Best of Citysearch: Nightlife in SF

330 Ritch St, San Francisco, CA 94107 (map)

LIVE MUSIC VENUE: This is an everything-you-need and-nothing-you-don't SoMa music venue with a few leather booths, two bars and a small stage about a foot off the dance floor where you can catch shows from the likes of The Cool Kids, Mos Def, DJ AM and Death Cab for Cutie before they get big enough to fill the Fillmore.

1954 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109 (map)

WINE BAR: This quiet little owner-operated wine bar is fantastic in its simplicity. The space is small and charming, and the selection is approachable yet far from dumbed-down. Catch the owner chilling on one of the comfy leather love seats with his feet up on a slow weeknight, and he'll be happy to get up to teach you a thing or two about something new on his list. Perfect for a before- or after-dinner stop on a Russian Hill date night.

540 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)

MARTINI: A quick point to make: This Mission spot is not the best place for specialty cocktails, finding a date or listening to music. That being said, they do a pretty great dirty martini that's served (most importantly) with the shaker, meaning you get 16 ounces of booze for the price most places charge for a third of that. If you can ignore your surroundings--which won't be hard after your first one--this place is highly recommended.

501 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map)

ROMANTIC BAR: Nothing puts you in the mood like low lighting, a booth to cuddle in and a $12 artisanal cocktail made with muddled farm-fresh fruit and top-shelf whiskey. Sure, you'll have to trip over a trail of junkies and broken dreams just to embarrassingly utter the password that'll get you in the door at this Tenderloin speakeasy, but there is no place more mysterious, dark, romantic and delicious for cocktails in the city.

547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map)

HAPPY HOUR: For the unemployed beer connoisseur, this gritty Lower Haight fave offers six-and-a-half hours of $2.50 pints of esoteric beer options--starting at 11:30am and running until 6pm, the hour most of us get off. As an added bonus, these guys are right next door to Rosamunde, one of the top sausage shops around, and they welcome you to bring your grub in while you're drinking.

199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (map)

OUTDOOR BAR: It's terribly cliche but we'd be remiss not to mention the fabulousness that is Zeitgeist. Divey, dirty and mostly rude as hell, this Mission biker bar would be nothing without its patio: a sundrenched back lot filled with picnic tables, where hipsters hang for hours munching on burgers and enjoying cheap pitchers of beer. SF doesn't get many sunny days, but when we do, this is the place to be.