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3731 India St; dishes $4-7; lunch & dinner) This place and its sister restaurant Saffron Noodles & Saté (Map; 619-574-7737; 3737 India St; mains $5 to $9; open lunch and dinner) serve their respective namesakes for under $10 and have been visited by culinary luminaries including Julia Child and Martha Stewart. Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken (takeout only) uses a charcoal-grill and comes with a choice of sauces, salad, jasmine rice and a menu of finger foods. Its neighbor, Noodles and Saté, serves big bowls of steaming noodle soup and stir-fried noodles by the plate.

Shakespeare Pub & Grille (Map; 619-299-0230; 3701 India St; dishes $5-15; 10am-midnight Sun-Thu, 10am-1am Fri & Sat) One of San Diego’s most authentic English ale houses, cedar-shake–shingled Shakespeare is the place for darts, soccer by satellite, beer on tap and pub grub, including fish and chips, and bangers and mash. It also has a great sundeck. On weekends, load up with a British breakfast: bacon, mushrooms, black and white pudding and more, served from 8am to noon.

Wine Vault & Bistro (Map; 619-295-3939; www.winevaultbistro.com; 3731-A India St; prix-fixe dinner $45-55) Perched atop staircases, this spare yet homey white space with white chairs might recall Nantucket or Napa, and that’s appropriate given that meals are meant to pair with wine. Menus change virtually nightly, so inquire when reserving. Hours vary so check the calendar on the website for details.

Gelato Vero Caffe (Map; 619-295-9269; 3753 India St; gelato per oz $0.59; 6am-midnight Sun-Thu, 7am-1am Fri & Sat; wi-fi) This tiny, funky coffee shop sells 16 flavors of house-made ice cream, plus coffee, cake, raspberry bars and coffee.

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DRINKING

San Diego may not have the swinging night scene of LA, but being in the Gaslamp Quarter it’s hard to tell.

Coffeehouses

Coffeehouses in San Diego are popular hangouts as well as nighttime venues; often they have live music.

David’s Coffeehouse (Map; 619-296-4173; 3766 5th Ave; 7am-11pm Sun-Thu, 7am-midnight Fri & Sat) Hang out inside or out on the patio, check your email, and play chess or the baby grand piano at David’s, the hub of social activity in Hillcrest, especially for the arty crowd and 12-steppers.

Living Room (Map; 619-325-4445; 2541 San Diego Ave; 6am-midnight; wi-fi) In Old Town but tired of margaritas? Head here. Free wi-fi.

Also check out Cafe Lulu (Map; 619-238-0114; 419 F St; 9am-1am Sun-Thu, 9am-2:30am Fri & Sat), or Little Italy’s Caffe Italia (Map; 619-234-6767; 1704 India St; 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm Sat & Sun) with pastries, gelati and sidewalk seating.

Bars

GASLAMP QUARTER

The Gaslamp has the city’s highest concentration of bars and nightclubs. Many establishments do double- (even triple-) duty as restaurants, bars and clubs.

Bitter End (Map; 619-338-9300; 770 5th Ave) Wear khakis and quaff martinis at this former brothel, now an atmospheric watering hole. Always popular for its extensive selection of beers on tap. Dancing downstairs.

Moose McGillycuddy’s (Map; 619-702-5595; 535 5th Ave) The college crowd shoots pool and gets rowdy at this fun frat-boy bar.

Onyx Room & Thin (Map; 619-235-6699; 852 5th Ave) The candlelit Onyx is a downstairs jazz lounge with a dance floor; Thin is an ultracool, industrial-look upstairs bar, great for cocktails and conversation. Wear nice shoes.

Red Circle Bar (Map; 619-234-9211; 420 E St) Order a martini, raise your pinkie, and peruse the Soviet-era memorabilia and lissome crowd bathed in sexy red lighting at this Russian-themed boîte, with more than 100 varieties of vodka.

Star Bar (Map; 619-234-5575; 423 E St) When you’ve had it with gentrified style and you’re looking for a historic dive, head to this old-school bar decorated year-round with Christmas lights.

DOWNTOWN & LITTLE ITALY

Airport Lounge (Map; 619-685-3881; 2400 India St) The clientele is cool, the DJs hot, the design mod, the drinks strong and the servers dressed like flight attendants at this buzzy watering hole right in the flight path of San Diego Airport.

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GAY & LESBIAN