Bars

Stylish cocktail lounge with a resident DJ and moody ambiance. Open to 2am every night.

Dimly lit vintage bar with a live Hammond organist most nights. A true SF original.

Hidden alley bar with a vinyl-record motif and a live DJ. Great cocktail variety.

Widely considered one of the best tiki bars in the country. Deep rum list and a multi-level interior.

Critically acclaimed cocktail bar highlighting Asian-inspired ingredients.

1883 saloon at Jack London Square with floors tilted by the 1906 quake. Cash-friendly, regulars-driven, the kind of bar that…

Dive rock bar with a full kitchen (Overkill Grill). Great pool tables, burgers, and tots.

Berkeley's oldest pub. Free popcorn, shuffleboard, darts, trivia, and a fireplace that earns the wait list.

Hidden cocktail room behind a tailor-shop facade. Serious drinks, low light, low volume.

SJSU-edge craft beer bar plus bottle shop. Rotating taps, knowledgeable staff, growlers to go.

Palo Alto's holdout dive. Peanut shells on the floor, a stuffed gorilla in a cage, and a pool table that's seen things.

One of the country's oldest continuously-running queer bars (1933). Dance floor, drag, and packed weekends.

Two-story downtown cocktail bar with a packed rooftop. Strong list, sharp service.

Castro-adjacent cocktail bar with a pool table and eclectic design.

Crashed-plane themed tiki bar with fire effects and plane-seat bar stools. Gimmicky but fun.

Owl-themed cocktail bar with old SF charm and a private upstairs event space.

Downtown SJ's neighborhood Irish pub. Imperial pints, fish & chips, regulars who know the bartenders.

Classic Mission dive bar with a giant neon sign and a photo booth in the back.

Sister bar to Haberdasher with its own tight list. Counter seats, attentive bartenders.

Divey live-music bar hosting local bands and DJ nights. Small but fun.

Last surviving 1920s bait-shop-turned-bar in Temescal. Outdoor heaters, shuffleboard, cheap beer.

Polished but not stuffy cocktail room in Old Oakland's brick-lined Washington Street block.

Chill Mission dive. Low-key vibe, movies on low volume, photo booth in the back.

Tiny Montclair cocktail spot with a tight list and a fireplace-corner energy.

Massive Belgian-leaning beer list, a tree-shaded back patio, and live jazz late on weekends.

Library-themed cocktail bar known for punches on tap. Good for groups.

One of the country's first brewpubs (1986). House IPAs, rooftop deck, burgers stay on the menu late.

Iconic Chinatown dive. The Chinese Mai Tai is the signature, a high ABV rum punch in a unique room.

Junk-shop maximalist Uptown cocktail bar with antlers on every wall. Famous for fresh-squeezed grapefruit greyhounds and an…

One of SF's oldest bars. Premium whiskey flights at approachable prices, livelier than a traditional dive.

Cavernous Uptown cocktail bar with two indoor bocce courts and a relaxed neighborhood crowd.

Japantown karaoke lounge with a packed weekend list and a stubbornly old-school vibe.

Downtown SJ's stubborn punk dive. Cheap drinks, sticky floors, and shows that don't soundcheck quietly.

Beloved Mission dive with pinball, a great jukebox, and a neon sign worth a photo.

Tiki-leaning lounge in downtown San Mateo. Velvet, mai tais, the occasional rumrunner.

Funky Mission dive with a jukebox, pool table, and friendly regulars.

Two-story Stanford-tilted sports bar with a mechanical bull in the back room. It's that kind of place.

Downtown MV's longstanding brewpub. House taps and a covered front patio that fills early.

Castro Street Irish pub. Pints, footy on the screens, fish and chips you can rely on.

Mid-Peninsula sports-bar with pool tables and late hours when the rest of San Mateo has packed in.

Downtown San Mateo cocktail/dance hybrid. Quiet on weeknights, packed Saturdays.

Mission cocktail lounge with quirky vintage pendant lights and reasonable prices.

Downtown San Jose's elder-statesman dive. Vinyl seats, neon, and a juke that earns its keep.

Hotel cocktail bar that doubles as one of downtown Redwood City's later-running rooms.

Day-to-night San Jose downtown room. Espresso early, cocktails and DJs late.

Hotel Durant pub on the edge of campus. Sports, pub food, decent beer list.