10 Best Nightlife in The Bay Area, California

Long before Uptown got hot, the late Peter Van Kleef was serving stiff fresh-squeezed Greyhounds and booking live music at this funky café-bar that crackles with creative energy—there's still live music every weekend.

Arguably California's longest continuously active saloon since it opened in 1884, this watering hole, built from the hull of a flat-bottomed stern-wheeler, is where young Jack London got his start as a writer. Historic photos and artifacts hang from the crooked walls and ceilings, which have been atilt since the 1906 earthquake. Get a peek at the slanted bar, where beers on tap and bottomless stories of Oakland history abound.

This cocktail bar with a stunning brick back bar easily competes with the best in the Bay Area. Cocktails are creative and compelling, frequently incorporating atypical ingredients like Thai tea or a syrup made of pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The short food menu revolving around spruced up comfort food is less inventive than the cocktails but far more interesting than standard bar grub.

Some of the most innovative, pristine cocktails in the Bay Area are at this neon-lit, energetic bar. Bar Director William Tsui previously worked at fine dining juggernaut Lazy Bear in San Francisco, and that high level of meticulous technicality and ingredient sourcing is abundantly clear here across the bay. It's almost unfair that the food menu, nodding to several Asian cuisine elements with a California touch, is so great as well. The narrow space gets packed quickly.

This creative establishment pairs Indian food with excellent cocktails that are given a fun twist, often with atypical spices, liqueurs, and spirits. Try the "East Bay Indica" which partners mezcal and tequila with lemon and tamarind syrup.

This fantastic woman- and queer-owned bar-restaurant has an excellent compact food menu, standout cocktails, a chic interior design, and one of the best patios in the city. The house margarita is an intriguing must-try drink with mezcal and lemon instead of lime and tequila. Other drinks have eyebrow-raising elements that truly work like melon-infused gin or a coconut water popsicle. The grilled cheese and carrot cake are best in class for those comfort food staples.

This sharply dressed speakeasy is one of the South Bay's gold standards for craft cocktails. Drinks are intricate without being fussy, and the bartenders are always quick to offer insight into what cocktails might fit your taste. The cozy, low-ceilinged space is filled with velvet curtains and plush booths, continuing the 1920s feeling.

Unique cocktails; casual eats; and a fun space with plants and lots of natural light makes this one of the most compelling bars in Uptown Oakland. Cocktails have creative elements, like a spiced grapefruit cordial in the mezcal-based Deadbeat Summer.

A throwback atmosphere meets the modern craft cocktail movement at this excellent “tavern” that shows how much the concept of one has evolved. Cocktails might include a unique housemade tonic for a standout gin and tonic or a tiki drink incorporating aged rum, mango, and rooibos.

Housed in the former music shop of John C. Tupper and Lawrence Reed, this cocktail haven presents a symphony of carefully crafted libations, which are mixed with live music performed by local musicians. The historic 1925 building features a balcony bar, cozy nooks, antique fixtures, a pool table, and romantic fireplaces.