Bourbon & Branch

Bourbon & Branch in the Tenderloin is in the same space as a speakeasy from the 1920s, and their commitment to the theme is strong—including a lot of rules to follow. There’s a strict 90-minute time limit per table, speaking volume should be low lest you incur the wrath of a server, and don’t even think about taking out your cell phone (this is a time capsule to the Prohibition era, after all). Once you’ve acclimated to the near-pitch black and just the sound of hushed conversations, it’s easy to have a nice time with well-balanced cocktails or a flight of whiskey under the gold tin ceiling. It’s reservations only, and you’ll have a password emailed to you before you get in. For the non-planners, the next-door bar, The Library, is great and takes walk-ins (the password is, shocker, “books”).