MO Magazine Tips created by Condé Nast
Head down to Fisherman's Wharf Pier 39 where a colony of sea lions spend their days lolling about in the sunshine. The Wharf is also the jumping-off point for a visit to Alcatraz Island, home of the infamous maximum security prison that once housed the likes of Al Capone and the Birdman of Alcatraz. Ferries (+1 (415) 461 4608) regularly make the 10-minute hop to the island. The prison closed in 1963 and, after a brief occupation by Native Americans, was opened to visitors. Wander around the docks, guardhouse, barracks and the cell house, which has a fabulous panorama of the San Francisco cityscape said to have driven the inmates crazy.
For anyone with even a passing interest in wine, it would be a sin not to spend a day visiting California's winelands. Napa is the best-known name, and the Napa Valley is just a 90-minute drive around the Bay from the city centre – and visible from the north-facing bedrooms at Mandarin Oriental.
Skip Napa town and Highway 29, and head instead for the Silverado Trail, weaving between vineyards and forests along the Valley's eastern fringe.
Wineries worth making a special effort to visit include Stags' Leap (6150 Silverado Trail; +1 (707) 944 1303), famous for its benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon (pay $10 extra to taste a glass of divine Cask 23); Niebaum-Coppola (1991 St Helena Highway, Rutherford; +1 (707) 963 9099), the spectacular mansion owned by Francis Ford Coppola; and Beringer ( 2000 Main Street, St Helena; +1 (707) 963 7115), maker of some of California's finest Merlot.
Courtesy SFMOMA
San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA, 151 3rd Street; +1 (415) 357 4000) is second in the US only to MoMA New York in terms of the range of modern art it exhibits. And it even outdoes its east-coast sibling for those interested in the Americana-inspired works of such artists as Jeff Koons and Piet Mondrian – whose geometrical, primary-coloured canvasses (right) were inspired by maps of city blocks.
Across the road, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (701 Mission Street; +1 (415) 978 2787) is for the more adventurous art-lover; installation and video art are its forte.
Satisfy cravings for Vera Wang gloves or Gucci boots on Union Square, where Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue sell all the luxury brands imaginable. Or, for a more boho style, the countless vintage and one-off boutiques along the main street in Haight-Ashbury, former centre of the Beatnik universe, are highly recommended. This leafy, low-rise neighbourhood is perfect for a Sunday stroll, and for unique garments and gifts.
For wine connoisseurs, the best choice of fine Napa and Sonoma vintages is to be found at the cavernous San Francisco Wine Exchange in SoMa (442 Tehama Street; +1 (415) 546 0484).
Silks (+1 (415) 986 2020) at Mandarin Oriental is renowned for its excellent contemporary Californian cuisine from Executive Chef Selu Garcia, and for its Oriental-inspired setting.
Another great option is Bacar (448 Brannan Street; +1 (415) 904 4100) a converted warehouse in the fashionable SoMa area serving top-class California cuisine and 100 wines by the glass.
The elegant Aqua (252 California Sreet; +1 (415) 956 9662) is also a popular hang-out for the city's high society. The acclaimed chef Gary Danko combines contemporary American cuisine with French and Mediterranean touches at his eponymous restaurant, tucked away in one of the city's best residential areas (800 North Point; +1 (415) 749 2060).
Bambuddha (left; 601 Eddy Street; has been described as 'like a mini Thai island built by a team from Wallpaper* magazine' and is the most striking bar in San Francisco. Although 'bar' is a bit of a misnomer, given that there's a lounge and a restaurant as well – and all flanked by a swimming pool, where one can chill out on sunloungers while sipping the drink du jour, a lychee martini.