Russian Hill now has an inviting place to hang out and drink quality wine and beer: ROBBERBARON is now open in the former Black Sheep space on Polk. The owners are Lucrecia Torres and Annie Flores—the two ladies have been working together at Marcello’s Pizza for 23 years (Annie is the owner, Lucrecia is the GM). For their latest venture, they wanted to create a space that feels like a bar, but serves wine and beer. It has a masculine look with a feminine touch, with dark tones of navy blue and gray, and touches of gold (a tip of the cap to the RobberBaron name). They were inspired by Leland Stanford (who lived on the nearby Nob Hill), and wanted to celebrate self-made individuals and San Francisco’s history as a place built by entrepreneurs.
There is a tufted banquette, with window seats (and tall windows), three tables, a communal table, and 12 seats at the bar (40 seats in all), plus vintage-looking art and unique light fixtures. (And we have to call out what is one of the coolest toilets in the city, truly.) There is also a TV for games (the ladies are big Giants fans) but it’s tucked above the doorway.
You can take a look at the wine and beer list here: there are 10 wines by the glass, including local selections (like chardonnay from Matthiasson) to French picks (Beaujolais from Marcel Lapierre). There are 10 beers as well, like Czechvar, Old Speckled Hen from England, and locals like Lagunitas IPA and Big Daddy IPA.
The menu of bites (bruschetta, edamame schmear) also has a bit of Latin flair, like the hummus tostada and black bean-chorizo dip. You can “make your own bar picnic” with choices like jamón serrano, Drunken Goat cheese, and Humboldt Fog ($7 each), served with some fixings. There are also the Baron Bars, described as peanutbutterymarshmelloychocolatechippykrispyness ($4).
Hours for now are Sun-Thu 3pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 2pm-12:30am, and potentially extending hours as they get used to what the neighborhood needs. 2032 Polk St. at Pacific, 415-516-6945.
