The 26 Best Places to Drink in San Diego
Sections
- Eat , off. Turn on 222 Only Eat
- Drink , on. Can't turn off the last section 26
- Stay , off. Turn on 30 Only Stay
- Do , off. Turn on 6 Only Do
Tap another section to add it. All sections
The best places to drink in San Diego, according to the experts: The Pinnacle Guide, The 50, and James Beard Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. The Realm of the 52 Remedies comes out on top.
More Less
Part Time Lover and Skyline Café hold the next two places. The Infatuation shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Difford's Guide next.
-
Rank 1. The Realm of the 52 Remedies
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 2 Pins
- The 50 The 50: #93 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- The 50 #93 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
-
Rank 2. Part Time Lover
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- Esquire Esquire: The Best Bars in America
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Eater Best New Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
-
Floral barstools, a patio that catches every bit of the La Jolla sun, and tiki drinks that mean it, this is a destination restaurant where the tropical theme actually does the work rather than just hanging on the walls. The kitchen leans into it too, with local ingredients pulled in Asian and tropical directions. The robata-grilled coconut shrimp is a good signal of the mood: familiar enough to order without thinking, specific enough to make you glad you did.
The awards
- Esquire The Pelican · The Best Martinis in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
-
The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Semifinalist · Best New Bar
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best New Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 9. Noble Experiment
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide
-
You get into this cocktail bar through a fridge door, which tells you roughly everything you need to know about the vibe before you've ordered a drink. Once inside, the mood pivots hard from novelty to velvet-draped, warmly lit Old World opulence. It was built in collaboration with Sam Ross of Attaboy, and the CH Projects crew behind it has a habit of making San Diego's more theatrical drinking rooms.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide
-
The awards
- San Diego Magazine Best Bar Food · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West
-
Rank 12. Polite Provisions
Cocktail Bar
A hundred-foot marble bar runs the length of the room, and the apothecary shelving, brass fixtures, and velvet accents make the whole place feel like a Victorian soda fountain that took a wrong turn into a Parisian atrium. This cocktail bar in Normal Heights has been an anchor of the San Diego drinks scene for ages, built around housemade bitters, syrups, and sodas long before that was a cliché.
The awards
- Punch Best New Bartenders · Dominique Muñoz
- San Diego Magazine Best Cocktail Bar in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
-
Rank 13. Aero Club Bar
Dive Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. Convoy Music Bar
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. False Idol
Tiki Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. Kamon Craft Cocktail Bar
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. Same Same
Thai Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. The Silver Fox Lounge
Dive Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. Turf Supper Club
American
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. Understory Bar
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
Rank 13. WetStone Winebar
Wine Bar
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 12 Best Bars In San Diego
-
The awards
- VinePair Drinks Professional of the Year · The Next Wave Awards · Erick Castro
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide
-
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2023 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards 2023 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide
-
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide