The Epicurean Trader

Great selection of boutique booze. Very pleasant free tastings as well — sign up and get to know some interesting small-​batch distillers.

The Epicurean Trader is like Disneyland for hardcore foodies. From the impeccably curated artisanal specialty foods, to the huge selection of reasonably priced wines (including Kermit Lynch imports), beers/​ales and domestic whiskeys, it’s practically impossible to walk out of there without starting an new addiction (my latest is the Bunches & Bunches ginger snaps). Cheese and charcuterie are also quite good. Friendly and knowledgeable staff and proprietors provide great recommendations for pairings and the décor brings a charming and welcoming vibe to Bernal Heights. Definitely worth stopping in!

Very nice selection of wine here. A good place to purchase gifts. However, their check-​out process was a little funny. Be sure to check your receipt. Noticed they charged us for 2 paper bags, instead of the 1 they gave us. Also, the Bourye we purchased rang up a few dollars higher than the price on the shelf. And, they put 2 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of Bourye in 1 flimsy paper bag: bottles were clanking around and the bag was clearly not sufficient to hold the weight. Overall, these are small oversights, and were probably made accidentally.

The Epicurean Trader is the gallery of selectively curated food items and goods! It has quite a selection of foods, soaps, and whiskey/​bourbon/​scotch! I would definitely come here if you are looking for a gift for the scotch connoisseur. And their selection of bitters?!? Swoon!
They’ve got a little bit of everything for your fine cooking needs: chocolate, sauces, hot sauces, spices, salt, etc. Everything is beautifully arranged and displayed. The shop made me feel like I had wandered into a place where only the best of the best was sold.
I was hard pressed not to overbuy and quite enjoyed the shop’s atmosphere. I’m looking forward to my next visit.

Fantastic service from a very knowledgeable clerk and products I’ve never seen before. So excited to try a unique gin and tonic tonight. Thank you!

A beautiful store – you literally feel like you’re in a real life, 3D version of Pinterest. It’s magical. There are so many things I want to purchase. The most perfect selection of wines, the craftiest repertoire of spirits, and leave it to sauces, chocolate, and cheese to fill me with the regret of deciding to not purchase them all. It’s a fun store, with some of the coolest local, small batch, delicious products.

What an amazing spot in Bernal! Their whiskey selection is amazing, and they are always so helpful and attentive! Can’t wait for the wine and whiskey tastings!

My husband and I stumbled upon the Epicurean Trader this morning. We like this place! It was formerly a grocery store and has been beautifully restored. We enjoyed browsing through the entire store and bought a few items. We will definitely come back.

Grabbed some hot spicy askinosie chocolate along with mango chili chips. Recommend only the former.
Great joint. Lovely people behind the counter. Informed me about the farmers market in the neighborhood.
This tiny place has great items. Check it out when in bernal heights downtown.

What a gem this place is! My husband and I stumbled upon this place while urban hiking around town. This store has some really great stuff and it’s really well setup. This will be my go to place for artisanal goods :-) (raw honey, olive oil, wine, cheese, pastas, and soon sandwiches too!)

They had me even before hello! This place is stunning, both in looks & inventory. Lots of natural light, & elegantly rustic. It’s stylish & homey. Think Restoration Hardware married your favorite deli. If you like cheese & wine, cured meats, or specialty items at all, this place is an absolute must.
A first rate beer, wine, & liquor selection. They say small batch, & do they ever mean it! They carry brands I’ve never even heard of. You’d be hard pressed to think of something that they don’t have here. Everything from very predictable items like olive oil, to such unpredictable things like lavender lotion or a stylish set of liquor decanters you can have customized & labeled to your personal specifications. Totally chic.
We strolled in & only needed a couple of things. Only open for 3 months, they said they’re still working out the kinks. Sounds like they’re from Australia. They were welcoming & courteous. Greeting us when we walked in, telling us that if we need anything or have any questions, to just let them know. We’d actually just come from Lucca on Valencia where we’d gotten some fresh pizza dough. And while perusing the very attractive aisles here, we came across some chipotle pizza sauce. How perfect is that? We moved on to the cheeses, & found some goat cheese Gouda. Done.
The Epicurean Trader is obviously a labor of love for the owners. This city has many specialty food boutiques, but The Epicurean Trader successfully sets itself apart. A new gem for Bernal Heights, & for SF.
5 stars for selection.
5 stars for aesthetic.
5 stars for service.

Beautiful store with very good products!
Even not living in Bernal Heights I’ll come back !
Good wine selection, different and nice choice of liquors, all sort of perfect groceries products.
And last but not least, the owner is so kind!

I was walking around bernal heights when I spotted this store and from the outside it looked like something amazing was inside that I just couldn’t put my finger on… I walked in to be greeted by a couple who happened to be the owners (Holly and Matt).
Matt asked if I needed any assistance and offered to show me around the store. Just walking in I got this feeling I was stepping into an older era. That feel of the old mom and pop shops that my grandparents used to tell me about. Visually this place was very spacious, and had a beautiful classic fee with just enough SF trendy appeal to the post modern customer.
This place is a gem. Probably one of The best places to get great liquids: scotch, whisky, rye, bourbon, wines and more. There are some of the best hand selected craft beverages I’ve seen in a store. Matt (one of the owners) has had the ability to really seek out and know the top well regarded spirits that are not just locally but internationally top notch for their price range.
This store doesn’t try to over dazzle you with an over extensive variety of products but really focuses on finding great new products, with that farmer’s market feel and high quality service you would hope to find in a specialty store. There are a variety of products there that you could find yourself spending much more time just browsing than you expect.
This store is what makes SF so great. It’s dedicated to finding the little businesses that can’t mass produce but have high quality products that they know people want. This is a store that values quality over quantity, keeps things simple, and is still the best kept secret in San Francisco for discovering small batch products that you may not find in many other stores in the Bay Area! Come here, step inside and be taken back into that nostalgic feel of how much simpler things were before big supermarket giants took over the little people.
I love this place… And It’s brand new. Come and experience this before its no longer the #BestKeptSecret in SF!

After seeing this corner store under construction for 6 months, I was pleasantly surprised this weekend when I saw that it had been transformed into a beautiful artisanal shop. As an account manager at a San Francisco design studio, I can say without hesitation that The Epicurean Trader is one of the most beautifully designed stores that I have been to in a very long time. Each part of this store has been thought out incredibly well — from the modern black walls to the nostalgic chalkboard writing to every single product looking more like a gift than a packaged food.
Beyond the actual design of the store and the eclectic and luxurious featured products, the owners are genuine, extremely helpful, and kind hearted people. I was searching for presents for Mother’s Day and they were incredibly attentive to hearing what my mother would like and more than willing to help me pick delectable cheeses, divine salts, and scrumptious chocolates.
I would recommend this store not only for its elegance, but also its amazing products! I am sure that I will be swinging by at least once a month and while my wallet may suffer, it is definitely worth it!

The Epicurean Trader makes me quite happy. The vibe is relaxed and un-​intrusive, beautiful, colorful displays of culinary curiosities, cheeses, pickles, spreads, Bumblebars from Spokane, Washington, many San Francisco Bay Area-​based products, Turkish figs and apricots, salami, sausages, nuts, fair trade, vegan, vegetarian and substantial gluten-​free healthy snack choices. And of course, scrumptious and visually stunning Compartés chocolates (75% cacao!) from Los Angeles (try the Istanbul, California Love and Campfire bars!).
Every detail is handled with care and the friendly Aussie owner made for an inviting experience in the beautiful urban farm-​esque gem of Bernal Heights. The prices are quite reasonable for the quality, too.
I’ll most certainly be back. xo
p. s. Their jute sacks have long handles. Perfect for a reusable grocery bag!
p. s.s. I feel a unique camaraderie being The Epicurean Journalist on Etsy.

I’ve known the owners Mat & Holly for several years now — and more than anything this neighborhood shop brings their taste for great artisanal products and warm aesthetic to life.
There is just something about owner-​operated stores that makes them a better shopping experience. Perhaps it is the knowledge of the products, or the way the people behind the register were also responsible for every lick of paint or slab of wood. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel it instantly every time I enter one, and the Epicurean Trader is no different.
From chocolate to cheese to honey to cured meats, pickled vegetables, syrups and sauces (and the best offering of craft spirits I’ve ever seen) I stopped here to stock up before having some friends over last weekend, and everything I bought was a success!
Cheers Mat & Holly, I’ll be back soon!

This shop is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Before you get your anti-​gentrification panties in a bunch, let me say that I’ve lived in Bernal for 10 years — not as long as many, but long enough to see it change quite a bit — and every time I walked by this place I scoffed at the fact that our beloved book store was turning into a fancy purveyor of foodstuffs.
I went in today to see what this place was all about, expecting to have my feelings of hateration and resentment validated. Well, I immediately felt bad the minute I walked in because this place has the best vibe. The owners are genuinely insanely friendly, they live in the neighborhood and are generally just adorable.
As for the goods, you can tell they’ve put a lot of thought into every single item in the store, from the cheeses, to the spices to the alcohol. Everything they offer is high-​quality, and nothing is overly pretentious. As for the prices, I was expecting to be greeted with sticker shock, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that all of the items are very reasonable for the quality.
I picked up two delicious bottles of balsamic (the 5-​year and the fig) and a delightfully bright meyer lemon olive oil. They were a very good value given how delicious they are. And I like that I no longer have to spend my money in Noe Valley to get good balsamic (as I was on my way there before I stopped in).
Also, the place actually used to be a grocer 100 years ago, so it’s come full circle. Oh, and lest you feel bad for the former bookstore, apparently the bookstore owner is their landlord. I’m guessing the math is working pretty well in her favor. Just sayin’.
So, in conclusion, two thumbs up, five stars, and a big warm welcome to the neighborhood.

This is such a warm, beautiful, and indulgent little store! If you, like me, hear the words «small-​batch artisanal goods» and feel immediately light-​headed, you should definitely make the trip down to Bernal and check it out. They have an amazing variety of offerings from chocolate and cheese and honey to cured meats, pickled vegetables, syrups and sauces, and spirits (and many other things too!).
One of the owners chatted with us while we were browsing and was very kind and knowledgeable. He told us about how they just opened up the store a week ago, and how they put a great deal of thought into sourcing their products from all around the country and telling the stories of the people who make them. Also he gave me an excellently hip burlap farmer’s market bag because I bought so much chocolate so that was nice. :P
This is definitely a store where you want to take the time to poke around, and read all the beautiful labels and taste all the samples they’ve laid out. I would love to come back to pick up some wine, cheese, and snacks before a lazy picnic in the park, or to gather pasta, olive oil, and spices before cooking dinner at home. (Ladies and gents looking for date ideas, take note!)

What a great addition to Bernal! This quaint little shop had a great selection of local artisan treats. I was pleasantly surprised find that in addition to beer and wine they also carry some specialty spirits AND some really cool hand-​crafted mixers like tonics, shrubs and bitters. We walked away with some really great cheeses from the coffin that were recommended by the shop-​keepers — they were all wonderful. Looking forward to going back to find more treats and treasures.

Great little shop. They have a great variety of wine, spirits, and snacks that you won’t find at larger shops like Safeway! I look forward to what they will bring us in the future.