traveldk.com

The sumptuous restaurant in this ultra-hip nightclub serves Southeast Asian cuisine and all the dishes are priced under $15. The interior is an eclectic mix of modern slate fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling waterfalls, with a retro cocktail lounge and Asian artifacts. Bambuddha boasts a poolside dining area, and couples will enjoy the intimate corners and low tables for private conversations.

Peopled mostly by wealthy young swingers with tried-and-true pickup lines, this is one of the city’s most elaborate disco-extravaganzas. It features big-name DJs in a huge, SoMa multi-environment space, laid out on three levels. Don’t expect anything to happen of any significance until after midnight.

The terribly seedy southern Tenderloin/SoMa location is a major drawback late at night, but once safely inside you can join the diverse crowd in dancing to some righteous DJs in the roomy downstairs area. The music tends toward house, trance, or whatever gets people moving at the moment. Or head upstairs to the high-ceilinged, comfortable lounge to relax and chat.

Located in a nondescript no-man’s-land just on the edge of SoMa and the Mission, crowds are drawn by this club’s word-ofmouth reputation. World-class DJs play here, catering to diverse audiences that enjoy music and dance. The elegant interior with flowers and white drapes adds to the ambience.

Something for the 40-plus set, or even 50-plus. Twenty-two stories above Union Square, couples can dance to cocktail jazz and the milder R&B hits, and relax in the easy sophistication of the place. It’s 1930s-stylish, so consider it a chance to dress up in suits and party dresses, sip high-priced highballs, and enjoy the city’s seductive lights.

Located off Townsend in this thriving SoMa area, 330 Ritch Street has been hosting events, receptions and club nights for over a decade. Known for its underground appeal, people flock to this venue for its various musical genres.

The idea is to create the feel of a ski lodge, and the remoteness of this place, in a barren industrial area next to China Basin, definitely contributes to the sense of snow-bound isolation. The circular fireplace, the long, curved bar, and wood touches are the work of the same club decorators who gave us Red Room. The dancing is high-energy and the drinks are great, but expect plenty of crowds.

Just on the edge of Golden Gate Park, this is the only true dance club in Haight-Ashbury, having taken over what was one of the last remaining venues for indie bands. A busy, modern space, where DJs ply their art with a different focus every night. There are booths for cooling off in between bops.

This bright Potrero Hill hall is all about dancing – dancing lessons, to be precise. Come to master the steps of the cha-cha-cha, the foxtrot, the Lindy hop, salsa, the tango, the waltz, the merengue, even break-dancing.

This Nob Hill tiki bar is almost Disneyesque in its tropical effects, including indoor monsoons and a floating band. Aimed at grown-ups of every age, it delivers kitschy Polynesian dazzlement, and is often chosen as the venue for birthday celebrations. Weekday Happy Hour (5–7pm) includes an Asian buffet at nominal cost.