If you’re reading this, it’s probably cold out. And when the city’s notorious fog, “light mist,” and windchill start to wear you down, just turn to one of these bars or restaurants. They’re all cozy connoisseurs with low lights, excellent food and drinks, and, most importantly, blazing fireplaces that’ll turn your frigid night into a warm, glowing oasis.
THE SPOTS
This is the city’s third Fiorella location, and it’s the only one with a fireplace. So get to this Sunset spot next time you want to split wood-fired pies and rich rigatoni bolognese while the sweet sounds of hissing flames serenade you. The snug dining room is the ideal backdrop for birthdays, group hangs, and any occasion that calls for getting dressed up and keeping the bottles of wine coming.
Most of the Foreign Cinema charm is usually experienced out on their patio, which is always lit in an orange-y glow by overhead string lights and whatever movie is being projected on the wall. But a well-kept secret about their indoor dining room is the fireplace, which radiates heat throughout the rustic space. Keep the oysters and wine coming and revel in the fact that you’re not even wearing a light jacket right now.
There are multiple fireplaces in this Nob Hill spot, so odds are high you’ll end up sitting next to some warming flames during dinner. The legendary castle of beef has “cozy” written all over it. Velvet booths are plush and worn in, and the dishes are the food equivalents of a heated, weighted blanket. Prepare to devour baked potatoes the size of your head, meat carved tableside from a silver cart, and warm Yorkshire pudding.
Not only is there a fireplace at this massive Greek restaurant in the Financial District, there are also spits roasting lambs and chickens over open flames on the wall. The smell of slow-cooked meat spreads throughout the dining room like a savory diffuser. And the high-backed armchairs throughout the space are perfect for drinking Greek wine and feeling glad you’re not outside.
photo credit: Lavash
Lavash in the Sunset serves solid renditions of classic Persian stews, such as fesenjan (chicken with walnut and pomegranate sauce) and ghormeh sabzi (beef, herbs, and kidney beans)—great for warming up on a familiar foggy day in the Avenues. With its small cafe feel, it’s the kind of place that you can walk into when your space heater decides to blow a fuse. And the fireplace in the back will easily tempt you to stay for just a couple (or four) more glasses of wine.
Hanging out on the lawn at Park Chalet after a day of walking through Golden Gate Park is a pretty ideal way to spend a sunny afternoon. Even on not-so-sunny days, we’ll still head over and grab a table inside their atrium, which draws us in with its big glass windows, ceilings, and massive stone hearth. Soak in all that natural light with beer and a bucket of fried chicken.
photo credit: Emma Shepler
There’s a retractable roof at this Lower Nob Hill cocktail bar, which is nice in theory. But more often than not, you’ll find yourself huddling around the fireplace in the back rather than soaking up any overhead rays. Snag one of their excellent drinks, like the eponymous Peacekeeper with serrano tequila that also brings the heat, and strike up a conversation with a stranger about snow forecasts while hovering near the flames.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
POWERED BY
You’ll have to shell out $229 per person for a meal at Sons & Daughters, so know that access to their fireplace isn’t cheap. If you’re in the market for a Big Night Out or have a boundless corporate card, book a table, and rest assured that the night will be cozy as hell. The 14-course meal involves seasonally changing dishes like razor clams bundled up in daikon, roasted porcini financiers, and even butter that’s topped with salt from Ocean Beach.
This bar in the Mission makes you feel like tintype photographs and petticoats should still be a thing. The Victorian era is very much present as you get comfy next to the wood-burning fireplace, or sip on some whiskey or one of their excellent cocktails. When you get hungry, do what everyone else does: grab a basket of peanuts and feel free to throw your shells to the ground. The laid-back bar is also dog-friendly, so think about the tiny matching monocle you want to buy your pup now.
If you’re braving the long wait to get the dry-fried wings at San Tung, you probably have some time to spare, and would rather not get damp while waiting in the mist out on the sidewalk. Luckily, Fireside Bar is just a few blocks away. It’s home to, surprise, a fire, where you can sip on beers and cheap cocktails while defrosting next to the roaring flames.
Wayfare Tavern is a pub-like restaurant in the Financial District with flowery wallpaper, free popovers with every meal, and a taxidermied deer head on the wall. That’s all part of the charm, though, as is the fireplace burning brightly right under that deer. It’ll help you stay snug as you soak in the FiDi power lunch energy and dig into a fried chicken sandwich or burger with melty brie.
This Civic Center institution is a palace of wood-fired comfort dishes. Just look to their iconic roast chicken atop a well-spiced warm bread salad, or the burger on grilled rosemary focaccia. Next time you have a midday “appointment,” take a long lunch here in the company of oysters and lots of wine. If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated next to the pile of logs so big you could use them to build a somewhat large sailboat. They’re on deck to fuel the wood-fired oven, which is a centerpiece of the dining room and emits enough heat to basically count as a fireplace.
If soaking in the salty sea air at Ocean Beach has you thirsty (and cold), make your way to White Cap. The Outer Sunset spot a few blocks from the water is a neighborhood hub for classic and smooth cocktails, like the house paloma or 131 Hearts with tequila, pineapple, and tomatillo. This place is pretty mellow—an Outer Sunset requirement—with a fireplace in the back and ‘90s hip-hop playing. And in case you forget you’re by the beach, just look at the blue banquettes and wooden walls that make you feel like you’re on a boat.
The Riptide is an Outer Sunset bar with a more packed social calendar than an overzealous high school senior. They have a nightly schedule of DJs, live bands, and karaoke nights for when you want to show off your best rendition of Queen’s entire discography. It all goes down under low lights and the mysterious gaze of mermaid statues hanging on the walls. And the best part: there’s a small but mighty fireplace in the back, which is great for regaining feeling in your fingers after taking a stroll along the dunes nearby.
