Ceviche and Txakoli Walk Into a Bar
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Peruvian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting on the bay at Pier 1½ with the water literally outside the window, and the wine list lands with more ambition than you'd expect from a seafood-forward Peruvian spot. The California-Spain-Argentina trifecta makes immediate sense here — citrus-driven whites for the ceviche, structured reds for the anticuchos. It's not a deep-cellar situation, but it's clearly not an afterthought either.
The list earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by threading a smart needle: Rías Baixas Albariño and Basque Txakoli do the heavy lifting for the raw fish courses, while Catena Zapata and Vega Sicilia Único anchor the serious end for guests who want to spend up. Kistler Chardonnay rounds out the California representation with real credibility, and the Don Melchor Cabernet from Chile sneaks in as a Latin American bonus beyond the Argentina anchor. The gaps are in European diversity outside Iberia — if you're looking for Burgundy or Champagne, you're mostly on your own. But for what this kitchen actually serves, the list is honestly better calibrated than most.
With 12 to 18 options running $12–$18 a glass, the by-the-glass program is functional and reasonably priced for San Francisco. We'd expect the Albariño to be a permanent fixture here given how hard it works against the Cebiche Clásico — and it should be. The rotation doesn't appear to move much, which is a missed opportunity given how seasonally the kitchen operates.
Albariño from Rías Baixas — $14
Atlantic salinity, bright citrus, and enough acid to cut through leche de tigre without flinching. At this price point on the Embarcadero, it's the obvious move and one of the best food-wine alignments on the list.
Txakoli from Basque Country
Most people at this table will default to the Albariño and miss this — the Txakoli brings a sharper, more electric acidity and a slight spritz that makes it almost tailor-made for raw seafood. It's the kind of weird-good choice that regulars know and first-timers overlook.
Vega Sicilia Único
Iconic wine, no argument there — but it's a bold, tannic Ribera del Duero at a restaurant built around ceviches and tiraditos. The markup on a bottle this prestigious in a dining room this casual rarely makes sense, and the food match is genuinely awkward. Save it for a different night.
Clos de la Tech Pinot Noir + Anticuchos de Corazón
The char and iron-rich intensity of grilled beef heart needs something with structure but not aggression — this Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot threads that needle. The earthiness in the wine mirrors the smoke on the skewers without steamrolling the subtle aji panca marinade.
🎲 The Bottom Line
La Mar is a genuinely fun Wild Card: a lively Peruvian seafood destination on the water with a wine list that actually thought about the food. The Iberian and Argentine angle is smart, not gimmicky, and the prices are reasonable enough that you'll order a second bottle without hating yourself.
Nob Hill / Van Ness Corridor · San Francisco · American Steakhouse
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
SoMa · San Francisco · Steakhouse with Japanese influence
Alexander's is a serious wine destination dressed up as a steakhouse — the list is deep, the staff knows it, and the room supports it. Just go in eyes open: this is a splurge-or-go-home situation, and the markups reflect exactly where you are.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Steakhouse, American
EPIC Steak is a reliable, well-executed steakhouse wine program that earns its stripes with real depth, a sommelier who cares, and a few smart curveballs buried in the list. The markups will sting, but if you know where to look — and now you do — there's genuinely good drinking to be had with that view.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Seafood, Coastal American
Waterbar is doing the work — a genuinely broad list with smart coastal instincts, fair happy hour pricing, and a dessert wine program that most full-service wine bars would envy. Send your friends here; just make sure they stay through dessert.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Mission District · San Francisco · Californian-Mediterranean
Foreign Cinema is doing something most San Francisco restaurants aren't — pairing a genuinely thoughtful, terroir-driven wine list with an atmosphere that could've easily gotten away with phoning it in. The markups sting a bit, but the selection earns the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fresno · Fresno · Peruvian
Limón isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either — the list is lean, South American, and built to work with the food, which is more than most restaurants at this price point bother to do. Go for the Jalea and the Sauvignon Blanc, skip the Malbec autopilot, and enjoy the ride.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
St. Augustine · Jacksonville · Peruvian
A modern Peruvian steakhouse with a 180-bottle list anchored by serious Argentine producers and a Wednesday half-price program that makes it genuinely dangerous for your wallet — in the best way. Yes, send your friends here for wine.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Smith Hill · Providence · Peruvian
Andino's has the bones of a wine program that could genuinely complement its food, but steep markups on accessible bottles and a static, play-it-safe list mean you're paying a premium for the ambiance, not the wine. Order a cocktail or brace for the Catena.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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