One of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite sci-fi bars is recognized by the Historic Preservation Committee.

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At the intersection of three blocks – North Beach, Chinatown and the Financial District – there is a bar with such a legend that Anthony Bourdain included it in his list of must-see dive bars in San Francisco.

“What freak psychopath wouldn’t love this place?” Anthony Bourdain asked in the 8th episode of the 1st season of the series. Stop.

The site is owned by Mr. Bing and the Historic Preservation Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to make it an official heritage business.

Bourdain loved the place so much that when rumors of its closure began in 2016, he commented: “Another good and noble thing, in this case, a fine drinking establishment, [has been] ground under the slow, inevitable, relentless movement of the Terrible Wheel,” Bourdain said.

Luckily for all of us, Mr. Bing’s restaurant didn’t close, it just changed hands.

Opened in 1967 and named after its first owner, Henry Grant, nicknamed Mr. Bing, the bar has been in continuous operation at 201 Columbus Ave. already 56 years old.

Grant sold the business to Jackie and Peter Cooper after retiring in 2016, sparking speculation that the bar might be closing. But the Coopers retained the name and spirit, even when they overhauled the interior (that massive triangular bar is long gone).

A review of the past six years has shown that Mr. Bing’s remains the laid-back neighborhood it has always been, despite concerns from some regulars that the new owners, who also run Ireland, 32 Geary Boulevard, will gentrify the place.

Mr. Bing’s glowing sign, the same one that has marked the watering hole since it opened, is often featured in photographs of the Transamerica building, its cheerful yellow glow luring locals and tourists alike for fun cocktails.

Bourdain wasn’t the only celebrity who loved the bar: the late heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey frequented Mr. Bing’s. He has also acted in major films such as planet of the apes And Venom.

Ideal location for Mr. Bing’s on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Pacific Avenue allows for not one, but two parking lots, a coveted open space throughout the pandemic to enjoy Mr. Bing’s old-fashioned signature cocktail.

The bar building also has a colorful history. The Columbus Avenue area was home to renowned North Beach photographer J. B. Monaco, who was known for his elegant earthquake and fire compositions. And before Mr. Bing had it, it was an Italian speakeasy called Zaza posing as a furniture store.

The waterhole shares grounds with numerous other traditional bars, such as the Li Po Cocktail Lounge and Buddha Lounge, also recently added to the roster, highlighting Chinatown’s vibrant nightlife scene.

Supervisory Authority Aaron Peskin has nominated Mr. Bing for successor status, and the application will be submitted to the Small Business Commission for formal final approval within the next few weeks.

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