CONCIERGE GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO

Good hotel concierges can steer guests to top restaurants and attractions. Great concierges know the city intimately, and offer insider tips on attractions and excursions loved by locals. We've asked Joel Stevens, Chief Concierge at Hotel Vitale, to share some of his favorite San Francisco pleasures.

Q: Where do you send guests for a great view of the city?
A: Bernal Hill, in the Bernal Heights neighborhood. It's never crowded and there are walking, hiking, biking paths. The walk up the hill, on Bocana Street, takes you through a residential area with wonderful landscaping, and dead-ends at a little pathway with manicured gardens with desert-like foliage. At the top, the vistas are spectacular! You can see the entire Bay Area, including the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge (on clear days), downtown, the East Bay, and six of the seven hills. It's a great place to see the sunset.

Another favorite spot is Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights, which has spectacular views of the bay and the city. It's a big, peaceful, lovely park, great for walking and biking. There are rarely many tourists there.

Q: How about an unusual evening excursion?
A: A stroll through Yerba Buena Gardens. The centerpiece is the giant waterfall and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Behind the fountain are a dozen glass panels inscribed with quotes from Dr. King. It's a lovely, inspiring place to go at night. [Between Third and Fourth, Mission and Folsom streets. Other attractions include restaurants, museums, public art, concerts and other outdoor events May-October.]

On Thursday nights the Museum of Modern Art and Asian Art Museum stay open until 9 PM. So even if you're in town for business, you can see some of the city's great collections. [Museum of Modern Art: 151 Third Street, between Mission and Howard streets; Asian Art Museum: 200 Larkin Street.]

Q: What are some city surprises?
A: San Francisco is a foodie's mecca. We have hundreds of little alleys and some have surprises in terms of restaurants. Belden Lane, in the Financial District, is home to a row of fantastic European–style bistros–French, Italian, Spanish -and a hopping little vodka bar called Voda. Another surprise alley is Claude Lane. It has a great French restaurant and is on the border of Union Square and the Financial District. Bix, on Gold Street in the Financial District, is a 1930s-style supper club with live jazz, martinis, and a great winding staircase.