From Yemeni cafes to karaoke and arcades, there are options galore across the Bay Area for an alcohol-free night out. (Getty Images)
If you’ve ever tried to plan a hangout in the evening that doesn’t involve going to a bar, you may have discovered: Finding places to socialize after 6 p.m. that don’t involve “grabbing a drink” can be tricky.
And there are plenty of reasons you might not want — or need — alcohol involved in a night out. For one thing, there’s been a decline in alcohol consumption among Gen-Z and younger millennials. According to a 2023 Gallup analysis, the alcohol consumption rate among adults aged 18 to 34 has declined in the last 20 years — from 72% of this age group saying they “ever have occasion to use alcoholic beverages” in 2001–03 to 62% in 2021–23.
Luckily, as this author knows from experience, adventures — or chill nights — that aren’t necessarily bar-based are still possible in the Bay Area after a certain time. Keep reading for just some of the after-hours haunts that don’t revolve around alcohol, with ideas for things to do in San Francisco, Oakland, San José and beyond.
This author can’t say enough good things about Yemeni coffeehouses, which have blossomed in popularity across the country as a cozy, lively third-space alternative for people — especially Arabs and Muslims — to hang out in the far late hours of the night. (My go-to order, in case you were wondering, is a classic Adani chai with sugar — pots and pots of it at 1 a.m. I am not a big sleeper.)
There are multiple coffeehouse and chai options in the Bay Area taking inspiration from traditions across the world, including:
Delah’s Coffee, with two locations in San Francisco, one in Oakland and one in Berkeley. Most locations are open until 11 p.m. on the weekends.
Sana’a Cafe, with several locations across the Bay, including San Francisco and Oakland.
elaichi co. in Berkeley, usually open until 10 or 11 p.m.
There are a lot of dessert options and cafes spread out across the Bay Area. (Getty Images)
Sing your heart out at karaoke
A lot of karaoke joints are karaoke bars, where you sing in public onstage — and are often subject to a two-drink minimum spend at the bar itself. However, the Bay Area has no shortage of karaoke venues, which offer private rooms for rental by the hour.
Private rooms
K-Box in San Francisco’s Japantown, open to either 12 a.m. or 4 a.m.
Taisho in San Francisco, open until 12 a.m. or 2 a.m.
Karaoke venues are mostly open late, if you’re looking to belt out some tunes. (Getty Images)
On public floor
There are options for those who are brave enough to sing in front of strangers and who don’t necessarily mind a bar setting. (Many of these venues will, however, provide non-alcoholic options — may I suggest the Shirley Temple at Festa?)
Festa Lounge in San Francisco open to either 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.
Even suggesting going to the arcade makes me feel like a kid in an ’80s movie (or like this guy.) But they are fun; some offer bowling, too, and you might even win a claw-machine plushie of a character from an anime you have never heard of.
Some of the options below are arcade bars, but you do not need to order from the bar. Many also provide non-alcoholic options. (You do, however, need to pay for the games.)
The Detour in San Francisco, open to mostly 12 a.m. or 2 a.m.
Pinball machines atAlamo Drafthouse in San Francisco, open until around 11 p.m.
Musée Mécanique in San Francisco, with an array of vintage coin-operated machines. Open until 8 p.m.
Arcades are fun, and many offer non-alcoholic options. (Getty Images)
If you are into tabletop or board games, you can follow Oaklandish Board Gamers to see if there may be opportunities to join a meet up. Dogpatch Games and The Game Parlor also had frequent events and times to play at nights.
Go for a late-night spin
The Bay Area has a surprising number of rinks and outdoor events centered around biking or roller skating for those who need to fulfill a roller derby fantasy. (Times for events below vary.)
David G. Miles Jr. skates back to his DJ booth at the Church of 8 Wheels in San Francisco on Sept. 20, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Some theaters run midnight shows that are a party unto themselves. This one’s from the Clay Theater’s ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ screening in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
The observatory is open for the spring up until May 9. Keep in mind to check the weather on the observatory’s Instagram — the building is only open to the public on nights with clear skies. The show runs until 9:30 p.m.
If you use social media, you may also find the algorithm hand-delivering certain events to you that it thinks you might be interested in. I also regularly check the Instagram pages of Bay Area places I am curious about — which is how I ended up at a swanky Internet Archive event earlier this year, complete with 1920s-style red carpet.
Just a few events to keep your eyes on:
Night markets, which you can usually find news about on SF Funcheap or Instagram.
Several commentators have also been predicting “the end of the house party,” blaming high costs of living and too-small living spaces, among many other factors. But a great party can also be a tiny, intimate one — so get on that Partiful, come up with a stupid theme and invite a few people over.
Sponsored
lower waypoint
Stay in touch. Sign up for our daily newsletter.
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.
Former Washington Post Editorial Writer on Trump’s Legal Strategy
Ruth Marcus resigned from the Washington Post after its CEO killed an editorial she wrote that was critical of the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos. She ended up publishing the column in The New Yorker, and ...
