Bar Esper: clear, inviting interior bar shot

Bar Esper: appetizing photo of restaurant dish

Bar Esper: appetizing, high-quality food photography

Bar Esper: appetizing food and drink presentation

8 photos

Bar Esper

Name: Bar Esper
Address: 401 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA, San Francisco, Tenderloin, 94102, US
Telephone: +14157757979
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Rating: 4.4

★ 4.4 · 17 reviews San Francisco Opened May 2026

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Portuguese and Japanese cooking on a Tenderloin corner

Bar Esper opened at Taylor and O'Farrell in May 2026, a corner site in the Tenderloin a short walk from the Union Square hotels. The kitchen works a Portuguese and Japanese crossover, which sounds like a stunt until you remember the two cuisines have been trading techniques since the sixteenth century.

The Tenderloin has absorbed several ambitious openings in the last two years, mostly because the rents are the only ones downtown that still make sense for a first restaurant. Esper is among the more confident of them.

What guests say

Reviews by Google

Chris Balon 15 reviews 9 August 2026

We enjoyed the meal and drinks. Excellent dumplings and short rib. Great new place in SF.
Anne Kemd 106 reviews · Local Guide 26 July 2026

Cool vibe and the bartender Anthony was great and super friendly! Thank you Anthony for being so kind!
Tom Gilevich 8 reviews 19 July 2026

Didn’t live up to expectations. Seated right away and cocktail was very good. Ordered pork tonkatsu and peri peri half chicken. Took a long time for food which may have raised expectations even more. Fries weren’t fresh and pork was dry and tasteless; chicken was okay. Another wait for check even though few customers. One and done.
Jordan Moon 20 reviews · Local Guide 15 July 2026

The food and service here was fantastic. We had the cod fritters, wagyu burger and short rib. Jesus was our waiter. He was very professional, attentive, and had the great recommendations. In fact, the entire staff, from the manager to all of the other servers were all amazing. I would highly recommend this restaurant, for happy hour or for dinner. Whether or not you’re staying at Hotel Spero, you will be happy you tried.
Sam Weber 34 reviews · Local Guide 13 July 2026

We visited Bar Esper this weekend and found it a very good addition to the Union Square food scene. The service was attentive and friendly. The cocktail program is solid and we enjoyed the signature drinks. The food was delicious with only one selection that I'd skip in the future. We tried the dumplings, the fried beans, the clams, the jamon tasting plate and the smashed cucumber salad. All were very good and we'd order again. For mains we had the Chicken, the duck fried rice, the short rib, the seafood stew and the pork katsu sando (the only one that we'd skip next time). Seasoning was on point, and the combo of portugese/japanese worked well! The ambience needs a little work. the lighting was too bright and seems not dimmable and having better blinds (maybe with some art?) that were drawn would be helpful. Lots of glass so feels a little cold and like you are in a fishbowl. Overall, a solid addition and we will be back!