A new SoMa wine bar and bottle shop, opening tonight, aims to offer personalized experiences in a living-room-style setting.

DECANTsf is located at 1168 Folsom St. (between Seventh and Eighth streets), which was previously home to City Beer Store for more than a decade. After a rent hike, City Beer moved three blocks away to 1148 Mission St. (at Seventh St.) last year, and first-time entrepreneurs Simi Grewal and Cara Patricia took over the space.

Patricia, an advanced sommelier, and Grewal, a certified sommelier, first met at the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus in Napa, where they completed an accelerated wine and beverage program together. They have both worked at top restaurants and wine bars around town, from three-Michelin-starred fine-dining spot Saison to casual Hayes Valley wine bar Birba. 

With the help of hospitality design studio ROY, the pair fully renovated the former City Beer space, which now boasts quartz tables, butcher block bars and white-oak wine bottle shelving. A large neon sign and additional signage above the refrigerators encourage patrons to "Drink For Yourself."

The overall design of the space is intended to feel like a shared living room, Patricia explained, noting that she and Grewal set the bars at counter-height to make the space more welcoming, and ensure most customers' feet can reach the floor while seated.

Patricia and Grewal aim to provide a curated experience for each customer, helping them choose from a selection of eight rotating by-the-glass wines, or pick a bottle from the shelf to take home or drink on-site. (For the latter option, they charge a $12 corkage fee for bottles retailing under $75.)

For now, Patricia and Grewal will be the bar's sole employees. The vibe is intended to be casual, they said, with customers ordering from the bar and paying at the register once they've finished their night.

They're even considering instituting a “no screens after 6 p.m.” rule, to encourage patrons to talk with each other. And they've left a "lucky number eight" spot on by-the-glass list, allowing them to pop a bottle and offer it by the glass at whim. 

“It could be a magnum that a friend brings in to share with us,” Patricia said, or a rare offering the owners want to highlight to gauge customers' interest in stocking it in the future.

DECANTsf also offers a wide selection of beer and cider by the bottle, also for consumption on-site or to go. The curated list (made with the help of local craft distributor Lime Ventures) focuses on unique options from around the country and the globe, some of which can be hard to come by in the Bay Area, Grewal said.

The shop also offers cheese and charcuterie plates, caviar with potato chips, and other snacks to eat in-store or to take away.

Each Sunday, DECANTsf will host "sommelier nights" featuring local experts. The bar also plans to host food pairing events and other educational courses, and offer a subscription wine club. Each quarter, subscribers can receive two to three higher-end bottles intended for cellaring, or six to twelve bottles of the owners’ favorite everyday wines.

A monthly three-bottle subscription will also be offered, alongside a ‘self-care’ club, with a monthly delivery of one or two bottles plus locally made crafts, candles, teas, lotions or other items. 

For each of the wine clubs, subscribers can choose to pick up in the store or have it shipped, including the option to ship it to a different recipient to celebrate a special occasion, Patricia said. 

Starting tonight, DECANTsf will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 12-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12-8 p.m. on Sundays.