog concoction. Elixir in the Mission is a standby where you can at least get a Hot Toddy, while Lazy Bear is a new ticketed restaurant with many surprises up its sleeves. Other places to hunt out winter specials: Trick Dog, Tosca Cafe and Presidio Social Club.
Fireplaces to Huddle ‘Round
Red paint, stamped tin and a flickering fire, it doesn’t get cozier than the Homestead. Photo: Arnaud DG/Flickr.
San Francisco has more than its share of hip cocktail bars and storied old pubs, and the coziest of the crop come with a crackling fireplace to curl up next to with a good friend, a great book or a stiff drink. Neighborhood joints like Wild Side West in Bernal Heights and the Homestead in the Mission as well as swankier options such as Twenty-Five Lusk and Swig all have nice ambience. Or you could go straight for a bonfire on Ocean Beach, a local favorite, or check out ocean-front Park Chalet nearby.
San Francisco’s Hottest Bowls
Before or with cocktails, you can indulge in some of the city’s most soul-warming specialties such as its famous clam chowder or cioppino, that famous seafood stew that arrived with Italian immigrants in the mid 19th century. Fisherman’s Wharf is the obvious place to go for seafood – and Scoma’s and Alioto’s are your best bets there – or there are other classics such as Tadich Grill that offer these specialties alongside wood-smoked meats and fish. Other ways to warm up include a spicy Mexican or Chinese dinner; try Mission Chinese Food or one of the hundreds of taquerias in the Mission. Ramen is a newer craze that’s great for winter, too. Stop by Ken Ken if you’re still in the Mission or hit Izakaya Sozai, a favorite in the Inner Sunset.
Springs, Spas and Hot Tubs
A hot tub or Jacuzzi is one of the first ideas that comes to mind for winter, but there’s a fine line between steamy and seamy. For that reason, you’re best off going straight to one of the city’s great hotel spas such as the one at Hotel Vitale or the Nob Hill Spa at the Huntington Hotel. If you find yourself in the Westfield shopping center, the Burke Williams is surprisingly luxurious and has the added bonus of a fireplace. SenSpa is an oasis on the fringes of the Presidio, complete with a tea garden, a eucalyptus steam room that brings the surrounding forest alive and mud baths on the menu. For a more affordable option, Kabuki Springs & Spa is a local’s favorite for massages, a steam room, sauna and communal tubs that can either be single-sex and (and nude optional) or co-ed and bathing suit required.
—Serena Renner
Where to Warm Up in Winter in San Francisco from San Francisco Things to Do
