Technically, there’s no “right” way to make a martini. But if you ask anyone who drinks them, they’ll have a fiercely held opinion anyway.
“Martinis are the easiest drink to make and the easiest to fuck up,” says Christian Beaulieu, co-owner of The DeLuxe, a bar and music venue expected to open in the spring on Haight Street. “It takes a bartender who cares and respects the art of it to make a great one.”
Some prefer it shaken, dirty, and garnished with blue-cheese olives. Others opt for a 50/50 — one part gin, one part vermouth — finished with a twist. But nearly all the industry pros we polled cited two nonnegotiable elements: A martini must be ice cold and served in a chilled glass. And for the most part, they say, by god, it had better be made with gin.
We asked 12 industry pros what makes for an exceptional martini — and where to get the best ones in San Francisco.
Emilio Saheli, beverage director, Cavaña
The classic from Martuni’s. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Favorite martini: Martuni’s, 4 Valencia St., Upper Market
When he wants an impeccably crafted martini, Saheli heads to Pacific Cocktail Haven for his usual: one made with Sipsmith London Dry (or Monkey 47, if he’s feeling fancy) gin, dry, stirred, and served with a twist. “The way the botanicals unfold in a stirred gin martini is a beautiful thing,” he says. But there’s a time and a place for everything — and some days, you want something a little less fussy. “Martuni’s piano bar is the place for a giant shaken martini with ice chips. Just sit back, catch a buzz, listen to amazing local singers, and feel the sense of community that you can only get from a classic spot like this.”
Lindsay Tusk, co-owner and creative director, Quince & Co.
A shaken martini with olives at Bix in Jackson Square. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Favorite martini: Bix, 56 Gold St., North Beach
“If you told me that Bix was designed specifically for martini drinking, I’d believe you,” Tusk says. It’s a rare, romantic gem that has been setting the mood for nearly 40 years with live jazz, soft overhead lighting, and a mesmerizing wall-to-wall oil painting above the bar. When Tusk visits, she keeps her martini simple and asks for London Dry gin in a vermouth-washed glass, served up with a twist. “I have a real nostalgia for this place, and it always delivers.”
Christian Beaulieu, co-owner, The DeLuxe
The Turf Cocktail is a spin on a martini made even more high-octane through the addition of absinthe. | Source: Molly DeCoudreaux
Favorite martini: Absinthe, 398 Hayes St., Hayes Valley
If you’re making a martini for Beaulieu, save the theatrics — he’s not interested. “I love iconic bars that sling cocktails, not places where mixologists are hanging upside down, crying white-balsamic-reduction tears into their mixing glasses,” he says. Nothing could make him happier during the chillier months than bellying up to the bar during happy hour at an institution like Absinthe, ordering a dirty gin martini with a side of fries, and soaking up the jazz. “Once you hit 40, vodka should just go away,” Beaulieu contends. “No shame to the under-40 crowd, though. Vodka your hearts out!”
Shawn Naputi, chef, Prubechu
A martini paired with a full meal at House of Prime Rib. | Source: Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard
Favorite martini: House of Prime Rib, 1906 Van Ness Ave., Polk Gulch
Naputi contains multitudes. Some evenings, he’ll be sitting on a bar stool at Martuni’s near the piano, listening to locals croon while sipping on a paloma martini made with Astral blanco tequila and Fever Tree tonic water. Other nights, you can find him at House of Prime Rib, where he’ll get a dirty gin martini — preferably with St. George Terroir for its botanical and citrus notes — with cheese-stuffed olives. The fact that the bartenders will hand over the extra martini from the shaker is just a bonus.
Brian Sheehy, CEO, Future Bars Group
The bar at Holbrook House in the Financial District. | Source: Courtesy Matthew Millman
Favorite martini: Holbrook House, 1 Sansome St., Financial District
To Sheehy, there is no doubt: Dingle gin makes the best martini. The spirit, which hails from his home county of West Kerry, Ireland, must be combined with a light variety of vermouth, stirred for no more than 30 seconds with filtered ice, garnished with a twist, and poured into a chilled glass. According to Sheehy, Holbrook House makes an excellent version using the proper ice and the fanciest glasses — plus, the martini carts are just plain fun. And if you don’t see Dingle gin on the menu, don’t stress. “They’re known to keep a hidden stash of this peculiar bottle for special occasions,” he says.
Colleen Booth, managing partner and COO, Lazy Bear and True Laurel
Favorite martini: Top of the Mark, 999 California St., Nob Hill
When it comes to martinis, Booth has two modes. On nights when she’s feeling wild — or perhaps hasn’t eaten yet — she’ll ask for a Monkey 47 dirty martini with blue-cheese olives. If she gets the sense that it’s going to be a long night, however, she’ll go for a 50/50 with a twist. Brazen Head in Cow Hollow is one of her favorite spots, but when she’s not there, you can find her at hotel bars like Top of the Mark or The St. Regis Bar. “Both feel harmonious with martinis,” she says. “There’s just something about the atmosphere that elevates the drink.”
Kummi Kim, owner, Ilcha
Favorite martini: Pacific Cocktail Haven, 550 Sutter St., Union Square
While Kim is most often sipping makgeolli and tequila, she knows she can head to The Progress or Pacific Cocktail Haven at any moment and get an outstanding martini. Her usual order is a Belvedere martini — she leans toward vodka because it’s more crisp and neutral — with Dolin Dry vermouth, stirred with a lemon twist. But on certain occasions when she’s at Pacific Cocktail Haven, she’ll get a vesper made with Nolet’s gin. “I love how citrus-forward it is,” she says.
Intu-On Kornnawong, executive chef, Shoji
Jared Murray and Nicolas Torres behind the bar at True Laurel. | Source: Josie Norris/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Favorite martini: True Laurel, 753 Alabama St., Mission District
Since she started working at the FiDi bar and restaurant Shoji, Kornnawong has experimented with infusing Japanese gins into her martinis. These days, her go-to order is a Nikka Coffey gin dirty martini with a seasonal garnish or an olive. “It’s simple but perfect,” she says, adding that True Laurel always nails the assignment. “I love how unique their martinis are. They always give it their own creative twist.”
Spencer Vios, bar manager, Abacá
Favorite martini: Lone Palm, 3394 22nd St., Mission Vios isn’t here to judge whether you’re team gin or vodka. “I don’t discriminate. If it sounds good, I’m ordering it — and a martini never doesn’t sound good,” he says. Some days, that means a 50/50 with Martin Miller’s Westbourne gin and Cocchi Americano, finished with a lemon twist. Vios believes martinis are even better in the right setting. “Romance isn’t dead — and Lone Palm has atmosphere for days.”
Larry Piaskowy, captain and bar director, Bar Maritime
Favorite martini: Comstock Saloon, 155 Columbus Ave., North Beach
When he’s not at Bix sipping a martini before dinner, Piaskowy heads to Comstock Saloon, a handsome cocktail bar in a historic building in North Beach. “It’s another classic space with great bartenders. Plus [owner] Jonny Raglin just makes me want a martini whenever I see him,” Piaskowy says. He’ll order his favorite: a wet martini — meaning it’s made with a 2:1 ratio of gin to vermouth — with Botanist Islay Dry, a dash of orange bitters, and a twist.
John Clark, executive chef and partner, Foreign Cinema
Peter Domenici pours martinis, the most popular drink at Zam Zam. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
Favorite martini: Zam Zam, 1633 Haight St., Upper Haight
“Martinis are not like all other mixed drinks,” Clark says. “It’s more of an experience.” He oscillates between poetry and precision when describing the elements of his perfect specimen: An English-style dry gin with notes of bergamot, orange, and juniper is crucial, as is Martini & Rossi vermouth. (Dolin is too sweet.) He prefers about a teaspoon of olive juice, stirred, and served up with Fourme d’Ambert-stuffed olives. While Bix is an all-time favorite haunt, Clark holds no grudge against the brooding, Upper Haight icon Zam Zam, which had a history of throwing out “undesirable clients” like him in the 1980s. He still considers it one of the best old-school places to get a martini.
Hwanghah Jeong, owner, Jilli SF
Favorite martini: Buoy, 22 Franklin St., Civic Center
While Jeong is partial to a dirty vodka martini, she can’t resist the siren song of the Korean-inspired espresso martini from Buoy, dubbed the White Tiger. “It’s their take on a soju Einspanner,” she explains. The bartenders take 48-hour espresso-infused soju and top it with a velvety cream top, making it super easy to drink, Jeong says. “The soju makes it feel cleaner and more elegant than the usual espresso martini.”