A cocktail night in La Jolla
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.1 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
< 0.1 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
Best cocktail bars for a date in San Diego
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
54 spots · Jump to the list
These are bars you go to for the drinks themselves — a considered menu, careful technique, a bartender who can make you something that isn't on it. They sit best in the middle of a night: after dinner, before dessert, or as the nightcap. Restaurants with a strong bar are on the restaurant lists instead.
This guide ranks 54 cocktail bars in San Diego, from Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown to Shelter Island / Harbor Island and Kearny Mesa / Clairemont. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A cocktail night in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.7 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.2 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 54.
RestaurantCove House
5.0(6)La Jolla · $$
BarCraft Bar Kamon
4.8(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Cocktail BarGood News Bar
4.8(15)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $
BarThe Cordova Bar
4.8(13)Little Italy / Middletown · $$
Cocktail BarLuau
4.8(5)$$
Cocktail BarJ & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse
4.7(25)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $
Cocktail BarBar 1924
4.7(19)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Cocktail BarYoung Blood
4.6(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
BarRealm Of The 52 Remedies
4.6(24)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $$
Cocktail BarRealm of 52 Remedies
4.6(20)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $$
BarThe Bar at Moniker General
4.6(16)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
BarWerewolf American Pub
4.6(13)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Cocktail BarThe Honey Pot
4.6(7)La Jolla · $$
SpeakeasyThe Noble Experiment
4.6(5)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
BarTower 13
4.5(20)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
RestaurantMothership
4.5(20)South Park / Golden Hill · $$
Cocktail BarProhibition
4.5(16)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Hotel BarPearl Hotel
4.5(15)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Cocktail BarRaised by Wolves
4.5(6)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$
Cocktail LoungeBotanica Art & Cocktail Bar
4.4(26)North Park · $$$
BarMess Hall
4.4(25)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Cocktail BarOculto 477
4.4(21)Old Town · $$$
BarSandbar
4.4(18)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $
Cocktail BarFifth and Rose
4.4(17)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Cove House in La Jolla, rated 5.0 out of 5. Craft Bar Kamon and Good News Bar round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (7), Shelter Island / Harbor Island (4) and Kearny Mesa / Clairemont (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in San Diego?
- Yes — Cove House, Craft Bar Kamon and Good News Bar are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Craft Bar Kamon, Young Blood and The Noble Experiment, while Good News Bar and Prohibition take walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a cocktail night: dinner, then cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.