The still-beating heart of North Beach, Vesuvio is a saloon style bar that opened in 1948 and has been a haven for writers, artists, sailors, students, and saucy-eyed tourists looking for bars in San Francisco in which to muse ever since. Immortalised in the classic On the Road, it’s an ideal place to find the spirit of the Beat Generation. The mood at Vesuvio is lively and loud in these tight quarters, as beer by the pitcherful is poured and literary pretence starts to spew. Bookish arguments can be settled just a stone’s throw away at City Lights Bookstore.

Photos: Flickr – (1) Allie_Caulfield (2) IK’s World Trip