What is it? Vesuvio Café isn’t just a bar—it’s a time capsule of San Francisco’s bohemian soul. Since 1948, this North Beach icon has welcomed the Beat Generation: historic regulars like Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac. The gang’s all here, at least in spirit.
Why we love it: Kerouac famously ditched Henry Miller to drink the night away at Vesuvio, later immortalizing the experience in his book Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. Today, the alley beside the bar even bears Kerouac’s name. Inside, Vesuvio feels like stepping into a rickety ship built by eccentric artists. Every inch drips with colorful, chaotic creativity: murals, vintage paintings, a cat statue and Tiffany lamps eclectically muttered across two lively floors.
At the long wooden bar, grab a martini (or my preference, a classic Death in the Afternoon of absinthe and “Champagne,” beloved by Hemingway), then climb to the second-story balcony to watch the carnival below: tourists mingling with locals, embarking on drink-fueling conversations about poetry, politics and everything in between. Recently-added cocktails enhance the historically dive-y, no menu drink selection with delights like an Averna Gimlet, bitter with Averna Amaro, tart with lime juice. Craft cocktail bar? No, but they’ve stepped things up to offer a little something for everyone.
Despite its fame, Vesuvio holds tight to its scrappy, unvarnished charm. The signage of a naked figure sitting on a barrel says it all: This is a place to do you, speak freely, drink with gusto. Thanks to the city’s preservation efforts, Vesuvio and neighboring City Lights Bookstore remain anchors of OG SF: vibrant, rebellious, unapologetically alive.
Time Out tip: There’s no food—only cocktails, conversation and history soaking the walls.
Address: 255 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Opening hours: Mon–Thu 11am–1am; Fri, Sat 11am–2am; Sun 11am–1am
Expect to pay: Cocktails run $14–$18; no food menu available