Slide

At one of the most notorious speakeasies in San Francisco, Coffee Dan's, patrons would access the basement bar by riding down a 15-foot slide. Featured in the 1927 Al Jolson movie, The Jazz Singer, Coffee Dan's was also a gambling den and cabaret, which played host to the likes of clarinettist Artie Shaw. Coffee Dan's location at 430 Mason Street is now home to Slide, a swank speakeasy created by the owners of the over-the-top Ruby Skye nightclub. As Slide's name suggests, guests can access the bar via a long slide, which launches them into an elegant interior with plush booths, bottle service (for a hefty premium, starting at $250/bottle), a striking, backlit honey onyx bar, acres of mahogany panelling and a DJ booth housed in a grand piano. Despite Slide's unbeatable provenance, the contemporary crowd is heavily South Bay meets LA in orientation; it's hard to imagine how their truly outlaw forebears would regard them. At the very least, though, it's worth sliding in to sample some of the many martinis or champagne cocktails.