The Haight & Hayes Valley
The Victorian tin ceilings are hammered, and you could be too unless you sip these potent concoctions slowly – all expertly crafted from 250 specialty…
Must-see nightlife in Northern California
San Francisco
For a night of exoticism, gluttony, intoxication and utter abandon, look no further than Grand Hot Pot Lounge, the Inner Richmond's gift to spicy-food…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
As kindred spirits will deduce from the name (the abbreviation for 'percent alcohol by volume'), this bar is backed by cocktail crafters who know their…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
There aren't many places around Fisherman's Wharf that can be described 'elegant.' Okay so there's only one...and it's this new wine bar. There's a lovely…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
The Gold Dust is so beloved by San Franciscans that when it lost its lease on the Union Sq building it had occupied since the 1930s, then reopened in 2013…
San Francisco
After zipping around Golden Gate Park and touring a museum or two, relaxing with traditional English afternoon tea ($29 per person) is just the thing…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
SF's best bars are distinguished not just by their drinks but by the conversations they inspire – by both measures Dalva is top-shelf. Over ice-cold mugs…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Don't mock SF's coffee geekery until you've tried the elixir emerging from this back-alley garage-door kiosk. The Bay Area's Blue Bottle built its…
San Francisco
The candy store of Castro clubs, Beaux serves every gay flavor. Highlights include Club Papi Wednesdays, '90s–'00s Throwback Thursdays, go-go Manimal…
North Beach & Chinatown
Strap on your spurs: it's gonna be a wild Western night at this back-alley Basque saloon squeezed between burlesque joints. The strong slay the…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Cults wish they inspired the same devotion as Ritual, where regulars solemnly queue for house-roasted cappuccino with ferns drawn in foam and specialty…
San Francisco
Coconuts are unlikely near blustery Ocean Beach, but here comes Trouble with the 'Build Your Own Damn House' breakfast special: coffee, thick-cut cinnamon…
North Beach & Chinatown
If this sunny flat-iron storefront doesn't lighten your mood, cappuccino with a foam-art heart will. Réveille's coffee is like San Francisco on a good day…
San Francisco
Cults wish they had the devoted following of this Santa Cruz roaster, justifiably worshipped for small-batch, single-origin roasts prepared with pride…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
West Coast coffeehouse culture is staging a comeback at this membership-supported neighborhood cafe, complete with creaky wooden floors and top-notch hot…
San Francisco
Trashy meets fancy at Hi-Lo, where discerning barflies sip clever cocktails from vintage glassware. This joint resembles a candlelit squat – tarnished-tin…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Riddle me this: how can you ever thank the women in your life? As the Riddler's all-women sommelier-chef-investor team points out, champagne makes a fine…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Slip behind the velvet curtains into the city's top piano bar, where the rainbow spectrum of regulars seems to have memorized the words to every show tune…
San Francisco
Most Castro bars only serve eye candy with well drinks – but Eureka! You've found a class-act lounge that pairs Southern cooking with craft cocktails…
North Beach & Chinatown
Vintage neon points the way to Tony Nik's, keeping North Beach nicely naughty since 1933. This tiny cocktail lounge is co-owned by the original Tony 'Nik'…
San Francisco
Island getaways at this vintage tiki dive will make you forget that Ocean Beach chill. Sailor-strength hot buttered rum will leave you three sheets to the…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Game on, gamers – this former movie palace is an adult playground with full bar, video games, billiards, air hockey and themed pinball. Beat Dirty Harry…
San Francisco
Mysterious tinctures and housemade bitters make creative cocktails with magnetic powers, drawing Castro regulars and straight-friendly after-work crowds…
San Francisco
Hidden in a converted garage in the Outer Sunset, this little Korean late-night spot has adorable environs in which to throw back pitchers of Hite beer or…
North Coast & Redwoods
One of the first female-owned breweries in California, the ‘brew with a view’ kills it in every category: great beer, amazing community vibe, occasional…
San Francisco
The most happening bar on the street, 440 draws bearded, gym-fit 30- and 40-something dudes – especially on furry Sundays and weekend nights, when go-go…
San Francisco
'Servicing the Castro for over 40 years' is no small claim to fame – and Midnight Sun lives up to its motto daily with a steady flow of good vibes and…
Santa Cruz
To sip finely roasted artisan espresso or a cup of rich pour-over coffee, join the surfers and hipsters at this high-ceilinged industrial-zen cafe. Single…
North Beach & Chinatown
Blues in a red saloon that's been a dive since 1861 – this is North Beach at its most colorful. Legend has it that when the city caught fire in 1906,…
Oakland
One of the Bay Area's most (in)famous tiki bars, Forbidden Island is a time capsule from the days before the tech boom. This locals' haunt, with its…
Oakland
This dive lives up to the promise of its website – if it's not the darkest bar ever, it's in the running. What lighting does exist is red and moody, which…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
The Hayes Valley shipping-container outpost of the Mission roastery offers creamy single-origin espresso and powerful pour-overs to rival those at Blue…
Berkeley
At this industrial brewery taproom you can sit down on the outdoor patio with a tasting flight of IPAs or a glass of rich Mexican hot-chocolate stout. It…
Eel River Brewing Company Taproom & Grill
North Coast & Redwoods
Up Hwy 101 from Scotia, there's a great pit stop at Eel River Brewing Company, where a breezy beer garden and excellent burgers ($11 to $15) accompany all…
Mammoth Lakes
You be the judge whether beer is brewed best at high altitude. Boasting the highest West Coast brewery, at 8000ft, Mammoth Brewing Company offers more…
Napa
The tour of this very cool distillery is well worth the trip, taking you through the factory to learn about the distillation process, check out the…
Napa
What do you call a brewery smaller than micro? A Napa brewery stepped up to answer that question in 2017 and this nanobrewery produces just 15 gallons of…
Santa Cruz
Named with the Spanish word for hops, Lupulo Craft Beer House is an essential downtown destination for traveling beer fans. Modern decor combines with an…
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
This popular cafe is also an art gallery, nursery and live-music venue all rolled into one, with fair-trade coffee, tasty baked treats and an excellent…
Santa Cruz
An essential part of the eating and drinking scene in the Ingalls St Courtyard on Santa Cruz's Westside, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is a rustic spot to…
