Imbibe 75 Place to Watch: Stoa

Some places feel like an institution while the paint is still fresh on the walls. In San Francisco’s Lower Haight neighborhood, Stoa—which opened in August—moved into a space formerly occupied by a laundromat, and quickly made itself at home. Stained-glass lamps and a golden tin ceiling give the new bar a timeless touch, while the nearly 40-foot-long wooden bar (and smaller companion bar in the back) ensure that a good chunk of the neighborhood can fit into the budding institution.

Opened by a team including Yanni Kehagiaras at the bar and Joji Sumi in the kitchen, and who all know each other previously from their roles at other SF institutions (Nopa, Nopalito, Liholiho Yacht Club), Stoa keeps things unfussy with a simple, focused cocktail menu that leans into high-quality ingredients lightly accented with other flavors. “It’s one of those things where less is more,” says Kehagiaras of drinks on the menu like the sherry-based Holy Smoke (and companion cocktail, the Eucharist) and the Café Ireland, with Irish whiskey, dry vermouth, and coffee liqueur.

“When a cocktail is lean like that, it mimics the experience of wine,” he says, noting the food-friendly nature of the drink. “It has a singular texture to it—it can be cleansing, weighty, or whatever the case may be.”

Click here to read more about some of 2024’s other Imbibe 75 People and Places to Watch.