Amelie Bistro & Wine Bar

What started as a single wine bar on Polk Street in San Francisco in 2006 grew east to this West Village room, a narrow space built around a long bar and a run of high-tops. More than 90 wines are poured by the glass, and French servers will talk you through a flight rather than just pointing at the list. A daily happy hour drops the price on half-glasses across the wine list, a cheaper way to taste around before committing to a full pour. The kitchen sticks to bistro standards: escargot, mussels, steak frites, and a beef tartare.