Clubs and venues
Fuse
Catering to a musical taste that leans towards electronica, Fuse regularly features DJs that spin a variety of house and down tempo. This being San Francisco, the crowd tends to show up on the late side, but when they turn out they arrive in force. Fuse isn't that big, so if you arrive after everyone, be prepared to wait in line. The dance floor is minimal, establishing a space that's more for drinking and enjoying the music than getting funky. However, the quality of music is fun, and the bar staff is very friendly.
DragonBar
The DragonBar was once the HiBall Lounge, the original bar that brought back Broadway Street over 10 years ago. Located in the heart of North Beach, "the interior transcends trendy minimalist design with a seductive drenching of Asian elements — pictures of geishas, oversized bamboo sticks and a slew of giant paper lanterns. It also boasts the most flattering lighting scheme on the block. Using red lights in an otherwise dark spot, the confines will have you looking better than the hot-bodied Broadway Street dancers." says Citysearch.com. The DragonBar is a great place to have a cocktail with your friends then dance the night away. In addition to the two bars, the dance floor is large and there is a smoking patio that has frontage along the Broadway Strip.
Jazz at Pearl's
Like live Jazz? Age between 21 and 100? Can afford a small cover charge? Then this is the place for you. It was voted Best Jazz Club in San Francisco by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bimbo's 365 Club
Bimbo's is an glamorous upscale event venue and nightclub that holds up to 700 people. It has three bars, a dance floor and stage. Robin Williams does his act here quite regularly.
Mojito
Stylish Latin cocktail bar with a dance floor and live music to get you going.
Zebra Lounge
Upscale and trendy new lounge and nightclub with DJs and a reasonably sized dance floor. It gets a young crowd.
Bars
Savoy-Tivoli
Roomy, fun open-air bar on Grant Avenue, this bar is a favorite with both tourists and locals alike. It has been around since 1906 and attracts an eclectic yet discerning crowd.
Buddha Bar
Another favorite dive bar in Chinatown, this is a cramped yet lively place that's great for people watching.
Pier 23 Cafe
Lively and colorful, you can't miss this place on your way down the piers of the Embarcadero. It's part bar, part restaurant, and part cafe — ever popular with locals, it has an outdoor drinking deck.
Red's Place
It is the oldest operating bar in Chinatown. It's a quiet place, ideal for conversations.
15 Romolo
The hidden bar has a lovely dark red decor. Formerly the "Basque Hotel" this historic hotel and bar becomes quite crowded on one of the busiest blocks during a Friday and Saturday night in North Beach. It's also positioned on a steep street, with a side entrance that seems furtive and secret.
North Star
The North Star is a standard bar that you will find almost everywhere in the U.S. It has pool tables, a bar, and as the evening goes on becomes standing room only. This is a good bar for hanging out with friends and making new ones.
The International Cocktail Lounge
Nice little bar with a well worn-in interior, moderately loud jukebox and friendly bar staff. They have cheap prices, a pool table and a couple seats by the door for the smokers. Nice mix of locals and tourists, very low key and down to earth. A very good place to make new friends and gets a good young crowd after about nine.
Tosca
Another landmark North Beach Cafe/Bar, Tosca is dark but atmospheric interior complete with some cool red-leather booths. The bar is named after the opera Tosca and has an intense list of operas on the jukebox. Willie Brown, former mayor, hangout. It's known for its specialty "Coffeeless Cappuccino" — steamed milk with brandy and chocolate. There are about 15 cappuccinos lined up on the bar ready to serve since they are so popular.
Vesuvio's
This quirky and historic bar was founded in 1948, and is famous for its association with jazz, poetry, and the Beat Generation. Neal Cassidy first made a pit stop here in the mid fifties, and ever since it became a favorite hangout for literati celebrities, including Jack Kerouac. While you're there, why not order "The Jack Kerouac" — a healthy dose of tequila, rum, and cranberry juice. The bar is located next-door to the iconic City Lights Book store and what is now known as "Jack Kerouac Alley".
The Saloon
Old Blues/Jazz bar that has survived the raucous Barbary Coast and the 1906 earthquake. This is the oldest bar in San Francisco and it certainly looks like it too — it's grotty and rough looking inside and out, and it's extremely loud, but it can also be great fun and a must if you love the Blues.
Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge
Little hole in the wall dive bar, run by the irrepressible hostess/owner Candy Mama, a 50-something woman originally from Taiwan. She's a spitfire and a complete rock star. She'll end up doing shots with you, sneaking shots into your drinks, force-feeding you endless peanuts and making adorable and incessant conversation. The crowd's an eclectic mix, which makes for great people-watching, especially when the karaoke is broken out.
Columbus Cafe
Great bar situated in a huddle of bars around the intersection of Grant Avenue and Green Street. It draws a lively and predominantly young crowd. It does a two-for-one happy hour on beers and also $3 Fernets. Watch out though, it can get crowded.
Grant and Green Saloon
Named after the intersection it resides on is this popular if slightly dingy bar. They have live bands playing every night.
Amante
Trendy bar with sumptuous decor, high ceilings and lots of open spaces. It's a little bit pricier than other bars in the area and attracts a younger well dressed crowd.
O' Reilly's Irish Pub and Restaurant
Typical Irish bar in the heart of North Beach. They serve both lunch and dinner and for the price the food is excellent. They also have a very long happy hour.
Gino & Carlo Cocktail Lounge
One of a trilogy of bars that line up on Green Street, it's a classic North Beach neighborhood bar. It's colorful, has a great juke box, and attracts lots of locals looking to socialize.
Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar
On a secluded narrow street, this is more of an upscale Irish bar and attracts twenty and young thirty-something workers from the nearby Financial District who are looking to unwind. It has another bar upstairs which tends to be quieter.
San Francisco Brewing Company
Excellent little micro-brewery at the foot of North Beach. They claim to be the city's original brewpub and they have enough varieties to give even the most hardened drinker problems, like Emperor Norton Lager and Oofty Goofty Barleywine.
Specs
Mariner's hangout and general dive bar in North Beach, this is a hidden gem.
Li Po's
This dive bar is great to pop into while in Chinatown. Although it has nothing on tap, bottled beer is available. Check out the seedy booths in the back lit by a single red bulb. Or catch a live act in the dimly-lit basement on the weekends.
La Trappe - Trappist Lounge & Bistro
A great beer bar and restaurtant hidden in the lower part of North Beach. Out of the way of most tourists because of its low profile. Huge Belgian Beer selection, and other craft brews from around the world. Restaurant offers mussels and frites - classic Belgian combo. Be prepared to splurge if you go, you can easily drink your way to a hefty bill.
Coffee
Stella Pastry & Cafe
Small elegant cafe/bakery that serves fresh affordable coffee with delicious treats like cannoli and tiramisu available on the side.
Caffe Greco
Probably North Beach's most popular cafe, especially with locals. It has a real European atmosphere and imports its coffee from Italy. Curbside tables add to the ambiance.
Bohemian Cigar Store
Excellent espresso and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with curbside tables that overlook Washington Square. Its cappuccino is prize-winning.
Melt
Excellent bohemian corner cafe/eatery that is right on the edge of Washington Square. It has a relaxed coffee-house atmosphere and is a great place to refuel with a panini, a salad or one of their excellent cheese platters. Often features live entertainment and old movies on a big screen.
North Beach in particular is famous its "caffe culture." It has an excellent variety of cafes, many of which serve award winning coffee, sometimes imported all the way from Italy. Here is a selection of the more popular ones;
Caffe Trieste
Has become a North Beach landmark. Although a little bit scruffy, it has excellent coffee — certainly one of the best cups of coffee in North Beach, and itâs very popular with the locals. One famous local patron was Jack Kerouac and reportedly Francis Ford Copolla wrote part of the Godfather here.
Steps of Rome Caffe
Sister to the Steps of Rome Trattoria, this 2-tier caffe is almost always packed and attracts a much younger crowd. It's popular for parties and 21st's. Cappuccino with Tiramisu is a favorite here.
Caffe Roma
Excellent coffee but a little bit pricey by comparison.
XoX Truffles
Run by local Chef Jean-Marc Gorce, this teeny-tiny place is more of an award-winning truffle vendor than coffee shop. However, the coffee is fresh and even if you just order a small house-blend for just $1 you'll get a free truffle worth 75 cents.
Chinatown has less drinking establishments, but North Beach with its abundance of bars and clubs is one of the major nightlife hotspots in the San Francisco. It attracts revelers from all over the city who are looking for a good time and somewhere to party into the wee hours of the morning... so put your drinking cap on!
entertainment
Back in the days of the Gold Rush, Osgood Street O-So-Good Street! in North Beach used to be considered the red-light district. Today, the section on Broadway Street between Columbus and Samsome Street is an area that many consider to be the city's red-light district. It has many exotic-dance clubs like Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, Roaring 20s, Showgirls, and Crazy Horse Gentlemen's Clubâ. Probably one of the more famous clubs is the Condor. Carol Doda made this place famous in 1964 by injecting silicone into her chest and creating what would become known as "the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco." A plaque on the ouside commemorates the venue; The Condor; Where it all began; The birthplace of the world's first topless & bottomless entertainment; Topless — June 19, 1964 Bottomless — September 3, 1969 Starring Ms. Carol Doda; San Francisco, California
The undiscriminating heckles from over-zealous doormen enticing customers into the shows can be a bit tacky and off-putting, especially for those who enter the area to go to the other non-strip clubs. Consequently, many people are put off from even entering the area.