The Hidden Vine

It might be «hidden», but it’s definitely a gem! Great selection of wines and delicious food, even for us vegetarians! Service was excellent as well. Highly recommended!

WATCH OUT if you’re looking to book this place for a work/​team event. A larger company was coming in after us, and the staff warned us every 15 minutes that our time was ending. No respect for our time, didn’t care that we were there. When we walked in, they told us that every other place in the bar was reserved. Then, they charged us auto-​gratuity of 18%- while prepping other tables for other party’s arrivals. Inappropriate and rude! For a party of 20 or less, look out.

Came for the first time for happy hour with a group, and thoroughly enjoyed the food and wine selection. We had a 5:30 reservation, which definitely seemed necessary, because it got pretty crowded.
Highlights: the pickled vegetables, the manchego puff pastry, the prosciutto, and the vegetarian flatbread.
Slightly weird: they kept changing how bright the lights were, which was odd and distracting, and poured the first bottle of wine without offering a taste to the person who selected it.
Overall, though, the ambience was very comfortable, and the food was great!

The wine selection is really boring but I love the ambience of this place. Comfortable seating and I like their kitchen selection. Wouldn’t mind checking the out again, nice place for a date.

It is really hidden. I would not find it if Unilocal reviews didn’t happen. The atmosphere was so beautiful and relaxing. Service was fast, and the staff was so helpful. I tried Jean-​Pierre. It was a little sweetie. At least it’s worth to allocate a half an hour for a glass of wine when you stop by the Merchant St.

I liked this place! Great wine selection and some beers, too. The bocce ball court is a cool place to hang and play if you’re into that. It’s only one court and pretty small space, but there are some benches to sit and watch. I didn’t have any of their food but it all looked kind of small and pricey.

Ambiance — 5 stars
Service — 5 stars
Wine — 5 stars
Chicken sliders — 5 stars
Sausage flatbread — 5 stars
The Italian and big bold red comparison pours are really cool ways to enjoy multiple wines.

So. Wine selection is great and great appetizErs. He flatbread is good as well as the baruta and cheese plates. The sliders were delicious but overpriced. $ 24 for 3 tiny sliders. The shrimp slider was delicious.
We initially had a bar tender at our T ale that came to our table and was attending us but besides the external appearance was very BLaH and not once smiled. But then Tim became our waiter and he was beyond wonderful. For my fries a bday he gave us all shots of champagne that were just what we needed on the house and brought some berry truffles that were beyond spectacular.
They have. Bocce court in the patio which is really nice and available after 5pm. It’s so good.

This is a seriously gorgeous bar with an amazing selection of old and new world wines of every variety. The cost per glass is 4 or 5 times more than what I normally spend per bottle on el cheapo wine from Trader Joe’s, but even my somewhat insensitive palate could detect that there may be a valid reason for this, along with «night out in SF» markup.
Service seemed lackadaisical. I asked for a taste of an expensive Pinot noir before committing to its price tag. It got poured and the bartender left the rest of the bottle out with it but then promptly disappeared somewhere. I DID love the wine but couldn’t tell if I was now supposed to pour myself the rest of the bottle. Plus, what if I didn’t like that wine and wanted to try something else? There were some other bartenders wandering in and out from behind the bar who paid no attention to me, and I finally spotted MY bartender socializing at a table in the room. She finally returned and I STILL had trouble getting her attention, but she completely apologized once I did — «oh my God, I just completely ignored you, how terrible of me.» The wine was so good and the atmosphere was so elegant and soothing and I was having a good time anyway, so it wasn’t that big a deal — but I do hope for more attentive service next time.

This is a very nice wine bar. It’s kinda hidden, hence the name of the place. It’s dark and intimate. There are plush couches and leather seats. And I think I saw a pew.
It was my first time here, so I wasn’t sure what wine to order. They have a lot to choose from. The server was very nice and helpful. I ended up getting the red wine flight. It was very good. The service here was great. I was impress to see they brought the bill in an old book.
I’m definitely coming back to this place when I want to chill and get some good vino.

Nice discovery off a side alley in the bustling financial district. Love the understated dark ambience and old brick walls and a fireplace. Behind the bar is a huge wine cabinet filled with wonderful selections throughout California and Europe. Can order glasses or paired tastes of various red and white. One may also order tapas if desired as well. In our case, we came for an after dinner drink and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly at a nice round wooden table. Service was attentive and efficient. Great experience overall.

amazing hidden gem. i was on my way back from the battery and decided to stop in for a drink while I was waiting for a friend. The vibe is super intimate and trendy, and the wine selection is pretty intimidating.
get the burrata. and this is a place where you feel like you should know your wines so fake it if you don’t :)

This place, like the name, is hidden and tucked in a small alleyway. I even walked past it because it’s so small. But look out for the sign above the door to know when you’ve reached the place. I came here on a team outing for work. To reserve a small standing room area and the bocce ball area (YES BOCCE BALL!!) you’ll have to call ahead of time and I believe theres a minimum food and drink charge of $ 100. That won’t be hard however because the food is more on the pricey side for hors d’œuvre.
This wine bar is so cozy and intimate. It has a fireplace and some comfy sitting areas including couches. And the interior is dark and quiet. We came on a Monday night so maybe it would be more lively on a Friday.
The food was amazing! Lamb burger sliders, mushroom flatbread pizza, garlic puff pastry bundles, prosciutto and duck flatbread (if I remember correctly). All amazing and the woman who served our group (sadly don’t remember her name) was so friendly and accomodating. She explained the wine selection at least ten times to us because we came in staggers in groups.
And don’t worry I haven’t forgotten to include the bocce ball area! It’s outside and pretty narrow. Theres’s some benches on the side for spectators to sit and watch. Really nice on a good SF night when the weather isn’t too cold. But it was entertaining to play and watch others play while we had appetizers and sipped on wine.

Despite being hidden in an assuming alleyway, this place is a total gem. Very relaxed, classy, and intimate ambiance. Perfect for dates or small get-​togethers because the environment + décor strike the perfect note. The place is lively but also calm and private. Reminds me of the typical posh NYC setting where yuppies come to catch up with their special girl (s) or boy (s) over a quiet Happy Hour.
The Hidden Vine is close to my work and I brought a girlfriend here for her birthday on a Tuesday night. We shared a red wine flight and some of the appetizer plates. The wine selection was solid and our server was great about explaining the different flavors. Flatbread and burger slider plates are fairly small but perfect to share between two people. Wouldn’t necessarily say the food items are especially hearty, diverse, or delicious but they make do. Typical wine bar food that is slightly sexy and slightly overpriced.
Can’t wait to come back here with more girlfriends or bring my boy here when he visits!

I have been to Hidden Vine twice and really enjoyed myself both times!
The first time I went was to meet a friend for drinks after work. The atmosphere was casual yet classy, and the wine selection was solid. It was quiet enough to talk but still lively.
The second time I went was for a work-​sponsored happy hour. We had the outdoor bocce court reserved, which was nice. It was a cool space to hang out and mingle with co-​workers. We had a few rounds of tasty hors d’oeurve and some nice bottles of wine.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Hidden Vine for a variety of occassions.

UPDATE 9÷21÷15: After a brief Unilocal message exchange with the management, I realized two things: 1) They actually were very helpful and accommodating during our stay here based on their response as well as some other guest feedback I got since I posted this review. I was a bit unfair and uninformed on how the night went. 2) They actually do care about all types of feedback and wrote back to me right away. I mean I certainly didn’t 1 star them but I appreciate their quick response.
Any business that can respond to my feedback after a less than ideal experience, certainly deserves another chance and the management team and staff here did more that what I initially thought that night. Kudos to them and the uptick in rating will reflect that.

What’s not to like about a place that has a bocce ball court? :) the wine selection is wonderful. I had the Italian featured flight which was on point! 3 wines to taste for approx $ 14! Several other flights available for those who like to go on a wine adventure. Beautifully designed space with exposed brick wall and cosy fire places as well as comfortable couches.
Definitely coming back. Some food on offer too.

Such a nice wine bar! When I go to SF I definitely want to come back here again.
They have such cute décor, and oh yes 3 wine flights of 2oz. :) My favorite!!! I personally like getting wine by the glass but this gives you a chance to try out different ones.

Love this spot. The wine and food is always good, the service is friendly, and the prices are reasonable for the neighborhood.
It’s a little hidden, but well worth the walk.
The atmosphere is great too — cozy, dimly lit and the fauteuilles are crazy comfortable. It’s perfect for a date just as well as a drink with friends.
Just make sure you make a reservation or get there early. It’s tough to find a table after 6:30 on week days.

A friend and I came here for Happy Hour on a Friday afternoon. Pretty nice place — very cute, nice selection of wines and appetizer dishes. I just went with a simple Moscato ($ 9/​glass) which was delicious. Service is fairly attentive here. As some other Unilocalers have described, it does feel like you’re in a rich friend’s apartment or something — chairs are super comfy and cozy, and they’ve got an outdoor bocce court! I’m not really a huge wine person — I literally only drink Moscatos so my review is probably not going to give you much perspective on the actual place. My friend went with the Eastern European wine flight (only $ 15, pretty cheap) and enjoyed how interesting the flavors were.
tldr; overall, nice atmosphere, very laid back and chill with a large variety of wine options to likely please any palette

Julie Z and I tried out the Hidden Vine on our quest to find the best happy hour in San Francisco and we were so glad we did! The Hidden Vine touts itself as more of a a ine bar and has a nice selection of tasting flights as well as wine by the glass.
ATMOSPHERE: At first look, it is a nice, classy place with dim romantic mood lighting. Although we came in on a Wednesday night though, it was packed, clearly showing how popular it was.
BAD: While I really liked the look and feel of the place, the space was way too cramped. For some reason, people would just randomly stand around in between tables chatting. Sometimes they would pack so closely to our table, their backs (or butts) kept brushing up against our wine glasses, threatening to tip them over. So that was definitely not one of my favorite parts.
SERVICE: We had really amazing waiters who were very attentive despite the busy night. Our food and wine came instantly and they were so accommodating in trying to help us find wines suited to our palate when we both realized we didn’t like most of the wines in the tasting flight. Lastly, our server was incredibly sweet — after realizing we had been squashed in a corner by the patrons milling around, he gave us a glass of complimentary wine to make up for the experience. So definitely lots of brownie points for service!
FOOD: UM, INCREDIBLE. We ordered the prosciutto flat bread which was crispy and delicious. And the cheese, gah, to die for. We also had the burrata which honestly was the highlight of my meal, and I don’t even like burrata. The cheese was so creamy, light and delicious, and paired perfectly with the prosciutto, pear and crispy bread. A DEFINITE must order! Will 100% come back just for the burrata.
WINE: I love wine but didn’t love any of my selections for the night, and apparently neither did Julie Z who ordered a tasting flight of cabs and complained they tasted like cheap $ 2 wine. Unfortunately, I felt the same about my flight of Oregon wines which all had a strong «plasticky» smell and taste. The only saving grace of the night was my glass of Californian chardonnay which was delicious but not mindblowing. Disappoint.
All in all, the Hidden Vine is a nice place to hang out while you’re in the city. It definitely wasn’t one of my favorite places because of the crowdedness, the noise level and the disappointing wines, but man, that burrata. I would cross oceans to have it again.

What an unexpected, hole in the wall (however, spacious on the inside) wine venue!
The interior of this hidden gem that is located in an alley, is marvelously cozy and pleasant. There are tables and a fireplace where you can chit chatter around! The layout is simply lovely.
There is surprisingly a bocce ball in the backyard if you are up for play!
Servers come around to take orders and if not, the open bar is just in the same room They have a huge side dining room that is for a private event.
They have a wide variety of refined wine. I love the French wine, which was smooth and clean tasting to the palate.
From the ambiance, entertainment of the bocce ball and to the wine selections, it was surely an enjoyable time here!