5 Best Nightlife in San Francisco, California

Sure, it's the site of many high-school prom dates, and you could argue that the food and drinks are overpriced, but this is our pick if you must choose just one oceanfront restaurant/bar—its historical value is undeniable, and the views are terrific. The best window seats are reserved for diners, but there's a small upstairs lounge where you can watch gulls sail high above the vast blue Pacific.

Shirts off! If a sweaty muscle sandwich sounds like your idea of a good time, head to Badlands, where serious party boys come to grind to throbbing music on a packed dance floor. The lines can be ridiculous on weekends; those in the know go on Wednesday or Thursday. Tight-teed patrons range from twenties to forties.

At this quirky, inclusive, divey karaoke bar, you can get your kicks performing in front of a sometimes rowdy but nearly always supportive audience of hip young things and Asian businessmen.

In the rough-and-tumble Tenderloin, around the corner from the Polk Street bars, transgenders and their admirers come here for the racy entertainment. Naughty Schoolgirls night (Wednesday) is a major fave. This multilevel space has separate areas for stage performances, dancing, and quiet chats. It's not a drag bar, as there is no sense of irony or camp about the place; the girls here are charming, and the fun is in the titillation.

Glam trans women, gay bears, tight-teed pretty boys, ladies and their ladies, and a handful of straight onlookers congregate here to dance to live DJ sounds and watch world-class drag performers on the small stage. The entertainment is often campy, pee-your-pants funny, and downright fantastic. Each night's music is different—from funk, soul, and hip-hop to '80s tunes and disco favorites. At Frolic, the Stud's most outrageous party (second Saturday of the month), club goers dance the night away dressed as bunnies, kittens, and even stranger creatures.