Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [175]
Bars with DJ Grooves
The Bliss Bar Surprisingly trendy for sleepy, family-oriented Noe Valley, this small, stylish, and friendly bar is a great place to stop for a varied mix of locals, colorful cocktail concoctions, and a DJ spinning at the front window from 9pm to 2am every night except Sunday and Monday. If it’s open, take your cocktail into the too-cool back Blue Room. And if you’re on a budget, stop by from 4 to 7pm when martinis, lemon drops, and cosmos are only $4. 4026 24th St. (btw. Noe and Castro sts.). 415/826-6200.www.blissbarsf.com.
Wish Bar Swathed in burgundy and black with exposed cinder-block walls, cement floors, and red-shaded sconces aglow with candlelight, even you will look cool at this mellow SoMa bar in the popular night-crawler area around 11th and Folsom streets. With a bar in the front, a DJ spinning upbeat lounge music in the back, and seating—including cushy leather couches—in between, it’s often packed with a surprisingly diverse (albeit youthful) crowd. Closed Sundays. 1539 Folsom St. (btw. 11th and 12th sts.). 415/278-9474.www.wishsf.com.
Dance Clubs
The Endup This legendary party space with a huge, heated outdoor deck (complete with waterfall and fountain no less), indoor fireplace, and eclectic clientele has always thrown some of the most intense all-nighters in town. In fact, it’s practically a second home to the city’s DJs. There’s a different theme every night: Friday Ghettodisco, Super Soul Sundayz, and so on. The Endup is ever-popular with the sleepless dance-all-day crowd that comes here after the other clubs close, hence the name. It’s open Saturday morning from 6am to noon and then nonstop from Saturday night around 10pm until Sunday night/Monday morning at 4am. The Sunday morning t-dance, a long-held tradition, begins at 6am. Call or check the website to confirm nights—offerings change from time to time. 401 Sixth St. (at Harrison St.). 415/646-0999.www.theendup.com. Cover free–$15.
Harry Denton’s Starlight Room If that new cocktail dress is burning a hole in your suitcase, get yourself dolled up tonight and say hello to Harry, our city’s de facto party host. His celestial crimson-infused cocktail lounge and nightclub, perched on the top floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, is a throwback to 1930s San Francisco, when red-velvet banquettes, chandeliers, and fashionable duds were de rigueur. The 360-degree view of the city is worth the cover charge alone, but what draws tourists and locals of all ages is a night of Harry Denton–style fun, which usually includes plenty of drinking, live music, and unrestrained dancing, regardless of age. The bar stocks a pricey collection of single-malt Scotches and champagnes, and you can snack from the “Lite” menu. If you make a reservation to guarantee a table you will also have a place to rest between songs. Early evening is more relaxed, but come the weekend this place gets loose. Tip: Come dressed for success (no casual jeans, open-toed shoes for men, or sneakers), or you’ll be turned away at the door. Atop the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St., 21st floor. 415/395-8595.www.harrydenton.com. Cover $10 Wed–Fri after 8:30pm; $15 Sat after 8:30pm.
Harry Denton’s Starlight Room.
Holy Cow Its motto, “Never a cover, always a party,” has been the case since 1987 when this industrial SoMa nightclub opened. The local clubbers rarely come here anymore, but it’s still a reliable place for tourists and geezers like me who want to break a sweat on the dance floor to DJs spinning club classics and Top 40. Nightly drink specials make it difficult to leave sober, so plan your transportation accordingly. Note: The bar’s only open Thursday through Saturday from 9pm to 2am. 1535 Folsom St. (btw. 11th and 12th sts.). 415/621-6087.www.theholycow.com.
underground