Thought I would chip in with some data since I lived in SF for about 2 years. Please be aware that this was a couple of years ago, so not all the information might be up to date, but most of it is from what I hear from my friends back there.
Most of the places below are in SF Downtown or the immediate surroundings, since I didn't have the need to venture out too much from that area and I lived right there as well.
Almost all of the places I have mentioned below are in a 4 - 5 block radius with the exception of one or two.
Lounges:
John Collins
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 138 Minna Street
Pretty nice place to grab a couple of drinks before you head out to the clubs. It is a very small place, and it can get packed very quickly. Friday evenings are the worst time due to the excessive after work Happy Hour Crowd.
Girls can be hit or miss on the day, but generally speaking Thursday and Friday evenings are your best bet. Expect groups, sometimes rather large groups, instead of single or duo girls. If you land here around 8:30 - 9:00 on Friday's and Saturday's you will see a decent crowd all on the way to other parties, so that might be the best time to drop in.
Matrix Fillmore
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Location: 3138 Fillmore Street
A very nice lounge, and a personal favorite. It is a bit far out from the downtown area, and that is one of the cons of the place. More chilled out vibe, and the crowd is definitely a good crowd. Although the majority of the crowd is from the Marina/North Beach area, so expect some snobbishness. But it is nothing so bad to stay away from.
Wednesday/Sunday are pretty nice here since there isn't much happening in the rest of the city, and a lot of the crowd come chill here. It can get pretty bumping sometimes. Majority of the times, the crowd is a bit older so expect people in late 20's predominantly or early to mid-thirties.
Redwood Room @ The Clift Hotel
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 495 Geary Street
This is one of the best lounges in the city. The decor is fantastic and it is basically a large room on the ground floor of the hotel. The crowd is generally older, most of the time the majority is in their late 20's to early 30's
Drinks are great, but again on the expensive side though. Great location to take a girl/meet up with one, or well to meet new ones. Some of the crowd hitting the clubs in the block stop by before heading out, so that might present some opportunities
Sugar Cafe
Neighborhood: Union Square
Location: 679 Sutter Street
Nice cafe/cocktail place. Nothing fancy or great, but definitely worth a visit if you have time to kill and nothing else to do. The place is a cafe by the day and a cocktail lounge in the evenings/nights. Don't expect a lot of crowd or a great crowd for that matter.
XYZ @ The W Hotel
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 181 3rd Street
Lobby bar/lounge of sorts on the ground floor of The W Hotel. Unless there is an event/party happening, the place is quite mellow so don't expect large crowds. The crowd is dependent on what is happening and might lean towards the older crowd generally. There is also an upstairs part of it, which is pretty nice.
Expensive place though, so keep that in mind if you decide to drop by for a drink or two. From what I heard, they are closed for renovation right now, and are opening back in a couple of months called as Trace.
Clubs:
Ana Mandara
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Location: 891 Beach Street
I have been to the place only a few times, but the place is definitely very nice. Serves as a restaurant until the night kicks in, Asian fusion cuisine. The biggest con against this place is the location. It is located on the outskirts near the water, so if you want to bounce from there it becomes a problem since there is much happening in the proximity.
But definitely a great place to hit up if there is a party. The crowd again is predominantly Asian, but a big chuck is also the folks from the Marina/North Beach area. A tad expensive, but worth hitting up if there is something happening for sure on the night, otherwise it would be best to pass it up.
Fluid Ultra Lounge
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 662 Mission Street
Smallish place on Mission street. Crowd can be hit or miss, but generally speaking on Friday's and Saturday's you can expect a decent crowd. The crowd can hit capacity very quickly, since it is not really all that big. The front part has the bar at the center, and the back side is "VIP"/table service. Definitely a lot nicer in the back, especially if it is crowded the front becomes a horror story. Barely enough space to stand leave alone walking etc.
The girls again can be either complete stunners or total downers. But there generally is a decent selection of girls on the weekends. Music is mainstream R & B, Hip-Hop and House. The place does get a lot of black people, so the music is generally geared to that audience. Get there early or be prepared to wait for a while.
Harlot
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 46 Minna Street
Small club near Mission street. The place is pretty alright, the crowd is not necessarily great all the time. Music is an assortment, not one of my regular spots so cannot recommend that much.
But definitely a good spot to hit up if in the area, and you might run across a few girls DTF. The decor, as the name suggests is focused on debauchery and the place reflects that. If it is crowded it becomes a nightmare to be in since it is small. On certain nights the place can be off the hook, but it happens too infrequently to be on anybody's top list.
Infusion Lounge
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 124 Ellis Street
I have not been to this place, since it opened only a year or so ago. But it seems to be one of the best spots in the downtown area at the moment.
Wednesday nights are huge from what I see and hear from my friends. So Wednesday night might be a good time to hit it up and check it out.
Roe
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 651 Howard Street
3 floors, the ground floor is mostly house music. The basement plays different kinds of music, but is smaller and there isn't much of a dancing area but there used to be couches along the walls, good place to take back girls for escalation. Top floor plays mainly R & B, Hip-Hop and an assortment mostly.
Crowd is generally pretty alright, but nothing great. They have some fashion events etc before the night begins sometimes, and those are generally alright to attend and build some leads. The place is not huge, so capacity problems show up when there is an event/party. Sometimes wait times can be dreadful if you don't get there early.
Ruby Skye
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 420 Mason Street
Probably the biggest and most talked about place in downtown SF. The place is huge for SF standards, and pulls major crowd on the weekends generally. The annual White Party is definitely a good scene. Music is mostly house, and whatever flavor the DJ's are spinning on the night. They bring over a bunch of the big DJ's from around the country and outside for the major parties.
The crowd can be a bit snobbish on the whole, a lot of people who get in suddenly get an entitlement attitude once they are past the bouncers. Expensive place, but definitely worth spending the bucks when they have a big party. Girls who make it through inside are dressed very well and expect to see a few stunners.
Slide
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 430 Mason Street
Right next door to Ruby Skye. Very small compared to Ruby Skye though, located in the basement of the building next door. A lot of people rave about the place, but not a personal favorite. The bouncers and the management are extremely snobbish to the point of being rude most of the time. There are a few good guys there, but it takes time to crack the place and become a regular.
The crowd is pretty decent. Most of the people who don't manage to get in to Ruby Skye try their chance here more often than not. So sort of a second hand crowd more or less most of the time, but definitely a place to hit up and it can get rocking on certain nights.
Temple
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 540 Howard Street
This is another huge place. In size it might actually be bigger than Ruby Skye. The ground level is one big hall with bars on either side of the room. It is a restaurant as well during the evenings, so things kick off a bit later here.
The basement level has two rooms of sorts. One plays R & B and Hip-Hop, the other surrounding this area plays an assortment of music. Asian sort of decor in the basement level with statues etc in the middle of the place. The crowd is predominantly Asian, but definitely not just Asian.
Vessel
Neighborhood: Union Square
Location: 85 Campton Place
One of my personal favorites. The crowd is one of the best you will find in Downtown SF most of the time. Smallish place again, so get in there early or know someone, otherwise it will be a very long wait outside and there are chances you might never make it inside. Music is good mostly house and some R & B maybe, dance floor is small so it does become a pain if there is a big crowd in.
But definitely one of the best places to hit up in the city. The close proximity to other clubs is generally good to bounce around.
Gentlemen's Clubs:
There isn't much to brag about on this front in SF, so only a couple of place in this list.
Broadway Showgirls Cabaret
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 412 Broadway
The place is expensive as hell, but the quality is a bit better compared to the other places in the area or other clubs in SF. There are quite a few very good looking girls here normally, but then there are also bound to be some who are just passable.
Only been there a couple of times, and it was pretty alright. Nothing to spectacular to remember, but pretty decent is all I can say.
Centerfolds
Neighborhood: Financial District/North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 391 Broadway Street
Don't have a lot of information on this place, was there once I believe and that too a bit late. And didn't really see anything worthwhile to stay around for so left within 15 minutes.
Gold Club
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 650 Howard Street
Never been to the place so cannot provide much information. The place is right opposite to Roe mentioned above. Have heard the place is alright and has some good nights, but cannot personally comment on it.
Larry Flynt's Hustler Club
Neighborhood: Financial District/North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 1031 Kearny Street
A couple of blocks from Broadway Showgirls, the place is bigger but the quality is lower then Broadway Showgirls. There are a few stunners here, but they aren't around a lot and the regular girls working there aren't something you want to write home to.
A bit cheaper then Broadway Showgirls, but the place is definitely hit or miss. The girls are a bit more open than the former place, but a lot of flakes.
General stuff:
The downtown SF area is on the higher side compared to places like Mission etc. So expect to pay more for everything in almost all the places mentioned above.
And in general getting in clubs on weekend nights can be a hassle if you are a single guy or a group of guys. The best way is to know the bouncers or the promoters and get on to the VIP/Guest List or whatever.
Dress sharp, almost all of the places above will not allow people in with casual clothes. And this goes for girls as well.
I am pretty sure I missed out on a bunch of places, but it is already become an extremely long post so it is quite alright I skipped a few. If anyone has any specific questions, let me know and I will try my best to provide further information.
Hope it helps!!
Most of the places below are in SF Downtown or the immediate surroundings, since I didn't have the need to venture out too much from that area and I lived right there as well.
Almost all of the places I have mentioned below are in a 4 - 5 block radius with the exception of one or two.
Lounges:
John Collins
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 138 Minna Street
Pretty nice place to grab a couple of drinks before you head out to the clubs. It is a very small place, and it can get packed very quickly. Friday evenings are the worst time due to the excessive after work Happy Hour Crowd.
Girls can be hit or miss on the day, but generally speaking Thursday and Friday evenings are your best bet. Expect groups, sometimes rather large groups, instead of single or duo girls. If you land here around 8:30 - 9:00 on Friday's and Saturday's you will see a decent crowd all on the way to other parties, so that might be the best time to drop in.
Matrix Fillmore
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Location: 3138 Fillmore Street
A very nice lounge, and a personal favorite. It is a bit far out from the downtown area, and that is one of the cons of the place. More chilled out vibe, and the crowd is definitely a good crowd. Although the majority of the crowd is from the Marina/North Beach area, so expect some snobbishness. But it is nothing so bad to stay away from.
Wednesday/Sunday are pretty nice here since there isn't much happening in the rest of the city, and a lot of the crowd come chill here. It can get pretty bumping sometimes. Majority of the times, the crowd is a bit older so expect people in late 20's predominantly or early to mid-thirties.
Redwood Room @ The Clift Hotel
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 495 Geary Street
This is one of the best lounges in the city. The decor is fantastic and it is basically a large room on the ground floor of the hotel. The crowd is generally older, most of the time the majority is in their late 20's to early 30's
Drinks are great, but again on the expensive side though. Great location to take a girl/meet up with one, or well to meet new ones. Some of the crowd hitting the clubs in the block stop by before heading out, so that might present some opportunities
Sugar Cafe
Neighborhood: Union Square
Location: 679 Sutter Street
Nice cafe/cocktail place. Nothing fancy or great, but definitely worth a visit if you have time to kill and nothing else to do. The place is a cafe by the day and a cocktail lounge in the evenings/nights. Don't expect a lot of crowd or a great crowd for that matter.
XYZ @ The W Hotel
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 181 3rd Street
Lobby bar/lounge of sorts on the ground floor of The W Hotel. Unless there is an event/party happening, the place is quite mellow so don't expect large crowds. The crowd is dependent on what is happening and might lean towards the older crowd generally. There is also an upstairs part of it, which is pretty nice.
Expensive place though, so keep that in mind if you decide to drop by for a drink or two. From what I heard, they are closed for renovation right now, and are opening back in a couple of months called as Trace.
Clubs:
Ana Mandara
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Location: 891 Beach Street
I have been to the place only a few times, but the place is definitely very nice. Serves as a restaurant until the night kicks in, Asian fusion cuisine. The biggest con against this place is the location. It is located on the outskirts near the water, so if you want to bounce from there it becomes a problem since there is much happening in the proximity.
But definitely a great place to hit up if there is a party. The crowd again is predominantly Asian, but a big chuck is also the folks from the Marina/North Beach area. A tad expensive, but worth hitting up if there is something happening for sure on the night, otherwise it would be best to pass it up.
Fluid Ultra Lounge
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 662 Mission Street
Smallish place on Mission street. Crowd can be hit or miss, but generally speaking on Friday's and Saturday's you can expect a decent crowd. The crowd can hit capacity very quickly, since it is not really all that big. The front part has the bar at the center, and the back side is "VIP"/table service. Definitely a lot nicer in the back, especially if it is crowded the front becomes a horror story. Barely enough space to stand leave alone walking etc.
The girls again can be either complete stunners or total downers. But there generally is a decent selection of girls on the weekends. Music is mainstream R & B, Hip-Hop and House. The place does get a lot of black people, so the music is generally geared to that audience. Get there early or be prepared to wait for a while.
Harlot
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 46 Minna Street
Small club near Mission street. The place is pretty alright, the crowd is not necessarily great all the time. Music is an assortment, not one of my regular spots so cannot recommend that much.
But definitely a good spot to hit up if in the area, and you might run across a few girls DTF. The decor, as the name suggests is focused on debauchery and the place reflects that. If it is crowded it becomes a nightmare to be in since it is small. On certain nights the place can be off the hook, but it happens too infrequently to be on anybody's top list.
Infusion Lounge
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 124 Ellis Street
I have not been to this place, since it opened only a year or so ago. But it seems to be one of the best spots in the downtown area at the moment.
Wednesday nights are huge from what I see and hear from my friends. So Wednesday night might be a good time to hit it up and check it out.
Roe
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 651 Howard Street
3 floors, the ground floor is mostly house music. The basement plays different kinds of music, but is smaller and there isn't much of a dancing area but there used to be couches along the walls, good place to take back girls for escalation. Top floor plays mainly R & B, Hip-Hop and an assortment mostly.
Crowd is generally pretty alright, but nothing great. They have some fashion events etc before the night begins sometimes, and those are generally alright to attend and build some leads. The place is not huge, so capacity problems show up when there is an event/party. Sometimes wait times can be dreadful if you don't get there early.
Ruby Skye
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 420 Mason Street
Probably the biggest and most talked about place in downtown SF. The place is huge for SF standards, and pulls major crowd on the weekends generally. The annual White Party is definitely a good scene. Music is mostly house, and whatever flavor the DJ's are spinning on the night. They bring over a bunch of the big DJ's from around the country and outside for the major parties.
The crowd can be a bit snobbish on the whole, a lot of people who get in suddenly get an entitlement attitude once they are past the bouncers. Expensive place, but definitely worth spending the bucks when they have a big party. Girls who make it through inside are dressed very well and expect to see a few stunners.
Slide
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin/Union Square
Location: 430 Mason Street
Right next door to Ruby Skye. Very small compared to Ruby Skye though, located in the basement of the building next door. A lot of people rave about the place, but not a personal favorite. The bouncers and the management are extremely snobbish to the point of being rude most of the time. There are a few good guys there, but it takes time to crack the place and become a regular.
The crowd is pretty decent. Most of the people who don't manage to get in to Ruby Skye try their chance here more often than not. So sort of a second hand crowd more or less most of the time, but definitely a place to hit up and it can get rocking on certain nights.
Temple
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 540 Howard Street
This is another huge place. In size it might actually be bigger than Ruby Skye. The ground level is one big hall with bars on either side of the room. It is a restaurant as well during the evenings, so things kick off a bit later here.
The basement level has two rooms of sorts. One plays R & B and Hip-Hop, the other surrounding this area plays an assortment of music. Asian sort of decor in the basement level with statues etc in the middle of the place. The crowd is predominantly Asian, but definitely not just Asian.
Vessel
Neighborhood: Union Square
Location: 85 Campton Place
One of my personal favorites. The crowd is one of the best you will find in Downtown SF most of the time. Smallish place again, so get in there early or know someone, otherwise it will be a very long wait outside and there are chances you might never make it inside. Music is good mostly house and some R & B maybe, dance floor is small so it does become a pain if there is a big crowd in.
But definitely one of the best places to hit up in the city. The close proximity to other clubs is generally good to bounce around.
Gentlemen's Clubs:
There isn't much to brag about on this front in SF, so only a couple of place in this list.
Broadway Showgirls Cabaret
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 412 Broadway
The place is expensive as hell, but the quality is a bit better compared to the other places in the area or other clubs in SF. There are quite a few very good looking girls here normally, but then there are also bound to be some who are just passable.
Only been there a couple of times, and it was pretty alright. Nothing to spectacular to remember, but pretty decent is all I can say.
Centerfolds
Neighborhood: Financial District/North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 391 Broadway Street
Don't have a lot of information on this place, was there once I believe and that too a bit late. And didn't really see anything worthwhile to stay around for so left within 15 minutes.
Gold Club
Neighborhood: SOMA
Location: 650 Howard Street
Never been to the place so cannot provide much information. The place is right opposite to Roe mentioned above. Have heard the place is alright and has some good nights, but cannot personally comment on it.
Larry Flynt's Hustler Club
Neighborhood: Financial District/North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Location: 1031 Kearny Street
A couple of blocks from Broadway Showgirls, the place is bigger but the quality is lower then Broadway Showgirls. There are a few stunners here, but they aren't around a lot and the regular girls working there aren't something you want to write home to.
A bit cheaper then Broadway Showgirls, but the place is definitely hit or miss. The girls are a bit more open than the former place, but a lot of flakes.
General stuff:
The downtown SF area is on the higher side compared to places like Mission etc. So expect to pay more for everything in almost all the places mentioned above.
And in general getting in clubs on weekend nights can be a hassle if you are a single guy or a group of guys. The best way is to know the bouncers or the promoters and get on to the VIP/Guest List or whatever.
Dress sharp, almost all of the places above will not allow people in with casual clothes. And this goes for girls as well.
I am pretty sure I missed out on a bunch of places, but it is already become an extremely long post so it is quite alright I skipped a few. If anyone has any specific questions, let me know and I will try my best to provide further information.
Hope it helps!!
Game is not about sex. Sex is a by-product, albeit an excellent one, it is the thrill of the hunt!!