Tony Nik’s Cafe

Amazing hidden gem! Bartender is very knowledgeable! He knows his ish! Very dim, hipster, lighting and mood. Great music. Some blues, zombies… drinks are very very creative. I ordered the «Evita» soooo darn amazing to my palette! Definite must!!!

Throwback to a different era of SF in this place. Art deco style mixed with nothing-​fancy-​but-​still-​damn-​good cocktails makes it a great place to kick back a few on a rainy night. It wasn’t even that packed for a Friday night and you could actually hear what the person was saying next to you. The small bar of the city’s past is slowly going away, but Tony Nik’s is a place takes you back to a genuinely classy bar who’s class act comes naturally.

This place is a throwback to the time when lounges ruled. Great spot to bring a date for pre-​dinner drinks, or to meet up with friends to enjoy some classy cocktails.

One of the best places in North Beach to have a drink on a date. Great atmosphere and really great music choices. The bartenders are friendly and professional. The owner is friendly and a local business man from the area

It’s fine… just don’t ever ask to watch a game on the telly. The attitude that will ensue is pretty d#%^ unreal.

A perfect mix.
Classy but comfortable.
It’s an easy backdrop for the show Mad Men, but Harley dudes are just as likely to hang here, too.
They do classic cocktails, & beer & shots w equal dedication.
It’s a true neighborhood bar, but tourists are welcome, & made to feel that way.
There’s the front window & bar for your sociable times, & the tables & booths for your more private times.
The bartenders are knowledgeable, but they’re also accommodating. From the owner, Sebastian, to Devon & David, they all really know their stuff. If you want a top notch negroni, you’re gonna get one. But if you want something obscure, they’re game for that, too.
It’s called a café because back in the day, a bar couldn’t obtain a liquor license unless it served food. TN’s doesn’t serve food, but it’s cool for you to grab something from nearby (a slice from Tony’s, a sandwich from Mario’s) & eat it here.
Bonus…the music. David worked in music for decades; from the Whiskey A Go Go in LA (among others), to the SF Symphony. It’s never boring.
A must for a cocktail in NB.
5 stars.

If you are a local, this is a great place to run into familiar faces, and if you are a visitor, no problem! The drinks are great no matter what and the bartenders are as friendly as they come.

Coolest bar to stumble upon. My boyfriend and I happened in to this bar based on a local’s recommendation. The drinks are flawless and all thanks to the bartender, Sebastian. I had my first Moscow Mule and it was delicious. Great drinks and great, friendly bartenders.

I love, love, love, this bar! Great bartender (David) that knows how to make all the great traditional drinks. If you like a great bar that has that New York/​Boston pub feel, you will really enjoy Tony Nik’s.

Cool atmosphere great location excellent service reasonable prices what else do you want. Do not let the marque fool you. Go in.

Went in for a drink while waiting on a table for Tony’s. Tried taking pictures and they don’t like that. Poured out our drinks and asked us to leave. Very weird. Never would have happen in Texas. Will never go there again.

A comfortable and classy place for a late night drink. Beautiful wood paneling and intimate lighting makes for a great atmosphere. The sound system is perfect; there is no need to shout to hear the person next to you. A thoroughly comfortable and enjoyable cocktail bar. Sebastian mixes a great drink that would easily run you 50% more somewhere else.

Tony Nic’s Café is a bar with a misleading name located in the old Italian neighborhood of North Beach. The host of Café DeLucchi located across the street recommended it to me for before-​dinner drinks. It’s has been operating since the early 1930s and retains the look and ambiance from that era. Walk in and you’ll think that you stepped back 90 years in time. It has an interesting history that can be checked out on the Web.
This joint is everything that a cocktail lounge should be. The front entrance wall consists of translucent glass block. It opens to a long narrow room with a lengthy wood bar up front and tables and chairs in back complemented by walls clad in dark wood paneling. It is fairly quiet and the lighting subdued.
We took a couple of seats at the bar and soon learned that our bartender was a professional — knowledgeable, efficient, highly skilled in the art of cocktail preparation, and very personable. He whipped up a couple of cocktails for us that were perfectly made and delicious. The cost was very reasonable, and on the occasion of our visit the clientele was friendly and polite.
We enjoyed Tony Nic’s Café immensely, and I was sorry to leave it for dinner. I very much liked everything about it and will return anytime I get the chance.

I absolutely love Tony Nik’s! It’s a small, cozy, friendly neighborhood bar in North Beach. I love the décor and cool vibe here. Day or evening, its my go to when I’m in town for a yummy cocktail.

If you only go to one bar in North Beach, Tony Nik’s should be it. What a classy, cozy and inviting joint. The old school décor and history brought us in, but what made this place so special were the friendly, local patrons (most of who live or work in the neighborhood), genteel blue eyed bartender, and the mellow/​intimate vibe. No TVs, just ppl taking a break to enjoy a drink and good conversation. What a gem.

Time warp! It looks like the 60s or 70s in here, in a good way.
Came by here while we were waiting for a table at Tony’s pizza on the corner. And found one of the most knowledgeable friendly bartenders ever. We had a couple drinks he recommended based on our tastes… forget the names but one included St Germain and vodka with a prosecco float and the other was gin, chartreuse, lime and something. Both were delic.

Things you should know:
1. The sign out front is original and dates back to the 1930’s. It’s one of the oldest in North Beach.
2. The word «café» appears on that sign, a relic from a time when establishments serving alcohol were also required to serve food. Tony Nik’s serves no food.
3. Tony Nik’s serves fabulous cocktails. I can personally vouch several times over for the quality of their Moscow Mule ($ 9).
4. Said cocktails are created by cool, unpretentious, bartenders lacking hipster credentials. This is a plus. The bartenders are skilled at «surprise me» orders so go ahead, live dangerously.
5. A lack of hipster credentials doesn’t imply a non-​hipster crowd but the night I visited it was a perfect mix of ages (20s thru 60s) and types (locals, tourists, suburban, urban, hipster, and non).
6. Tony Nik’s soundtrack is infectious. Fantastic music to accompany your imbibing but tuned to a pitch over which one can still hold a conversation.
7. What looks from the outside to be dated will cause those not in the know to walk on by. Adventurous souls and those with insider knowledge will walk in, belly up to the bar, and groove in the mid-​century lounge ambiance. This is possibly the coolest bar in North Beach.
6. Credit cards accepted only for charges exceeding $ 20.

Sebastian is an amazing bartender! Tell him what you like and he can create something you never knew you needed, but now you can’t live without. They serve Pushback wines too, which those who know GET it.

Small bar. Rarely open seats. Never two together. Marina crowd mostly. Lots of loud obnoxious types. Two great bartenders Devon and Jack. Smallest restroom in the city. Not much atmosphere. Good drinks. $ 11 cocktails. Four draft choices.

This is a great little place, and it’s the perfect spot to wait for your table to open up at Tony’s. Love the throwback décor, cool bartender, and tasty cocktail specials. It has a really nice relaxed feel and the Moscow Mule is excellent.

We stepped in here while we were waiting TWO HOURS for a table at the pizzeria down the street (more on that in a different review!) It looked really unprepossessing from the outside, but once we ventured in, it turned into a really beautiful bar with lovely décor and a very nice atmosphere.
I love sitting up at bars and talking to the barman — so we did just that, and I was keen to try a cocktail or two — so we did just that too! I went for one of the specials written on the board — some sort of orange citrus martini thingy. It was delicious, and the barman was extremely obliging — putting a couple of maraschino cherries in my drink because I love them! I then tried an old fashioned, and that too was delicious. They were not cheap, but man those drinks were good!
I really liked the music that they were playing — lots of recognisable, but not cheesy songs. The place seemed to be filled with grown-​ups who wanted to relax and talk, and the whole experience was very pleasant.
My only complaint was that I was far too cold. The door was kept open the whole time, and 8pm in San Francisco at any time of the year is chilly… If they could sort the temperature out, this would be a fantastic place.