Litmaps · Discover SF

The Beat-era bookstore Ferlinghetti built, still independent, still essential. Climb to the poetry room upstairs and lose an hour.

Stylish neighborhood bar with great cocktails and small plates. Roomy enough to talk, lively enough to feel out. A reliable date HQ on Fillmore.

The legendary music hall, psychedelic posters and chandeliers, where the SF sound was born. Free apples and a poster on the way out. See anything here.

An ornate former bordello turned intimate music hall, balconies and gilt and a great sightline from anywhere. One of the best rooms in the country for a show.

A grand 1922 vaudeville-era theater on Market, now a midsize concert hall. Ornate ceilings, big shows, a little gritty at the doors. Classic SF venue.

A converted 1914 mortuary with soaring 40-foot ceilings turned beloved mid-size music venue and bar.

A glamorous 1931 supper club dripping with red-velvet, old-Hollywood charm and full bar service.

Rolling Stone's pick for best live music in SF, a sweaty indie-rock institution in a 1911 Edwardian.

A eucalyptus-ringed natural amphitheater hosting free Sunday summer concerts since 1932.

A 500-capacity club punching way above its weight, famous for surprise sets by huge touring acts.

Barbary Coast time travel. Tin ceilings, a live piano some nights, and proper old cocktails. Sit at the bar and pretend it's 1907.

Speakeasy behind an unmarked door, password and all. Pressed-tin ceilings, serious cocktails, a library room in back if you reserve.

The oldest bar in SF, 1861, a survivor of the great fire. Live blues nightly, sticky floors, zero pretense. History you can drink in.

Art bar on Divisadero famous for Prince vs Michael Jackson dance nights. Eclectic, sweaty, joyful. Costume-optional.

1930s supper club with live jazz, martinis, and buttoned-up old-school charm.

Jazz venue and restaurant known for golden-brown crackly-edged sambusas.

A sultry underground supper club bringing nightly jazz back to the historic Tenderloin.

A purpose-built modern jazz cathedral with steep, intimate sightlines and world-class acoustics.

An elegant North Beach jazz room and restaurant with nightly live sets in a classy setting.

Futuristic multi-level club with interactive LED dance floors.

SF's oldest comedy club where Robin Williams, Chappelle, and Ellen all cut their teeth.

A roomy North Beach mainstay booking the biggest names in national stand-up comedy.

A glamorous 1931 supper club dripping with red-velvet, old-Hollywood charm and full bar service.

Community-minded club hosting international DJs and underground acts.

A converted 1914 mortuary with soaring 40-foot ceilings turned beloved mid-size music venue and bar.

Drag nightclub with a proper proscenium stage and bold shows.

A Playland-at-the-Beach-style arcade bar on the former Coin-Op site, packed with games.

Legendary all-ages club with multiple stages, DJ sets, and drag.

Hawaiian-ish, Cal-ish, entirely its own thing. Beef tongue to start, a house Twinkie for dessert, a room that hums. Sit at the counter if you're solo.

A 1909 Scottish Rite hall with grand chandeliers and a sprung wooden floor for mid-size concerts.

Legendary after-hours club that keeps SF dancing into daylight.