The Cinch

While Polk Gulch was once a seedy strip of male prostitutes, the Russian Hill of today is not typically a gay destination. The Cinch is nearly all that remains, an outpost full of older barflies and pretty young things mingling together under the rainbow of Tibetan prayer flags. Two pool tables, an outdoor patio, lots of games and plenty of space keep this saloon casual every night of the week. While the walls are as cluttered with kitsch as those at any T.G.I. Friday’s, the eye invariably lands upon the pencil drawing of a man being mounted by the lion. But don’t be afraid; the 40-year-old Cinch is the friendliest gay bar north of Market Street.