What to do in San Francisco

Advice on what to do in San Francisco, including culture, relaxation, nightlife, sport and food.

Cultural attractions in San Francisco
The Cartoon Art Museum is not only an enlightening trawl through the journey of the cartoon, it is in fact the only museum dedicated to the art. It even has classes where budding toonies can pick up hints and tips from experts.

Take advantage of the bay at the Aquarium of the Bay, which allows visitors to walk within inches of hundreds of marine animals. Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf similarly entertains visitors, with its gaggle of sea lions on the dock.

The technologically-minded are catered for at Robogames, which is the biggest robot exhibition in America, while those after some truly contemporary art can look no further than the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

An unmissable treat in San Francisco is visiting the notorious prison island of Alcatraz, which once incarcerated America's most wanted criminals, like Prohibition-era gangster, Al Capone.

And of course, another fixture of Hollywood movies is the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge, which has been called one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Relaxation in San Francisco
Twin Peaks is one of the best places to go to get a great view of the Bay, while the Presidio of San Francisco is a peaceful retreat for locals and tourists alike, as is the deceptively large Golden Gate Park

Nightlife in San Francisco
A popular and chic nightspot is Mecca, which is a favourite haunt of fashionistas and those after a clashing evening of cool jazz and 'classy' drag shows.

For a kitschier evening out, the Casanova Lounge is a good bet, with varied DJs and hip young hedonists cutting some gaudy rug.

Arguably the best jazz on the West Coast can be found at Yoshi's which brings in some of the genre's biggest names.

Sport in San Francisco
At the top level, San Francisco caters for baseball and American football.

For baseball catch the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Touch down with the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park for some American football.

Recommended restaurants in San Francisco

San Francisco is rife with top quality Italian, sushi, Chinese and seafood, while vegetarians will find themselves in heaven with the vast array on offer.

For top Italian nosh try Colzone's on North Beach and Cioppino's on Fisherman's Wharf. The Wharf is inevitably the place to go to get seafood, with Crab House at Pier 39 being a notable example, while there are sushi bars seemingly on every street corner.

Vegans are well catered for at places like the award-winning Millennium Restaurant, while Greens, in Fort Mason, provides great veggie food with a view.

Cheap Vietnamese grub can be found at Tu Lan on 6th in the city, while Chinatown is the place to be for a wide choice of Chinese delights.