Tosca Cafe in San Francisco is the North Beach Italian American room since 1919, reopened by April Bloomfield in 2013 with a Roman chicken and the house cappuccino.
Food program: Italian American kitchen, full menu
Tip: Sit at the bar for the espresso machine theatre; the roast chicken takes 40 minutes, order it first.
Address: 242 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Hi Tops in San Francisco is the Castro's gay sports bar with a long Sunday brunch and the city's most-cited pickle-back, opened in 2012 across from the Castro Theatre.
Signature drink: Pickle-back shot
Food: Bar food, daily specials
Tip: Game days run a kitchen-set menu; pre-order at the bar to skip the queue.
The Treasury in San Francisco is the Financial District after-work bar in a 1925 vault, with a long Old Fashioned list and a snack menu that holds up to a Friday rush.
Signature drink: Old Fashioned with house bitters
Food: Snack menu
Tip: Friday from 17:00 fills the bar fast; book a side booth via the website for groups of four-plus.
Rye in San Francisco is the Tenderloin's whiskey-leaning cocktail bar since 2007, with a long rye list, a back patio and a Boulevardier spec the regulars order.
Signature drink: Boulevardier on rye
Food: None (drink-only)
Tip: Open until 02:00; the bar has the city's most reliable late post-show Boulevardier.
Comstock Saloon in San Francisco is the North Beach saloon reopened to a 19th-century template, with the Pisco Punch made to the long-lost Bank Exchange recipe.
Signature drink: Pisco Punch
Food: Bar snacks, full dinner menu
Tip: Order the Pisco Punch and a plate of Welsh rarebit at the bar; the back dining room takes reservations.
The Snug in San Francisco is Hi Lo's Pacific Heights cocktail bar on the Fillmore corner, with a Negroni board, a long American whiskey list and a strong bar-snack kitchen.
Signature drink: Snug Negroni
Food: Snack menu
Tip: Bar seats fill from 18:00; come at 17:30 on a weeknight for a guaranteed perch.
Specs' in San Francisco is the North Beach dive in an alley off Columbus, with maritime memorabilia, an Anchor Steam draw and 60 years of regulars holding the booths.
Signature drink: Anchor Steam beer
Food: None
Tip: Cash only; bring a small bill, talk to whoever is at the bar, do not photograph the wall.
