Our SF Recommendations!

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Scroll down for a long list of our favorite views, food, bars, arts and entertainment!

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Events Calendars

The definitive SF calendar of free/cool/strange events daily: FuncheapSF
Live concert/events: DoTheBay

Our Favorite Spots:

Only in SF

Church of 8 Wheels, a classic roller skating rink with disco/funk music. Just like the movies! Friday and Saturday, 18+
Glide Church: Every Sunday, a very uplifting non-denominational spiritual musical service that includes over 1,000 people, including many members of San Francisco’s homeless and houseless community. They have volunteer opportunities as well, you can serve food, sing, or just witness people coming together
The Center SF is a unique tea house, events, and workshops space, where you can also chill out and enjoy the beautiful interior design.
Aunt Charlie’s Lounge: Historic drag show bar in the Tenderloin!
The Castro Theatre, with classic films, drag shows, sing-alongs and film festivals, all in the city’s coolest old movie palace.
EndGames Improv: free/cheap improv comedy most nights. BYOB, near 16th St. Bart station.
Heart of the City Farmer’s Market: organic and local produce at Civic Center every Wednesday and Sunday! Open early morning til around 4pm.
Yoga To The People for donation-based yoga classes every day near 16th and Mission Bart.

Downtown/Chinatown Restaurants

Delancey Street Restaurant: Staffed by former prisoners working to turn their lives around. Great food, great prices, all for a great cause
Tlaloc is delicious, healthy and affordable Mexican food
The Plant: healthy and delicious option with lots of good vegan and vegetarian options
Sababa is another amazing falafel place
Tommy’s Joynt: Funky old school meat-centric spot and drinks

Mission District Restaurants (the foodie neighborhood)

Bi-Rite Creamery, famous first organic Ice Cream in SF! Xanath ice cream is just as good without the line!
Udupi Palace: Super delicious authentic South Indian vegetarian delights. We recommend the $12 Thali platter that can feed 2 easily and will let you sample pretty much everything!
Gracias Madre: Incredibly delicious organic Mexican food, local produce and vegan options.
Sunset Market has great Vietnamese food with an awesome lunch special
Burritos and Tacos: La Taqueria, Pancho Villa Taqueria, El Farolito, Taqueria Cancun
Shizen: mind-blowing vegan sushi
Mi Yucatán: Mayan food from Mexico. Get the Salbutes de Cochinita Pibil or Poc Chuc
La Torta Gorda: The best food from guide Arturo’s hometown (Puebla, Mexico). Get the Cemita or Mole Poblano
Blackjet Baking Company: Bakery better than Tartine (gasp!) with no lines
Cuisine of Nepal: Super yummy Nepalese food
Zante’s: Best Indian pizza (well, probably the only Indian pizza)

Coffee

Verve: perfect espresso, and amazing and beautiful food too
Sightglass: great vibes and an Instagrammable space
Ritual: owned by cool local who still lives in the Mission
Phil’z: Great coffee, great vibes at this old-school cafe (especially the 24th Street shop!)

Bars

The Saloon: The city’s oldest bar, a true “dive bar” with live blues music nightly, attracting the most diverse and hilarious crowds. (North Beach)
The Royal Cuckoo Lounge: Neighborhoody cocktail den with authentic live jazz on weekends, and undeniably cool vibes. (Mission)
Zeitgeist: A huge list of craft beer, greasy burgers, a pool table, and a big beer garden that blasts heavy metal. Something for everyone! (Mission)
El Rio: Queer-friendly dive bar with patio, live concerts, dance parties, and a cheap fun Monday night special. Also near other awesome bars: Virgil’s and the Knockout.
Great cocktails: Bon Voyage, ABV, Pagan Idol (tiki bar)

Live Music

Best venues for indie/rock concerts: The Chapel, Rickshaw Stop, The Independent, Great American Music Hall, Slim’s, Bottom of the Hill
The Boom Boom Room: Our favorite live venue, with funky authenticity and a love for getting down. (Fillmore)
Madrone Art Bar: funk and soul. Live music (Extra Nappy every week) and DJs
Club Deluxe: Excellent local jazz acts. (Haight-Ashbury)
The Rite Spot Cafe: Intimate old school bar/restaurant with live music, food and drinks, and no cover. (Mission District)
Bazaar Cafe: open mic Thursday evenings that’s been running for over 20 years

Dancing

Motown Mondays at Madrone on Divisadero Street (Cheap drinks and unbelievably great dancing)
Night clubs: Stud, F8, Cat Club
Latin Party: Super-Ritmo has amazing Latinx DJ’s from all over, every Saturday Night at the Make-Out Room.
Super Fun Monthly Soul Dance Party: Sweater Funk (2nd Saturdays at the Knockout)
Super Cool Family Owned Dance Studio in Oakland: MVMNT

Views

Corona Heights Park: Skip Twin Peaks! From Castro and Market, hike to the top of this secret hill for an absolutely stunning view of San Francisco, without Twin Peaks tour buses and tourists.
Coit Tower: An iconic Deco tower with a 360-degree city view. Note the radical WPA murals inside, too. (North Beach)
POPOS: Hidden within the Financial District are rooftop parks, urban forests, atriums and open spaces.

Arts

Thinking about visiting the California Academy of Sciences? Thursdays are the night. From 6-10 PM it’s called NightLife: open to those 21+ only (no screaming children!), with cocktails, all the exhibits open, DJs, bands, and a different focus weekly. Details
Theater: Counterpulse Theater, The Marsh, ACT, Curran Theater
Dance performance: ODC (Modern, Jazz and Contemporary Dance)
Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) 10 floors of every kind of art you can imagine
Oakland Museum: totally unique, lots of alternative subjects, and amazing performances and events
De Young Museum – Very immersive, fine arts in the middle of Golden Gate Park. They’ve also got a free entry to their tower with a great view of SF from the top floor-panoramic windows!

Volunteer

Glide Church in the Tenderloin for fun service-volunteer opportunities
Hands On Bay Area

Our Favorite Neighborhoods

North Beach (Little Italy): Start at City Lights bookstore, grab a drink at Vesuvio bar, then eat a slice of Tony’s Coal Fired Pizza at nearby Washington Square Park.
Chinatown: Wander through the shops on Grant Avenue, eat at Good Mong Kok or Sam Wo, drink boba tea from Boba Guys or Steap, then have drinks at Li Po Lounge or karaoke at Bow Bow.
Castro (LGBT+ neighborhood): Visit the GLBT History Museum, catch a sing-along movie at the Castro Theater, then have a drink at Twin Peaks or any of the bars near 18th and Castro.
Mission (Latinx, art, hipsters): Check out the street art at the Women’s Building and Clarion Alley, visit the old Spanish Mission, then grab a burrito from Pancho Villa or ice cream from Bi-Rite Creamery and eat at Dolores Park!
Haight-Ashbury (hippie district): Vintage shop at Held Over and Wasteland, buy records at Amoeba or Rasputin, then relax and wander through Golden Gate Park or the Panhandle.

21+ Nightlife

Bars in Mission at Valencia & 16th (Delirium, Double Dutch, Gestalt, Casanova, Blackbird)
Bars on Polk Street (Edinburgh Castle, Hemlock Tavern, Vertigo)
Clubs in the Soma (1015, F8, Monarch, Temple, Audio, Beatbox, Mezzanine)
LGBT nightlife (Oasis, the Stud, Aunt Charlie’s, El Rio)
Castro gay bars (The Mix, Beaux, The Edge, Midnight Sun, 440 Castro)

All-Ages Nightlife

Popscene: Friday night dance party at Rickshaw Stop
Clubs: City Nights, Club X, Ruby Skye
Church of 8 Wheels: Roller Disco party!
Concerts: Brick and Mortar, Bottom of the Hill, Rickshaw
Street Food: Off The Grid (food truck pop-up), SPARK Social SF
Other: The Center SF, Kava Lounge, Cafe International