San Francisco's
gay and lesbian
bars are many and varied,
ranging from cozy cocktail lounges
to no-holds-barred
leather-and-chain hangouts. The
scene may no longer be quite as
wild as its reputation would have
you believe, but at its best it
can still be hard to beat.
Badlands 4121 18th St
tel 415/626-9320. A Western-style
bar with a small dance floor and
happy hour every weeknight
(4-7pm). Very popular and recently
re-vamped.
Café Flore 2298 Market
St tel 415/621-8579. Very much the
"in" spot before dark.
Attractive café with leafy
outdoor area and no shortage of
people sizing each other up.
Eagle Tavern 398 12th St
tel 415/626-0880. Legendary SoMa
biker bar. Not for wimps.
Esta Noche 3079 16th St
tel 415/861-5757. Gay discomania
Latin-style. Young men and their
admirers dance to a hi-NRG disco
beat.
Harvey's 500 Castro St
tel 415/431-4278. A central and
convivial gay bar in The Castro
drawing a friendly,
community-oriented mixed gay and
lesbian crowd. Serves food, too.
Hole in the Wall 289 8th
St tel 415/431-HOWL. A biker and
rock club that deliberately
recalls the days when gay bars hid
in dark alleys. Beware: the
clientele can occasionally be
found completely nude. However,
it's all in good fun (and quite
popular) but occasionally a little
rough.
Lexington Club 3464 19th
St at Lexington tel 415/863-2052.
The first neighborhood bar for
women in a long time, packed with
lesbians of all stripes and their
male friends. Good jukebox.
Martunis 4 Valencia St
at Market tel 415/241-0205. A
swank place in which to drink
martinis and sing show tunes
around the piano, from 9pm on.
Midnight Sun 4067 18th
St tel 415/861-4186. Young, white
boys dressed to the nines and
cruising like maniacs in this
noisy Castro video bar.
The Mint 1942 Market St
tel 415/626-4726. The best karaoke
bar in the city, packed with a
boisterous, thirtysomething crowd
of songsters.
Rawhide 280 7th St tel
415/820-1621. If men in chaps are
your scene, look no further than
this dimly lit SoMa bar/dance club
that plays country-and-western and
bluegrass favorites. A legendary
SF venue.
The Stud 399 9th St tel
415/252-7883. An oldie but a
goodie. A favorite gay dancing
spot with lesbian nights on
certain days. Energetic,
uninhibited dancing and good
times.
