Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [177]
• The Tenderloin, though still dangerous at night (take a taxi), is now a new hot spot for serious mixologists.
• Tourists mix with conventioneers at downtown pubs.
• North Beach serves all types, mostly tourists.
• Russian Hill’s Polk Street has become the new Marina/Cow Hollow scene.
• The Castro caters to gay locals and tourists.
• SoMa offers an eclectic mix from sports bars to DJ lounges.
The following is a list of a few of San Francisco’s more interesting bars. Unless otherwise noted, these bars do not have cover charges.
Alembic In the heart of the Haight is one of the city’s premiere cocktail bars—with fine-tuned classics, some unusual originals from bartender Daniel Hyatt, such as the Southern Exposure (gin, mint, lime, sugar, and celery juice), a menu of greasy and sophisticated snacks from lamb sliders to bone barrow, and barbacks eager to whip up custom drinks such as funky Manhattan variations (our beverage of choice). On the last Sunday of the month, they'll hand you a copy of the classic Savoy Cocktail Book and offer to make anything in its nearly 300 pages. 1725 Haight St. (btw. Cole St. and Shrader sts.) 415/666-0822. www.alembicbar.com.
Blackbird Blackbird provides some much needed balance to the plenitude of dark, cruisy gay bars in the Castro. This is exactly what a neighborhood hangout should be. There’s plenty of room (when it’s not crowded on the weekends) for groups of friends to meet after work and actually be able to sit (not stand) together and catch up. Chatty bartenders mix classic and house-invented cocktails and pour beers from an impressive list of little-known craft brewers. The relaxed vibe is echoed in the pickled wood dropped ceiling, spacious orange benches, and a mix tape soundtrack played at just the right volume—you can enjoy the music and still hear yourself think. Rotating art contrasts nicely with the oak bar and walls papered with front page stories of historic disasters. Note: This bar is cash only. 2124 Market St. (btw. Church and Sanchez sts.). 415/503-0630. www.blackbirdbar.com.
Bourbon & Branch An unmarked door on the corner of Jones and O’Farrell streets opens to unveil the dimly lit interior of Bourbon & Branch, where you’re only admitted upon presenting the correct password. Anyone can make a reservation (online or by phone) to receive the code for entry, but it’s often necessary to do so weeks in advance, and you’re only allotted a space for 2 hours—but not a second more. Although fairly well known and wildly popular among the locals, this is one of those secrets we tend to like to keep to ourselves out of fear that we’ll no longer be able to get a table. In fact, if you don’t plan a few days—sometimes even a week—in advance, it’s already difficult to get seating. Although if you don’t have a reservation, it’s not a problem if you don’t mind sitting at the bar. After ringing the buzzer, give the hostess the password “books,” and you’ll be allowed into the hidden room accessed by way of a moving bookcase. Just don’t fail to meticulously study the speakeasy’s house rules before you go: They mean business. The drinks menu is as extensive as they come with favorites such as the Old Fashioned or Sidecar mingling with more nouveau creations such as a cucumber gimlet or an elderflower-and-champagne concoction. 501 Jones St. (at O’Farrell St.). 415/346-1735.www.bourbonandbranch.com. No cover.
Bourbon & Branch.
Buddha Lounge If you like colorful dive bars you’ll love the Buddha Lounge. This heart-of-Chinatown bar is a great glimpse into Chinatown’s neighborhood culture. Of course, most tourists shy away from what appears to be yet another dark, seedy watering hole, but it’s really just a cheery neighborhood bar. Be brave. Step inside, order a drink, and pretend you’re in a Charlie Chan movie. The best part is when the Chinese woman behind the bar answers the phone: “HELLO BUDDHA!” 901 Grant Ave. (at Washington St.). 415/362-1792. No cover.
Buena Vista Café “Did you have an Irish coffee at the Buena Vista?” The popular myth