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Fri / Feb 26
Party Earth Review Equal parts cocktail bar, European-inspired café, and book exchange, Two Sisters Bar and Books caters to thirsty gullets, hungry stomachs, and literary minds. Retro details like cream and red toile wallpaper and a vintage... ... read full review
579 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
BART: Civic Center
MUNI F Line: Market Street & Gough Street
415-863-3655
Tu–Th 4–11pm, F 4pm–midnight, Sa 11am–midnight, Su 11am–10pm
Kitchen closes 10pm daily
Hayes Valley, San Francisco –
Equal parts cocktail bar, European-inspired café, and book exchange, Two Sisters Bar and Books caters to thirsty gullets, hungry stomachs, and literary minds.
Retro details like cream and red toile wallpaper and a vintage cash machine set the stage for the narrow space and its handful of candlelit dark-wood tables, where groups of hardworking ladies gather to chill over seasonal wine and specialty drinks and savvy hipsters sip creative cocktails like the Old-Fashioned made with chamomile-infused bourbon.
A bookshelf stocked with well-worn hardcovers lines one wall, and patrons are encouraged to take a book so long as they leave a new favorite behind. As such, it’s not unusual to see thick-specked college kids or older Hemingway doubles squinting by the stove in back as they nibble on small plates of savory meatballs, chipotle chicken sandwiches, or other seasonal bites of Americana.
Although never rowdy, the place usually hits capacity on Friday and Saturday nights when cool Hayes Valley professionals pop in for a mellow start to their evening, while weekend brunch offers recovery from a hard night with healthy sandwiches and salads, or the chance to keep the party going with Bloody Marys and a potent coffee and bourbon mix called the Bluegrass Buzz.
Modeled after venues that the sister-owners fell in love with while traveling, Two Sisters Bar and Books is where booze, books, and bites make everyone feel like part of the family.
Sometimes the great food and cocktails can make you forget about the shelf of books. Bring one to leave behind, and take one home in exchange! And be sure to check out the Two Sisters blog for monthly meetings and book discussions.
Literary-minded hipsters, creative young professionals, college kids on the bougie-side, groups of wine-loving ladies, Old Men on the Sea types, 20s to 40s+.
Soft ambient music provides a backdrop for conversation or quiet reading. People-watching from the few chairs by the bay window looking out onto Hayes Street.
Lots of free books to peruse.
Small but ever-changing menu of salads, small plates of charcuterie, sandwiches including chipotle chicken and savory meatball, all served with homemade potato chips, and a few desserts.
Cash only. Happy Hour Tu–F 4–6pm, Sa–Su 1–4pm.
Brunch fare $10–$12, snacks $4, charcuterie and cheeses $7–$13, sandwiches and larger plates $10–$13, desserts $6.
Beer $5, wine $6–$12, cocktails $10.
Hipster casual to business casual: skinny jeans, plaid, button-downs, vests, blazers, understated dresses, flats, with some trendier attire on folks heading elsewhere afterward.
Friday and Saturday nights for a full house, early in the week for a laid-back date or to squint through the dark at a good book, or weekends for the popular brunch.
Place Pigalle (520 Hayes Street) is a cozy little dive just down the street with pool, foosball, and a nice selection of beer, wine, and sangria.
Two Sisters Bar and Books User Reviews