Best cocktail bars for a date in San Diego
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
59 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 59 cocktail bars in San Diego, from Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown to Hillcrest / Bankers Hill and Coronado. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Werewolf American Pub
4.3(13)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
The Honey Pot
4.3(7)La Jolla · $$
Pearl Hotel
4.2(15)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Raised by Wolves
4.2(6)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$
Botanica Art & Cocktail Bar
4.1(26)North Park · $$$
Mess Hall
4.1(25)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Captain's Quarters
4.0(20)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
LaFayette Hotel
4.0(16)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Carlo
4.0(14)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$$
Ginger's
4.0(7)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Room 56
4.0(6)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Gilly’s House of Cocktails
4.0(5)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Forbidden Cove
3.8(23)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $$
SHELTER Encinitas
3.4(18)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
The Bridge Speakeasy
Coronado · $$
Shibuya Nights
Little Italy / Middletown · $$
Georgette's
North Park · $$
Fallen Empire
Coronado · $$
Anigma
Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
Fifth & Rose
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
The Diamond Room
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Drink 182
Ocean Beach / Point Loma
THRONE ROOM
5.0(1)South Park / Golden Hill · $$
Kiku Room
4.7(18)Little Italy / Middletown
Showing 25–48 of 59 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Werewolf American Pub in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown, rated 4.3 out of 5. The Honey Pot and Pearl Hotel round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (5), Hillcrest / Bankers Hill (3) and Coronado (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in San Diego?
- Yes — Werewolf American Pub, The Honey Pot and Pearl Hotel are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Raised by Wolves, Carlo and Room 56.
- 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.