A–Z

Willow Glen's grown-up Friday-night spot — twenty wines on draft, Tuesday trivia, the kind of after-dinner crowd that lingers…

Geary Street hookah lounge listed until 2am every night; hours source is third-party, so verify before heading out.

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

Industry favorite on 16th — no reservations, killer cocktails, elevated bar food including a fried chicken sandwich with havarti…

Restored historic cinema with full food and cocktail service at your seat. Late shows most nights.

Multi-floor venue with a main stage, lower level with bowling and arcade, and a rooftop. Hybrid concert/nightlife space.

Last of its kind in the Tenderloin — a working-class queer bar with weekly drag, the Hot Boxxx Girls revue, a dance floor the…

Korean pocha-style spot at the edge of Lakeside — a 25-seat communal table, soju bottles, kimchi pancakes and budae jjigae army…

Decades-old walk-up burger stand on Ocean Ave — juicy patties, root beer floats, no frills, no apps. The only real late-night…

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

Eddy Street bodega-style counter pizza and NYC chopped-cheese sandwiches for a deep Tenderloin food run. Current official order…

Excelsior pool hall with late hours.

Old-Vegas style supper-club venue on Columbus, gold curtain stage, history that includes Rita Hayworth and the Grateful Dead.…

Intimate jazz supper club with full dinner service and live music.

The infamous Los Gatos dive that serves kamikazes in pint glasses. Cash culture, shoulder-to-shoulder, the kind of place…

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

Potrero Hill pool-table classic. View of the city from the front window if you angle right. Quiet, regulars-heavy, exactly what…

Industrial-park dive that's been here longer than half the buildings around it. Pool tables, a small dance floor that activates…

John Lee Hooker's old blues room across from the Fillmore. Dance floor, funk and jam bookings, and a lineage you can feel in the…

Independent Potrero venue known for catching bands just before they break out.

Old-world wood-paneled steakhouse with no sign on the door — Cow Hollow's worst-kept secret. NY pepper steak, French onion soup,…

Downtown San Jose's reliable British sports pub — Premier League mornings, Sharks nights, last call at 2am Friday and Saturday.…

The Temescal outpost of the SF original. Tea leaf salad and the platha line are still the move.

Columbus Ave griddle joint cranking out cheesesteaks and half-pound burgers till 2am. Tiny counter, paper-wrapped sandwiches,…

Speakeasy-era basement room beneath The Swedish American Hall — long bar, leather booths, intimate stage, and calendar-driven…

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

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

Downtown Campbell's house-and-Top-40 dance bar since 2002. Tight room, mirror walls, the only place on Campbell Ave where you…

A North Santa Cruz Ave Irish pub that swerves into proper cocktail bar after 10pm. Whiskey list, friendly bartenders, the easy…

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

Castro Street Latin tapas with live music on the back patio. A staple of late-evening MV.

Full kitchen until midnight every night in the Castro, with a cocktail program.

Rooftop bar atop the Proper Hotel with 360 views, fire pits, and a polished cocktail program. More bar than restaurant after 10.

Intimate comedy venue with strong local lineups.

Rooftop Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) spot that transitions into club-adjacent vibes at night with a DJ.

Ethiopian restaurant in front, dive bar with a pool table and an unbeatable jukebox in the back. Once hosted SF jazz legends;…

Larger comedy club in North Beach hosting touring headliners.

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

Deco-style jazz bar with craft cocktails. Drinks-only spot with nightly live sets.

Long-running multi-room club with its own attached pizza place and a queer-friendly crowd.

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

Northern-Italian kitchen with a serious wine list. Late-evening pasta and tableside conversation.

Brewery-pizza beer hall in a converted Uptown dealership. Long communal tables, big patio, taps deep.

Decades-deep rock'n'roll dive with a tiny stage that's hosted everyone. Cheap beer, sticky floor, no pretense.

Private-room noraebang done right — Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese tracks, a soju-and-tempura kitchen, and rooms that…

Three-floor arcade bar with pinball, classic cabinets, pool, and a DJ stage.

Long-running underground club with a loyal SoMa electronic scene.

Old-school Geary Boulevard pool hall. Classic felt, classic vibe.

Century-old Piedmont Ave creamery. Banana splits the size of small children. The 'Up' movie connection is real.

Murphy Avenue's anchor pub since '94 — the South Bay's deepest Irish whiskey shelf, Tuesday trivia, weekend DJs starting at…

Mission Street pizza and grill joint that stays open very late on weekends.

Grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ with the smoke vents going and the soju flowing past midnight. The 1am crowd is usually a mix of…

The most beautiful music room in the city — ornate balconies, gold leaf, sit-down dinner option. Built 1907, still hosts touring…

Named after a wrestler and a boxer, opened 1947, still pouring $5 wells on Geary. Ha-Ra is the Tenderloin dive everyone says is…

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

SoMa burger spot punching above its weight — truffle butter, mushroom ragout, brioche buns, and a kitchen open well past last…

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

Gatsby-styled two-room club with separate hip-hop and electronic rooms.

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

Waterfront bar on Pier 28 1/2 near the Bay Bridge ramp, useful before or after Giants games and SoMa shows. Current public…

Strongest late-night ramen option downtown. Multiple broth styles including a bonito-forward signature.

Named after Seoul's college nightlife district and trying hard to live up to it. Spicy rice cakes, fried chicken, and somaek…

Divisadero's cocktail room — design-forward drinks, lighter shareable plates that survive a third round, and a bar that reliably…

House-made pasta and Neapolitan pizzas on Columbus, kitchen open late — North Beach's answer to the question of what a real…

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

Uptown ramen shop with a tight broth lineup and bar seats facing an open kitchen.

Daly City Italian-American institution since 1956. Open kitchen counter, prime rib, and the corner booths fill early.

Detroit-style square pies with creative toppings. Late-night weekend hours in the Mission.

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

A 50-year-old time warp tucked behind the Pruneyard. Jukebox in front, shuffleboard and darts in the back, no TVs, no pretense —…

Clement Street Thai standby — papaya salad with the crunch, crispy chicken wings, drunken noodles. Open till midnight every…

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

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

Hong Kong-style dessert cafe (cha chaan teng). Sesame and almond soup, mango sago, waffles until midnight.

Decades-deep SJSU-adjacent taquería. Famous for the orange sauce that fuels half of downtown's late-night decisions.

Hookah-and-mezze lounge on the Upper Haight — kebab plates, mint tea, hookah glowing through smoke. Till 2am, which on Haight…

Pakistani karahi joint in the heart of the Tenderloin — bone-in goat, chicken karahi bubbling in metal pans, naan straight off…

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

Main Street Cupertino's reliable midnight kitchen — sliders, ramen bowls, and a patio that fills with Apple workers when the…

Private-room karaoke in the Fillmore. Deep Chinese and English song libraries.

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

Second-oldest bar in SF (1893). The clock above the bar stopped at the 1906 earthquake and never started again. Inner Sunset's…

Darkly lit Mission cocktail room with white tablecloths, palm fronds, and Manhattans built like architecture. The volume stays…

SoMa beer den on a tiny alley off Mission — kitchen open till midnight, taps and cocktails till 2am. The post-game move when you…

Upscale bowling and arcade lounge across from Oracle Park.

Manuel Martinez's Latin tapas room on Broadway. Inventive plates and a deep wine list.

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

Moroccan dinner and hookah lounge with occasional live entertainment acts.

American Graffiti-era drive-in chrome and red vinyl, milkshakes in tall metal cups, breakfast 24/7-ish. The Richmond branch is…

SoMa Mel's — bright and chrome and full of post-Yerba-Buena traffic. Late kitchen, ridiculous milkshakes, the kind of menu that…

SoFA's Latin dance room — salsa Wednesdays, bachata Thursdays, reggaeton on weekends. Lessons before 10pm, sweat after. Real…

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

Sichuan kitchen on Taraval with a customizable dry-pot bar and numbing-spice dial that goes higher than you think. Open till 1am…

Neighborhood pizza and delivery shop, reliable late-night fallback.

Live jazz nightly with an Asian-leaning kitchen. Cozy Hayes Valley setting.

Eighteen private rooms loaded with English, Chinese, Korean, and Hindi catalogs — a proper Asian KTV experience built into the…

Thai tabletop barbecue on Geary — flames in the middle of the table, plates of marinated meats, and a kitchen that runs till…

Late-night Vietnamese cafe with banh mi and tea drinks until midnight.

Hayes Valley dessert cafe serving bingsu, kaya toast, and mango sticky rice until 11pm.

No-frills Pakistani-Indian counter joint, the original O'Farrell location is gone but the Larkin Street outpost remains one of…

A near-secret whisky bar buried inside the TETRA Hotel near Moffett. Toki highballs, properly fried karaage, and the sort of dim…

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

Upstairs music room that's been booking live bands in Los Gatos for 25+ years. Wednesday country line-dancing nights, weekend…

San Pedro Square's anchor pub — Guinness pulled properly, fish and chips, every soccer match in every league, a lock-in feel…

The reborn Mike's Place in Cambrian/Almaden, now booking local bands and neighborhood bar nights. Treat late-night timing…

Built on the bones of a beached ship at Pacific & Battery, a Barbary Coast survivor pouring drinks until 2am and publishing a…

1956 downtown SJ classic. Bow-tie servers and an open kitchen counter; now more late-evening than true late-night.

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

Critically acclaimed cocktail bar highlighting Asian-inspired ingredients.

Down a flight of stairs off Post Street — Japantown's open-mic karaoke dive, dark booth, lottery-style queue, runs till 2am. The…

Pupuseria with generous fillings and live mariachi on good nights. Weekend hours push deep into the night.

Private-room karaoke with a full bar. Half-off rooms Mon-Tue.

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

Mediterranean restaurant with a full hookah lounge. Late kitchen and hookah service.

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

French neighborhood bistro at the base of Telegraph Hill — duck confit, late-night oyster specials, wine list deep enough to get…

The pho place with the robot servers, open till 2am every night on King Rd. Modern dining room, classic pho, and the late-night…

Grand Century Mall stalwart on Story Rd, named for the perfect angle of a steaming bowl. Beef pho, bun bo hue, vermicelli plates…

Milpitas's most reliable late-night pho — wide menu, broth that tastes like it's been simmering all day, dining room still…

Berryessa's late-night pho hold-out — Thursday through Sunday till midnight, dining room still warm with broth steam at 11:50pm.…

Castro sports bar serving the LGBTQ+ community since 1980. Big patio, big screens, draft list deep into the local lineup. Open…

Downtown boba shop open to 11pm. Serves drinks in reusable glass bottles.

Tented Seoul street-stall energy compressed into an El Camino strip mall. Soju bottles, kimchi pancakes, marinated crab, and a…

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

Bowling alley tucked into the Presidio. Weekend hours go past midnight.

A Divisadero slice counter for a late-ish pizza run, but current official/order pages point closer to midnight than the old 2am…

Longest-running comedy club in SF. Two-drink minimum, well-known touring acts.

South Bay's longest-running mainstream dance club. Murphy Ave's only dedicated thump-on-thump room — bottle service, dress code,…

Tucked into a Sunnyvale industrial-park strip mall and named best live music in Silicon Valley by people who actually listen to…

Dance bar known for 90s and 2000s throwback nights. Public nights run Thursday through Sunday, with late club nights driven by…

Upscale Mexican on Hamilton with a serious tequila program and a covered back patio.

A tight Korean pub doing rice bowls and fried chicken till midnight, packed on 49ers nights when Levi's empties out. Order the…

Hayes Valley's small-but-mighty room — indie shows, dance nights, all-ages bookings, and event-specific late bar nights. Check…

Massive Japanese game-center inside Eastridge Mall — bowling lanes, fifty claw machines, rhythm games, private karaoke, and a…

Massive Japanese-style entertainment complex. Arcade, bowling, karaoke, and darts under one roof, open until 2am nightly.

Himalayan-leaning Indian kitchen in the Fillmore — paneer tikka, butter chicken, biryani, momos. Open till midnight, the late…

Cash-only burger counter on Broadway, still a weekend North Beach late-food move. Current official hours point to 2am on Friday…

Downtown SJ food hall and bar block. Multiple stalls, multiple bars, big covered patio.

Downtown MV New-American with a covered patio and a late kitchen on weekends.

The new upstairs lounge in the old Mountain Charley's space — velvet, low light, ice spheres. Los Gatos dressed for a night out.

Twenty-year-old slice operation on Lower Haight that still does the job — pepperoni, jalapeños, ranch on the side, fluorescent…

Purpose-built jazz concert hall. The Miner Auditorium has been praised as one of the best listening rooms anywhere.

Rooftop lounge with SF skyline views. Bar service runs to midnight most nights and 1am on Friday-Saturday.

Mission dance bar at 16th & Valencia with rotating DJs, a back-room dance floor, and a stiff house Manhattan. Long-running,…

Wings ranked from 'Traditional' to a sauce literally called 'Inferno,' served by a place that's been daring people for 30 years.…

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

Down a Saroyan-named alley off Columbus, the walls are covered in nautical and bohemian artifacts collected over decades.…

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

One of the latest Chinese kitchens in the city. Taishanese specialties until 3am every night.

Small izakaya with yakitori, ramen, and Japanese small plates. Late hours Wed-Sat.

Iconic 24th & Mission taqueria. Super burritos and al pastor that built the Mission burrito legend. Cash only.

Outer Mission super-burrito factory churning out carne asada and al pastor till 2:30am on weekends. Lower-key sibling to the…

Big-room EDM club with LED-heavy production and touring DJs. Thursday through Saturday only.

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

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

Custom ice-cream cookie sandwiches. Late hours on weekends.

Hayes Valley chicken sandwich and burger spot with a sports bar side. Open late on weekends.

Where Inner Richmond restaurant workers go after shift. Staff-owned, dimly lit, beer-and-shot economy, open till 2am every night.

Former mortuary turned indie venue with a 40-foot vaulted ceiling — best mid-size room in the Mission. Restaurant out front,…

Half neighborhood bar, half pool hall, all night. Late karaoke, 2am close every day, the kind of place where engineers off late…

Legendary Fillmore music hall with chandeliers and free posters after the show.

Upscale pool hall with Diamond tables and a cocktail program.

Beloved intimate concert venue, consistently ranked among SF's best.

Living-room-meets-dance-floor: thrift-store sofas up front, DJs and dance floor in the back.

Large warehouse venue with multiple rooms. House and techno focus, with art installations throughout.

Open-to-the-crowd karaoke (not private rooms). Longtime SF institution.

Mid-size Uptown concert room programming heavy on hip-hop, soul, and Bay Area legends.

The revived Old Pro space on Ramona, rebuilt as a polished sports bar with Stanford roots and a limited late-night menu until…

Japanese gastropub on Post Street — sake, yakitori skewers, golden karaage, sushi when the kitchen is in the mood. Open till…

Downtown SJ multi-room nightclub. EDM and hip-hop dominate weekends; SJSU crowd.

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

South Berkeley Irish pub with traditional sessions, indie shows, and a stubborn Bay Area authenticity.

Pink-lit Uptown rock club with a deeper history than its size suggests.

Two-floor Mission dance bar with rotating themed nights.

Downtown Campbell's most ambitious cocktail program — hidden door, dim booths, classic stirred drinks built like architecture.…

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

Willow Glen's only true late-night bar — daytime neighborhood pub, late-night dancehall on the same Lincoln Ave block as the…

A proper Hong Kong-style late-night cafe doing baked pork chop rice, clay pots, congee, and milk tea till 3am on weekends. The…

The surviving Durant Ave Top Dog: campus hot dogs, kielbasa, and late-night Cal energy after the downtown Center St shop closed.

Korean food in a converted garage at the foggy western edge of the Sunset — soju, fried chicken, anchovy stew, the kind of…

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

Mission cocktail temple where every six months the entire menu gets redesigned around a new conceit — vinyl record, zodiac,…

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

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

Counter-service burger spot on Balboa with creative toppings, garlic fries, and a small but devoted neighborhood crowd. Closed…

Polk Street Chinese kitchen open until 1am, solid for a late group meal.

Steakhouse with a serious cocktail program that flips into a lounge after 10pm on weekends. Hamachi crudo at 12:30am — that's…

Chinatown classic known for salt and pepper crab, clams in black bean sauce, and boiled chicken with ginger.

The biker-and-everyone-else patio at Valencia and Duboce — sixty-plus beers on tap, sassy bartenders, tamale guy on rotation, a…