-
1928 Telegraph (at 19th St.) Oakland, CA 94612
510-451-8100
http://www.uptownnightclub.com Located across from the newly renovated Fox Theater and down the street from Cafe Van Kleef, the Uptown is a cornerstone venue in the resurgent downtown Oakland music scene. The interior is split into two rooms: the main cocktail area - with high ceilings, a towering and ornate antique back bar, and rotating art displays - and the less-fancy performance area with a basic stage at the far end. A sizable patio, tucked into the concrete-and-brick urban gulch out back, gives smokers and non-smokers alike an outdoor escape from the noise within. Indie pop, punk, rockabilly, hip-hop, burlesque events, DJ nights, and other hipster-bait bookings fill the calendar most nights of the week. More >>
-
200 Capp (at 17th St.) San Francisco, CA 94110
415-861-8231
So you're a new hipster in town. Or you've just decided that you want to have sex with a hipster. Where should you go? Try the Uptown, particularly on Wednesdays when beer is extracheap. You'll know you've arrived when you begin to feel vaguely uncomfortable and notice all the fixies chained up, their owners puffing cigarettes outside and snubbing homeless people. Head inside, though, and the quirky tinted-red innards of Uptown and its warm weirdness welcome you to stay a while. Maybe it's the cushy old booths, or the pool table that's slightly off. All we know is that seven PBRs later, you'll be playing Simpsons pinball against some guy with big sunglasses and a pet rat on his shoulder, wondering when your Steely Dan jukebox selection will play. That is when you know you are home. More >>
-
1329 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, CA 94133-1303
888-606-2380
http://www.urbandiversion.com
-
333 O'Farrell St. (at Mason) San Francisco, CA 94102
415-923-4400
http://www.urbantavernsf.com Calling a new restaurant a tavern when it's ensconced in the downtown Hilton is a bit of a stretch. Taverns were originally rustic drinking houses offering simple food and perhaps a bed for the night. But this is an Urban Tavern, apparent when you enter into its sleek, warmly lit space, creamy white with touches of earth-colored stone and wood. Not only is the Urban Tavern conveniently close to several of San Francisco's theater and concert venues, but its menu - which extends from the south of France into Spain - is also suitable for both full meals and grazing. The separate wine list is eclectic and interesting. More >>
-
4054 24th St. (at Noe) San Francisco, CA 94114
415-285-0674
http://www.valleytavern.com A woodsy little patio hidden behind the bar is a decided bonus at this Noe Valley drinking spot, which otherwise serves up standard sports bar offerings (e.g., two pool tables, lots of televisions, digital jukebox, etc.) in a setting that's a skosh fancier than your average football fan's party room. The 20 or so beer taps are usually divided among domestic and international brews, ranging from the lightweight (Pabst) to the heavy (Guinness), with a broad-minded variety in between. More >>
-
2246 Jerrold (at Upton) San Francisco, CA 94124
415-824-4606
-
2424 Mariposa (at Potrero) San Francisco, CA 94110
415-861-5048
http://www.verdiclub.net Lace up your wingtips: The Verdi has survived the rise and fall of the swing fad to endure as one of the city's premier venues for live and DJed big-band dancing. Monday nights are for swing, and Thursday nights remain a favorite for tango aficionados; dinner dances take place once a month. More >>
-
1160 Polk (at Sutter) San Francisco, CA 94109
415-674-1278
It's tough to get a bead on Vertigo's musical selections: the DJs at the ornate but unpretentious Polk Street watering hole might spin anything from Patsy Cline to DJ Shadow. Late in the evening the beats get louder, and the mixed crowd -- tourists and locals alike -- takes to the floor, enjoying grooving to pop rock, R&B, and Top 40 from the past 30 years. More >>
-
85 Campton (at Stockton) San Francisco, CA 94108
415-433-8585
http://www.vesselsf.com As you cross the velvet ropes and make your way inside, the rosewater aromatherapy sets the luxurious tone. If the atmosphere doesn't take you away, the drinks certainly will. Have the bartender whip up a champagne cocktail with St. German and a splash of gin for starters. Follow with their blueberry "lemonade" for something mellow and sweet or a mango cocktail for tartness. Vessel also doubles as an art gallery, hosting solo shows for emerging and established artists. Each show has an opening reception with a DJ, happy hour drink specials, free Mission Minis Cupcakes, and free entry. And when it's not acting as a gallery, Vessel serves up DJ nights such as "Base" on Thursdays, which pumps house music for the club's high-end clientele. One warning for the more timid patrons: the bathroom is a unisex situation. But it is kept and tidy, and after a few of those cocktails, you might shed some inhibitions. More >>
-
255 Columbus (at Broadway) San Francisco, CA 94133
415-362-3370
http://www.vesuvio.com You won't find too many poets holding forth at this legendary Beat Generation hangout - it's mostly just tourists nowadays - but Vesuvio still has artsy charm, history, and charisma in spades. The walls are packed with old paintings and pictures, there are plenty of angular nooks in which to sit, and there's nary a whiff of modern slickness anywhere. Stay in the downstairs bar area if you desire crowded bustle and action, but head upstairs to the balcony if you prefer conversation and/or want to read that paperback you just bought at City Lights bookstore next door. The ghosts of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Micheline, and the rest of the Beats will smile down from on high while you sip and socialize. Even if no one delivers poetic orations here anymore, the Beats' indomitable artistic spirit still lives within Vesuvio's walls. More >>
-
1431 Stockton St San Francisco, CA 94133-3817
415-391-7633
-
55 4th St. San Francisco, CA 94103-3156
415-896-1600
-
515 Broadway (at Kearny) San Francisco, CA 94133
415-277-7228
http://www.facebook.com/thevinclub A wine bar tucked into a row of cocktail lounges, strip clubs, and discotheques, the Vin Club features both regional and international varietals, with Friday evening specials to help you whittle down the selections. Pair your vino from the diverse wine list with some scrumptious bites like charcuterie and cheese plates. There's also a cafe food and cocktail menu, plus semi-regular live jazz performances. More >>
-
221 Park (at Howard) Burlingame, CA 94010
650-347-7656
http://www.vinyl-room.com
-
359 Divisadero (at Oak) San Francisco, CA 94117
415-621-4132
http://www.facebook.com/vinylwinebar During the day, Vinyl Wine Bar operates as Cafe Divis, with Blue Bottle Coffee and panini; at night, Mark Bright and Kris Esqueda take over, sliding gauzy black curtains in front of the espresso machines and installing a bartender. It's a comfortable, pretense-free gathering point with walls painted the blue of a Jacques Cousteau documentary and chairs that could have been stolen from a dorm room lounge. Vinyl simultaneously compensates for the lack of a full kitchen and hits the indie demographic -- the kind of audiences that the wine industry itches to court -- with a rotating schedule of food trucks, beer and wine tasting events, and pizza and pasta nights. The rapidly changing schedule is posted at www.facebook.com/vinylwinebar. More >>
-
201 Broadway (at Second St.) Oakland, CA 94607
510-452-1620
http://www.vitusoakland.com
-
982 Market (at Sixth St.) San Francisco, CA 94102
415-345-0900
http://www.thewarfieldtheatre.com The grande dame of San Francisco's old vaudeville scene, the Warfield has seen it all — from '30s Borscht Belt comedians to '60s hippies and whatever the 21st Century decides to offer. This two-tiered, magnificently ornate old theater is a jewel set in the center of the city's downtown crown, replete with glassy old chandeliers, gorgeous carved woodwork, and a large stage framed by heavy velvet curtains. The lobby also features dozens of iconic photos and concert posters, offering evidence of the wealth of musicians who have performed here over the years. As for the concert space itself, the most exciting action happens in the former orchestra pit section — which is now a general admission dance floor — while the best viewing options usually reside up in the reserved balcony seats. More >>
-
839 Geary (at Larkin) San Francisco, CA 94109
415-409-2063
http://www.myspace.com/whiskeythieves Not only is it the smallest bar in the Thieves mini-chain of local drinking establishments, but Whiskey Thieves also has the most character - a character that is entirely provided by, and dependent on, its titular selection of whiskey. From smoky single-malt Scotches and smooth Irish blends to heavy Kentucky bourbons and beyond, Whiskey Thieves loves to sling that sweet amber liquid in all its varieties. Prices are totally affordable (especially the rotating series of specials, which include a basic American beer back for about $7) and the bartenders are glad to let you sample a few tastes before choosing your final selection. Due to its downtown Tenderloin locale, however, the environment here is more young and hip than suave and cultured, so leave upscale pretensions at the door. More >>
-
6551 Telegraph (at 66th St.) Oakland, CA 94609
510-652-3820
http://www.whitehorsebar.com
-
424 Cortland (at Wool) San Francisco, CA 94110
415-647-3099
A cozy and charming lesbian saloon with ancient wood floors, warm fireplace, pool table, and a perfectly verdant back yard for those sunny summer afternoons. More >>
-
505 Jones (at O'Farrell) San Francisco, CA 94102
http://www.thewilsonbar.com Bourbon & Branch's new side project, a tiny speakeasy within a large speakeasy, is decorated in a 1930s gumshoe theme and requires online reservations and a password. Its bartenders have become cooks in their own right, brewing and infusing and stewing and concocting, taking ownership of the drink in ways we never imagined in the vodka-cran age. While the Wilson's cocktails can be ordered à la carte, the preferred mode is to consume them as a tasting menu - aperitif, "main," digestif - or a $40 punch for four, served in a silver teapot. You don't go to the Wilson for a drink. You go for a liquid dinner. More >>
-
1152 Valencia St. San Francisco, CA 94110
415-401-7258
http://www.winemakersspeakeasysf.com
-
560 Sacramento St. San Francisco, CA 94111
http://wingtip.onthefly.com/home.html
-
Pier 39 (at Embarcadero) San Francisco, CA 94133
415-986-5966
http://www.wipeoutbarandgrill.com Fried finger foods, surfing-inspired cocktails, and beachy themes abound at this bustling spot located in the heart of touristy Fisherman's Wharf. More >>
-
1539 Folsom (at 11th St.) San Francisco, CA 94103
415-278-9474
http://www.wishsf.com This intimate lounge is alternately a happening DJ hotspot and a relaxed hangout with DJs spinning downtempo funk, house, and soul. Bonus: There's rarely a cover. More >>
