Best Deco Nightspot

Last October, bereft and confused a mere hour or two after the Giants had lost Game 7, we made our way to Bimbo's, much as our more devout fellow fans trekked to Grace Cathedral. It wasn't long before the rattle of the cocktail shaker, the live samba of Brasil 66, the matchlessly swanky setting, and the comeliness of Dolfina the Fishbowl Girl inspired us to forget our troubles, at least for the evening. Bimbo's has been part of the exuberant San Francisco tradition since it opened at 365 Market in 1931 (Rita Hayworth was one of the chorus girls) and then moved to North Beach in the early '50s. Its saucy, deco-era élan inspires the sort of on-the-town swellegance one equates with floor shows, Manhattans, and gardenia corsages. Have a drink in the Continental Lounge or on the Flambeau Terrace and enjoy a top-flight act -- headliners have included everybody from Van Morrison and Cake to Cassandra Wilson and Buck Owens. You can find out about upcoming shows at Bimbo's Web site; the box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.