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…
Must-see nightlife in The Bay Area
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Perfectly pulled pints and thick-cut fries with malt vinegar are staples at this cozy Irish pub, hidden inside an alleyway near the Chinatown gate. Settle…
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…
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…
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…
Oakland
Walk into this dive bar (skulls) and you may notice a certain decorative flair (skulls); it's a presence you'll feel as you order a drink (more skulls),…
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Snag a wooden table by the steel-front fireplace and order anything in stemware – here the lemon drops, blueberry martinis and other fruity drinks pack a…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
A boom-town club on a skid-row block, Monarch has a plush parlor bar and a cozy library bar on the main floor, plus a downstairs dance club with killer…
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…
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Thursdays through Sundays are best at Powerhouse, a sweaty SoMa bar for leathermen, shirtless gym queens and the occasional porn star. Draft beer is cheap…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
On average weeknights when the rest of downtown is dead, you may have to shout to be heard over 83's flirtatious, buzzing crowd. High ceilings make room…
The Peninsula
Overlooking the cove where bootleggers used to unload Prohibition-era liquor, the restaurant's heated ocean-view deck is perfectly positioned to catch…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Flash back 100 years at this gloriously restored mahogany bar with original 1908 chandeliers and old-fashioned cocktails without the frippery. You won't…
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…
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Sip your way around the Pacific Rim from the comfort of your downtown San Francisco barstool. Expand your hooch horizons to the South Pacific with Lime in…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Waterbar's glass-column aquariums and Bay Bridge vistas are SF's surest way to impress a date over drinks. Leave the dining room to Silicon Valley start…
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,…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Rolling vineyards seem overrated once you've visited SoMa's finest back-alley winery. Grab a barrel-top stool and glimpse winemakers at work in the…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Bagpiper murals on the walls, the Trainspotting soundtrack blaring, ale on tap, Tuesday pub quiz and vinegary fish and chips until 9pm provide all the…
Heinold's First & Last Chance Saloon
Oakland
At this 1883 bar constructed from wood scavenged from an old whaling ship, you really have to hold on to your beer. Keeled to a severe slant during the…
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 …
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Minna St is named after a gold rush–era madam, and today 111 Minna works three jobs on this street corner: art gallery–cafe (7am to 5pm weekdays), happy…
The Peninsula
This modern, inviting tasting room is in a strange, hidden indoor mall, but it's worth seeking out to try this region's best craft beers. Their smooth…
Berkeley
This place has really nailed down a few hipster business conventions: the 'X & Y' name (which, to be fair, is the historic title of the building), and…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Among the city's biggest clubs, Ten Fifteen packs for marquee EDM DJs and hip-hop acts, and has seen performances from the likes of LCD Soundsystem,…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Filthy bikers and loudmouth punks proudly call this Hole their home. The tangle of neon and bike parts hanging over the bar sets the mood amid walls…
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,…
San Jose
Squeeze inside this crowded yet friendly pub for beer geeks and the 'craft curious.' With nearly three dozen rotating taps of brews, including ciders and…
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…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
Observe San Franciscans in their native habitat at Social Study, where days begin earnestly with powerful coffee, wi-fi and tasty study snacks, then relax…
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…
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…
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
You can't tell who's local and who's not in this happening hilltop bar with exposed beams, a steampunk chandelier and a rickety mezzanine where you can…
Oakland
On weekends, people pack this Uptown hot spot, named for a Jack London short story, for its indoor bocce courts and eclectic cocktails. Toss back a …
Oakland
The drab exterior of the Kona Club only underlines how gloriously kitschy this spot is. Walk inside and it looks like a tiki-themed souvenir shop exploded…
