Arlequin Wine Merchant

"For wine al fresco, go to Arlequin. This specialty bottle shop in Hayes Valley has a separate tasting area and dining room, but the lush uncovered patio is where you’ll find the best seats. Get a glass of small-batch wine and nibble on charcuterie next to blooming shrubbery under strings of twinkle lights. Parking yourself on the patio for hours is easy to do, whether you’re asking the staff for yet another round of suggested wine (you can buy a bottle on the way out) or if you’re taking advantage of the free wi-fi to “do some work.” Whatever the case is, you’ll likely need more substantial food at some point—take the short walk to the attached Arbor restaurant and get salads, fries, burgers, or a sundae if you want to skip straight to dessert." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway

"If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book in a garden somewhere while drinking wine, you were probably imagining Arlequin Wine Merchant. Arlequin is mostly a bottle shop (with one of the best garden patios in the city), and they have stuff that even your friend who brags about having two wine fridges won’t recognize. If you’re mostly just looking for some great scenery, though, grab a bottle of prosecco from the cooler, have it opened for you by the incredibly knowledgeable staff, and find a table out back." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, lani conway, will kamensky

"This is an exceptionally well-stocked wine shop specializing in hard-to-find local and international spirits across all price points. Being that its something of a local secret, not many people are aware of the magical community garden out back, where you can drink any wine from the shop by the glass for a small corkage fee. There’s also a sweet little café right next door where you can snag a quick soup-and-salad lunch or pick up a to-go order. "

"If you want to learn about wine, you could come to Arlequin and talk to any of their super helpful staff about what you’re into, and they’ll help you find the perfect bottle. After you do that though, you should uncork it and head to their backyard to drink it. It’s in the middle of Hayes Valley, but feels like you’re in a secret garden far away from San Francisco. The phone service back here isn’t always the best either, so if you really want to feel like you’re getting away, that makes this place even better." - Will Kamensky

"The adjacent wine shop, Arlequin Wine Merchant, will continue to operate per usual." - Ellen Fort