Having stumbled upon this bar by walking down Haight Street, we decided to go in and see what it was like. We were in for a great treat. We sat at the bar and were immediately greeted by a male bartender who said he had recently joined the staff there. He was extremely friendly and told us about the bar's history. It used to only serve Gin Martinis. In fact, he told us a story about how the owner of the bar (1940's, I believe) would only serve Gin Martinis, and if you asked for anything else, he would kick you out of the bar. Of course that isn't still the case, you can order any drink you desire, but it made for an awesome story to listen to while we were there. There are even pictures of the old owner hung on the walls. There are some from a new years celebration & a few others. I ended up ordering a martini (vodka), just for the nostalgia of it. Before you say anything, yes, I know it wasn't Gin, but I'm not a Gin drinker, so Vodka was my selection. The martini was delicious, the setting was very interesting & learning about the history of the bar made the whole experience that much more memorable. The bar is very ornate, for being so old, but is a very casual place to relax and have a drink. I would recommend stopping by and checking it out. You'll be glad that you did.

Love drinking and good vibes. Used to be a bar tender myself. I can say honestly the Martini was great, but the hospitality was not too appealing. Because of that, I will not be returning. If you enjoy good drinks with a bad attitude chaser then this is the place for you! Ps don’t like leaving bad reviews, but hopefully they change the service. This is not for insults, but rather improvement

We went there on a Halloween night and ended up leaving after 15 mins without any drink. The bar was not crowded at all but the bartender attitude was rude and not welcoming. He gave us a pretty bad vibe. We decided to leave the place.

Perhaps this is one of those places where part of the “schtick” is to make customers feel belittled or embarrassed, but I didn’t really appreciate it as my first experience at an establishment in SF. I like cocktails, but definitely not an enthusiast or know much about certain spirits & brand differences. Had my boyfriend helping me make some choices since he’s much more knowledgeable about it than I because it’s something he enjoys learning about. Upon discussing what to get as a second drink, bartender chimed in, “She’s just gonna agree with whatever you say man,” then turned right to me & said, “You’ve already made it clear you’re not a cocktail person.” While not outright, definitely had the familiar feeling of sexist undertones in the form a pretentious man trying to shame me for not having a bourbon preference. My bad bro. He seemed pretty annoyed & morose in his demeanor. Cocktails were good, but condescending attitude of bartender left a bad taste in my mouth. 5 stars to bar atmosphere & drink quality, -4 to the bartender throwing that one out to the only woman at the bar at that time.

Really good cocktails at great prices and quick service!

Love the ambiance and the martinis as extra strong!!! The mural is of Khosro and Shireen

Dark and moody martini bar. No menus, just unassuming looks and strong sips. Very small and intimate, not good for larger groups. Cash only!

Zam Zam is legendary for any number of reasons but mostly I am here to tell you to get a martini and hopefully to not have anything else you need to get done later and probably even the next day Also it’s objectively a pretty and uncommon (these days at least) semi-circle bar. Just go enjoy the ambiance!

A classic, little dive bar with some great history and beautiful Deco-Persian design. We stopped in for a drink while on vacation and were not disappointed! The bartender went out of his way to find us the ingredients he needed for the drinks we asked for. Great drinks, service and a fun atmosphere! BTW, it's cash only but they do have an ATM located inside.

Dog was cute outside, terrible experience though. We tried to walk in and the bartender screamed “TOO YOUNG, TOO YOUNG” at us. Me and my girlfriend just turned 21 and were trying to get a drink. We do look young and I understand that but to immediately judge somebody without asking for ID is strange to me. Blonde girl was the bartender that yelled at us. If you see that lady in the bar, run.

This place is extremely memorable. The bartender working on Saturday, August 20, 2022 was excellent. Evidently a true craftsman and very friendly. He made my first Old Fashioned ever before my eyes, and it was pretty artisanal stuff. The Old Fashioned is now my favourite cocktail, but I doubt I'll have one as good as the one (well, two) I had here anywhere else. My friends and I stared at the mural for quite some time.

Dog friendly +1000 And bonus house doggo "West"

Somewhat crowded on a Saturday night. Only one person tending the bar but they did a great job making sure everyone was getting taken care of.

I was stiff armed by a 94yo man drinking PBR 😳. I respect that, but the lingering smell of VOMIT which filled the small bar turned my stomach. The whole experience made me think that the negative reviews were rock on, and the positive reviews were fallacies. Zam Zam is definitely out of place for us cannabis using people that love the yesteryear vibe of Haight Ashbury, and that fear and loathe Dive Bars that smell of VOMIT 🤮.

The place is really nice décor, small but comfy, my friend say didn’t like it but for me was good service was excellent and prices normal! I’ll come back!

back in the 1980's this place was more commonly known as "Bruno's", the name of the owner/barkeep. He disapproved of most people, but for some reason he liked me... probably because I drank martini's or old fashions, or maker's mark over ice... he would drink along with us. But honestly I think he kicked out or refused to serve half the people who came in ("You can go to the fern bar on the corner down the block and order your little frozen sissy drink!!!"). Sometimes he didn't like their look, or what they ordered, or if they talked too loud. We would guess how long the people at the little tables would wait before they realized there are no servers and he's not going out from behind the bar. I enjoyed the show very much... I hope it is still filled with character and laughs.

Gorgeous artwork and a very chill vibe. Generously poured martinis! A must visit for bar lovers coming to San Francisco!

Just flew in from Sydney Australian and stumbled n this bar. Uber cool. Great neighbourhood vibe

As far as dive bars go, this one has charm with it's unique decor and no no-nonsense bartenders. Just be sure to bring cash and don't look too closely at the floors.

If you don't mind large dogs wrestling with each other with their owners impishly encouraging them to show better manners, almost knocking drinks out of the hands of annoyed customers trying to avoid a spill-- this is the place for you! Word nest have gotten out that ZamZam's is dog friendly. If ZamZam wasn't an otherwise gorgeous deco bar with delicious fairly priced drinks, we would have left but probably won't be so eager to return.

Amazing jukebox, great bartenders, mural behind the bar speaks to me and they make a mean Irish coffee. a gem of a spot.

It's small, dark and beautifully decorated behind the bar with an antique Persian style scene. The drinks are expertly prepared and presented. I have been a patron of Zam Zam for more than a couple of decades. It only gets better.

Classic cocktail bar in the Haight. Usually the right balance of full but one empty table for you and your friends.

It's an SF classic and one of the spots locals and tourists happily mingle.

This beauty is back open with very strong cocktails!

If you want a martini on Haight St this is your bar. Small, intimate, with lots of history. Great staff and stiff drinks.

Great bar with strong alcohol. Love the cocktails here as they are not watered down like many places