Cafe du Nord ★ 4.4
$$$$
CastroDaily varies by event.
Cafe du Nord sits in the basement of the Swedish American Hall on Market Street, a 320-capacity SF room booking indie, jazz and singer-songwriter sets.
TipThe room is low-ceilinged and intimate; sightlines are best from the back bar. Pre-show dinner upstairs at the hall gets you in first.
Charmaine's Rooftop Bar and Lounge ★ 4.5
$$$$
SomaMon-Fri 17:00-23:00, Sat-Sun 16:00-23:00.
Charmaine's tops the Proper Hotel on Market Street with a wraparound terrace, fireplaces and Civic Center views, with SF cocktails above the Tenderloin.
TipEntrance is on McAllister Street, not Market. Reservations open at noon for evening tables; walk-ins fill the bar after 22:00.
Top of the Mark ★ 4.4
$$$$
SomaMon-Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 15:00-00:30, Sun 16:00-23:00.
Top of the Mark crowns the InterContinental Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill in San Francisco with a 19th-floor sky lounge and a 100-martini list it has poured.
TipFriday and Saturday evenings carry a music charge after 20:00. The northwest window seats hold the Golden Gate sightline at sunset.
The View Lounge ★ 4.2
$$$$
SomaDaily 16:00-00:00.
The View Lounge sits on the 39th floor of the Marriott Marquis with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the SoMa skyline and the bay. Walk-in seating.
TipThe northwest windows look out over Yerba Buena and the Bay Bridge at twilight. Cocktail menu is conservative; pay for the room, not the recipe.
Kaiyo Rooftop ★ 4.3
$$$$
SomaMon 16:00-22:00, Tue-Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri 16:00-01:00, Sat 11:00-01:00, Sun 11:00-22:00.
Kaiyo Rooftop sits on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Place in SF's SoMa, pairing Nikkei small plates with pisco cocktails and a deck looking over Oracle Park.
TipBallpark nights book up fast; reserve the deck side rather than the indoor lounge. The Nikkei menu pairs better with cocktails than wine.
Cavana ★ 4.3
$$$$
SomaTue-Wed 16:00-22:00, Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-00:00, Sun 11:00-22:00. Closed Mon.
Cavana crowns the LUMA Hotel on the 17th floor of Mission Bay with bay views, agave-led cocktails and Latin American small plates from a deck above the Chase.
TipSunset tables along the east edge catch the bay light. Warriors game nights run a different cocktail menu and shorten the kitchen.