Vesuvio Cafe sits at 255 Columbus Ave. in North Beach, across a narrow alley from City Lights Bookstore. The building was designed and built in 1913 by Italian architect Italo Zanolini and remodeled in 1918, according to Wikipedia. The National Trust for Historic Preservation describes it as a 1913 Italian Renaissance Revival building.
A bohemian bar from the start
Henri Lenoir, an art lover, founded the bar in 1948 as a bohemian gathering place. It became a hangout for Beat Generation writers including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who opened City Lights next door in 1953. Longtime part-owner and manager emeritus Leo Riegler died in 2017.
The night Kerouac never left
The National Trust tells the bar's best-known story. Henry Miller wrote to Kerouac saying he had enjoyed The Dharma Bums and wanted to meet. They arranged to meet one night in 1960 in Big Sur. Kerouac never made it out of San Francisco. He spent the evening at Vesuvio instead.
Jack Kerouac Alley
The alley between Vesuvio and City Lights was originally called Adler. It was renamed Jack Kerouac Alley in 1988, thanks to efforts by Ferlinghetti, and was refurbished and made pedestrian-only in 2007. It now connects Columbus and Grant avenues with decorative streetlights, murals and plaques carrying poetry and literary quotes.
Inside
The walls are covered in art, much of it by local artists. You can drink at the downstairs bar or sit in the second-floor balcony and watch from above. The National Trust's house-drink pick is the Bohemian Coffee: strong coffee with brandy, amaretto and a twist of lemon. Hours have changed over the years, so check before a late visit. While you're in the neighborhood, see 15 Romolo's reopening and the relit Mabuhay Gardens sign.