There are wine bars.

And then there is Saison Wine Bar.

Located in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco, it boasts not only exceptional wines by the glass, flight or bottle, but French fare that’s far more elegant and refined than you might expect.

But then again, it is from the same restaurant group that operates Michelin two-starred Saison and Michelin-starred Angler, both in San Francisco.

No wonder folks are willing to wait up to 3 hours to get in at times, according to its Wine Director Paul Carayas.

Saison co-founder Mark Bright obviously struck gold when he decided to open the wine bar in 2024, along with the Saison Wine Cellar, a members’-only space two doors down that provides private tastings and climate-controlled wine storage.

I had a chance to finally visit the wine bar last week with my husband. Even on a Tuesday, it was boisterous, with many patrons filling tables and bar seats for the Happy Hour wine and food specials, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Although we paid our tab, Carayas treated us to the wines plus one dish on the house.

We opted to sit at the marble-topped bar to watch all the action. The bar stools are taller than the norm, so if you’re on the petite side, you may have to hoist yourself up a bit to get into one. Seven wine fridges with about a dozen shelves can be found behind the bar.

Done up in cobalt blue with a painted pressed-tin ceiling, plus arched gold-rimmed mirrors and taxidermy animal heads on the walls, the place is stylish, moody, and shades of Victorian by way of Tim Burton.

We were welcomed with glasses of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle No. 26, a blend of three exceptional years (2007, 2008, and 2012) in one fine bottle. With lively yet delicate bubbles, it had lovely notes of honeysuckle, tangerine, and Meyer lemon along with plenty of vivacious minerality.

As we looked over the menu, we decided to put ourselves in the trusted hands of Carayas when it came to the wines for the night. After all, that’s half the fun of being at a wine bar — letting an expert surprise you with a glass of wine that you wouldn’t have otherwise contemplated. And he definitely did that — especially with one particular pairing right out of the gate.

Royal Miyagi oysters from British Columbia (six for $21), plump with a clean, crisp taste, arrived with lemon halves, mignonette sauce — and glasses of Madeira. Say what?

Normally, I’d think Chablis automatically. But Carayas, the first certified Madeira wine educator in North America, explained there is precedent in Portugal for enjoying the fortified wine with oysters on the half shell.

He instructed us to first take a sip of the Cossart Gordon Sercial, slurp the oyster, then pour a little of the Madeira into the now-empty shell to drink from.

The driest style of Madeira, he explained, this variety is nicknamed the “dog strangler” because it is so high in acid. Indeed, it wasn’t cloying. With the viscous full body of a fortified wine, it had the honeyed taste of orange peel, apricots, and almonds. It seemed to bring out more umami in the oyster and definitely allowed its taste to linger far longer on the palate.

In tribute to Michael Mina Restaurant in San Francisco, where Bright got his start working as a sommelier, there’s a spectacular Caviar Parfait a la Mina ($56). It’s like a savory layer cake stacked with chopped hard-boiled farm egg, smoked salmon, horseradish creme fraiche, and kaluga caviar — all atop a potato shallot cake that’s as crisp as a hash brown. It’s a win with Champagne.

Le Beurre Bordier, the sweet French butter that many consider the best in the world, arrives alongside slices of warm levain from Oakland’s Tarts de Feybesse ($12). A nice touch is the dressed radishes alongside that are also delicious dragged through that butter.

Chicken liver mousse ($18) with the silkiest texture and a topping of candied pink peppercorns arrives with baguette slices to smear on.

Carayas pairs it with a 2024 Terah Chillable Red Blend from a woman-owned boutique winery in Richmond, CA. Indeed, served chilled, it’s an easy-drinking, fresh tasting sip that delivers vivid strawberry, cherry, orange and peppery notes. It’s the kind of wine you can easily see yourself drinking from spring through fall with so many favorite foods.

Tuck into the Salad Lyonnaise ($19), and you can imagine yourself sitting at a Paris sidewalk cafe. It’s full of curly frisee, perfect little cubes of Levain croutons, and smoky, porky-sweet, house-cured lardon nuggets. A Dijon-sherry vinaigrette adds a nice hit of sharpness. And a runny poached hen egg really is the cherry on top.

The truffle fries are not only a bit more affordable here than other places at $18, but they are outstanding. If you don’t order them, it will be one of life’s great regrets. Not only is black truffle and Parmesan grated overtop the crispy, golden shoestring fries, but they come with a velvety aioli also flavored with white truffle. They are earthy, cheesy, and impossible to stop eating.

The deviled eggs ($12 for three) are fanciful. The creamy yolk gets blended with alliums and a touch of honey, then piped in a spiral like a beehive that gets adorned with little crispy bits of potato plus a crisped piece of prosciutto.

The beef tartare ($21) is made with tenderloin, giving the chopped raw meat a real tenderness and butteriness. Tarragon aioli adds creaminess; whole grain Dijon a perky piquancy. And a quail egg yolk ties it all together with a velvety touch. It’s served with delicate fried rice paper crackers.

There are only two desserts, and we went with the strawberry tart ($18). Like a financier torte studded with sweet strawberries, it was buttery, tender, and tasted of almonds. Creme fraiche ice cream added a nice tangy contrast. It came with our last glasses of the night: a gently effervescent 2017 Elvio Cogno Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont, Italy that boasted a lovely floral bouquet alongside tastes of honey and apricot.

One visit, and it’s easy to see why so many people flock to Saison Wine Bar after work or before a ballgame at Oracle Park. It’s a delightful place to chill while you discover some new favorite wines and live the good life.

More: Dinner at Saison

And: Meet the Owners Behind Saison (My Story in the San Francisco Chronicle)