Amber

"This would make a great gay bar" I tell my friend Travis, as we lounge on the over-stuffed couches. "Look around...this is a gay bar!" he shouts back at me. "Mixed" bars with gay and lesbian couples can make trying to determine the sexual orientation of a San Francisco bar challenging.

Located on 14th street, between Belcher St. & Church, Amber is a retro bar with a 70's feel. A vintage sign holder, lit up by Joe Camel himself, lights-up the evenings drink specials. Scattered around the room are ashtrays filled with cigarettes because Amber bar, unlike any other bar in San Francisco, permits smoking indoors.

Whether or not you're into a smokey bar, Amber is super laid back and fun. This is the perfect bar to begin a bar crawl before heading to the Castro.