Tosca Cafe did not need a mink coat to become a legend. The old-world bar, the tall espresso machine and the opera on the juke box set a nice stage and the celebrities (local and otherwise) sprinkled in the crowd put on a little show. A great place to sink back in a Naugahyde booth and savour a midweek martini.

This Mission stalwart hosts everything from DJ nights to rock bands to cabaret, but the big draw is Salsa Sundays (from late afternoon in the warmer months), when Latin bands perform outdoors and the whole joint shimmies and shakes. Come early for the free BBQ and dance lessons.

The Saloon is one of San Francisco's oldest bars; it first opened its doors in 1861, and is a rare survivor of the 1906 quake and fire. Today it attracts a mix of dishevelled old-timers, street people and local hipsters. Blues and rock bands perform nightly and on Sunday afternoons.

The place to go when you want to feel like a glamourpuss from a black and white movie, the Drake Hotel's swank top-floor lounge-with-a-view draws an upbeat crowd dressed to the nines. The nightly live music menu typically features a cool jazz starter, a more swinging main course, and something eminently danceable for dessert.