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| | The popular Hemlock Tavern attracts San Francisco's hip set (and those suits who are hip at heart) with it's split-level walkaround bar, pool table, and performance space in back. The expansive main room tends to be pretty crowded, with denim-clad, tatooed patrons crowding around the large bar, and relaxing in the heated smoking lounge. The performance space in back hosts local and bigger acts... |
| Zeitgeist is the bar of choice for the Mission district’s bike messengers, punks, and art students. A little too cool to be a dive and a little too gritty to be trendy, this bar has an unpretentious atmosphere and a friendly crowd of regulars. You can sip your beer in the punk influenced interior of take it to the huge patio where rows of long picnic tables sit under eucalyptus trees. |
| Spats is regarded by Berkeley residents with wary respect. The decor is bizarre. It feels like a mixture of small-town history museum and grandma's living room. Most complaints stem from the quality of the drinks and that it is sometimes understaffed, and sometimes the staff is unfriendly. What Spats has going for it is the atmosphere and the niche. Berkeley is flooded with student bars and... |
| The Bus Stop is in the Marina but it's not as yuppified as some of the other nightlife spots in the area. The atmosphere is unpretentious, drinks are straightforward, and there's a pool table. That said, there is still the Marina clientele with their couture handbags and striped, collared shirts. This is a favorite place of the locals for afternoon sports games. Drop by for hoops or a football... |
| As its name might suggest, the Hush Hush Lounge keeps a deliberately low profile. It's off the main strip of Valenica bars, slightly more distinguished, and difficult to spot from the street. The interior is intimate: there are a few comfortable round booths, a small dancefloor in back, and occasional art shows. And the crowd is hip but not too aloof. A spot this conspicuously under the radar... |
| This is a small bar with a dark, musty interior (serving since 1908, apparently) and an eclectic downtown clientele. There are businessfolk who drop by after work, tatted and pierced bike messengers and yuppies in new suits. Many are drawn by the Happy Hour with $2 draft PBRs and $5 well drinks. The intimate, semi-circle booths downstairs are really nice for a quiet drink with friends and the... |
| This place just moved in, taking over for local Richmond bar the Last Day Saloon. It doesn't feel entirely settled but it might just fill an important gap in the Richmond's nightlife scene. It's pretty chic and atmospheric inside with foosball and pool tables downstairs and a large stage and lounge upstairs. They have all kinds of shows, from hip-hop to experimental jazz and rock. This might be... |
| Medjool is the hottest restaurant/club in San Francisco, with a serious buzz around the city. Diverse crowds are heading to the Mission District because of Medjool and other poshier restaurants that are popping up in the Mission. With the only rooftop bar in San Francisco, this Mediterranean style restaurant boasts several levels of bars, contains a hostel and turns its bottom level restaurant... |
| Half-bar and half-club, Vertigo is really popular amongst the young party types in San Francisco. It's pretty small (the dancefloor has room for about 30), and the decor is a strange mix of Hitchcock and Africa, but the place has got assets. It draws a young, energetic crowd. It's less pretentious than places in the Marina but also more lively than places in the Mission. And the bartenders are... |
| The 2am club was featured on the cover of Mill Valley local Huey Lewis' album Sports. It's a Mill Valley legend. These days it seems to draw a college crowd. |
| Triple Rock is one of Berkeley's classic brew-pubs, with rugged wood furnishings, TVs for whatever sporting event is going on, and, of course, lots of original brews. Especially popular is the strong Monkey Head brew, which they serve on Thursday's only in liter bottles (that are meant to be shared). There are also backgammon sets behind the bar that you can use and a menu of pub standards like... |  |
| Jupiter is one of Berkeley's classic brewpubs, complete with thick wooden tables and chairs, large outdoor deck with fireplace and fountain, and original brews. At night the deck out back is a great place to relax, and although it does fill up with students, it never gets too hectic. The food is pretty good for a place that really focuses on beer. Don't worry about being overchaged for grub; it's... |
| The Bitter End is a warm but very subdued pub. It's got lots of 49ers paraphrenalia around and a wood bar with brass coping. The bar food is pretty standard. Come here for some relaxed drinks with friends but maybe not for raucous drinking. |  |
| Beckett's draws a slightly older crowd than some of the undergraduate watering holes along Telegraph. Named after the famouns Irish playwright and author of Waiting for Godot, this stylish bar sits in a 1925 French Provincial building that was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.It's a great place for a drink although the atmosphere depends a lot on what's going on on the... |
| This Irish pub is the only one in the immediate neighborhood, attracts a loyal clientele, and is almost completely devoid of undergrads. There is often live music, usually tending towards the folky or Irish, and a popular dart board. The starry plough feels much more like a neighborhood bar than the rowdier spots on Shattuck or Telegraph. |  |
| Unrestrained and eccentric decor and sweet music. |
| If you miss college—the rowdy throngs, the buffalo wings, and, of course, the beer—check out Bar None. The crowd is a mix of students and young, wealthy Marina residents, and is always energetic. Come here to catch that big game or TV or play one of your own: there are darts, billiards, and ping-pong tables designed for beer-related games. The dinner menu has your standard pub fare. |
| On a busy street in the Mission district, Skylark attracts a diverse crowd from all over San Francisco united by one characteristic: hipness. More intense than intimate, this is a great place to release some energy. Local DJs spin break-beats and hip-hop in the bar’s one dark, atmospheric room and the dance floor in the back sees lots of action. Tuesday s and Thursdays are long-standing house... |
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