Located in a cozy, rustic space adorned with just the right amount of religious decor, this neighborhood tavern serves up divine cocktails and craft beers with a truly friendly vibe.
"Holy Water feels like one of the best-kept secrets in San Francisco, with a gothic spiritual feel that’s favored by its quiet Bernal Heights neighborhood. The team is made of San Francisco cocktail alums and supported by an interesting back bar of rare and unique spirits. It has one of the best whiskey collections in San Francisco, plus niche options like Vietnamese amaro." - Andrew Calisterio
"A popular destination for Pliny the Younger brew, located in Bernal Heights." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Holy Water opened its doors two years ago in what was before a delicious beverage vacuum. While there were definitely some solid places to get a cocktail in La Lengua, if you wanted something tasty up the hill, you were out of luck. With well selected rotating beers on tap and a cocktail list of about 15 lovely drinks, this is both a destination spot for SF as a whole, and a local favorite. Every nook and cranny of Holy Water has been carefully considered and designed. Antique decanter chandeliers hang down from angry cloud ceiling wallpaper, and a giant photo on the wall of a river baptism makes you feel slightly guilty (although you can’t pinpoint exactly why). Wait is that just me? mmmm, never mind. The point is, Holy Water is a great spot to begin or end your night." - Strohl
"Holy Water is a strange place to drink. The tiny cocktail bar on Santa Monica Blvd. is attached to The Woods, an upscale dispensary with a secret back patio that looks like a Costa Rican eco-lodge. Yellow-tinted front windows give off a cinematic—and slightly disorienting—glow. Woody Harrelson owns the place. There’s a lot going on, but mostly Holy Water is just a lovely, casual neighborhood bar with great cocktails. The drink menu changes seasonally, but expect spirit-focused cocktails that might come with one or two aromatic ingredients lit on fire by the bartender. You can’t drink on the back patio, but leave time to explore afterward. You’ll find multiple hidden treehouses, giant koi ponds, and a family of free-roaming macaws—if you ever wanted to get buzzed and walk around Jurassic Park, this is your safest option." - Brant Cox
"Bernal Heights has a bunch of great dive bars and places to drink wine, but Holy Water is the go-to for nice cocktails. It's a dark space with a ceiling painted to look like ethereal clouds and hanging twinkle lights. There are also a few small TVs in the corners if you need to check the scores. The cocktail menu changes up every now and then, but expect everything to be well-made. We like the Du Monde, a chicory-coffee cognac Old Fashioned. " - Lani Conway, Will Kamensky, Julia Chen 1, Ricky Rodriguez
