Lizzie’s Starlight (formerly The Starlight Room)

Soaring high above Union Square on the 21st floor of Kimpton’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Lizzie’s Starlight (formerly Harry Dention’s Starlight Room) still offers its signature 360-degree city views, but its new interiors are worth a second look, too. Windows have been expanded and the decor glammed up and modernized with wispy white curtains and a cool color palette to usher in a new era of sophisticated drinks and dancing. Even the name is new, and “Lizzie” is a nod to the alleged affair between Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth I. You can still count on classic and creative cocktails served in vintage-style barware, but the real star of the menu might be the food, which is anything but your average bar-bite bores. Do-not-skip delights include the caviar cannoli filled with whipped crème fraiche, and the ribeye and fried oyster skewers. If you love desserts, try the candied apple filled with apple butter mousse.

This vantage point looks down Powell Street, below Nob Hill and toward Union Square. It’s a very lively area of the city. Sir Frances Drake Hotel is pictured on the left.