A tiny saloon at Jack London Square, built in 1880 from the timber of a decommissioned whaling ship. The floor slopes noticeably — it was tilted by the 1906 earthquake and never levelled. The bar where a teenage Jack London reportedly spent time reading and drinking is still the same bar, in the same room, with much of the same fittings. Old photographs, memorabilia, and a general atmosphere of benign neglect make it one of the most characterful bars in the Bay Area.
It is genuinely small — maybe 15 people at capacity — and genuinely old. The staff are used to curious visitors alongside the regulars. Open most days from the afternoon; check before making it the centrepiece of a trip.