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After hours, the city’s business folk and workers give way to costume-clad partygoers, hippies and hipsters, downtown divas, frat boys, and those who prefer something a little more clothing-optional. Downtown and the Financial District remain pretty serious even after dark, and Nob Hill is staid, though you can't beat views from
After hours, the city’s business folk and workers give way to costume-clad partygoers, hippies and hipsters, downtown divas, frat boys, and those who prefer something a little more clothing-optional. Downtown and the Financial District remain pretty serious even after d
After hours, the city’s business folk and workers give way to costume-clad partygoers, hippies and hipsters, downtown di
After hours, the city’s business folk and workers give way to costume-clad partygoers, hippies and hipsters, downtown divas, frat boys, and those who prefer something a little more clothing-optional. Downtown and the Financial District remain pretty serious even after dark, and Nob Hill is staid, though you can't beat views from penthouse lounges, the most famous being the Top of the Mark (Hopkins). Nearby North Beach is an even better starting point for an evening out.
Always lively, North Beach's options include family-friendly dining spots, historic bars from the city's bohemian past (among them Jack Kerouac's old haunts), and even comedy clubs where stars such as Robin Williams and Jay Leno cut their teeth. In SoMa there are plenty of places to catch a drink before a Giants game and brewpubs to celebrate in afterward. SoMa also hosts some of the hottest dance clubs, along with some saucy gay bars. While Union Square can be a bit trendy, even the swanky establishments have loosened things up in recent years.
Heading west to Hayes Valley, a more sophisticated crowd dabbles in the burgeoning "culinary cocktail movement." Up-and-coming singles gravitate north of here to Cow Hollow and the Marina. Polk Street was the gay mecca before the Castro and still hosts some wild bars, but things get downright outlandish in the Castro district. Indie hipsters of all persuasions populate the Mission and Haight districts by night. Keep in mind, though, that some of the best times San Francisco has to offer are off the beaten path. And a good party can still be found in even the sleepiest of neighborhoods, such as Bernal Heights and Dogpatch.
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The Haight, the Castro, Hayes Valley and Noe Valley
SoMa, Mission Bay, and Dogpatch
Mission District, Bernal Heights, and Potrero Hill
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.
1754 Polk St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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.
1548 Polk St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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.
2209 Polk St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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.
895 Bush St., San Francisco, California, 94108, USA
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.
1723 Polk St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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.
1390 California St., at Hyde St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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.
950 Mason St., San Francisco, California, 94108, USA
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.
999 California St., San Francisco, California, 94108, USA
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.
1945 Hyde St., San Francisco, California, 94109, USA
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