San Francisco - Alison Bing [139]
SF is inhabited by some of the USA’s biggest wine snobs. To ensure complete satisfaction, the wine lists in fine restaurants commonly outsize the menus, and a sommelier visits each table to help diners make sense of it all.
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PRACTICALITIES
Opening Hours
Bars typically open in the late afternoon on weekdays for happy hour (between 4pm and 7pm) and stay open until 11pm or midnight. On weekends, many open in the late morning and remain open until 2am. Last call is always a half-hour before close. That said, bar hours depend on what neighborhood you happen to be in, and whether the bar serves food, in which case the alcohol might flow earlier.
How Much?
Bar-pulled microbrews run from $4 to $7 a pint, depending on where you are and what brew you’re having, and well-mixed drinks cost somewhat more, especially if you’re into top-shelf hooch.
A slopped-together martini of Gordon’s vodka and watermelon liquor might seem like a good deal at $6 to $7, until you discover it tastes like a Jolly Rancher candy and delivers an on-the-spot headache. The classic or experimental gourmet choices with premium booze can cost a tenner or more, but be warned they pack a lot of bang for the buck. A small cup of regular American coffee averages $1.75, while a cappuccino or latte might be upwards of $3.
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ID, PLEASE…
If you can’t show proof you’re over 21 at bars and clubs, even if you’re well over 30, you won’t get in. Best is a government-issued ID, preferably your driver’s license; otherwise carry a color photocopy of your passport – but if you look young, some bartenders won’t serve you without seeing your actual passport, which we never recommend carrying around when you’re drinking, unless you’re the most together person we’ve never met.
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Tipping
Tips are most appreciated in cash. A dollar for every one or two beers will keep the drinks rolling along nicely, and if you want the bartender to remember you, tip more – or less.
Be sure to generously acknowledge any extra labor that went into a cocktail (like that fresh-pureed fruity number or perfect martini) and you’ll be subtly rewarded on your next round. A note to foreigners from countries where alcohol is strictly measured: California bartenders are allowed to pour liberally, without using a state-controlled measuring spout. If you tip well, bartenders often pour heavier, meaning that your generosity may end up getting you drunk after the second cocktail.
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EMBARCADERO & THE PIERS
BUENA VISTA CAFé Map Bar
415-474-5044; www.thebuenavista.com; 2765 Hyde St; 9am-2am Mon-Fri, 8am-2am Sat & Sun; Powell-Hyde
Warm your cockles with a prim little goblet of bitter-creamy Irish coffee, introduced to the US at this destination bar that once served sailors and cannery workers. The creaky Victorian floor manages to hold up carousers and families alike, served community-style at round tables overlooking the wharf.
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DOWNTOWN
BUBBLE LOUNGE Map Bar
415-434-4204; www.bubblelounge.com; 714 Montgomery St; 5:30pm-1am Tue & Wed, to 2am Thu & Fri, 6:30pm-2am Sat; 1, 10, 12, 20
Though its aesthetic went out of fashion with the recession, the velvet-draped Bubble Lounge remains Downtown’s top spot for champagne by the glass. Suburbanites throng the place on weekends, but on weeknights it’s perfect for a swanky date or girls’ night out. When a sofa opens up, snag it immediately. Wear nice shoes.
CANTINA Map Bar
415-398-0195; www.cantinasf.com; 580 Sutter St; 5pm-2am Mon-Sat; 2, 3, 4
All the Latin-inspired cocktails (think tequila, cachaça and pisco) are made with fresh juice – there’s not even a soda gun behind the bar – at this mixologist’s dream bar that’s mellow enough on weeknights for quiet conversation. The all-local crowd includes many off-duty bartenders – always a good sign. DJs spin on weekends.
CLOCK BAR Map Bar
415-397-7000; www.michaelmina.net/clockbar; Westin St