A perfect evening at the Symphony or a dazzling night at the Opera might begin with a new outfit, a trip to the barber, and, once you’re properly outfitted, dinner out. Whether having hors d’oeuvres and cocktails with friends, or a fine meal at a restaurant near the concert hall, you can be sure that many of your fellow diners are headed for the same enjoyable evening that you are. But once you’ve soared on the golden wings of Puccini or Mahler, you might find yourself unceremoniously dropped into the less than majestic scene of San Francisco’s Civic Center after 11 p.m. Although you can find drinks and food, the choices may be too sparse or too familiar for you to feel that they earn the prize of topping off your evening. Whether a night of music in Civic Center is a standing appointment or a rare treat, here are a few reminders of what you can count on before the show — and a slightly wider net of things to consider for “afters.”Bear in mind that restaurants immediately near the War Memorial Opera House and Davies Symphony Hall, like the singers and musicians who bring in much of their business, are closed on Mondays. Also, the open hours given for these restaurants are not written in stone. Restaurateurs tend to look around the room and see what’s going on, or rather, coming in. When things are terribly slow, they may close early. When things are booming, they may stay open late.
Before the show, your choices are numerous. For an upscale meal, you might try the Hayes Street Grill (on Hayes, obviously), the Inn at the Opera (Fulton), or the more moderate but still classy Café Delle Stelle (Hayes). If you can toddle a few more blocks in those new high heels, you might try Florinda’s Market Street Grill or Bistro
Clovis (both on Market). A bit more contemporary but still in the higher price range are Citizen Cake (Grove), Absinthe (Hayes), Indigo Restaurant (McAllister), and Paul K. (Gough).
For a more moderately priced dinner ($11-$30) before the show, try Canto do Brasil (on Franklin), Laurel’s Cuban Restaurant (Oak), or, if you want a classic Italian trattoria, Stelline (Gough). If the opera is German and you’ve always wanted to drink beer out of a boot and kibitz with others at your shared table, don’t miss Suppenküche (Hayes). For something even less formal that will leave you with more of a budget for “after,” you might try the Crepe House (Gough), Fritz (Hayes), or Arlequin (Hayes). If you don’t mind being kicked out early (they close at 7 p.m.), La Boulange (Hayes) offers a wide and not expensive variety of gourmet sandwiches, salads, and pastries.
The After Party
So, the show is over. It was fabulous and you want to relive every moment over dinner and drinks. Or, the show was horrible and you want to enjoy tearing it to shreds over dinner and drinks. Where do you go?
A few places almost qualify for the after-the-show category. If you’re up for a splurge, Jardiniere (Grove) is open after the show, but whether you’ll find a full menu, or even a bar menu, is a bit up for grabs, and how late they actually stay open will depend on how the crowd is on that particular night. Zuni (Market) is open till 11 p.m. Sunday, plus Tuesday through Thursday; and till midnight on Friday and Saturday. Max’s Opera Café (Van Ness) is still a favorite for deli-style sandwiches and desserts large enough to feed four, though their “after show” status is a little dodgy, as they close at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Absinthe (Hayes) is open till midnight Tuesday through Saturday, and the splendid bar stays open till 2 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. At Sauce (Gough), you know you’ll be fed. It offers “twists on American classics” and serves till midnight daily, but often will accommodate late diners at the bar with the full menu. The bar stays open till 2 a.m.
Widening out just a bit (you can still walk there in reasonable time after the music stops), you can enjoy “farm-fresh soul food” at Farmer Brown’s (Mason between Market and Turk). Favorites like fried chicken are offered alongside the Po’ Boy of the Day, vegetarian jambalaya, an unforgettable bourbon pecan pie, and many a fancy cocktail. If you want music before your Sunday matinee, a live band plays at the all-u-can-eat brunch including biscuits, pancakes, and fried chicken for $15. Sunday through Thursday they serve till 11 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday, they’ll ply you with food till the midnight hour.
Although it’s about an eight-block walk, you can find Thai food at Lers Ros (Larkin between Ellis and Olive). It’s open till midnight.
But if you really want to sit, relax, and eat without feeling like Cinderella, with an eye on the clock, you might want to broaden your horizons.
A Venture to the Mission or SOMA
A short trip to the Mission District yields many more choices. Heaven’s Dog (1148 Mission, between 7th and 8th) serves till 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and — put yourwallets away! — provides complimentary dim sum at 11:30 p.m. They offer a full menu, including grilled pork ribs, beef-curry clay pot, or Florida shrimp glass noodle clay pot, and (you guessed it), fun cocktails.
Somewhat farther along is Beretta (Valencia between 22nd and 23rd), serving classic Italian cuisine, including a large variety of pizzas. Their gelato is made in-house and they feature an ongoing “cocktail education series,” which offers a specialty cocktail followed by premium tasting and family-style dinner; that gives you a hint about the bar. They serve till 1 a.m. daily (or rather, nightly).
On Mission Street between 23rd and 24th, you can enjoy Mexican food at El Farolito till, well, late. Even on a Monday, they’re open till 2 a.m., with closing hours going later as the week progresses.
South of Market, you can go romantic and upscale at Oola (on Folsom), which serves till 1 a.m. At the edge of SOMA, but north of Market, and also on the pricier side, is the Globe restaurant (290 Pacific), whose salad of romaine with Pt. Reyes blue cheese and freshly shucked oysters is yours till 1 a.m.
Closer to Civic Center and offering a different ambience is the beloved old Grubstake (Pine between Van Ness and Polk). Inexpensive burgers and, if you need it, half a roast chicken are on offer, along with fries, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, all quite reasonably priced; they’re open till 4 a.m., so even a visit after a Wagner opera will qualify you as an early bird. Jumping to the Castro District after hearing the San Francisco Symphony might make a nice change of pace. Bagdad Café (Market between 16th and Noe) offers ample and less-expensive late-night fare; here you can chow down on pancakes or buffalo wings, as your heart desires, in every one of the 24 hours in the day.
You’re in San Francisco, after all, so don’t forget Chinatown’s hub, Yuet Lee (Stockton at Broadway), which serves till 2 a.m. or so.
And last but not least, if sushi is your thing, you can head over to Union Square for a bite at Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant and Bar (619 Taylor). The chefs take their last orders at 1:30 a.m. and the place shutters up at 2 a.m.
For every restaurant listed here, there are a few dozen more for you to seek out on your own. You never know which, if any, will be part of a memorable night. But that’s what’s great about an evening of music or theater or dance, followed by good comestibles: However much you’ve heard about the show, or the food and spirits, and however much it’s someone else’s cup of tea (or absinthe cocktail), you really never know what’s going to happen till you take your seat and partake of the sensory delights.