supperclub, San Francisco

Calling a supperclub outpost a restaurant is like calling a salon a shampoo store—not wrong, exactly, but it misses the big picture. Sure, supperclub's acclaimed chefs craft prix-fixe meals with plenty of panache—think duck liver mousse with port jelly or pepper-rubbed strip steak in Bordelaise sauce. But the real reason the clubs thrive around the world is the live performances. Some nights, the show is vaudeville; other nights, it might be burlesque, or a circus with tricks that far outclass your tall friend pretending he's walking on stilts.

Of those three styles, burlesque best captures supperclub's grown-up gestalt. Guests can get in on the sultry dancing, too, thanks to resident DJs that often steer the clubs into nightclub territory. A DJ exchange program means that on a night in San Francisco, you might see Amsterdam's finest at the turntables. You're not required to groove to the beats on the dancefloor, though, or for that matter to eat at a table; with a reservation, you can dine and make merry on a Roman-style bed.