A wine night in Encinitas / Del Mar
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.3 mi
5:30 PMA glass to start
2
7:00 PMDinner
← San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
Best wine bars for a date in San Diego
A glass to start, a table around the corner.
24 spots · Jump to the list
A wine bar is the low-pressure date: stay for one glass or four, and let the staff steer you if neither of you knows the list. Most pour a good range by the glass and serve small plates, so a wine bar works as the first stop before dinner or as the whole evening.
This guide ranks 24 wine bars in San Diego, from Oceanside / Carlsbad to Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown and Encinitas / Del Mar. 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.
A wine night in Little Italy / Middletown
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.8 mi
5:30 PMA glass to start
2
0.7 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Wine BarCaves Wine Bar & Shop
5.0(9)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
Wine BarVino Carta
4.4(10)Little Italy / Middletown
Wine BarBacari North Park
North Park
Wine BarTurtle Rock Ridge Wine Bar
La Jolla · $$$
Wine BarWine Girl
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
Wine BarGianni Buonomo Vintners
Ocean Beach / Point Loma
Wine BarCoomber Craft Wines Oceanside
Oceanside / Carlsbad
Wine BarRumi
North Park
Wine BarSabre Champagne & Wine Bar
Little Italy / Middletown
Wine BarThe WineSellar & Brasserie
Wine BarOddish Wine
Wine BarSIP
Wine BarLe Charcuterie Bar
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $
Wine BarDorothy's Wine Bar
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $
Wine BarJuan Jasper Kitchen & Wine
East Village / Barrio Logan · $$$
Wine BarCarruth Cellars Urban Winegarden & Cheese Shop
Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $
Wine BarNapatini Bistro and Wine Bar
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
Wine BarThe Meantime
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Wine BarCosta Azul Winery
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Wine BarErnie's Craft Deli and Wine Bar
Encinitas / Del Mar · $
Wine BarWetStone Wine Bar Solana Beach
Del Mar / Solana Beach · $$
Wine BarNext Door Craft Beer & Wine Bar
$
Wine BarElixir Espresso & Wine Bar
La Jolla · $
Wine BarThe Privateer Marketplace & Wine Bar
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
Good to know
- What's the best wine bar in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Caves Wine Bar & Shop in Encinitas / Del Mar, rated 5.0 out of 5. Vino Carta and Bacari North Park round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best wine bars?
- Oceanside / Carlsbad (5), Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (3) and Encinitas / Del Mar (2) have the most spots on this list.
- Are there affordable wine bars in San Diego?
- Yes — Caves Wine Bar & Shop, Le Charcuterie Bar and Dorothy's Wine Bar are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a wine night: a glass to start, 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.