From The Fairmont San Francisco Best Nearby (10 Overall Closest) Metro: San Francisco, CA Tonga Room Hurricane Restaurant & Bar (Nightlife - Bars) 950 Mason St Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-772-5000 Distance: ~29 ft User Rating: 9.3334 / 10         Description: NOB HILL. The Tonga Room offers drinks, dancing, great Asian cuisine, and a festive atmosphere, including a simulated tropical rainstorm that shakes things up every twenty minutes. Expansive windows provide views of the bustling streetscape, and live music and dancing take place nightly. The popular restaurant and bar also host a well-attended happy hour with its own special buffet. Order up a tropical cocktail, see what tasty treats are available, and relax after a long day. Top of the Mark (Nightlife - Live Music) 1 Nob Hill InterContinental Mark Hopkins, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-616-6916 Distance: ~244 ft         Description: NOB HILL. This elegant lounge, once a penthouse suite, affords amazing, panoramic views from a lofty, 19th-floor perch. Its well-to-do clientele appreciate the place's romantic ambience, along with live entertainment and creative cocktails, especially as they watch San Francisco glow golden in the evening sun. Although Top of the Mark has been around since 1939, its allure never seems to diminish. And with great service and a reputation as a must-visit, the lounge remains ready to deliver many more years of satisfaction. Big 4 (Restaurants - Breakfast) 1075 California St The Huntington Hotel, Nob Hill  CA  94108 • 415-771-1140 Distance: ~476 ft User Rating: 7 / 10         Description: NOB HILL. The Big 4 takes its name from four, well-known, 19th-century railroad tycoons, and the restaurant's decor is adorned with memorabilia from the era. Pan-seared Dungeness crab cakes, brioche French toast, steak and eggs, and Cobb salad are among the champagne brunch offerings that you'll find. Soups, fresh fruit, juices, and a variety of other dishes round out the tantalizing New American fare. Fournou's Ovens (Restaurants - Lunch) 905 California St, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-989-1910 Distance: ~829 ft User Rating: 8.5 / 10         Description: NOB HILL. This popular hotel restaurant is best known for the large rustic ovens that are its signature. In them are prepared a variety of meats, which vary with the seasonal menu and delight diners year-round. Tender rack of lamb is an especial favorite. Other choices include pastas, risottos, and a decadent baked lobster strudel. An extensive wine list is available to pair with any of the dishes. Cable Car Museum (Attractions & Activities - Museums) 1201 Mason St, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-474-1887 Distance: ~892 ft         Description: CHINATOWN. This museum has been called "one of the top 10 free attractions in the world" by travel guru Arthur Frommer. Watch the machinery that makes San Francisco's most famous form of transportation possible. Also go upstairs for photographs, memorabilia, and other displays related to the history of cable cars. Located at the intersection of Mason and Washington Streets. Venticello (Restaurants - Italian) 1257 Taylor St, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-922-2545 Distance: ~1000 ft         Description: NOB HILL. You'll always meet up with a strong contingent of locals at this rustic, romantic haunt. The cable car line runs outside, and inside, a wood-burning oven and Bay views impart especial charm. The menu's Tuscan cooking features gnocchi with mushroom cream sauce and gorgonzola, rosemary grilled lamb tenderloins, veal scaloppini, and seared ahi tuna over buttered spinach. End on a sweet note with mainstays like panna cotta, tiramisu, or Frangelico cheesecake. Cozy and inviting. Masa's (Restaurants - American) 648 Bush St Hotel Vintage Court, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-989-7154 • 800-258-7694 Distance: ~1034 ft User Rating: 9 / 10         Description: NOB HILL. Arguably San Francisco's most expensive restaurant, Masa's is also one of its most celebrated. Its interior is a study of chocolate-brown and ivory, accented with red silk, toile and contemporary artwork. Tasting menus, for which the restaurant is known, display a similar eclecticism, featuring a warm beet salad alongside Key West hogfish or yellowfin sashimi with milkfed capon. You'll also find discreet professional service and plenty of options in the 4-, 6- and 9-course menus, which include dessert and allow for vegetarian preferences. San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design (Attractions & Activities - Museums) 550 Sutter St, San Francisco  CA  94102 • 415-773-0303 Distance: ~1067 ft         Description: UNION SQUARE. Fronted by a charming courtyard, this museum occupies the elegant building that once housed Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salon. Today, beautiful objects rather than bodies are the focus, showcasing both the creative process and the products of design. Past exhibits have been dedicated to industrial design, textile design, furniture, toys created by well-known artists, and the accumulated works of specific designers. The museum shop allows you to take home a wealth of sensual goods in a variety of media. Free docent tours can be arranged. Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (Restaurants - French) 600 Stockton St, San Francisco  CA  94108 • 415-296-7465 • 415-773-6168 Distance: ~1092 ft         Description: NOB HILL. Roundly praised by critics, the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton manages to do everything right: magnificent decor, an excellent wine list, professional service and, oh, the food. The contemporary French menu bears an Asian touch, and its execution is without reproof. Representative of the fare are chilled Dungeness crab with mango and red onion compote, slow-roasted Japanese sole with lobster tortellini, and sancho peppercorn-crusted duck breast with kumquat glaze. Excellent wines and champagnes bring out the cuisine's welcome complexity, and artisanal cheeses and hand-made desserts allow guests to cap a meal as their tastes desire. Bar Crudo (Restaurants - American) 655 Divisadero St, San Francisco  CA  94117 • 415-409-0679 Distance: ~1194 ft         Description: Albeit a tiny space with bar dining downstairs and a handful of tables upstairs, Bar Crudo has made quite a splash with its exquisite seafood. Impeccable preparation and spot-on flavors distinguish the fare, whether you choose chilled shellfish or their crudo (raw fish) items. The latter get a kick with fennel, mint, tobiko, ginger, and blood oranges. Seafood chowder, with its base of applewood-smoked bacon, pleases folks who want something hot; other possibilities include tuna confit, an artisan cheese plate, and sherry duck liver mousse. The bar's spotlight shines on an array of Belgian beers. Copyright ©2001 10Best Inc. All rights reserved.