Everyone and their brother goes to Fisherman’s Wharf, where fine seafood can still be had, albeit amid throngs of tourists (try Pier Market, which works wonders with a mesquite grill). But for a more intimate, unpolished and authentically San Francisco seafood feast, head to Swan Oyster Depot. Locals and visitors have been bellying up to its 18-seat counter for more than a century to tuck into oysters, half-cracked crab, lobster, smoked trout, smoked whitefish, octopus salad, Boston clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, prawns and… well, you get the picture. Arrive about 20 minutes before the 10:30 a.m. opening time to make sure you’re one of the first in the inevitable lineup. 1517 Polk St., Nob Hill

Peoples Barber & Shop

The appearance of retro-cool barbershops in the last few years is a trend that hasn’t bypassed San Francisco. And while cynics might detect a whiff of hipster artifice about many of these new bastions of everything-old-is-new-again male grooming  — the antique chairs, the straight-razor shaves, the hot-towel treatment, the high-and-tight haircuts — I can vouch that the barbers at the Polk Street location of Peoples Barber & Shop are the real deal. On my last visit to the city, Justin Griggs gave me one of the best shaves I’ve ever had — and some bourbon in my coffee while I waited for it. 1259 Polk St., Nob Hill

Sotto Mare  

I stayed in North Beach on my first visit to San Francisco, and while wandering around one evening looking for a place to eat, I noticed a commotion in front of a restaurant called Sotto Mare. Strolling across the street, I saw that then-owner Gigi Fiorucci was handing out free glasses of wine to the customers in the ever-growing line outside the door, assuring them they’d be sitting down to their crab cioppino or linguine with Manila clams before they knew it. The gregarious Fiorucci was putting on a show that was too good to miss, so I joined the line. About two hours later I was scavenging my plate to make sure I’d not left any crab diavolo behind — and had the first entry on my San Francisco list. Ask for a seat at the counter so you can see the cooks in action. 552 Green St., North Beach

Hotaling & Co.

The name may have changed, but the spirits produced at what was formerly known as the Anchor Distilling Company (which itself was once part of the the city’s famed Anchor Brewing Company) have not. And thank goodness for that, because they are phenomenal. You can buy Hotaling & Co. products in any good liquor store in the city, but a far more appealing option is to sample them at the distillery’s rooftop tasting room, which has a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. My favourite is the Junípero Gin, a 98.6 proof elixir made with 12 botanicals grown in the tasting room’s garden — it’s so good that it almost feels like a sin to mix it with tonic. 1705 Mariposa St., Potrero Hill

Boom Boom Room

In a city of legendary live music venues such as The Fillmore, it seems like it might be hard to carve out a niche. But that’s exactly what the Boom Boom Room has done in the two decades it has been in business, showcasing everything from a Talking Heads tribute act to funk, soul, ska, blues and boogie bands that have the place jumping six nights a week. 1601 Fillmore St., Fillmore District

California Academy of Sciences & de Young Museum