Vesuvio Cafe

What you need to know

Vesuvio is on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Jack Kerouac Alley, across from City Lights Bookstore. The bar has been at this address since 1948 and is closely associated with the Beat Generation writers who drank here in the 1950s.

The Beat Connection

Artist Henri Lenoir opened Vesuvio in 1948 to create a bohemian meeting spot. On October 7, 1955, Neal Cassady (the model for Dean Moriarty in Kerouac’s “On the Road”) stopped here on his way to the Six Gallery poetry reading where Allen Ginsberg first performed “Howl.” The Beats made the bar a regular hangout.

Jack Kerouac became a regular. One often-told story has him standing up a scheduled meeting with Henry Miller to keep drinking at Vesuvio. Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dylan Thomas, and Bob Dylan are all on the list of writers and musicians who drank here.

What You’ll Find

The building dates to 1913, designed by Italian architect Italo Zanolini in the Renaissance Revival style. The interior has not changed substantially since the 1950s. The second floor has window seats looking down at the alley and across to City Lights. The walls are covered with art, photographs, and geometric collages by artist Shawn O’Shaughnessy, who spent years dyeing and lacquering notebook paper into detailed patterns.

The clientele today is a mix of visitors on the Beat trail, neighborhood regulars, off-duty artists, and walk-ins from Columbus Avenue.

What to Drink

The house cocktail is The Jack Kerouac: rum, tequila, orange and cranberry juice, lime, served in a bucket glass. The Bohemian Coffee (brandy, amaretto, lemon twist) is the other house drink. Beer and wine are also on the menu. The bar does not serve food.

When to Go

Afternoons are quieter. Window seats upstairs face the alley. Evenings get busier, especially on weekends.

Jack Kerouac Alley, which connects Columbus to Grant Avenue, was renamed in 1988 and converted to pedestrian-only in 2007. Literary quotes are embedded in the pavement; murals cover the walls.

What to drink

The Jack Kerouac (rum, tequila, OJ, cranberry, lime), Bohemian Coffee (brandy, amaretto, lemon twist), solid beer and wine