The Royal Cuckoo

There are so many red lights inside The Royal Cuckoo that you might think it was a darkroom instead of a bar. But instead of stacks of photographs, this place on Mission always has great music playing thanks to their huge record collection. And it feels like a place that the Beatniks would’ve loved to order strong drinks while discussing poetry and how much effort they’re “not” putting into their facial hair. If the inside gets crowded, there’s also a back patio to hang out on, but you’ll still want to spend most of your time under the red lights inside.