Drinks Nob Hill, The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
Top of the Mark
A place for a drink in Nob Hill, The Embarcadero & Ferry Building, a splurge ($$$$) and worth about 3 hours. Best time to go: From 8 pm.
Why go
Glass-walled lounge on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, open since 1939, with 360-degree views.
It is one of 8 curated places we feature in The Embarcadero & Ferry Building, alongside 3 places to eat, 2 sights and 1 place to shop. 4 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with Vesuvio Cafe and City Lights Booksellers.
- Type
- Drinks · Nightlife
- Neighborhood
- Nob Hill
- Price
- $$$$
- Time needed
- 3 hr
- Best time
- From 8 pm
Nearby
Our closest curated picks, including 3 beyond The Embarcadero & Ferry Building. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.
- 1Vesuvio Cafe
Two-floor bohemian bar next to City Lights, a Kerouac-era hangout since 1948.
Drinks · San Francisco · 0.5 mi straight-line - 2City Lights Booksellers
Beat-era bookstore and publisher with a poetry room upstairs.
Shopping · San Francisco · 0.5 mi straight-line - 3Swan Oyster Depot
Counter-only seafood bar since 1912 serving crab, oysters and Sicilian sashimi.
Food · San Francisco · 0.6 mi straight-line - 4Tadich Grill
California's oldest restaurant, founded in 1849, with a long wooden counter, white-jacketed waiters and cioppino.
Food · 0.6 mi straight-line - 5Hyatt Regency San Francisco
John Portman's 1973 hotel with a 17-storey atrium, across the street from the Ferry Building.
Stay · 0.8 mi straight-line - 6Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal under a clock tower, now a marketplace of bakeries, cheese shops and oyster bars.
Shopping · 0.9 mi straight-line
On these curated routes
Top of the Mark is a stop on our San Francisco New Year's Eve route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
More to do in The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
Top of the Mark is our only drinks pick in The Embarcadero & Ferry Building; here is what else we recommend there. See the full The Embarcadero & Ferry Building guide.
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San Francisco New Year's Eve Fireworks
The city's free midnight show, fired from barges in the bay off Pier 14 and watched from the Embarcadero.
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Hog Island Oyster Co.
Oyster bar in the Ferry Building run by a Tomales Bay oyster farm, with a window wall facing the Bay Bridge.
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Boulevard
Nancy Oakes' Belle Epoque dining room in the 1889 Audiffred Building, serving American food since 1993.
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Treasure Island
Former naval base island in the middle of the bay with a full-width view of the skyline and the Bay Bridge lights.
When to go: weather by month, based on San Francisco
Our climate figures for The Embarcadero & Ferry Building come from nearby San Francisco. Average daily highs in San Francisco run from 56°F in January to 74°F in September; December is usually the wettest month. For Top of the Mark itself, we suggest: From 8 pm.
Modelled monthly averages for San Francisco from NASA POWER, not a forecast. San Francisco weather by month (covers The Embarcadero & Ferry Building).
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Top of the Mark, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Coordinates
- 37.79156, -122.41036
- Destination
- The Embarcadero & Ferry Building, California
Top of the Mark: quick answers
How much time do you need at Top of the Mark?
Plan on about 3 hours at Top of the Mark. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Top of the Mark?
Our pick: From 8 pm. Insider tip: On Dec 31 it holds a ticketed gala with dinner, an orchestra and a balloon drop; New Year's Day brunch is also served.
Which TripsCircle routes include Top of the Mark?
Top of the Mark appears on San Francisco New Year's Eve, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Top of the Mark to your crew's plan
Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to The Embarcadero & Ferry Building.
Plan The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
- The Embarcadero & Ferry Building travel guide 8 places
- San Francisco weather (covers The Embarcadero & Ferry Building) weather by month
- The Embarcadero & Ferry Building to Lands End & Ocean Beach 6.1 mi straight-line
Lists & regions
Also in The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.