Around Lumi by Akira Back
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMSunset drinks
2
0.5 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Best rooftop bars in San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
A rooftop night in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Go up for sunset, come down for dinner.
6 spots · Jump to the list
A rooftop is an easy opening move: the view gives you something to talk about, and a drink at sunset sets up the rest of the night. The good ones fill up around golden hour, so aim to arrive before the sun goes down. Some are bars on top of a restaurant; all of them are worth the trip up for a drink, even if dinner happens somewhere else.
This guide ranks 6 rooftop bars in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people 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.
Around The Nolen
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.1 mi
5:30 PMSunset drinks
2
0.6 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
Frost Me Cafe and Bakery
Dessert Shop
555 W Date St, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Little Italy / Middletown
Around Borrego Rooftop
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMSunset drinks
2
7:00 PMDinner
Rooftop bars in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Lumi by Akira Back
4.6(23)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$$
The Nolen
4.5(11)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Borrego Rooftop
4.4(15)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Altitude Sky Lounge
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Lily Rooftop
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Saint James French Diner
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Good to know
- What's the best rooftop bar in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown for a date?
- Our top pick is Lumi by Akira Back, rated 4.6 out of 5. The Nolen and Borrego Rooftop round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable rooftop bars in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown?
- Yes — The Nolen, Borrego Rooftop and Saint James French Diner are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a rooftop night: sunset drinks, then dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.