After telling you about the Top 10 Things To Do In San Francisco and my Top 10 Insider Tips For San Francisco I received a lot of questions about the city and where to go. That is why in this post, I want to tell you about my favorite spots in San Francisco and where I used to hang out while I was living there.
Bean Bag Cafe
This Cafe is certainly the place where I had the most breakfasts at and it is probably my most favorite place. The cafe is located on Divisadero St. (see below) and offers breakfasts as well as awesome beer deals and is open all day. While at most brunch places you have to wait in line forever or even have to put down your name in a list, you will get your order within a reasonable time - somehow there's always space. It's magical. My personal recommendation is the Eggs Benedict (seriously, it's my all time favorite and I had several people swear to honor the integrity of the Bean Bag Cafe).
The Page
Also on Divisadero Street is a bar called The Page (it would be my most favorite place in the city if the just offered food). In reality, this is just a super regular neighborhood place with billiard, fussball and cheap drinks (a Gin and Tonic for $5!!!). But for me it is one of the greatest bars in the world - because of its location and the great times I had there. Also, it has several stoops. The perfect bar to hang with your squad on a regular Wednesday night. Or Thursday night. Or Friday night. It's the perfect place for 7 evenings in a row. Trust me. I tried it. (Attention: this is a cash-only place but thank god, there is an ATM in the back.
Madrone Art Bar
Another place on Divisadero Street - Madrone Art Bar. The place is the perfect mixture between bar and club and their Motown Mondays are awesome! The music and decoration is fantastic and their cocktails are quite good too! It's a cash-only bar but the ATM is right in the entrance area. However, you should consider showing up quite early as the place isn't very big so be prepared to stand in line for quite some time if you shop up too late.
Divisadero Street
You might have seen it coming: Divisadero Street is my favorite street in all of San Francisco. Besides the places I already mentioned, you can also find a Bi Rite supermarket and several amazing restaurants and bars such as Raggazza, Souvla or The Horse on that street. On Saturdays there is a cute market right next to Bean Bag Cafe and other nice areas like the Duboce Triangle and Hayes Valley are just around the corner. Seriously, I don't unterstand why this street isn't more popular.
Crissy Field
After all these bars it's time for some nature: one of my favorite places to hang out is Crissy Field. Not only is it a great place to escape the city, it also offers a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County. Some people claim it's a perfect spot for shark swimming too - but I've never tried in person ;)
Dolores Park
Dolores Park is one of my favorite places to hang out on a sunny weekend. If you want to have some beer with friends, read a book or simply catch some sunbeams - this is the place where you want to be. And I swear - it's almost magical. You can find people drinking, smoking, painting, dancing or doing even more weird stuff. Plus - for you well-being is being well taken care of. Wether you want ice cream, a rum coconut, a joint, beer or cookies - trustworthy salesman offer their goods almost all the time.
El Techo
If you want to grab a cold drink with a view, El Techo is the place you want to be. Believe it or not - rooftop bars are kinda rare in San Francisco. That is why you should definitely arrive early as there will be a line right when they open. You get to the top in an elevator where you can enjoy a nice view of the city. I myself had some good times with friends on that rooftop and I'm sure you will, too.
Duboce Triangle
Every part of the city has its soul in San Francisco - but the Duboce Triangle (I am not sure if it is even an official district) is definitely my favorite. Even though you won't find any of the typical San Francisco hills in this area, it is absolutely stunningly beautiful. You find a lot of typical San Francisco houses and cute places to hang out such as Duboce Park or Duboce Park Cafe. If you're around, make sure to check out one of my favorite Cafes in the city: Café du Soleil. Their french toast is amazing and every third Wednesday they have life music.
Golden Gate Park
You can probably spend days or even weeks discovering the biggest park in the city. Golden Gate park has amazing places to hang out on a sunny day but is also home to the Botanical Garden and museums such as the California Academy of Sciences and the De Young Museum. Plus there are almost always some special events going on like the famous festival Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or simply small festivities like a Dutch celebration for Koningsdag.
Courtney's
Haven't heard of that place? Well, it's a small corner store on the corner of Castro and 14th Street. The store has a selection of vegetables and fruit, baked goods, flowers and other groceries such as pre-made salads and sandwiches. Why is it so amazing? First of all it is run by the most adorable Irish family (and some weird Asian folks that look kinda grumpy but hey that makes it fun) with the cutest daughter. And most importantly - they are comparably cheap! San Francisco is a really expensive place and if you want to find cheap groceries, you have to go to Chinatown - or Courtney's. Also, the place looks super cute and is a complete neighborhood place. Definitely stop by if you are in the area and try one of their scones!
These are my favorite spots in the city by the bay. If you are ever around, you should definitely check them out.
What do you think about them? Have you been to the city? If so, I would love to hear about your favorite places!
Kate recommends: My favorite spots in San Francisco go well with one of my favorite books about it too - Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore by Robin Sloan. The novel entails everything I love: San Francisco, data, love and - duh - books! It's very smart and exciting and definitely a must-read for everyone in the tech industry who still likes to daydream (or who walks into a bookstore and thinks it's a magical portal).