50 Best Bars in San Diego

“Great food, service, atmosphere, and view.“

“Normally I like to keep gems like this to myself, but walking through literal back alleys in San Diego to be introduced to this incredible Hi-Fi listening speakeasy was just too awesome and I hope everyone I love gets a chance to get on the reservation list, stat. I'm a speakeasy veteran with a coast to coast cocktail sipping resume that spans from SF to Boston and New Orleans to Chicago, and this spot has definitely landed in my top ten. The atmosphere, the staff, the tunes, and the drinks are all so special and perfectly curated for maximum delight. Every aspect of CMB is comfortable and balanced, and so very easy to enjoy. They found a great groove and kept it going.“

“Excellent food and very good service. Everything was delicious and the portions were huge. It was expensive for breakfast, but great for a special occasion.“

“**ABSOLUTELY loved coming here!**

This summer, I’ve been on a mission to rediscover great happy hours around San Diego—especially those with amazing oyster deals. I randomly heard about **Mabel’s Gone Fishing** as a spot to check out, and on a whim, my little one and I decided to stop by right at 4 PM.

We didn’t have a reservation but arrived just in time to grab a seat outside. The outdoor setup immediately gave off a charming European vibe—reminiscent of a Paris café, with chairs facing the street, perfect for people-watching. (The decor, chairs, and tables instantly brought back Paris memories!)

**Big tip: Make a reservation**—this place fills up fast!

Even though only the happy hour menu was available (dinner service starts later), it didn’t disappoint. We ordered:

* A dozen oysters (half-price!)
* The Spanish tortilla
* And we got lucky—they happened to have caviar available!

I paired the oysters with a glass of bubbly Pinot Noir Brut from Catalonia, Spain—absolutely perfect. The gin and tonic cocktail was also refreshing and well-balanced.

Now for the surprise: my 5-year-old daughter, who has a funny and ever-evolving palate, *loved* the bread and butter... but even more shockingly, **devoured the caviar**! A first for her—and possibly a very expensive new habit for me, haha! She even tried an oyster but wasn’t quite ready for the texture—still, she gave it a go.

The oysters were fresh, with a great variety from three different regions. The service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The sommelier (who was also working the host stand!) was fantastic and clearly passionate about the wine list. Bonus: many of their wine selections are available for purchase next door.

I’ll definitely be coming back before summer ends—this time for dinner!“

“My husband and I had the absolute pleasure to dine at Juniper and Ivy for our 33 year anniversary. Not only did they have special menus for us, but we had a complete and very special experience start to finish.The staff were so welcoming and knowledgeable. We had what I would consider the best seats in the restaurant. We sat up at the kitchen bar, and were treated to an amazing dinner and “show “ The kitchen crew were so impressive and friendly to each other and us. We had such a great experience, that we canceled reservations at another restaurant on the same block for later in the week, so we could come back and try more. Same amazing experience at the next visit. Highly recommend, when we come back to SD we will prioritize another visit. Thank you so much for such a great experience!“

“Fabulous oysters! Definitely worth the wait!“

“Beautiful!! A wonderful entrance through a Japanese bakery (which is also delicious) and into one of the most calming yet energetic bars I’ve been to. There’s a bamboo garden alongside high quality cocktails and really yummy food. Will become a repeat customer!!“

“Fun atmosphere, fun drinks and great staff!“

“Absolutely amazing atmosphere, 10/10 service, and bomb drinks. What more could you want. Easily one of the best tiki bars period.“

“Very delicious food, and good service.

Food: We had the duck curry noodles and charred pork fried rice. The duck curry was by far the best as it had much more interesting flavors. The second dish was okay, though flavor profile wise it wasn’t as exciting—if I’d recommend one over the other I’d say go for the duck! But both are good. We also had fried wings as appetizers, that was also amazing and the sauce was great.

Service: A bit slow. They were really accommodating about us changing our reservation time to move it up earlier in the night. This we appreciated. But it looked like there was only 1 server and two bussers(?) servicing the whole place. Even though it was a weeknight, it still felt understaffed. Even though the service provided by our server was amazing when we had him, unfortunately he was busy half the time. And food took 30-40 minutes to come out, so I suspect the kitchen had the same issue. If this is a common occurrence then I believe the business owner should have more people on staff if they want to improve the service. I don’t blame our waiter, moreso whoever’s managing the schedules.“

“One of my favorite bars in San Diego! They’ve got pretty much any whiskey you can think of, and the staff makes you feel right at home. Special shoutout to Lee — hands down one of the best bartenders in town.

There’s a fun arcade room, pool tables, and a laid-back outdoor patio with a local food truck. And I almost forgot — they have free popcorn! Solid vibes all around.“

“Best burger ever. Juicy and perfect, don’t mess with it. Thick slice of tomato and onion lettuce mayo and sesame bun. It’s awesome!!!“

“Love the vibe. Ality is super welcoming and kind. The way she designed the place is amazing and cozy / intimate and engaging. Loved the in the woods mocktail and love the NA beer options. So glad they are here and a perfect place for me and my sober girls to meet up to catch up and play some card games.“

“I had an early dinner with my partner. We had a reserved table on the patio and the weather was perfect. We were warmly greeted by all the staff and made to feel welcome. 0ur waitress/server was so nice and made our evening so special. Several of the staff checked in on as as well and had pleasant conversations. The food/drinks were delicious and very prompt. It was so good we ordered a second serving! The prices were modest and we felt really good about our evening out. I recommend Happy Medium and will be a repeat customer.“

“Hated that my friend who was over fifty was refused to be served bec she forgot her ID. Really guys. I get the need to card ppl but at some point it is more flattering then necessary.“

“What a fantastic place! Food was excellent and great proportions, likely the best flatbread I’ve ever had. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend and will return if in the area again.“

“You can't call it a dive bar when they have $300 bourbons on the shelf! Erin is great. We went there twice and will probably go back again later. And there are pinball machines and a pool table and other arcade games. Fun place.“

“Love the food joint that’s been added to this bar. Amazing food and people!“

“It was a cool way to enter a speakeasy. The drinks took a while to come out. Not crazy long though. But the drinks in quality were pretty basic. Most whiskey based drinks tasted like a regular old fashioned.

Update: Decided to try this place again and it was a good experience. Staff were friendly and attentive. My drink was delicious.“

“Phenomenal food! Great atmosphere, kid friendly!“

“Great all around dining experience.“

“🙂👍 Rachel does a great job!“

“Every time I come in here, I wonder why I don't come more often. (Possibly the atmosphere, it's clean but not the coziest. No music or TV, not much to look at.) But the food, wow! I always get three different tacos, they're all loaded with such amazing flavors and textures. The fresh salsas are also spectacular. I need to start making this a weekly visit.“

“Strongly recommend as best bar in SD right now. Navigating requires going thru 1st restaurant to beer keg door, and no menu so expect a bartender conversation to customize what you get.

Great experience and(relatively speaking) great value“

“Cocktails are great and the kale salad cannot be missed. I've just found on the last few visits the pizzas and patas are very tired though and haven't been changed in so long. Menu needs a little liven up. Wine by the ounce is so good though!“

“Everything about Fernside is great!“

“Best Sports bar in North Park! Food is fabulous, great drink selection, and they show soccer women’s soccer (with sound!!!)“

“🙂👍 Manny's an awesome bartender!“

“Very odd little place that has the best name. 🤣 We got a mix of cocktails and some snacks. Service was good, decor was definitely on the quirky side (Ronald McDonald says hi). I also had the No-loko which was a great caffeine boost for midday.“

“Excellent drinks.. beautiful view…come on down!!“

“Super fun place to celebrate anything!“

“One of the best speakeasy’s I’ve ever been to. Been to several in LA, SF, Vegas, Miami, and NYC and this one compares. So glad that it’s in my city! Speakeasy’s are the way to go! Bravo 👏🏻“

“We went here for our last day of school teacher get to get her. It was a nice atmosphere but when we arrived the bar tender was not very happy a bunch of people were showing up. He tried to make us all pay on one bill which was impossible as we had 30+ teacher come and go over a few hours. Other the the bar tender being rude, the place was great“

“great service.....small crowds. the best part is that they have a fuzzball table. whatever you do, do not do not play against Ms. Tracy Osborn. The women will take your soul! great bar“

“Didn't eat so hard to rate but anywhere willing to have a kitchen behind the bar has gotta be pretty cool .
Drinks wre amazing. Duno what brand of champagne they had but it was the BEST champagne I've EVER had.
10/10“

“Great place for food, drinks and games. Have a wonderful time.“

“Great live music on Sundays from 5-8!“

“Old dive bar! Been goin here for awhile… 25 plus years! Xoxox.. glad they cleaned it up but kept the dive feel“

“Depending on the day you will see some seedy characters. People of the streets often frequent this bar. But it is a neighborhood bar and the drinks are inexpensive and have a decent amount of alcohol in them. It is worth it to stop by and have a drink or two after a hard day.“

“This is my favorite hole in the wall bar in Logan. Best michelada, great music, someones always putting money in the jukebox and corridos always playing. Plus they have a small pool table in there. CASH ONLY THO! Plus they have regular beer only no craft stuff like all the other bars do...“

“Spectacular.💯 Amazing views of Petco. Great staff.“

“Great beer selection awesome vibes and great service“

“Our friends ran across this spot and suggested we check it out one evening after dinner. Great call on their part because this place was fire 🔥! Not only did we enjoy two different high quality bands, but the salsa dancing of the patrons on the dance floor was the truth. Clearly based on how different couples were dressed AND their unbelievable dance moves, they came prepared to show up and show out! This is the place to go if you want to enjoy great ambiance, great music and to have a good time.“

“First time back in 19 years to what used to be our Tuesday date night spot. Still a great bar.“

“Cool Spot! Always an interesting spot to hang out, have a few pops and people watch...“

“Great staff, great atmosphere, great karaoke!“

“Great service great food will be back soon.“

“This is a awesome place to grave a beer with friends. They also have bowling lanes. I like the big open feel. Waiting on my food but great service and variety of food and drinks. Highly recommend making this a pit stop or a regular hang out.“

“What an amazingly beautiful experience! We had Edgar as our waiter and he was attentive and accommodating. Made great suggestions and even brought out a birthday celebration for all of us to share for my sisters birthday! Between the wedding about to start in the courtyard and the ocean breeze it was very memorable!“

“It’s definitely was a 10 & 5 ⭐️ for sure! Our server Sarah was an absolute delight & very accommodating! The food delish.. the escargot was a first & I thoroughly enjoyed (my brother a baby & missed the experience) more for me! All of the food definitely top notch!“