The Fillmore ★ 4.8
$$$$
FillmoreDaily varies by event.
The Fillmore on Geary is the 800-capacity ballroom where the Dead, Hendrix and The Doors built their West Coast sets, still booking touring rock and indie.
TipApples in the lobby and a poster from the night are free souvenirs the venue still hands out. Main floor is general admission; upstairs is seated.
Great American Music Hall ★ 4.6
$$$$
FillmoreDaily varies by event.
Great American Music Hall on O'Farrell is the gilt-balconied 1907 room that books indie, hip-hop and jazz into a former bordello with a wraparound balcony.
TipReserved-seat dinner-show tickets get a balcony rail; general admission floor opens 60 minutes before showtime. Easy walk from Polk Street bars.
Cafe du Nord ★ 4.4
$$$$
CastroDaily varies by event.
Cafe du Nord sits in the basement of the Swedish American Hall on Market Street, a 320-capacity SF room booking indie, jazz and singer-songwriter sets.
TipThe room is low-ceilinged and intimate; sightlines are best from the back bar. Pre-show dinner upstairs at the hall gets you in first.
Charmaine's Rooftop Bar and Lounge ★ 4.5
$$$$
SomaMon-Fri 17:00-23:00, Sat-Sun 16:00-23:00.
Charmaine's tops the Proper Hotel on Market Street with a wraparound terrace, fireplaces and Civic Center views, with SF cocktails above the Tenderloin.
TipEntrance is on McAllister Street, not Market. Reservations open at noon for evening tables; walk-ins fill the bar after 22:00.
Top of the Mark ★ 4.4
$$$$
SomaMon-Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 15:00-00:30, Sun 16:00-23:00.
Top of the Mark crowns the InterContinental Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill in San Francisco with a 19th-floor sky lounge and a 100-martini list it has poured.
TipFriday and Saturday evenings carry a music charge after 20:00. The northwest window seats hold the Golden Gate sightline at sunset.
The View Lounge ★ 4.2
$$$$
SomaDaily 16:00-00:00.
The View Lounge sits on the 39th floor of the Marriott Marquis with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the SoMa skyline and the bay. Walk-in seating.
TipThe northwest windows look out over Yerba Buena and the Bay Bridge at twilight. Cocktail menu is conservative; pay for the room, not the recipe.