San Francisco Nightlife

San Francisco's nightlife pulsates with creative decadence. With more than 2,000 places to buy a drink, you never go thirsty. Such a huge diversity of bars makes any rule of thumb over dress codes, opening hours, cover charges and behaviour obsolete and it is best to check with individual establishments, if in doubt. Generally, however, attitude makes way for a more laid-back scene and, like all of California, smoking is not permitted. For the most part, anything goes, not least in the proliferation of gay clubs, many of which are so popular they are in danger of turning straight.

To drink, you will need to be at least 21 years old and carrying identification. Generally, restaurants, nightclubs and bars are licensed till 0200.

Some districts (most often those with a young and thrusting street culture) offer many nightlife options. These include Downtown, South of Market (SoMa) and Castro. To find the action, it may be worth consulting a current copy of the SF Bay Guardian or the SF Weekly (free papers widely available in newspaper boxes throughout the city).