Drinks North Beach, San Francisco
Vesuvio Cafe
A place for a drink in North Beach, San Francisco, budget-friendly ($) and worth about an hour. Best time to go: Evening.
Why go
Two-floor bohemian bar next to City Lights, a Kerouac-era hangout since 1948.
It is one of 10 curated places we feature in San Francisco, alongside 3 places to eat, 2 sights and 1 activity. 4 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with City Lights Booksellers and Top of the Mark.
- Type
- Drinks · Nightlife
- Neighborhood
- North Beach
- Price
- $
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time
- Evening
Nearby
Our closest curated picks, including 5 beyond San Francisco. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.
- 1City Lights Booksellers
Beat-era bookstore and publisher with a poetry room upstairs.
Shopping · 0.0 mi straight-line - 2Top of the Mark
Glass-walled lounge on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, open since 1939, with 360-degree views.
Drinks · The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · 0.5 mi straight-line - 3Tadich Grill
California's oldest restaurant, founded in 1849, with a long wooden counter, white-jacketed waiters and cioppino.
Food · The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · 0.5 mi straight-line - 4Hyatt Regency San Francisco
John Portman's 1973 hotel with a 17-storey atrium, across the street from the Ferry Building.
Stay · The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · 0.6 mi straight-line - 5Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal under a clock tower, now a marketplace of bakeries, cheese shops and oyster bars.
Shopping · The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · 0.7 mi straight-line - 6Hog Island Oyster Co.
Oyster bar in the Ferry Building run by a Tomales Bay oyster farm, with a window wall facing the Bay Bridge.
Food · The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · 0.7 mi straight-line
On these curated routes
Vesuvio Cafe is a stop on our Pacific Coast Highway route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
More bars & cafés in San Francisco
Another curated place for a drink in San Francisco. See the full San Francisco guide.
When to go
Average daily highs in San Francisco run from 56°F in January to 74°F in September; December is usually the wettest month. For Vesuvio Cafe itself, we suggest: Evening.
Modelled monthly averages for San Francisco from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full San Francisco weather by month.
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Vesuvio Cafe, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Address
- 255 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
- Coordinates
- 37.79749, -122.40645
- Destination
- San Francisco, California
Vesuvio Cafe: quick answers
How much time do you need at Vesuvio Cafe?
Plan on about an hour at Vesuvio Cafe. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Vesuvio Cafe?
Our pick: Evening.
Where is Vesuvio Cafe?
Vesuvio Cafe is at 255 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA, in North Beach. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.
Which TripsCircle routes include Vesuvio Cafe?
Vesuvio Cafe appears on Pacific Coast Highway, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Vesuvio Cafe 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 San Francisco.
Plan San Francisco
- San Francisco travel guide 10 places
- Best time to visit San Francisco weather by month
- San Francisco to Monterey & Carmel 86 mi straight-line
Lists & regions
Also in San Francisco
- Ferry Building Marketplace Food
- Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center Sight
- Alcatraz Island Activity
- Lands End Trail Outdoors
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.