Snugly sandwiched between Golden Gate Park, the Panhandle, and Buena Vista Park, Haight-Ashbury is among San Francisco’s most walkable, shoppable, and historic neighborhoods (serving as the hub for hippie youth culture in 1967’s Summer of Love) . The district is home to a diverse hodge-podge of charming storefronts, with hole-in-the-wall thrift shops sitting comfortably next to the trendiest fashion boutiques and humble dive-bars right across the street from swanky jazz clubs.
Since its plethora of sights, sounds, and flavors might overwhelm the uninitiated, we’ve assembled an itinerary for the perfect day in Haight-Ashbury to ensure you hit all the neighborhood’s must-visit locales.
See also: The Ultimate Guide To A Day In The Vibrant Mission District
Brunch at Zazie
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941 Cole St / Website
Just south of Haight-Ashbury’s main strip, Zazie is a cute, casual French eatery complete with a quaint outdoor patio and, you guessed it, robust brunch menu. Available every weekday and weekend starting at 10am, Zazie’s brunch offerings boast all the beloved brunch trappings, but with a French twist.
If you're an eggs-in-the-morning person, we suggest their Florentine eggs benedict with portobello mushrooms. It wouldn’t be brunch without a Mimosa or Bloody Mary, though, and fortunately Zazie allows patrons to build their own mimosas (if you’re feeling adventurous, plop a scoop of white peach sorbet in with a juice and champagne of your choosing).
Shopping at Indigo Vintage Cooperative
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1649 Haight St / Website
A local women-owned cooperative with two other locations in Berkeley in Santa Cruz, Indigo is one of the neighborhood’s hippest vintage boutiques, offering an impressively curated selection of all the funkiest retro finds. They also consistently host pop-up shops around the bay, including one at last year’s Outside Lands Festival on Halloweekend.
Lunch At DragonEats
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1671 Haight St / Website
DragonEats is Haight-Ashbury’s go-to Vietnamese street food, offering renowned banh mi sandwiches and rice noodle bowls, the garlic butter chicken breast banh mi being particularly beloved. Its quick service and easy-to-eat selections make it the ideal place to grab lunch and stroll over to our next destination, Hippie Hill. A side-note for caffeine-lovers: be sure to try their Vietnamese Iced Coffee!
See also: The Best Banh Mis To Grab While Exploring San Francisco
Sightseeing At Hippie Hill
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50 Bowling Green Dr / Website
A quick walk from Haight Street to the eastern end of Golden Gate Park will take you to Hippie Hill, a picturesque meadow featuring a sloping, expansive grass field bordered by a lush treeline. As one might assume, this hangout was a favorite for flower crown-wearing young people in the 1960s, and continues to serve as a choice gathering place for picnics, drum circles, and - also unsurprisingly - 4/20 festivities.
Afternoon Snack At Bacon Bacon
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205A Frederick St / Website
A few blocks west of Buena Vista Park sits Bacon Bacon, Haight-Ashbury’s preeminent bistro for, you guessed it, bacon-based dishes. They boast a mouth-watering array of bacon-centric sandwiches, burritos, and salads that would be a prime mid-afternoon pick-me-up. If an entire sandwich sounds a bit too filling after those banh mis, go lighter and snag The Porky Fries, a serving of french fries mixed with pulled pork shoulder and - predictably - bacon bits.
Happy Hour At Nickie's Bar
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466 Haight St / Website
Every weekday from 3 to 6 pm, Nickie’s touts discounted drinks, beers, and delectable pub fare to those thirstyafter a day exploring Haight-Ashbury and ready to pregame for an equally busy evening. Their IPA selections should salve the snobbiest of beer connoisseurs, and their pub bites are well-above the standard for most bar offerings (we recommend their Bistec con Papas, a Yucatan-style beef stew served with rice and tortillas).
Dinner At Magnolia Brewing
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1398 Haight St / Website
Magnolia was one of the city’s first craft breweries, making it a favorite amongst San Francisco’s beer-lovers. Fortunately for those who are less skilled at handling their hops, Magnolia offers a surprisingly creative assortment of custom cocktails and, more importantly, a plethora of readily shareable pub plates; think steamed mussels, fish n’ chips, barbecue ribs, and - if you’re going lighter - a wittily-named Hippie Hill quinoa bowl.
See A Show At Club Deluxe
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1511 Haight St / Website
This sultry live music venue - unassuming when seen from the street but boasting an interior ambience straight out of a 1940s noire film - serves up nightly jazz performances amidst smoky, dimly-lit club environs. Their rotating roster of individual instrumentalists and group acts boasts some the best jazz musicians in the area, and don’t miss out on their custom cocktails (especially their whiskey + hot apple cider + cinnamon concoction).
A Nightcap At Trax
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1437 Haight St / Website
Open till 2 am every evening, Trax is the perfect spot to enjoy one last drink, luxuriate in the bar’s relaxed climate, and conclude a day spent gallivanting about Haight-Ashbury. Trax has been a neighborhood staple since 1940. And comes equipped with a pool table, barrel-aged cocktails, and a queer-friendly atmosphere.
See also: The Ultimate Guide To A Day In SF's Beachy Sunset District
Photography by: Robin Jonathan Deutsch/Unsplash
