The Alembic

Creative cocktails made with fine spirits that linger long after you’ve consumed them. One of my favorite bars for good whiskey; scotch, bourbon, rye. Drink menu changes. For those who prefer top shelf, small batch.

I really like the Alembic. It’s a great place for cocktails. The bartenders make them with care and there are a lot of options for you. It’s usually crowded, but not ridiculously so. The side room with the booths is really intimate and a great place to chat with friends. It’s pricey, but you get good, strong drinks. Definitely recommend.

Alembic is a great go-​to spot. It has a drink for everyone… More importantly they have an extensive liquor library ranging from whiskeys to gins to beers. Ive never tried a cocktail that I didn’t like here. They often change up their cocktail list which makes things interesting but sometimes I’m bummed when I go back and my favorite drink is no longer available. I just discovered «negroni week» and had a few of their custom negronis. If you know your liquor you will love the alembic.

I cannot believe I haven’t reviewed The Alembic! I rave about it to everyone I meet and have relived it in my head so many times, it felt like I put pen to paper (er, fingers to keyboard). Apparently not. Let’s remedy that.
For starters, I’m a big fan of Mr. Bourdain. Dining at The Alembic made me feel as though I was him. No, it actually felt like I had a leg up on him (mind out of the gutter, folks). This place should have had the leading role in an episode of Parts Unknown but somehow slipped through the cracks.
We came in on a Saturday night, by way of happy accident. We stopped for an afternoon coffee across the street and the façade caught my eye. My friend was game, and so it began. We were promptly seated and given a menu which, try as I may, I could not make sense of. The Alembic managed to do something I thought was impossible — hand me a pretentious-​sounding drink menu while not being pretentious at all; they maintained a healthy sense of humor while describing cocktails with a mini paragraph each. Baffling.
While I’m not a beer girl, I went for Drake’s Hefeweizen (my favorite kind of beer, if I do order one), and it hit the spot. Then came time for food. We had pickled quail eggs, shishito peppers, the most wonderful Josey Baker bread and butter, and the showstopper of them all — skewers of jerk-​spiced duck hearts with pineapple. Oh. My. Tastebuds.
I’ve mopped up around 100 restaurants from SF to San Jose in the past year, and nothing tops The Alembic as far as a unique dining experience goes. The ambiance is wonderful, food is phenomenal, and it’s certainly memorable. You’re going to spend a pretty penny here, and it is so worth it.

It was been awhile since a restaurant has blown me out of the water with both food and service. My boyfriend and I came here on our date night before seeing a performance nearby at Milk Bar. The performance was scheduled to start at 8:00 PM and we arrived to The Alembic around 7:15 PM. We were immediately seated and explained our situation to the waitress. She was so helpful and professional, and that made all the difference in our rushed state!
We quickly decided to order the bone marrow and pork belly, so the waitress sent our request to the kitchen ASAP. Then we got our cocktails. The Brown Wolf cocktail was good, excellent if you are feeling like bourbon. My boyfriend got the Southern Exposure, which I ended up liking more because it turns out I was in a girly drink mood. Ironically, the waitress bringing our drinks assumed that I got the girly drink at first…
The food was AMAZING. The bone marrow contains caper gremolata, garlic confit, and JB toast. The pork belly has charred broccoli, maitake, aztec apricot, sprouts, spring onion. Would HIGHLY recommend both. The flavors and portions were perfect, and they definitely called me to come back here again to try more of what’s on their menu.
Needless to say, we made it to Milk Bar on time (incredible!) so thank you Alembic for such a wonderful culinary experience and for kicking off our date night in class and style!

If you enjoy standing at the bar for 30 mins watching everyone else get served before you, this is the place to be. If not take your business elsewhere!
Incedibly rude, pretentious hipster waitstaff and bartenders. We went Saturday night and stood at the bar. The bartender acknowledged us and said we’d be next. But after waiting patiently for 30 mins or so and seeing everyone else around us get served, even the ones who had come after us, I finally got the bartenders attention and asked if we were going to get served. He said he didn’t know we wanted a drink. Un-f’n-believable!!! We left the bar immediately and will never be going back. There are way too many other great bars that serve fantastic craft cocktails with loads better service to patronize than these punks. Thanks for nothing The Alembic!

Recently visited this place with a few friends for dinner. It was busy for a Wednesday night but still the wait times weren’t too bad (~20 mins). Dim lighting, wooden interiors and a classy look overall. There is enough standing space for 20 – 30 people in the bar area and inside there are booth tables.
As far as food is concerned, we had the Sprouted Lentil Croquettes, House Ricotta and the Asparagus, and I was amazed by the quality of each of the dishes. My friends had the pork belly and duck hearts, which were really good too.

This is a nice place to stop in for a couple of drinks. The restaurant has high ceilings and an appealing atmosphere. Our server was friendly and attentive. I can’t remember the name of the drink that I got, but it has absinthe in it. The drink was really good and also really strong. Definitely didn’t need the 2^nd one I ordered!

Hidden gem in my neighborhood! This place is small, but they have a nice staff and great ambiance. The only thing that was sad was the portions which were rather small. The wine and beer selection was lengthy, so if you are feeling any type of stress from your day, they have a drink to fix it :)

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but what the heck, Alembic. Pretentious, crowded, and incredibly overrated. I hated this place after the first time but gave it a second chance and still was not amused.
Do not order the apple vinegar wine, ew.

My visit to this place has been a LONG time coming, and boy did it NOT disappoint.
As you walk in, you immediately see the bar to your left. There are table booths as you walk deeper into the space, but food can be ordered in either area.
Onto what matters most, THE FOOD AND DRINKS!
We ordered the bone marrow and jerk duck hearts. If you haven’t had bone marrow before, I highly recommend you try it here. It is the DELICIOUS. They give you some type of bread, some lemon juice to drizzle and capers to pair it. It’s fatty, but boy it’s good. As for the jerk duck hearts, they had sliced pineapple to go with it. The pineapple is a nice touch to balance the jerk style flavors of the duck hearts. The only down side about the duck hearts is you only get two skewers (if I remember correctly).
As for the drinks, I had a Brown Wolf. It’s a bourbon drink with spiced pear liqueur, amaro lucano and mole bitters. If you were to think of a cinnamon spice/​christmas appropriate drink, this would be your go-​to.
All in all, this place is awesome. Not the cheapest place in the world, but the cocktails are well crafted and the eats are BOMB. I’ll be back [Arnold Schwarzeneger voice]

Great Menu, knowledgeable staff… marrow bones were awesome. Best drink menu I’ve seen in San Francisco. Try the duck pot pie

We came here on the recommendation a friend and were not disappointed. Richard created an experience for us – observing the preparation of the cocktails was just as great as the actual taste of each drink.
The duck pot pie is mouthwatering and one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. We paired it with an order of bread with miso butter — delicious!
Spice cake was up next for dessert. Richard created a special cocktail to enjoy specifically with the spice cake, which just brought out the flavors in a spectacular way!
Absolutely incredible! Obviously, we will be back!

I don’t really like drinking, but I like hanging out in bars like this. It has an awesome concept that is cool and fresh. They have an amazing drink list with a lot of cocktails, wine, and beer. If I did like drinking alcohol, I’d be in heaven! Pretty pricey though. My friend and I had the chocolate ganache dessert and it packed a punch of chocolatey taste. It was this little rectangular bar with a strong, dense flavor. Good with the whipped cream. We sat in a cozy two person booth. I recommend this bar on Haight.

I came here because i know thy serve the same bone marrow dish as the Michel Bistro in oakland. And I loved the bone marrow dish here. It was cook perfectly, right amt of fat and soft. I also had the quail dish, which was cooked excellently – it comes with squash and lentils and it complimented the protein so well. AND THEN the dessert– the bartender recommended the spice cake. Let me tell you, it is no ordinary spice cake. Very sweet, but still light and right amt of acidity with apples and sorbet.
Of course, this bar is in the haight so its very hip and youthful, which I love. Bartenders there were so accommodating. All in all lovely dinner.

This was not dinner. This was an experience. Other than having delightful cocktails, we ordered the duck hearts appetizer, smoked potatoes, duck pot pie and chicken meatballs. All of our food came out with perfect timing. Better than most super high end restaurants I have visited. The staff was friendly and the food was to absolutely die for. I don’t think we could have been more pleased. It was so good, we decided to order a dessert and we rarely do. I just can’t give this restaurant a high enough review. The only bad thin I can say is that I am sad I have not found this amazing restaurant sooner. Such a well kept secret here in the heart of San Francisco. Go, you won’t regret it!

I’ll keep this short and sweet because the decision to go here is simple — GO!
Most people come here for the amazing drinks and rightfully so, but what most don’t know about is that the food is equally amazing! Appetizers, entrées, desserts, there hasn’t been a dish yet that I’ve ordered where I’ve been disappointed, so go do yourself a favor and check this place out! :D

The Alembic is my favorite cocktail bar in the Haight with bar bites fit for foodies. As you enter, don’t be deterred by the crowded space, the friendly staff will make sure you are taken care of whether you plan to drink at the bar or get a you a table and order bar bites as well. The bar area is deceiving as there is another room to the side with extra seating for diners. You happen to forget you are on Haight as you are welcomed into the dark, industrial chic atmosphere.
The menu offers a wide variety of unique starters/​entrees. I had and really enjoyed the brussel sprouts. They were exquisite. Most notably, The Alembic has impressed me with their craft cocktails. I highly recommend going to try out their drinks & enjoy the cozy ambiance.

I came here a few years ago with a friend, proceeded to get drunk and cry on his shoulder the rest of the night. I remember ordering food but no recollection of what I had!
Flash forward to yesterday, a Sunday evening, a couple of months after BF went there and raved about his experience, we went together. After thinking, «wow, I must have been drunk — I don’t recall there being this whole other dining room!» my server confirmed for me that room is new. I wasn’t so drunk that I missed it. (Phew!!) So, they’ve added significant dining space.
Let me get to it: The food here is awesome. I’m on the wagon, so was able to experience it and savor every possible lick of it. Including my virgin drink that was delicious — like a virgin margarita but not sweet and with something that tasted a little like celery. yum.
The menu changes regularly and may not be updated online. We had the lentil cakes. They were good, and the sauce under them was very good. Then came the potatoes — super crisp on the outside, not greasy, and served with pickled cabbage and a sauce that had horseradish and dill. Super Yum.
Duck pot pie was the most delicious duck I’ve ever had. Pastry was heavenly and the sauce and duck were amazingly rich and salty, but not too salty. But salty enough that I nearly had to lick the plate.
Dessert was the spice cake — I’m not a big dessert person, and this had a lot going on — spice, mint and this ganache that tasted a little toffee/​caramel –ish.
Service was excellent, helpful and friendly. We were there on a quiet Sunday night, so we were seated and fed pretty quickly. I know they get super busy on Fri and Sat, so if you go then, enjoy a drink or a little neighborhood walk while you wait for a table.

You make me feel like a natural foodie…
Couldn’t help belting that out after Aretha delivered that wonderful performance at the Kennedy Center last night! And here, that’s precisely what the food, drinks and vibe all do: make you want to be more of who you already are!
Not to say this spot on the Haight is full of hippie love nor is jammed packed with a bunch of stoners (I did no examination whatsoever…), but I deeply enjoyed every moment I was inside The Alembic, and it may not have been just because of the food itself! Will get more into that in a moment.
Our shared menu items to eat were these:
–Pickled Deviled Eggs w Smoked Apple
–Jerk Spiced Duck Hearts w Pickled Pineapple
–Hamachi Crudo w Ginger and Radish
–Mai Tais (1 each)
Ermagerd, the dishes were each delicate and delightful. I particularly loved the Hamachi Crudo — so vibrant in flavor! Was surprised how much I liked their version of the duck hearts, too — I’d first tried consuming hearts at another location earlier that year which were nothing in comparison, plus the jerk-​spice assisted ten-​fold!
Going back to the deeper connection for this, I will reveal a fact I *LEARNED* not long *AFTER* visiting this place: my grandfather actually lived during his early adulthood within about three blocks of here! So, whatever auras are still existing are going strong, because I was enticed.
Plan to be back in the new year!

Came here last night with a friend for cocktails and light food. I had been here a couple of years ago for drinks only, and I was and still am impressed with the long list of cocktails. If you go here, you should really pick from the extensive menu rather than to stick to your staple — hint, most likely what you like will be rendered by a listed cocktail with a creative twist. Case in point: I drank Bitter Buffaloes last night and it is basically a Manhattan.
The food was good! We had Brussels sprouts, an Indian flavored chicken dish (which was ground and presented like a 3-​piece sushi roll), and the duck pot pie (great dough, tasty chunks of duck meat, cubed potatoes, bok choi and a gravy to die for).
Cocktails range between $ 10-​$ 13, standard for San Francisco.
The ambiance is dimmed lights, cool bar, and super friendly staff. Me likes, me comes back…

For a pre-​birthday celebration, my good friend Cat Luedtke (an amazing Bay Area thespian) decided to meet at The Alembic for a cocktail and try dinner, which is something I hadn’t done before. Was I not disappointed! Suffice it to say that this was probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had living in San Francisco. The elegant yet casual interior and friendly servers added just the right touch to the perfect meal.
We both started off with an old fashioned each from the bar, followed by two orders (because one order each just wasn’t enough) of the (PINK!) pickled deviled eggs with herbs ($ 6 each) and gourges (parmesan, walnut and black pepper) ($ 7 per order). The gourges were some of the best rolls of any kind I’ve ever had.
For more yummy goodness and sharing, we ordered the sprouted lentil croquettes with cilantro yogurt ($ 9). Amazing crispness paired with the cool tang of the yogurt dipping sauce put a smile on my face, considering lentils usually put a frown on my tummy for a few days. The sunchokes with mushrooms, scallops and Meyer lemon ($ 19) was an intriguing dish that was the only item I didn’t enjoy as much as the others. Not that it wasn’t good, there were just too many things trying to get along in the same bowl, and it was a bit of a miss, yet not a mess.
Loved our sweet treats to end our meal, including the spice cake with apple sorbet, milk jam, mint and walnut streudel ($ 9) as well as the chocolate ganache with almond mousse, cocoa nib pralines and brandied cherries ($ 9). Both were sinful and quite frankly left me wanting to lick the bowl for each dessert.

Another favorite bar in Haight neighborhood for craft cocktails and food.
— Great hand-​crafted cocktails and dapper bartenders
— Ambience is dimly lit, hipster vibe and intimate setting
— They have leather booths for dinner, perfect for party of 2 or 4.
— Great food menu. However portions are small.
— Must try — pickled deviled egg, duck hearts in skewers, bone marrow, pork belly

What’s not to love about small plates, amazing craft cocktails, and this romantic interior? It’s helpful to know that while the bar opens at 4 pm, dinner isn’t served until 5:30. So, we ordered one of everything we could!
The vow of silence and bitter buffalo did not disappoint. Other guests loved the brown derby and coconut milk IPA.
The pottery and beer mugs were cute touches. I enjoyed the ambiance and every pickled item that made its way on to my plate!

Went here with a few locals/​regulars. They new what to order for me and chose a cocktail off the menu– it was deliciously sweet and gone within seconds. I also had southern exposure, which wasn’t as savory as I thought, but damn fresh.
Their menu is fascinating. Having just eaten beforehand, I was entirely intrigued to try the duck heart skewers. I did, and they were fantastic– never ate a heart in my life!

One of the finest bars I’ve visited. The space is intelligently designed, it’s not hard to move around, even when it’s busy. The service is friendly and attentive. The beer list is various and has good selections of all different styles. But where I’d say they really shine is with regard to those exquisite, exquisite cocktails. The Vow of Silence is a must-​try if you’re a whiskey lover. And if you like whiskey but not something too straightforward the Brown Derby is most excellent.
This would without a doubt be my local spot if I lived in the area.

I came with a group and we were basically able to order almost everything on the menu. Those are the best dinners! We came fairly late on a Sunday night and there was no wait.
We shared the pickled deviled eggs– these were really good. I know every place seems to have a deviled egg on their menu– but is it pickled? I didn’t think so. The chicharrón had a great crunch and I loved the peppers. The bread with miso butter was a hit as well. Miso butter on everything. Seriously. The charcuterie plate was okay. The duck was stand out on the plate. The duck bao was a table favorite and we almost ordered a second round. The pork belly was just okay, the flavors didn’t really pop. The chicken was amazing! It was moist, full of flavor and the rice was cooked perfectly.
The biggest disappointment was the bone marrow. It was WAY under cooked. It was still bloody and was inedible. This was one of the most popular dishes here so I was surprised it was executed so poorly. We finished with the pannacotta and the ganache. Both desserts were great and the pannacotta had some interesting flavors. I would come back!

Solid place to get cocktails and food.
I recommend the bone marrow, just the right amount so you can indulge but not feel gross after eating it. The duck bao was also good. Not exactly bao, but the flavor was on par.
Friendly staff. Overall good place.

Delicious tapas plates. Friendly and talented bartenders. Slightly pricey, but worth it if you want the best. I will always come here.
—- COCKTAILS —-
Sazerac: 4 stars
Improvised Mocktails: 5 stars
I came here on a Monday night with a friend while recovering from a cold, and the bartender mixed me up two delicious drinks — a sparkling drink with lime and celery, and another honeyed one inspired by The Bee’s Knees. That showed me he really cared about his craft. He didn’t even charge me for the second one! He got a big tip from me, of course.
—- FOOD —-
Whipped Brandade: 4.5 stars
Served warm with sumac chips
Rye Bao: 4.5 stars
The pork belly was amazing, came with jalapeños. But the bao was not steamed or soft.
Squid Ink Spaetzle: 3 stars
Decent, and filling, but a bit too starchy and came with too many peas.

The drink menu at Alembic is 3x longer than its food menu. If you’re looking for fancy cocktails and a chill time at the bar, look no further. We came around 4:30 PM to eat dinner, but they weren’t serving food until 5. So we ordered the duck hearts and tried to eat one heart every 10 minutes while counting down to 5 PM.
There’s booth seating in addition to the bar, and most people come here to sample the cocktails made by Mixologists. There are some pretty interesting names and questionable descriptions for the drinks, so definitely study the drink menu fully before ordering.
We had the duck hearts, charcuterie plate, bone marrow, and koji chicken. The duck hearts are on one tiny skewer on grilled pineapple, but are pretty good. The charcuterie plate comprised of lots of different kinds of meats and some bread, but interestingly enough, no cheese. It would’ve been a lot better if there had been cheese. Everyone raves about the bone marrow here, and I don’t think anyone can ever mess up bone marrow because it’s so good on its own. But the Alembic doesn’t really bring any quirks or special flavors to the bone marrow dish, unlike State Bird or Michel Bistro. I think the koji chicken was the best. It was tender and juicy, and the rice provided some much needed carbs.
Our waitress was really nice, refilling our water every couple minutes and asking us how the food was. Overall a nice experience, though the food is a bit pricy for the quality.

I can finally remove my bookmark!
YAS As good as it gets.
During my tattoo session, my tummy starts to rumble. I pop out my phone and look what do I have on my bookmarks that is close by? Ding Ding «The Alembic» All I can remember were my fellow Unilocalers reviews on their bone marrow. OOOOHH kk let’s go!
Walk in and the place was crowded filled with hipsters and a cool crowd. I noticed two stools free at the bar, and parked it. The folks at Rose Gold tattoo shop mentioned everything was served tapas style and the bartenders were Mixologist. If you’re looking for something interesting to eat along with a few drinks in a small and narrow, but sociable, dimly lit atmosphere, then you’ve come to the right place.
I wasn’t in the mood for any mixed drinks I just wanted a Vodka tonic and my sidekick wanted a stiff martini. Friendly bartender, who took our order right away and within 10mins? our food arrived 5mins a part from each other. Drinks? Oh boy, no complaints but I was buzzin…
NOTE: Menu often changes
Beef Chicharron lime, carne asada spices-​$ 6
Perfect crunch, and you can still hear the crackle as it lays in the bowl.
Josey Baker Bread black garloc butter, fennel pollen-​$ 6
Toasted and delightful, the butter melts in your mouth
(Recommended by the bartender) The Carmelized beef salad watermelon, gochujang, radish, miso and egg yolk-​$ 12 OMGEE highlight of my evening, refreshing flavor that burst in your mouth. Beef tender and a kick of spiciness.
and the star of the show
Bone Marrow caper gremolata, garlic confit, JB toast $ 16
Life does not get any better than this!!! I was very happy =)
Thank you Alembic! I will be back.

This is my favorite spot on haight. I recently sat down in the back to try something on their dinner menu. We had the bone marrow and it was pretty good; it’s a deceiving dish because it looks very big but most of it is just bone.
Excited for their expansion!

We went here for a Saturday night dinner and drinks. The place has a fantastic ambience. They play good music.
If you are at the alembic and didn’t try their cocktails, it’s as good as not going there. They have amazing cocktails and even better descriptions of their cocktails.
Their dishes are small plates, which makes it more like a tapas place. Duck hearts, quail eggs, rye bao, grilled squid, all are amazing.