Fallen Empire

On our lists of the best speakeasies and cocktail bars in San Diego.

Inside the lobby of the Baby Grand hotel, a decorative sculpture doubles as a door: press the right one and it swings open into a red-and-gold room where a central bar is painted in the style of Géricault's Raft of the Medusa. Solid-brass booths in red mohair circle it, and the menu runs to Kumamoto oysters, scallop crudo, and uni tartare alongside a serious list of vintage Champagne. Reservations are required, and capacity runs to about three dozen guests at a time.