Must-see nightlife in San Francisco

  • Doc's Clock

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Tickle in your throat? Time to see the Doc – head directly to the Prescriptions Counter at this gruffly lovable green-certified dive for local craft brews…

  • Buddha Lounge

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Vintage red neon promises evenings worthy of WWII sailors on shore leave. Drink in the atmosphere, but stick to basic well drinks and beer straight from a…

  • Big 4

    San Francisco

    Nob Hill society was once dominated by four ruthless railroad barons – but now it's your turn to give the orders in this swanky hilltop cocktail bar…

  • Wild Side West

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Lesbian-owned since 1962, Wild Side West has kept its clientele busy making herstory in the beer garden and making out on the pool table (Janis Joplin…

  • Homestead

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Your friendly Victorian corner dive c 1893, complete with carved-wood bar, pressed-tin ceiling, salty roast peanuts in the shell and Mission characters…

  • Virgil's Sea Room

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    When exploring 500-plus Mission murals takes the wind out of your sails, restore your spirits at Virgil's. Dock here for unfussy cocktails named for SF…

  • Monk's Kettle

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Unlike some gastropubs, Monk's Kettle realizes you're here for beer – and delivers, with 28 cult draft brews ranging in hue from Portland's Allagash white…

  • Mix

    San Francisco

    The last Castro bar to open at 6am, Mix lives up to its name with a full rainbow of colorful neighborhood characters – acclaimed lesbian playwrights, AIDS…

  • Four Barrel Coffee

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Surprise: the hippest cafe in town is also the friendliest, with upbeat baristas and no outlets or wi-fi to hinder conversation. Drip roasts are complex…

  • Edge

    San Francisco

    A classic Castro bar that's been a local favorite for more than 25 years. Drag divas and leather daddies bond over show-tune sing-alongs Musical Sundays,…

  • 540 Club

    San Francisco

    Bank on bargain booze in this converted savings-and-loan office – just look for the neon-pink elephant over the archway. Come for weekday happy hours …

  • Yield

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    It’s easy being green at Yield, a storefront wine bar with a rotating list of sustainably farmed vintages served at rough-hewn wooden tables. Pull up an…

  • Moby Dick

    San Francisco

    You can call anyone Ishmael here, as long as you're buying. The fish tank over the bar is mesmerizing – yes there is something thrusting out of the coral,…

  • Badlands

    San Francisco

    The Castro's long-standing dance bar gets packed with gay college boys, their wide-eyed straight girlfriends, and sundry chicken hawks. A tame scene by SF…

  • Phone Booth

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Classic SF dive celebrating defunct technology, with naked Barbie chandeliers and year-round Christmas lights. Art-school students mingle with sundry…

  • Cinch

    San Francisco

    The last of the old-guard Polk St gay bars still has an anything-goes saloon vibe, with pool, pinball, darts and an action-packed smokers patio. Friday…

  • California Wine Merchant

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Part wine store, part wine bar, this small shop and wine club on busy Chestnut St caters to neighborhood wine aficionados, with a frequently changing list…

  • Biergarten

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    The faintest ray of sunshine brings lines down the block for beer on draft and bratwurst at Biergarten – wear sunblock, order two rounds of seasonal Fort…

  • West Coast Wine & Cheese

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    A rack of more than 700 bottles frames the wall at this austerely elegant storefront wine bar, which pours wines exclusively from California, Oregon and…

  • Latin American Club

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Margaritas served in beer glasses go the distance here – just don't stand up too fast. Ninja piñatas and papel picado (cut-paper banners) add a festive…

  • Social

    San Francisco

    This snazzy, skylit loft looks like an architect's office but tastes like a neighborhood brewpub, serving up dry, crisp Brut IPA and dishing out addictive…

  • Andytown Coffee

    San Francisco

    Known as the beach cafe, visitors line up at this outlet of Andytown Coffee for the Kees van der Westen Spirit espresso machine, big-batch drip coffee and…

  • Go Bang!

    San Francisco

    Atomic-scale disco inferno tears through SF, with appearances at the Stud the first Saturday night of the month.

  • Juanita MORE!

    San Francisco

    This drag superstar throws fierce fundraising parties, especially for Pride, plus monthly fetish-drag parties at Powerhouse.

  • Velo Rouge Café

    San Francisco

    Bike one block from Golden Gate Park and you've earned a Bean Smoke coffee or a delicious tap beer surrounded by charming pre-doping-scandal Tour de…

  • Toad Hall

    San Francisco

    Post-work posses get their drink on fast with Toad Hall's two-for-one happy hour till 8:30pm. It's named after a famous 1970s Castro gay bar, as seen in…

  • QBar

    San Francisco

    Determined 20-something club kids shimmy and shout over pop remixes on the cramped dance floor, while smokers flirt on the patio. Perpetually busy…

  • Bus Stop

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Bus Stop has 17 flickering TV screens, two pool tables and a manly crowd that roars when their team scores. If one of your party wants to shop but you…

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