San Francisco – The Style Traveller California Road Trip

After my rather amazing trip to Palm Springs and Coachella Festival with Mercedes / Smart Car, I decided to stay on in California for an extra couple of weeks and embark upon a road trip adventure of very own.

The Classic Californian Road Trip – Route 101

The route I planned; with a little help from my lovely friends at Visit California; was to start in San Francisco for 3 days, head to Sonoma for 2 nights to indulge in a little wine tasting, then move to Yosemite to celebrate International Earth Day. From there we headed south onto Route 101 to start taking in some of that famous Californian coastline, down through chi-chi Carmel and the wonderfully bohemian Big Sur. After 2 nights there we moved to the Spanish colonial city of Santa Barbara for the night, before reaching LA, our final stop before home.

Over the next 2 weeks I’ll be taking you with me on a classic American Road Trip. Join me on my exciting adventure along the west coast of America.

First stop? San Francisco

Where to Stay?

We stayed at The Clift, San Francisco, part of the stylish Morgans group hotels. The avant gard interiors at this Phillipe Starck and Ian Schrager designed hotel totally hit the mark in Style Traveller terms. From the gigantic roaring fireplaces and elaborate, over sized furniture which greet you on arrival, to the rich dark wood and concrete walls, the air is perfectly accented with the seductive scent of the hotels signature candles, every inch of this charismatic property oozes style and elegance from the outset.

Above: the bar at The Clift and top: the entrance hall.

Once in the lifts, pumping out chilled house tracks, the doors slide open on each floor to reveal lavender hallways, with geometric mirrors and Murano, etched ghost chairs, almost akin to walking through a highly stylised Alfred Hitchcock movie. In the bedrooms, the interiors are a sophisticated blend of retro 50’s style, to suit the architecture of the building. This juxtaposed with modern, textured, soft furnishings, retains a soft, feminine feel with a palette of soft pinks, lavender and dove grey. Needless to say I loved the interiors in my suite. I didn’t want to leave.

Above: my suite and below: the hallways

From left to right: I-phone 6, ring by Bvlgari, watch by Nixon, mascara by Christian Dior, card holder from Smythson, sunglasses by Thiery Lasry at Eyeconomy Club, clutch bag by YSL.

Eating and drinking?

San Francisco offers an wealth of fantastic dining options. The portion sizes are ample and the standard of food is excellent. We focused on three areas in particular, the chic Hayes district; filled with trendy boutique shops, restaurants and yoga centres; where we ate at Greek fusion restaurant of the moment, Souvla. We also spent one evening down in the pretty Marina area at San Fran’s best Belgian eatery, Belga. And the last night in the up and coming, creative area, The Mission, which is currently undergoing a huge regeneration project.

Start the night off with a classic cocktail at Top of The Mark at the Intercontinental Hotel (pictured above). With sweeping, 360 degree views of San Francisco. Indulge in a little glass of Veuve Clicquot to start your night off in style. This is an especially lovely area at Christmas when locals head up to the hill to listen to Xmas carols and the mood is really festive.

The Hayes District is a great place to spend the afternoon meandering around the chic boutiques and interiors stores. We stopped off for dinner at Greek Restaurant, Souvla. It’s an informal restaurant with a delicious Mediterranean and Greek themed menu. The night we were there an orderly queue formed round the block waiting for ‘take out’ souvlaki and THE most delicious baclava frozen yoghurt. Simple, relaxed and delicious.

In the area also try Absinthe cocktail bar an old school speak easy style joint.

The Marina is a lovely, to head to in the evening. We had dinner at San Frans favourite Belgian restaurant, Belga. Just round the corner from the pretty Pacific Heights area. It’s worth having a little wander around before or after dinner. From craft beers with moule-frites, to the magnificent sausage platters, and freshly caught seafood preparations, portion sizes are ample and the atmosphere is buzzing.

The Mission

One of the coolest, most up and coming areas in San Francisco is Mission. Head there after dark and hang out with SF’s creative crowd. Have rooftop cocktails with the hipster crowd at El Techo La Lolinda rooftop, Indulge in Latin American street food and the best Margaritas in in the city.

Other places worth a visit in The Mission:

ABV for the best cocktails
Zeitgeist Beer Garden
The Make Out Room Club for dancing
Vestry Bar outdoor beer garden and cinema

Pictured above (Me, Adrian and Lara get stuck in to the best margaritas in San Fran! and below – El Techo La Lolinda after dark. Special thanks to SF resident Lara for the excellent bar recommendations!

And finally, a little street style from the Haight area of San Francisco.

Whilst we were there the city was celebrating its 420 festival for those who like smoking the herb. Haight is very similar to Camden, filled with retro record shops and vintage boutiques. Here are some of the lovely colourful characters from the neighbourhood.