Bix - Valet, San Francisco

Sample Menu

• Starter: potato pillows with crème fraîche and caviar
• Entree: black-truffle cheeseburger served open-faced on rye with truffle fries
• Dessert: sticky date pudding with burnt caramel sauce

Meet the Owner: Fueled by a passion for jazz, art, and hospitality, Doug “Bix” Biederbeck opened Bix in 1988. He’s also responsible for MarketBar inside the Ferry Building and the Mediterranean bistro Florio in Pacific Heights.

What to Wear: This place prides itself on being fashionable: dress as though you’re headed out for a night with the Rat Pack and you’ll fit right in.

While You're Waiting: Grab a seat at the bar, sip on a cocktail, and lose yourself in the giant painting that looms across the entire bar area—it’s just one of several pieces of art sure to catch your eye.

Inside Tips

• The door is tucked away in an alley, but a neon sign leads the way inside.
• Live jazz artists perform nightly, including solo pianists, vocalists, and trios—but there’s never a cover charge.
• Try the Bix Negroni. Virginia Miller of Zagat named it one of the five best classic Negronis to try in San Francisco.

If You Can’t Make It, Try This: Pick up Bixology: Cocktails, Culture, and a Guide to the Good Life. It’s a vest-sized handbook packed with facts and recipes concerning food, cocktails, music, and art authored by the owner of Bix himself.