Around Good News Bar
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.8 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.9 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Best cocktail bars in San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
A cocktail night in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
4 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 4 cocktail bars in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
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.
Around Gilly’s House of Cocktails
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.3 mi
5:30 PMDinner
CinKuni (Italian & Japanese Cuisine)
Restaurant
3025 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92104, United States
4.7
2
0.6 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
Around LaFayette Hotel
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.7 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
Cocktail bars in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill for a date?
- Our top pick is Good News Bar, rated 4.8 out of 5. Gilly’s House of Cocktails and LaFayette Hotel round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill?
- Yes — Good News Bar, Gilly’s House of Cocktails and LaFayette Hotel are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Carlo, while Good News Bar takes 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.