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Category: Lounges
Neighborhoods: Nob Hill, North Beach/Telegraph HillMon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"I used to basically live at this place when it was Frisson. I host many happy hours, and 2/3 of the time, I would opt for Frisson's lounge…" read more »
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Vesuvio. This is the kind of place you come in, early evening, to catch drinks before dinner. The setting sun catches the windows just right...it's perfect.
The drinks were reasonably priced, as well. I got iced tea vodka with lemonade - it was only $6 and delicious! Mmmm. My husband got a beer, which he enjoyed. We drank our drinks and were pretty much only one of two groups in the bar. I really enjoyed the ambiance and will go back next time we are in San Francisco.
I felt like a cool cat being in here. It was roomy (on a Thursday, anyways) and... well, I can't think of any other word besides cool. There was also a Recession Special while we were there, something I greatly appreciate from any establishment.
I wonder if Bob Dylan ever sat where I sat?! Or Diane DiPrima!?
I really liked this place.
Being the photo freak that I am, I really loved the projections of old photos on the wall. I liked the upstairs very much, it was quiet and all of us got to talk. I love the vintage feel of this place. The bartender seemed a bit crotchety, but he was a good one. He knew his stuff.
The cocktail waitress was SUPER fast. She took our order upstairs and went down and came back probably in about 3 minutes. We were all like, "What!? You just left!"
It was great. Lots of history in this place. It's got a good vibe. I prefer quieter intimate chill bars, we went on a Tuesday or Wednesday last week...I don't remember, but it was nice and quiet, not too many rowdy folks out.
Wouldn't say this one is a recession buster, we got 3 drinks and it was 17 bucks (a beer and 2 gin and tonics).
my friend and i ventured to the area to meet up with some friends for a birthday celebration. when we finally got there they had already left. very bummed we started to walk back to the bus stop and stumbled upon Vesuvio. its great! it was a saturday night so i may have expected it to be a little more crowded, but the bartender informed us it was more of a locals scene on the weekdays, especially thursday. very fun and friendly and eccentric.
Vesuvio is a unique and alluring bar that is casual without losing any of its charm. Just by looking at the decor you can tell there is history behind this place (I love when a place has stories to tell). Being located next to the famous City Lights bookstore helps, too. I especially love the upstairs balcony level that is fantastic for catching up with old friends and for watching people down below at the bar or on the street. Our waitress was very efficient and friendly even considering the bustling late night crowd. The drink selection is decent and the prices are not staggering. Will definitely be there again soon.
There's something about Vesuvio's charm that I can't quite put my finger on. Its ambiance is not trendy enough to cater to the young crowd, but it's vibe doesn't speak entirely to the older generations either. But it's a bar that brings together hordes of people that just want to kick back and enjoy themselves.
My friends and I hit up Vesuvio after a long day of running around SF and the bar did what we wanted it to. It gave us a place to relax and get our drink on. Our waitress Adelle, knew what was up and hooked us up with pretty good service. We all got a round of drinks and the prices were reasonable.
Although Vesuvio is a fully stocked bar, it sits more like a small cafe. The balcony seating upstairs was a bit cramped and the stairs a bit narrow. Still there is something cozy and inviting about this place. If you're ever in the North Beach and are looking for a place to enjoy yourself, you won't go wrong with Vesuvio.
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We came to Vesuvio on a Sat night for the boyfriend's b-day with a group of his friends. The place was packed, but we found a small table upstairs. This is a cool place with a very vintage pub feel to it, definitely not my scene...but I get why people like it. I'm the girl that comes to a place like this, orders a glass of wine and hopes that a drunkard doesn't spill a beer on my pretty new shoes. Feel free to judge....I even have to stop and judge myself sometimes....
Anyways, my prissy ways aren't the issue here....it was our racist waitress!!
I mean, I'm aware that we were the only dark-skinned folk in the place...but we came to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and buy a shitload of drinks! I'm thinking, doesn't this bitch want to make some money?? Apparently not.
We sat at a table upstairs and the waitress literally looked at all of us....and walks away. She failed to come back to our table for about 30 minutes while she took every other table's drink order around us. Finally, my guy and his friend walk downstairs to order drinks directly from the bar. Our waitress was standing next to the bar so they asked her if they could order the drinks from her instead....she completely ignored them and walked away. We got all of our drinks from the bar and a few minutes later some of our white friends joined us....only THEN did this bitch come over to our table and ask us if we needed anything when she had already seen that the non-white folk had gotten their own drinks from downstairs. A word comes to mind for this twat and it starts with a C and rhymes with Bunt.
She can shove her head up her own ass and die.
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The 5th hole for my friend's birthday bar crawl, home to an eclectic decor and clutterness that managed to still feel homely and comfortable, but chalk full of local history... According to the drunk college guy that sat in my seat 30 seconds after I vacated it, to go to the bar and order a round of drinks for the birthday girl, apparently he told them all about the local history of Jack Kerouac, history of San Francisco and asked for a few numbers while he was at it. I returned with one of their signature drinks, the appropriately named Jack Kerouac, not to sure what was in it but damn good. Fun atmosphere here, nice service from our hostess and plenty of seating as well, I didn't even notice the upper level until we were moving on to the next bar. Ill be back...
Here's a way to track where we've been and we're were going...
http://www.yelp.com/li...
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Good God, I miss this place.
Back in Oh-Two, when I lived in the City, I spent every Tuesday afternoon here. Was in the neighborhood today, so I dropped in for an hour or so. Chartreuse on the rocks, times three. Twas Fantastic.
11
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Not to be passed up, the bar friends are enjoyably friendly a writers world and the bar caretakers...(what will you be drinking?) are amazing. I definitely have to say each time when visiting my second home I always try to stop by.... cheap, easy and friendly...plus china town is close by to get a little shopping in.
Wonderful SF bar! Its great as long as you can score a table upstairs. Some of the best people watching in the city if you manage to sit by the huge windows. Everytime I go I get to watch street performers in the alley adjacent to the bar, dramatic fights between quarreling couples, and slap stick comedy care of the drunks coming out of the strip clubs down the street. This place is just dripping with ambience and charm that is hard to define. Just go check it out! And popin out City Lights bookstore next door if you have time.
This is probably one of my favorite bars in the city. It attracts a very diverse clientele such as artists, students, business people, psychics, tourists, yups and crazy people from all walks of life. It was once the hangout of Kerouac and other Beat poets - enough said.
The best seating is upstairs by the windows - people watching to the extreme.
When you walk in, you will lose all sense of the proper passage of time. When you walk out, you will forget that the floor was not actually made of hardwood. If you have the words to spare, let the morning bartender, the one named Tony who is convinced all good things in the world come from Italian invention, know I say, "Hello."
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there's something about Vesuvio's that draws you to the door. if you come here you will not be disappointed. it must be the colors and the lights that shine out the balcony windows with silhouettes floating on the second floor.
i like this place. probably because of the beatnik history and spirit it has within it's walls. the ambiance is just right. although it might be crazy outside, walking in the this place changes everything. the bartenders are friendly and everyone here is super mellow. nothing crazy. not only did i enjoy my seat at the bar, but the music selection was pretty damn good.
this is definitely a place i am coming back to when i'm in the city. it's also a place i would like to bring all my friends to. cheap drinks. great vibes all around. interesting people. yeah, this place is pretty beatific.
close to leaving i noticed a man sitting alone at a table upstairs observing the people downstairs. i was doing the same, observing the locals. then later on i noticed he was gone. i turned around to say something to my sister and was frightened by a figure standing next to me. there he was. it must have been the ghost of Jack Kerouac because he came down from upstairs and asked me to join him at his table for a drink. i declined and told him i was leaving. he must have been looking for Marilu... if you've read On the Road, then you'll know what i'm talking about.
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Me likes.
We popped in for a quick beer, post North Beach Italian dinner. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded - and we didn't mind the small crowd of tourists that had gathered beside us. Especially since we got to coo over the throng of Irish accents.
2 floors and generous seating available. Great ambiance (dark yet authentic to the old world bars) and fascinating local history, a la Jack Kerouac.
-1 Star because it took forever to get the bartender's attention.
Love this bar! Great atmosphere, perfect place to hangout and grab a drink with friends. Waitress was always there when we needed her. Drinks were strong and inexpensive. Sat upstairs near one of the open windows and watched as people walked by outside and took pictures of the alley.
Will definitely be back.
My heart skipped a beat just walking into the bar (pun intended).
We spent so much time on the road that we didn't have too much time to soak in the history, but those walls spoke as I walked around the interior. Talk about a perfect location, this place felt like home.
You won't find any dharma bums here, but the staff is friendly and the characters that stop by for a drink are sure to amuse you!
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Awesome. I really enjoyed this place. My best friend and I stopped here on a Monday afternoon after trekking up and down Columbus and buying some books next door. This place has a very cool vibe, with lots of tables to sit at and chat with your friends or read. The waitress was really good about checking in on us and getting us another round when we finished our first one. Collectively we had 1 glass of wine and 3 cocktails. The wine came in a cute (aka small) wine glass, but the cocktails were delicious. All in all nothing to complain about b/c our 4 drinks totaled to $21.00. Good drinks that are easy on my broke ass college student wallet? You win.
Just moved to North Beach from Chicago and this place is officially the best bar I've ever had the privilege of calling my local. The staff are friendly and great about remembering your drink and the cast of characters that call this place home make it worth its weight in gold.
Great location, great history, great bar.
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Being primarily a night worker I've only been to Vesuvio at hours normal for me but odd for most other people in the USA. I had the good fortune to live in North Beach for about 5 months & I used to stroll down here for a beer & bloody mary at the crack of 6 a.m. Even at that odd for most hour there was usually a motley bunch here reading books or morning papers with their drinks. Sitting in a bar at that hour is actually a preferred time in my opinion. More of a subdued quiet time for contemplation. Conversations carry on in lowered voices but occasionally the maniac would burst through the doors jolting everyone out of their quiet meditations and the place would burst to life. I really miss this place.
Excellent place to grab a beer with a few friends.
The second floor has a lot of tables and the music is not too loud -- such that it's actually possible to have a decent conversation.
Bartenders are very friendly and drinks are rather strong and reasonably priced.
I've wanted to go in here for quite some time, but for one reason or another, didn't until a few nights ago. It certainly was worth the wait. Got a table upstairs, sat right by the open window, which I'm thankful for because it was super warm in there. My gin gimlet was exceptional. The music and ambiance, top notch. I'll definitely be going back when I'm in Northbeach again.
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Character, decent drink prices and good location close to downtown. A unique institution.
I've been here every time I've been to San Francisco, and that's two whole times. In my defense, I always go multiple times during my stay.
Vesuvio is a relaxing spot to get a good drink.
My birthday shots were done here. Irish Car Bombs. Nummy yum-yum.
'Til next time, Vesuv.
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The location is perfect for out of town guests. I love the upstairs seating with a view of Jack's Alley. But, the neighborhood is just so touristy that it'd be hard to make this a regular spot. The drinks were nothing special.
Stopped in for a drink Saturday night for the first time in quite awhile...which reminded me of some of the phenomenal times I've had at this place.
It will always have a place in my heart due to being the origin of the best words I've ever heard uttered in a bar in my life:
Longish story, but here goes:
My two best wingmen and I managed to meet up with 2 girls and bring them here for a cocktail or two. We go upstairs and are having a great time. Girls are loving us...well loving Chadd and me anyway. Paul is feeling a little left out. But there are these two other fairly attractive women up there sneaking cigarettes out the open window.
Paul had always been very, very sensitive to cigarette smoke and politely asks them to extinguish their cigarettes. They basically tell him to f*ck off.
Paul does not like this. not. one. bit. So he starts musing aloud on how horrible a habit smoking is. It makes your clothes, breath and hair stink, it causes cancer, etc. Then he gets to the killer line:
"Look at those two over there, they can't be more than 28 or 29 but they look 40, their skin looks like leather...they're just wretched!"
At which point one of the girls walks over and slowly and deliberately pours an entire pint of beer over Paul's head.
Without batting an eye Paul slicks his Hefeweizen drenched hair back looks her in the eye and says:
"That's okay Baby! Because I'm still pretty and you're still wretched!"
By the time Chadd and I managed to drag our doubled up asses off the floor, the two who had been with us were halfway to the marina and the beer dumping girls were leading the bouncer up the stairs to have us forcibly removed from the premises.
Quite the evening.
Somewhat ironically, not long after that Paul moved to New York and started smoking.
Even more ironically, Paul was graced with a beautiful baby girl last friday...karma's a bitch.
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...and one more star for the "Recession Special."
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Great atmosphere and a great crowd. This is the perfect spot to split a pitcher with a friend (like,… Read more »
Vesuvio... the only place in SF where I would want to be flash petrified by a volcano should one occasion My Fair City.
Portland, OR does have its charms, but here in NOBEACH this is a highly suitable place to ring in happy hours any day (or any hour thereof) of the week. Like an oases in the Sahara this first of several watering holes diligently points the way out of the Lego Land that Finance Built to the humbler but potent pubs of Barbary. If beer be bought then to Vesuvio you must go. Cheers.
It's cool inside, but not a place I'd hang out at. Too many tourists, and it's kind of expensive.
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I love this place! My friends took me here after dinner at Mona Lisa. Their mission was to get me smashed, and they definitely succeeded, haha.
The place has two floors, and its usually crowded, especially the upstairs, and sometimes its hard to find a table. Other than that, its just a really chill place and I love coming here. Whenever I find myself in North Beach, I always stop in :)
+ That mural is awesome!
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I went to Vesuvio's on both Friday and Saturday nights. Why? I really can't put my finger on it. Yes, the bar has a very interesting and ecletic décor but it's usually very crowded with both tourists and locals alike. The bar does draw a well diverse crowd though which makes for great people watching. The bartenders were a bit blah and really didn't exhibit the best personalities. The drinks are decent, nothing to really rant or rave about. They had this cool absinthe dispenser which attracted the tourists like flies to shit. Prices were decent as well, which is perk given this bar's immense popularity.
The best part of this bar was the food situation. There is none here! Now, normally, I would shun a place for that. But they'll let you bring food from outside the bar and eat it right there in front of them. They even have condiments for ya if you need them. Gotta love that.
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I invited a few out-of-towners to Vesuvio -- excitedly I said: "Jack Kerouac used to hang out there!"
I was greeted by blank stares.
"You know, the book 'On the Road'? Beat poets?" More blank stares.
Anyway, apparently not everyone appreciates the history of the place, but even with out that, Vesuvio is a great place to get your drink on. Get a pitcher or two and sit upstairs to watch the happenings on Columbus street.
Simply a very cute and quaint little dive bar in North Beach.
The atmosphere feels very old and well work. The low ceilings and questionable electrical wiring say that this place has stood the test of time.
I will say this bar has the best feel of any dive I have seen in SF.
This is the kind of bar that friends should gather to catch up or maybe start the night off.
Haiku !
Feels natural. Warm.
Inspired the tacky chains
Beyond cute and fun
Talent Level ? This place was talentless. It was a Saturday night, so it is safe to say this place never attracts any talent.
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So for the record this is my #1 favorite place to start a night in the city!
I love their lemon drop martinis! They are the best in the city if you ask me!
The setting is great, it is an older bar so the interior is a little vintage.. and there is cool stuff all over the walls... The bartenders are amazing, also there is an upstairs with a bunch of tables and this place is right in the middle of North Beach.. so what else does a person really need!?!?!?
Stop in check it out and have a beer!
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I likey Vesuvio. A lot.
Historical and artistic significance? Check and check
Unpretentious staff? Check
Eclectic crowd? Check
Cheap drinks? Check
Honest to goodness cool bar without obnoxious tourist/bridge & tunnel/sorority/frat presence despite being in a neighborhood known for attracting such types on the weekends? CHECK
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If I could give this bar two different ratings for different occasions I would.
To start, this place is pretty cool. The location is great and the decor is really cute. It has a very Bohemian feel of a San Francisco past. I loved that. They have a great beer list to boot! Their mixed drinks, not so much. My friends white Russian was all milk, not so tasty.
If you are looking to spend an afternoon of leisure in San Francisco, or go on a date, this is the place. 4 stars there.
For a group of more than 2 or three this ain't for you. the bar is small, and their is no room to be creative with tables. Be aware. 2 stars for a group function.
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I used to think this place was cool. Needless to say, my last visit will be my last. I have never been treated so rudely by a waitress in my life.
To the small little Asian waitress felt that part of her job description was to insult and push patrons out of the way: There are hundreds of great bars in SF where the owners actually appreciate my business.
Advice to others: Go to Tosca across the street.
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ive only been here once but it took me forever to get a drink. it was empty, the bartender knew i was waiting, but he just kinda twiddled his thumbs.
i eat a lot of chinese food so im used to bad service, but this one was quite impressionable.
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Essential bay area stop. Really charming!
I went here with a friend on a night of pub crawling. I will definately make this a hangout spot when and if I ever move to SF. Quaint and comfortable atmosphere with a close-knit neighborhood vibe.
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Back, almost a decade back, this was my first bar in San Francisco.
And back, a few years ago, when I was planning on leaving SF, this
was the last bar I went to, before catching the plane.
I've been coming here for years, not as a regular, but every now and
again, every few months, or weeks, depending on the ebbs and flows
of life.
The bar tenders may not be the friendliest. The area may not be
the best. And I have nothing good, or bad, to say about their drinks
as I tend to order basic things. Beer. Scotch. A whiskey sour/soda
every now and again.
There is something about this place that keeps me returning to
it year after year, getting a drink, going to the 2nd floor and watching
the people around, and on the street. A fine place to kill a few hours.
For me? 5 stars. For you? I do not know.
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Category: Bars
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Category: Bars
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Lounges
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