Come armed with coins to drop in slots and bring to life Sweeney Todd and other less-gruesome mechanical diversions, part of a collection of childhood toys and games that, though small, is wide in scope – Blue Peter annuals, teddy bears, miniature butcher’s shop and a 21-room dolls house included. A gift shop is stocked with the sort of keenly priced novelties – flying dinosaurs, bouncing putty, plastic animal sound toys – that will presumably find their way into the collection in due course.

It is easy to hurry past this modest shopfront, unaware that within is Scotland's oldest Italian deli, a huge, high-ceilinged space stacked to the rafters with an abundance of cheese, charcuterie, pasta and wine from the old country and elsewhere. Way at the back is a bookshop and cafe that's open all day serving dishes made from their own produce - porridge with set honey, though hardly Italian, is a particular treat on a blustery day.

There are numerous Joe’s dotted around the Bay Area, all with similar menus but no other affiliation. This is a slick but sympathetic update of the Original Joe’s, a mainstay of the seamy Tenderloin that was destroyed by fire in 2007. Now relocated in a more salubrious neighbourhood, but using elements from the previous premises, it has an old-fashioned air with deep red booths and stools, and an unfussy menu that’s the essence of Californian Italian. Cocktails are excellent, steaks even better and come served with pepperoncini. Don’t forgo ravioli on the side.

Perhaps the jewel of The Presidio, a former military installation now turned into a park. What was once an airfield has become a serene and beautiful space, which, even at busy times, has a sense of splendid isolation. Cyclists and kite-flyers are well-served by the terrain and the magnificent views encourage contemplation.

Those of us living in fear of disaster may find comfort here, where items for seemingly every eventuality, no matter how grave or unlikely, are available. There is rope, string and webbing; leather and tools; brushes, waterproofs and boots. The less apocalyptic-minded may also note slippers, key rings, and deck chair and awning fabric. Be sure to peer into the back where items of ancient provenance are piled on dusty shelves. Just next door is Caramelos Paco, a madly overstocked sweetshop, probably best avoided by anyone with small children.

The tourist trail leads directly to this door, and there are the photographs of visiting celebrities to prove it – Christopher Lee, Paloma Picasso and Maradona among them. Its cool white marble interior feels opulent, while efficient, slightly world-weary, staff guide visitors through the process of ordering chocolate con churros – a fried-dough pastry served with thick hot chocolate, almost pudding-like in consistency and less sweet than one might think, to dip them into. A single order of six churros and a cup of chocolate between two should suffice for breakfast or a very late bite after a night of revels.