The Anchovy Bar — Restaurant in San Francisco

Truly benefits me that anchovies have such a bad rap because that means the longer I get to keep this gem as my coveted secret. However, if you're on this page then you've somehow found yourself on the inside and I congratulate you on what is about to be a decadent culinary experience.

As someone before me stated, the best of 'em sniff out the good goods before they earn their Michelin star and with its legacy we all know it's just a matter of time. I chose AB (were on a nickname basis now) to celebrate my husband's birthday and from the initial points of contact all the way down to the last bite of dessert it was a 10/10/10/10/10.

We ordered 1 dish from each category:

Please start with the local boquerones, we heeded the wise advice of another Yelper and got the large order.

6 oysters, I believe we got the Chelsea Gem, and it was a great choice to go with 6 because we were stuffed by the end of the night. Absolutely delish.

Bellwether Crescenza and Brentwood Corn. Not sure what I was expecting but the shishito crema and jalapeño sounded super good. It was more like some shaved corn with crispies and still good, but I was peepin the table out the side at someone else's order of the cheese dip and wished I'd opted for that!

Costata Romanesco Zucchini... oh boy, not my fave. I love me some Calabrian chili but to me it served like a cold tomato dish or a gazpacho (pls don't hang me for use of that dish as a reference point, it was just soupy and not hot and I didn't know what to do with those emotions!)

Geoduck Clam. Star of the night, stole the show, the pasta and lemony vibrant rich taste of everything together made my taste buds sing on pitch, which 3 drinks in in hard to do turns out.

for dessert we had the caramelized Arlettes with lemon curd and coconut cream! I don't even need to try the other desserts cause I'm ride or die for this one for life. They also brought out cute lil sparklers as a birthday treat!!

You should note, they don't have a full liquor license so it'll be beers, wines, and liqueurs only (think Aperol Spritz and the like). We chose to go for drinks beforehand and walk about 20mins or so to dinner after, lovely for a summer night.

Everything from service to exit was an absolute delight. Thank you for the wonderful evening,...

lovely + fresh + unique

My favorite bite : the scallop tigre de leche was a tangy but light/floral ceviche that combined so well together, tender to the touch scallop.

Wonderful Entree: The squid ink pasta w/ clams was divine. At first I was a bit taken back by the harder and unique texture of the pasta cut but with the soft meatiness of the clams it balanced extremely well. AND the light brothy tomato based sauce at the bottom was end of meal sip worthy

I had an amazing light orange wine glass = Moschofilero Troupis Hoof & Lur, Tripoli, Greece 2021. Liked it so much I googled where I could buy a bottle, our server let us try a couple tastes first as well of a few different glasses. My partner got a low ABV Negroni fugazi and it was the best Negroni she’s ever had…syrupy but not overly sweet and enough citrus kick to round it out.

Halibut crudo w/ Serrano peppers + Thai basil oil was 👌👌👌👌💯fresh feeling and spicy softness with a perfect pairing of ripe peach.

Spanish Anchovy + Focaccia + the green garlic yogurt butter…lived up to name sake…such a wonderful combo and complex flavor to the anchovies, would love to come back for the seasonal local anchovies to compare tastes. I want a whole tub of the green garlic yogurt butter, loved the citrusy topping they had on top of the butter too.

Steak tartare was delish BUT I didn’t care for the amount of sauce at the bottom that leaned too Mayo heavy almost fast food level but I got what they were doing with the chips involved, didn’t stand out but not bad at all. Extremely high quality tender meat, just wish there was some lighter sauce to pair with it.

Will be...

The Anchovy Bar had been on my list for a while, and since we were staying in the city for the weekend, we decided to try for a last-minute reservation. We managed to get bar seating later in the evening, but I had noted in the reservation request that we’d love to move to a table if one became available—and they kindly accommodated us. Given that this was after 8:30 PM, I wouldn’t expect the same flexibility during peak dinner hours.

Sofia took care of us, and she was absolutely wonderful—knowledgeable, attentive without being intrusive, and clearly passionate about the menu. Our seafood sampler took a bit longer than expected, but they made up for it by expediting some of the earlier courses. The restaurant officially closes to walk-ins at 9 PM, but we were able to stay until close to 10, taking our time to enjoy everything.

The wine selection is extensive, and every dish we had was fantastic. At the end of the night, I couldn’t decide between the anchovy ice cream or the turnover—so we had both, and honestly, they were excellent. The flavor combinations here are unique and well-executed, and we especially recommend the anchovy toast, which lives up to the hype.

It’s a small space with limited seating, so reservations can be tough to get, but that’s understandable. As a fan of State Bird Provisions and Progress, I had high expectations, and The Anchovy Bar delivered. The menu is intentionally small, focusing on quality over quantity, which we really appreciate. Overall, the service was excellent, the atmosphere was cozy and relaxed, and we’ll definitely be back...