San Francisco Bars, Nightlife, Happy Hours and Entertainment Guide
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SF HOTELS: GUIDE TO THE CITY: BAY AREA EXTRAS: ° Single in the City ° Bay to Breakers ° Bay to Breakers 2002 ° Bay to Breakers 2003
NO LAST CALL! OUT AND ABOUT: All you need to know about nightlife, Happy Hour bars and best bars/best nights featuring photos and detailed text.
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Nightlife and PubClubbing in San Francisco!
From pubs to clubs, happy hour hangouts to hot bars, San Francisco's nightlife boasts dynamic diversity. Known as "the City" to locals, San Francisco has sleek, "scene" spots where everyone dresses in black, restaurant/bars favored by the "in" crowd, large dance clubs full of young hipsters, small pubs with turn-of-the-last-century character, live music venues and gay clubs. Often, the area in which one chooses to go out defines their personality. South of Market and the Mission District primarily host left-over dot-commers hanging out in the "in" spots. The Marina District is a mid-20s happening haven and hot spot for veteran out-of-towners on the party prowl. Longtime locals like to follow "the scene," and often chase it all over town (this is necessary, because the "scene" changes every few months). Castro Street is predominately gay. For the most part, this is not super-wild party town. But it can cut loose (see Sunday at Sam's, for instance) After all, this is a town where the biggest pickup spot was once a grocery store in the Marina District. People are either working the crowd, methodically moving in on a desirable partner or trying to avoid someone they once dated who happens to be in the same place. People of the relatively same age and interests tend to travel in the same circles and it can be interesting for outsiders to see this game of cat-and-mouse develop. (For more on the San Francisco singles scene, read Single in the City). To maximize your PubClubbing experience, PubClub.com has two sections on nightlife: Pubs and Bars/Clubs. The former focuses on the cool and popular pubs located all over town. The latter concentrates on the hip, former hip but still cool places, the "in" bars/restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues and gay bars. Best Bars/Best Nights [MAP] For the total PubClubbing experience, ride the Party Bus and experience all San Francisco's nightlife has to offer. First, though, here's when to be where in "the City:"
• Monday – Wednesday. Fiddler's Green.[MAP] Not much happens in town these days of the week – as proof, just try getting a cab after 10 o'clock – but this lively Irish place is one of the few exceptions. It's in the Fisherman's Wharf area behind The Cannery, at Columbus and Beach. Then again, if it's Tuesday,this must be City Tavern (in the Triangle). People pack in here for the $2 beers and $2 food specials. Wednesdays, there's good action across the street at Balboa Cafe. [MAP] • Thursday. If you are mid-20s (mentally or otherwise), no doubt it's KT's in the Marina District This is an Irish-themed bar with perhaps the best-looking crowd in the city and manages to be high energy and low-key at the same time. Plus, it's easy to bounce over to Balboa Cafe, which has a slightly older look. KT's has overtaken the Thursday traditional spots of La Barca and Mai Saki. Conveniently, those they are just across Lombard Street, so it's easy to check them out, as well. La Barca has a live band and strong margaritas. Mai Saki is more of a "scene" spot for locals. Around the corner on Chestnut is Cosmo's Corner Grill, where San Francisco's "beautiful people" hang out on Thursdays. Bar hoppers should also check out Tonic at Polk and Union. [MAP] • Friday-Saturday. Take your pick of pubs and clubs from our Pubs of San Francisco and Bars and Clubs of San Francisco sections. • Sunday. Two afternoon choices. Pier 23 and Sam's. Pier 23 has live jazz, a huge patio along the waterfront and a lively crowd. Across the bay in Tiburon is Sam's (pictured above), an unbeatable combination of toxic cocktails, eagerly-friendly people and a seaside deck. Many coast captains arrive on boats and attempt to depart with new boatmates. Finding the right seat here is the key, because meeting one's table neighbors is what's Sam's is all about. [PIER 23 MAP] [SAM'S MAP] HAPPY HOURS [MAP] What's a good city without a few good after-work spots? San Francisco has a few good spots. For starters, try the aforementioned Pier 23 anytime the sun is out. This is especially true on Fridays starting at around 3 (remember, there are a lot of stockbrokers here and that's about the time they get off work.Others cut out early). About two miles down the Embarcadero toward the ballpark is Palamino. In addition to being popular for drinks, it also has great upscale Happy Hour food such as super-thin crust pizza; there is also a fine sit-down restaurant. In the neighborhood of SBC Park is Momo's, which can be quite a scene. Its young after-work business patrons jam the outdoor patio and spill over to the indoor bar area. Paragon is slower and more casual; you'll see baseball caps and tennis shoes here. But not at Momo's. • The
Pubs of San Francisco – BAR LOCATIONS – • Balboa Cafe:3199 Fillmore St. (415) 921-3944 .
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on the Party Bus: The Pubs of San Francisco!