The spirit of the place according to Miles Thatcher

"I grew up in Pennsylvania, but I've been living in San Francisco for several years now. This is my seventh season with the San Francisco Ballet. I love this city, which is both cosmopolitan and culturally rich, with beautiful museums like the Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, but also very close to nature. That's why there are some exceptional restaurants here, sourced from the region's organic farms. One of my favourites is Jardinière, on the same pavement as the San Francisco Ballet and a stone's throw from the magnificent Opera House. It's a great place to dine before a show. The cuisine is European-inspired, but everything is made on the premises. This elegant yet relaxed place is on the edge of a very hip neighbourhood, Hayes Valley, where you'll find alternative cafés and pretty designer boutiques. Among them, I recommend Gather, a stall offering jewellery and clothing almost all Made in California, t-shirts with the effigy of the Golden Gate and little gifts that you won't find anywhere else.

In another neighbourhood, Mission Street, I often go to Beretta. Surprisingly, San Francisco restaurants close early, but this one is open until 1am. That's why you meet great chefs who come here to relax after their shift. I love this place, which is unique in that it serves inventive cocktails named after birds, made with smoked mescal, aloe vera or rose, which are paired with succulent pizzas. SF's best bartenders shake their shakers behind a beautifully lit bar. And here too, almost all the produce comes from the surrounding farms. This is a very strong trend in San Francisco. You can also find it at Gracias Madre, which serves vegan Mexican cuisine. Not far from there, in Castro, a district known for its Victorian houses, you absolutely must stop off at Corona Heights Park, a little jewel perched on the hills where you can spend hours sitting on the red rocks. For an equally impressive view, but better suited to a business meeting, I recommend the bar at the InterContinental, Top of The Mark, on the 19th floor of a building perched on a hill in the city centre. It's spectacular, and you can admire the Golden Gate while sipping a martini. But I must admit that one of my favourite places is a little more bucolic. It's the Sutro Bath Ruins, baths destroyed in the mid-twentieth century, on a beach surrounded by almost Mediterranean vegetation. At the end of the day, when the light turns golden, it's sublime. Before enjoying a drink next door at the delightful Cliff House".