Booze in the Hood
Mini Bar Hits Western Addition

You're quite familiar with the mini bar—that handy hotel amenity that's always there for you when you need it. It's convenient and dependable—just like an old friend.

Or a great little neighborhood bar.

Presenting Mini Bar SF—a sliver of a tavern, opening softly on Divisadero and McAllister this Friday.

Meant to be the Cheers of Western Addition, this snug, 15-foot-wide barbershop-turned-drinking well is as pro-neighborhood as it gets—some of the partners have lived here for years, and they're actually declining press coverage to keep the noise down. Order a drink from a list that includes SF-brewed beers like Speakeasy, wines from small-batch California producers and classic cocktails made with local spirits (Hangar One, anyone?). Then sneak back to the small lounge area or tuck away in one of the leather booths near the front.

And don't forget to bring your painting. The owners want their diminutive watering hole to be a neighborhood art gallery as well, with works on the walls by emerging local artists (read: immediate environs first, Greater SF if there's room). Barring popular demand, each collection will run for about six weeks.

Then they'll restock.