San Francisco - Alison Bing [146]
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THE CASTRO & NOE VALLEY
AMBER Map Bar
415-626-7827; 718 14th St; 6pm-2am; Church St
Amber’s retro stylings are matched by its old-fashioned tolerance of smokers. You’re free to light up here on one of the sleek, mid-century-modern couches or right at the bar. Nonsmokers flock here to hang with the giggling, mixed, 20-something crowd.
SAMOVAR TEA LOUNGE Map Cafe
415-626-4700; www.samovartea.com; 498 Sanchez St; 10am-10pm; 24, 33, F, K, L, M
Styled in soothing Zen-chic, Samovar’s sunny Castro location specializes in organic, fair-trade teas, and provides a cozy alternative to the neighborhood’s ubiquitous bars. Bento boxes, cheese plates and tea cookies give reason to linger.
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top picks
CAFES
Caffe Trieste
Farley’s
Momi Toby’s Revolution Café (opposite)
Atlas Cafe
Café Flore
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THE HAIGHT
ALEMBIC Map Bar
415-666-0822; www.thealembicbar.com; 1725 Haight St; 4pm-2am Mon-Thu, noon-2am Fri-Sun; 6, 7
Haight St’s spiffiest bar has hammered tin ceilings, rough-hewn wood floors and an impressive array of whiskeys and mixology drinks, appealing to bon-vivant 30-somethings who jam the tiny space every night. If you’re not ordering dinner, expect to stand shoulder to shoulder. Great bar nibbles include za’atar potato chips.
AUB ZAM ZAM Map Bar
415-861-2545; 1633 Haight St; 3pm-2am; 6, 7
Arabesque arches, a gorgeous Arabian Nights–style mural, blues on the jukebox and top-shelf cocktails at low-shelf prices keep poets and musicians happy for the night at this Haight St mainstay. Ask about Bruno, the legendary now-deceased owner, who’d throw you out for ordering a vodka martini. Seriously.
MADRONE Map Bar
415-611-6838; www.madronelounge.com; 500 Divisadero St; 6pm-2am Tue-Sat, to midnight Sun & Mon; 5, 21, 24
A changing roster of DJs and giggling cuties come as a surprise in a goth-Victorian bar decorated with animal skulls, creepy murals of uprooted madrone trees and art suggesting untimely demises, but nothing surprises us as much as the jaw-dropping mashups at the Saturday-monthly Prince vs Michael Jackson party, when the place packs.
NOC NOC Map Bar
415-861-5811; www.nocnocs.com; 557 Haight St; 5pm-2am; 6, 7, 22, 71
Who’s there? Nearsighted graffiti artists, anarchist bike messengers moonlighting as electronica DJs, and other characters straight out of an R Crumb comic, that’s who. The sake cocktails will knock you off your stool.
TORONADO Map Bar
415-863-2276; www.toronado.com; 547 Haight St; 11:30am-2am; 6, 7, 22, 71
Glory hallelujah, beer-lovers: your prayers have been heard. Be humbled before the chalkboard altar listing 50-plus beers on tap and hundreds more bottled, including spectacular seasonal microbrews. Bring cash, come early and stay late, with a sausage from Rosamunde next door to accompany ale made by Trappist monks.
COFFEE TO THE PEOPLE Map Cafe
415-626-2435; www.coffeetothepeople.com; 1206 Masonic Ave; 6am-9pm Mon-Fri, 7am-9pm Sat & Sun; 6, 7;
This utopian coffee shop hosts folksy Tuesday open-mic, and serves enough fair-trade coffee to revive the Sandinista movement. Five percent of your purchase goes to support community organizations, and baristas donate 3% of their tips to send children in coffee-growing regions to school.
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HAYES VALLEY
CAV WINE BAR Map Bar
415-437-1770; www.cavwinebar.com; 1666 Market St; 5pm-midnight Mon-Sat; 5, 6, F
If Hôtel Biron (below) is packed, fret not: nearby Cav serves 40 wines by the glass (most under $10), available in flights or 2.5oz pours, in a concrete-and-metal industrial space. Tasty small plates keep your palate zinging.
HôTEL BIRON Map Bar
415-703-0403; www.hotelbiron.com; 45 Rose St; 5pm-2am; 5, 6, F
Our favorite SF wine bar has an outstanding selection strong on French, Spanish and Portuguese vintages. The vibe