9 Best Nightlife in Nob Hill and Russian Hill, San Francisco

A slice of modern French life, this cozy and romantic wine bar is an ideal spot for oenophiles, with a list strong in French selections. Vintage-theater seating is available up front—perfect for mingling with strangers. The prices are reasonable, the pours handsome. Sit at the red-lacquer bar to learn about wine and pick up a French phrase or two.

Outrageous and full of sexual energy, this tiny space with an even tinier dance floor may be the heterosexual equivalent of San Francisco's gay-bar scene. It may all be on the racy side, but it's never creepy or uncomfortable.

Your best option for a refined craft cocktail on Polk Street, this cheery, plant-filled bar serves solid, never precious drinks, balancing the line between serious and fun. The food menu leans toward seafood like rock crab–stuffed eggs and a signature lobster roll.

With swing jazz on the soundtrack, bartenders in white jackets, and an immaculately detailed art-deco interior, it's always a trip back to the Bing Crosby–Ella Fitzgerald era at this charming Lower Nob Hill cocktail bar.

This Wild West–motif neighborhood gay bar has pinball machines, pool tables, a smoking patio, and several theme nights and drag shows on the schedule. The Cinch is not the least bit trendy, which is part of the charm for regulars of this landmark 1970s bar.

Shuffleboard, arcade basketball, a jukebox, and plenty of flat-screen TVs make this spacious yet divey place feel like a time machine back to your college days. On weekends the crowd is a sea of popped collars, baseball caps, and chest bumps, so get there early if you yearn for a turn at one of the games.

Since the 1940s, the Tonga Room has supplied the city with high Polynesian kitsch. Fake palm trees, grass huts, a lagoon (three-piece combos play pop standards on a floating barge), and faux monsoons—courtesy of sprinkler-system rain and simulated thunder and lightning—grow more surreal as you quaff mai tais and other fruit-flavored cocktails.

A famous magazine photograph immortalized the bar atop the Mark Hopkins as a hot spot for World War II servicemen on leave or about to ship out. The view remains sensational. Entertainment on many evenings ranges from solo piano to six-piece jazz ensembles (sometimes with a cover charge). Drinks and small bites can vary in quality, but you're really here to drink in the view and history.

This cheery, modern industrial–designed spot is truly wonderful and refreshingly casual. The excellent list of wines by the glass is always impressive. Nicely composed small plates, cheese, and house-made charcuterie are worthy companions to all the Chardonnay and Zinfandel.