Nightlife in San Francisco
San Francisco nightlife has it all: clubs with world-class DJs in the SoMa District, dive bars in Chinatown, coffeehouses in North Beach and piano bar karaoke in the Castro. For serious cocktails, the Tenderloin is the new bar-hopping hotspot. Downtown is mostly quiet, except round Union Square where Ruby Skye offers large-scale clubbing and Redwood Room drinks. The Mission District offers straight-forward drinks, like those at Zeitgeist. Everywhere is smoke-free, and most bars close at 2am.
Bars
Expand all1. Top of the Mark - Famous penthouse lounge
Show more Top of the Mark, perched on Nob Hill is one of the world's most famous cocktail lounges, a spectacular glass-walled room with 19th-floor views of the city. Live bands play throughout the week, from jazz to salsa and swing.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
1, Nob Hill, San Francisco CA 94108
Telephone
+1 415 616 6916
2. Zeitgeist - Casual beer garden
Show moreZeitgeist has the largest outdoor beer garden in the city, and on sunny days it's packed with dressed-down locals drinking pitchers of beer. It's the best people-watching bar in the Mission District. Expect a punk-rock-cum-biker-bar venue where everyone's welcome.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
199, Valencia Street, San Francisco CA 94103
Telephone
+1 415 255 7505
Transport
Bus 14, 26, or 49 to Mission District or BART to 16th Street Mission
3. Li Po's Cocktail Lounge - Classic Chinatown dive bar
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An eerily dim cave-like Chinatown dive bar that was once an opium den, Li Po's Cocktail Lounge has an alluring character with a dusty clutter of Asian furnishings and exotic mementos. Try the Special Mai Tai cocktail.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
916, Grant Avenue, San Francisco CA 94108
Telephone
+1 415 982 0072
Transport
Bus 1,12, 20, 30, 41 or 45 to Chinatown, or Powell Hyde cable car to Washington
4. Redwood Room - Extravagant hotel bar
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Known for its gorgeous redwood panelling made from a single 2,000-year-old tree, the downtown Clift Hotel's elegant Redwood Room bar and lounge has a plush, modern feel. The scene is mostly moneyed young professionals mingling with overpriced martinis in hand.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
Clift Hotel, 495 Geary Street, San Francisco CA 94102
Telephone
+1 415 929 2372
Clubs
Expand all5. 1015 Folsom - Three-floor dance emporium
Show more1015 Folsom is an enormous party warehouse spread over three levels. Located in the SoMa District, it programmes varying nights, attracting everyone from moneyed professionals to a hip-hop crowd, with DJs mixing tunes to a coordinated full-colour laser system.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
1015, Folsom Street (at 6th Street), San Francisco CA 94103
Telephone
+1 415 431 1200 / +1 415 431 7444 (event hotline)
Transport
Bus 12, 19, 27 or 47 or BART to Civic Center or Powell Street stations.
Website
6. Ruby Skye - Renovated Victorian playhouse
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Downtown's most glamorous and gigantic nightspot, Ruby Skye is a renovated 1890s Victorian playhouse with a ballroom dance floor, three bars, a smoking lounge and DJs. It's too yuppie for most clubbers but a safe bet for tourists.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
420, Mason Street, San Francisco CA 94102
Telephone
+1 415 693 0777
7. Mezzanine - SoMa District dance club
Show moreMezzanine, located in the SoMa District, is one of the most modern dance venues in San Francisco with state-of-the-art laser technology. A diverse crowd dances to live music from various genres, as well as some of the world's best DJs.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
444, Jessie Street, San Francisco CA 94103
Telephone
+1 415 625 8880
Transport
Bus 14, 21 or 26 to Mission Street and 6th Street or BART to Powell Street
Website
8. The End Up - Mixed crowd dance party
Show moreMany San Francisco clubbers party at The End Up until early in the morning. In the SoMa District, it programmes world-class DJs who spin dance tunes for a diverse clientele. There's a different nightclub every evening, so check their website.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
401, 6th Street (at Harrison), San Francisco CA 94103
Telephone
+1 415 646 0999
Entertainment
Expand all9. Great American Music Hall - Victorian music venue
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Built in 1907 as a restaurant/bordello in what's now the Tenderloin District, the Great American Music Hall hosts renowned indie bands amidst ornately carved balconies, frescoed ceilings and marble columns. It's possibly one of the most gorgeous rock venues around.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
859, O'Farrell Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Telephone
+1 415 885 0750
10. Café du Nord - Indie supper club
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This sexy subterranean supper club near the Castro is set in a beautiful 1907 speakeasy with a 12m mahogany bar, rich red tones and an intimate stage. Café du Nord's line-up of indie performers is as eclectic as the crowd.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
2170, Market Street, San Francisco CA 94114
Telephone
+1 415 861 5016
11. Beach Blanket Babylon - Extravagant musical comedy
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Beach Blanket Babylon is a comedic musical that pokes fun at current political figures and celebrities; the costumes and oversized headdresses are outrageous. It's been playing in North Beach for more than 30 years and still almost always sells out.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
678, Green Street, San Francisco CA 94133
Telephone
+1 415 421 4222
Transport
Bus 30 or 41 to North Beach or Powell/Mason cable car to Green Street
Website
12. Biscuits and Blues - Blues bands
Show moreThis New Orleans-style basement-cum-nightclub near Union Square offers a nightly line-up of quality blues bands from around the USA. The sound system is impressive, and yes, Biscuits and Blues serves flaky biscuits along with great fried chicken and southern-style appetisers.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
401, Mason Street, San Francisco CA 94102
Telephone
+1 415 292 2583
Transport
Bus 2, 3, 4 or 38 to Union Square or BART to Powell Street
Website
13. Teatro ZinZanni - Slapstick dinner theatre
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Teatro ZinZanni is a three-hour dinner theatre served in a stunningly elegant 1926 spiegeltent pitched on the Embarcadero. During the five-course meal dozens of performers combine slapstick comedy with astounding Cirque du Soleil-style physical acts. The tickets aren't cheap.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
Pier 29, The Embarcadero, San Francisco CA 94111
Telephone
+1 415 438 2668
14. The Fillmore - Historic music venue
Show moreMade famous by promoter Bill Graham in the 1960s, The Fillmore, aptly located in the Fillmore District, showcases big names in a moderately sized space. Inside is an impressive collection of vintage concert posters chronicling the hall's musical history.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
1805, Geary Boulevard, San Francisco CA 94115
Telephone
+1 415 346 3000
15. The Mint Karaoke Lounge - Castro karaoke bar
Show moreThe Mint Karaoke Lounge is the best-known karaoke bar in the Castro, with over 3000 song selections and a crowd as diverse in their looks as their taste. The martinis here are wickedly large, liquid courage for approaching the microphone.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
1942, Market Street, San Francisco 94102
Telephone
+1 415 626 4726
Transport
Bus 14, 26 or 49 to Hermann Street or BART to Church Street or Duboce and Church
Website
