Best cocktail bars for a date in San Diego
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
55 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 55 cocktail bars in San Diego, from Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown to Hillcrest / Bankers Hill and North Park. 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.
619 Spirits North Park
4.4(17)North Park · $$
Gilly’s House of Cocktails
4.4(5)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Neighborhood
4.4(5)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Captain's Quarters
4.3(20)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
LaFayette Hotel
4.3(16)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Carlo
4.3(14)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$$
Ginger's
4.3(7)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Room 56
4.3(6)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
The Nolen
4.2(11)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Borrego Rooftop
4.2(6)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Haunted Head Saloon
4.2(6)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
The Office Bar
4.1(23)North Park · $$
Forbidden Cove
4.1(23)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $$
Borrego Kitchen & Cocktails
4.1(15)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
The Rooftop Bar
4.1(9)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
SHELTER Encinitas
3.7(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
Showing 25–48 of 55 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is 619 Spirits North Park in North Park, rated 4.4 out of 5. Gilly’s House of Cocktails and Neighborhood round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (8), Hillcrest / Bankers Hill (3) and North Park (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in San Diego?
- Yes — 619 Spirits North Park, Gilly’s House of Cocktails and Captain's Quarters are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Carlo, Room 56 and Fallen Empire.
- 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.