Bars, Cafes, Restaurants and Night Life

(Raquel Goldmann, Germany 1995 ; additions by Christoph Jans, Switzerland, 1996)

Below I listed some places where we liked to go this summer. Don't be surprised because the waiters are very informal even in a good restaurant. Most of the times they even bring you the bill before you ask for a dessert. You have to understand the more restaurant guests they have the more tips they get! You should always give them a 15% tip. Notice also that since 1995 there exists a state law for non smoking! In some restaurants reservations are possible but in most places it's like "first comes first gets". Usually they have a waiting list, so you can go there earlier and ask for a table to get on the waiting list. I'm sure you will enjoy and having fun as much as we had.

Restaurants

Fish Market

3775 El Camino Real, Santa Clara Phone: 408/246-3474

It has excellent Sea Food and vegetables. The interior is very nice and business people like to go there. There is no reservation possible but you can phone ahead for a waiting list!

El Torito

Lake Side, Santa Clara

If you like "frozen Margaritas" and Mexican food check out this place. It is very nice decorated and you are sitting in a "patio".

Black Angus

El Camino Real xing Wolfe, Sunnyvale (it's on the other side of the Safeway)

Steak House with excellent meat, beef and pork. Try Barcardi-mixes! A 16 ounce Steak (450 gr.) is $11. For a good dinner you will spend about $16 + $5 if you have alcoholic beverages.

St. Johns Burger

Lawrence Expwy xing Kifer Road, Sunnyvale

Don't think it's a typical fast food place. It's a restaurant where you can have dinner as well as lunch. They have also excellent burgers which they barbecue. A Cheeseburge is $5 including french fries. If you have lunch or dinner there, calculate about $10 including also drinks and patatoe chips.

Chili's Grill & Bar

2560 El Camino Real xing Lawrence Expwy, or at San Antonio Shopping Center

A kind of Mexican restaurant with a spirit of a sandwich place. Tacos, fajitas (very good), Mexican meat plates, salades etc.

Il Fornaio

520 Cwoper St. xing University Ave., Palo Alto, phone: 415/853-3888

Cucina Italiana! Very nice but expensive restaurant. Make reservation as it's always crowded. Especially business people like to go there.

Fresh Choice

Stanford Shopping Mall, Palo Alto and Vallco Shopping Mall, Stevens Creek xing Wolfe Rd. All you can eat place for only $6. You will find a huge salad bar, soups, pasta, bread and desserts.

Charley's Restaurant

244 State St. Los Altos

A really nice small Chinese restaurant with good and cheap food. Dave Packard is told to be a regular guest since a long time!

Barley & Hopps

2nd & B Street, San Mateo, phone 415/348-7808

Nice restaurant and quite a bit more expensive. Upstairs is a bar where you can play pool, darts etc. Live Blues Music from Wednesday to Saturday charge is extra.

Cafferata Ravioli Factory

700 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, phone: 415/392-7544

It has excellent restaurant with very good home made pasta and wine. Check it out. Reserve a table because people like to go there. Food isn't expensive!

Sushi Boat

389 Geary St., San Francisco, phone: 415/781-5111

Do you like sushi? Here you get lots of Sushi. This place is a little bit more expensive than others, but worth it if you like this kind of Japanese food.

Julie's Supper Club

1123 Folsom Street, San Francisco phone: 415/861-0707

Restaurant, bar where many tables are available. It's a good meeting point especially when you stay in the "Folsom area". Food is very good but quite expensive. Usually when you have dinner you get a free ticket for some nice places in the "Folsom area"! (The owner, the barman and a waiter speaks french, try to guess where she comes from?!)

Cha cha cha

Haight Street, San Francisco

Very nice Cuban restaurant. It's always crowded so if you like to eat there go early! We recommend a pitcher of sangria which costs only $12. It tastes great.

Tsing Tao

At the shopping center at the intersection of San Thomas Aquinas and Campbell Road in Campbell. (right next to San Jose).

Great food, try Szechuan Beef (one of the 1996 euros got addicted to that stuff) and Mushu Pork. Prices are usually around $10/person including tip if you go there as a group and don't drink alcohol. You ca n sit at a round table and try different foods then, too.

Cafes/Bars/Brasserie

Blue Chalk Cafe

630 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, Phone: 415/326-2792

It's a meeting point in Palo Alto. We liked to go there having some drinks and playing pool but you can also get nice food.

Fanny & Alexander

412 Emerson St., Palo Alto

If you like live music and beer it's a good place to go and you can also have dinner there. They have also a "patio" where you can sit outside (meeting point in Palo Alto) Cover charge is about $4. But if you are there before the concert starts you don't have to pay.

Marie Callender

4710 El Camino Real in Sunnyvale or Mountain View

Here you get the best strawberry pies in the world! They also serve dinner for a reasonable price.

Gourmet Coffee & Tea

186 S. Murphy Ave., Downtown Sunnyvale, Phone: 408/738-4523

For the one who likes chocolate! You get here good cappucinos, cafe late and excellent cakes and cookies.

Patio Cafe

531 Castro Street, San Francisco, phone: 415/621-4640

The area around Castro is known because of the "gay people". It's a very interesting and exciting area and I liked to go there. This cafe is great for having breakfast (brunch) or for dinner!

Cafe Flore

2299 Market (next to Castro Street), San Francisco

This is a cafe where you can also sit outside. It's a meeting point during the day for all kind of people.

Twenty Tanks

316 11th Street xing Folsom Street, San Francisco, phone: 415/255-9455

Brasserie with live music. They have different music depending on the day. For beer fans it's the best place to go. No cover charge! You can also have some snacks there. Especially Thursday evening is a good day!

Hard Rock Cafe

1699 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

No comment...

Cafe Trieste

Vallejo at Grant Ave., San Francisco

In the area around North Beach you will find many Italian cafes! One of the best places is Cafe Trieste. It's not a tourist place and you will find a lot of people from San Francisco.

Los Gatos

It's a small cute town where you will find many nice cafes! It's 45 minutes drive but worth to see!

Blue Rock Shoot

This was the 1996 euro's favourite place. To get there, drive South on Saratoga Avenue from where it intersects Lawrence Expressway. Drive all the way into Saratoga, to where it starts to look like a tourist town (lots of small shops and cafes). The place is to the right side if you drive south. It is easy to see because their storefront is made out of raw wood logs. It is a mixture between a coffe ahop, a restaurant and a bookstore. They have good pizzas and bagles, too.

Some Clubs/Discos

Don't forget in general your ID card because they usually assume that your are under 21. Most clubs require you to be over 21 to be able to get in

The Edge

260 California Avenue, Palo Alto

If you like dancing, having fun, listen to good music and cheap drinks try this place. Good nights during the week are Tuesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday is quite crowded but fun! Cover charge at the weekend $5. They close at 3 a.m. but stop serving alcohol at 1:30 a.m.!

The Palace

146 S Murphy, Sunnyvale

Be ready for a "chic" disco and don't wear T-shirts or sport shoes! It's worth to go once. Cover charge around $8.

San Jose live!

2nd Street, San Jose

The biggest disco in San Jose. All kinds of music from county to pop. You will find also pool, a restaurant, a cafe and bars! Big parking lot in front. Cover charge about $5.

Johnny Love's

1500 Broadway, San Francisco

Dining and Dancing. They have always live music. Cover charge is $10.

181

Eddy Street, San Francisco

Park close to Market Street and take a taxi to go there because it's a dangerous area. This club is great! Music like "rave" but also "disco". They have two dance floors, usually one has live music. Cover charge is $10.

Elbow Room

Valencia xing 17th, San Francisco

People from SF like to go there, the music they play is "hip hop".

DNA Lounge

375 11th Street xing Folsom Street, San Francisco

Live music usually Jazz. It's one of this great Jazz places in SF.

Oasis

278 11th Street, xing Folsom Street, San Fancisco

Nice disco, young people, different style not typically american, two dance floors. Good days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Cover charge is $10.

DV8

Howard Street btw. 1st and 2nd Street, San Francisco

My favorite place: open till 3 or 4am (depending on how many people are left), cover is $10, pool tables ($10/hour), three dancing floors (except when there's a private party) with different music. "French music" on thursday night, which means mostly European music, and some French songs.

Holy Cow

1535 Folsom, San Francisci

Small place, usually quite crowdy... Nothing's special...

Slim

333 11th Street, San Francisco

Huge foggy room... Great atmosphere during the week end. They love live music... do you ?

The Stud

399 9th Street, San Francisco

Some gay in this disco, but still a good place to see once.

Paladium

1031 Kearny Street, San Francisco

Quite good. Open till 6am, but $10 all the night. Disco-funk-rock music. Many young people

Have also a look into the Web-Page http://www.club.net/