You're downtown, trying to keep up with Bluetoothed strangers hustling from one skyscraper to the next. Just when you feel overwhelmed, you turn into an alleyway, and suddenly, breathtakingly, you're in France. A thousand little things make Claude Lane special: the colorful, fantastical murals; the rows of tables spilling from pubs and cafes and restaurants, filling the alley with drinkers and diners; neon reflecting off brick and asphalt. You don't need to eat, drink, or shop here to get the instant transported-to-Europe effect, but you should — with fabulous restaurants like Gitane, Claudine, and Café Claude, a contemporary art gallery, and swanky boutiques, you can't go wrong on Claude Lane, especially if you want to say au revoir to San Francisco for just a couple hours.