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City Guide - San Francisco - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Since the Gold Rush days, this city has enjoyed an often riotous nightlife and, although things are calmer now, the place pulsates and buzzes with creative decadence and restaurants and bars filling up early - and staying open late. Generally, attitude makes way for a more laid-back lifestyle. With more than 2000 places to buy a drink you never go thirsty although staying sober is harder. Such a huge diversity makes any rule of thumb over dress codes, opening hours, cover charges and behaviour obsolete and it is best to check with individual establishments if in doubt. For the most part anything goes, not least in the 200 or so gay clubs, many of which are so popular they are in danger of turning straight. Dance spots change names and identities regularly and the club scene is in a constant state of flux but the music, from piano bar smooth to house and acid jazz and back again, keeps on. Many clubs charge an entrance fee, but check out trendy coffee and record shops in the day and you will likely find fliers and invitation cards that get you in for free or at a discount if you arrive early. To drink, you need to be at least 21 years old and carrying identification. Generally, restaurants, nightclubs and bars are licensed from 0600 to 0200. Some districts - most often those with a young and thrusting street culture - offer many nightlife options. These include downtown, South of Market (SoMa) and Castro. To find the action, it may be worth consulting a current copy of the SF Bay Guardian or the pink section in the Sunday San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle. Bars: Backflip is the place to go for cocktails after a hard day on the tourist trail. Located in the swish retro Phoenix Hotel, Eddy Street, it is unpredictably chic, with an interesting clientele and some of the best libations around. Beer lovers might want to check out Mad Dog In The Fog, 530 Haight Street. There are around 20 beers on draught and more bottled, as well as regular pub quizzes for that authentic British flavour. At the other end of the spectrum, the Redwood Room, at the Clift Hotel at Geary and Taylor Streets, offers relaxation for the rich with formal attire advised. Another recommended beer pub is Twenty Tank Brewery in SoMa at 11th Street, a former sheet metal shop with decor to match and some unusual brews. In the Castro Street area, there are around a dozen bars, including the very pleasant Twin Peaks Tavern, many of which provide solace until the early hours. The Bubble Lounge in Montgomery Street offers sophistication with a choice of more than 300 champagnes and accompanying oysters, caviar and sushi. Casinos: There are no casinos in San Francisco. Clubs: DJs are hot property in San Francisco and at 1015 Folsom even the uninitiated will understand their power. Music is loud enough to shake the foundations of both building and soul with stunning lighting and some of the biggest names on the circuit. John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Boom, Fillmore Street, will appeal to the less hectic and is billed as a genuine home to blues and boogie. The Endup Nightclub, Sixth Street, is a SoMa favourite and has been entertaining visitors and locals alike for 23 years. The club is noted for its friendliness, great dance music and delicious cocktails. If it all gets too much there is a waterfall on the patio to dunk your head in. For those who prefer to look to the stars to make sense of things, the Zodiac Club, 14th Street, serves drinks based on individual star signs, borne from the astrological expertise of owners Peter and Maria Garcia. The gay scene finds plenty of well-oiled and muscled hunks on Saturday nights at Club Universe and on Sundays at Pleasuredome. Both have a home at Club Townsend in Townsend Street. Live music: For something slightly different, Rassela's Jazz Club, California Street, provides Ethiopian food courtesy of the restaurant next door and live jazz nightly. It is said to be one of the great undiscovered venues and certainly offers a unique mix. Slim's, 11th Street, is home to classic Bay rock acts and is part owned by veteran guitarist Boz Scaggs. It doubles as a bar and concert hall and there's always a good view of the bands, many of which are more modern and alternative than you might expect. Bimbo's, Columbus Avenue, covers a range of music from punk to mellow solo artistes. |