Around Young Blood
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.1 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.4 mi
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Best speakeasies in San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
A speakeasy night in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Dinner first, then the unmarked door.
6 spots · Jump to the list
Half the fun is finding the door. These are the bars behind a phone booth, a freezer, an unmarked stairwell — small rooms where the drinks are made slowly and it stays quiet enough to talk. Most are small, so go early or book where they take reservations, and eat first: few of them serve much food.
This guide ranks 6 speakeasies 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 Prohibition
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.9 mi
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
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 The Noble Experiment
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
Speakeasies in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Young Blood
4.9(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Prohibition
4.8(16)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
The Noble Experiment
4.8(5)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Neighborhood
4.8(5)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Craft Bar Kamon
4.5(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Room 56
4.0(6)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
Good to know
- What's the best speakeasy in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown for a date?
- Our top pick is Young Blood, rated 4.9 out of 5. Prohibition and The Noble Experiment round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable speakeasies in Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown?
- Yes — Prohibition, The Noble Experiment and Craft Bar Kamon are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Young Blood, The Noble Experiment and Craft Bar Kamon, while Prohibition takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a speakeasy night: dinner, then hidden cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.