Birba

Stopped by after work a few weeks ago. Very cute, quaint neighborhood spot for wine/​beer and a tapa or two. Good after work vibe.
The wine list was diverse and everything we ordered was tasty — especially the pulpo appetizer.
It’s pretty small so I probably wouldn’t try to go with more than 2 – 3 people. Staff was very nice.

Lovely wine and quaint space. Angie is very welcoming. This space is great to catch up with a friend. Cheers!

Adorable little wine bar in Hayes. Overall probably 3.5÷5 but I’ll round up to 4.
The space: Birba is TINY. It’s cute but really small. There aren’t really any tables — just a bar along the wall and bar stools. This makes it a tad uncomfortable if you’re planning to just chill with wine for a while. There was a small loveseat in the back, but it was occupied the whole time I was there.
The wine selection: We got a bottle of the rose, and it was exceptional! Can’t speak to the quality of anything else, but the selection looked to be pretty extensive
The service: So warm, friendly and welcoming!
The food: The food menu is pretty limited, and even more so if you’re vegetarian. We got the cheese plate to start. It was fairly underwhelming — just a few slices of 1 type of cheese along with a few almonds, some apple slices, and 3 crackers. We also got the cauliflower appetizer — it was acceptable but kind of bland and boring. Same went for the salad I got. The chocolate dessert was great though. Overall, I’d recommend eating elsewhere and just coming here for the wine.

I love Birba! The perfect stop off in hayes valley to have an amazing glass of wine, delicious food and wonderful ambience. Feels like I’ve stepped into a small bar in Spain. Angie and staff are stellar!

This place is RAD! Cheers to the owner for her vision and fortitude to create such a cool spot to drink wine and eat! I will definitely be back!

What a treat! An amazing hearty salad for lunch in Hayes Valley!!! The skinny bitch is my new go-​to lunch meal and Birba is the spot. Most importantly with a side of Petillant please!!!

Great wine list
Ask Owner Angie for advice she will surprise you… Surprising selections from all over
Great small plates but more than enough
Loved the chiken pot pie and sole sandwich

Birba is a very bright, intimate bar with a great selection of wine and small plates.
Location/​Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅. Birba is so TINY! At first I was off-​put by how small it was, but the interior is so bright and inviting. Patrons sit literally anywhere in this space – if there’s a surface you can sit on, that’s where you go. Some of the chairs are wobbly, and some of the table surfaces are a bit cramped, though. I guess that’s part of the charm.
Service: ⁵⁄₅. Excellent bartending and service here! The first time I went here, it was rather busy, but the lone bartender was very attentive.
Food and Drink: ⁴⁄₅. The wine selection here is very good. There are a lot of bottles that the bartender described as «out there» selections. There’s a decent variety of beer choices as well. The food options are pretty varied, which is nice. Some of them are very good, and some of them are *almost* amazing. For example: the meatballs are in a delicious sauce, but are a bit dry. The dates are a bit too pungent with the blue cheese they use. Some other things to try: papas con romesco, spice-​roasted cauliflower, tuna toast.
Overall: I really like Birba, and plan to return!

Very good small lounge bar, just next to Days inn, went there with friend and ordered octopus salad & pork beef meat ball. The food were placed in small plates which wasn’t too much, but good for accompanied with wine & drinks. Definitely will go there again if I visit San Francisco.
By the way, their water bottle is really cute, flask shape.

I ADORE this place. Such a good spot to catch up with friends or take a hot date. Perfect size, zero pretension, and knowledgeable staff who make you feel welcome and special. Go here now.

One of my rare 5 stars review.
There is a nice and warm feeling in this place, one which says «we know what we are doing, you’re gonna have a good time». Birba manages to get the trendy/​hipster atmosphere without being pretentious.
The wine selection is pretty large, the service was absolutely amazing. Got to try all the wines available before choosing them.
The food changes regularly and all the tapas-​like bites were great.
I was ready for a solid 4 – 4.5 stars review, as my only «complain» would be that the prices were not cheap — not that it was really that expensive, but I would have loved to be able to try each single tapas in the menu :)
While I was debating in my head about rounding up or down, the waitress came and gave us a complimentary glass of dessert wine with our dessert, because «it will be nice with it».
Dilemma solved, 5 stars it is.

An amazing gem in Hayes Valley. Friendliest owner ever with extensive wine knowledge. Great place to relax, chill out and have an intimate conversation with staff, friends, etc.

If I lived here I would come here every day. Super knowledgable staff, great wines! Perfect little place. Kindness and passion go a long way. Also the sardines were delish. Thank you! Gives me hope in humanity.

A gem. Amazing, interesting wine selection. Delicious food. Not your usual Pino Grigio and cheese.
The service is superb — they really listen to what you like/​are in the mood for and make suggestions.
Also, a great chill, overall vibe. We’ll mos def be back again soon.

Hayes Valley hidden gem, perfect for after lecture supper and wine. Not easy on the wallet, unless you are a middle age person who is one step away from being called a geezer, when you have refined and honed your wine tasting skills, and need quality but not quantity in food consumption, and not so terribly concerned about exceeding your credit card limit. Once you are in that category of population, and want something less pretentious and more laid back, like how Brooklyn was 10 years ago and how Oakland is right now, and you happen to be out and about after your usual bedtime (aka 9 PM) in Hayes Valley on a weekend evening, this should be your spot.
I know, it’s a lot of qualifier up front but the middle age group population is the group that is both complaining about San Francisco turning into a rich person’s playground and demanding quality of restaurants and bars and are not afraid of paying for it, if it has the right vibe.
No posers here.
Excellent French wine selection: order a Loire Rosé, hautes noëlles 2014 ‘hého’ (grolleau noir) dry and fruity, reminded me the Rosé I’d get in France everywhere. A chatteau tour chantecaille 2010 (cab/​merlot) saint-​emilion, aka Bordeaux, exceptional. The last but not the least is a Bourgogne, which as most wine connoisseur and sommeliers would agree, it’s the best red wine region in the world, also happen to be a French region south of Paris, exceptional friendly people (by French standard), and my other home. Really try a glass of Bourgogne (Burgundy).
Food: Meatballs, Empanadas and Octopus Carpaccio.
Great for people watching. Pretty women and men, a couple of transgender people looked better than I ever did when I was in my early 20s. Neighborly vibe. Contemporary space that reminds you of: Williamsburg, Oakland, and Portland. And I’d venture to say, it’s one of the only places that could be mistaken for a casual bar in Western/​Eastern (think Berlin) Europe and Northern Europe (think Reykjavik)!
A fussy foursome demanded a space that was way too tight for them to the left of me. The restaurant staffer helped to set up a space for them but then they decided they did not like them, perhaps they wanted something less expensive and more spacious. It’s a wine bar, not a sit down restaurant with white table linen clothes. They whined and not wined then got up and left. Good riddance.
A great place to stop after you do your cultural events around the city center. Don’t miss the empanadas. It’s vegetarian.

«Troublemaker» wines.
UnfiNished, rustic, grove-​n.
Meatballs, deviled eggs.

#tl;dr Drinks x convo. *If* you get food, #setyourexpectations to light bites. Like my $ 71 snack.
Birba is Italian slang for «troublemaker» «pain in the butt», as I was told by the self-​named resident Birba. (Pronounced beerRrR-​bah, not [Br][Ba].)
(^_​^) Almonds w/​Rosemary & Sea Salt $ 5
(-_​^) Meatballs #donttrustthebinapt23 $ 17
(-_​^) Ice Tea $ 2.5
(-_​^) Boquerones (Anchovies) $ 7
(-_​-​) Charcuterie $ 20
(-_​-​) Aranciata (Nonalc Campari Soda) $ 3
+ strong flavors
+ service (when occasionally with you)
— service (when mostly not with you)
— price vs serving size on some items?
Picnic Platter (charcuterie) seems to be the staple «entrée» with a rotating 2^nd entrée. The 2^nd entrée when I went was Fried Quail, but they were out of it. I’m still mildly curious about their daytime Chicken & Coleslaw Sandwich and Sun Tea. They’re working on opening the backyard.

Friend of my gf recommended Birba to us. It’s absolutely perfect for small plates and wine before attending the symphony, ballet, opera, sfjazz center or events at the Nourse theater. It’s incredibly cozy and casual.
the owner Angie is fun just to talk with and the staff are friendly and warm. we’ve been 3 times and have enjoyed all the wines we’ve tried so far.
small plates are great for two people to share. our favs are the polenta and the hummus plate. the dessert tarts are amazing.
highly recommended!

My friend and I stumbled upon this gem while wandering around Hayes valley and decided to give it a go!
The exterior is very unassuming, you’d almost miss it if you weren’t giving it a close eye. The décor inside is simple, though we weren’t sure if that’s the look they’re going for, or it’s still slightly under construction (maybe I’m just not fancy enough to appreciate the style).
We had some great wine and split the prosciutto flatbread (which was delicious).
A great spot for a friend date or date date!

I predict great things for Birba. This casual spot is nestled in Hayes Valley just steps away from the hustle and bustle, providing a welcome refuge for those not into crowds.
Everything was lovely.
— Cozy. Take some friends or a date. Sits about 10 – 15 comfortably, potentially more if they end up getting a patio going out back.
— Friendly. The staff was some of the best I’ve experienced in the city. Welcoming, sweet, funny. They do everything they can to ensure a good time.
— Delicious. Both the food and the wine put a smile on my face. Even the almonds included a yummy spice blend, making them a unique treat (not your average almond).
Definitely recommend.