About False Idol

False Idol is the tiki bar speakeasy that started all tiki bar speakeasies in San Diego. The OG if you will. Set up in the corner of Craft and Commerce, follow the sound of booming drums as you descend from the bustling bar into the dim and neon-lit dungeon of False Idol.

False Idol is strictly a bar – serving delicious and dangerous rum-heavy tropical drinks that are very, very strong. It is still tough to get a reservation at False Idol, even after all these years, so book ahead of time. Sometimes you can show up to Craft and Commerce early and check in with the hostess of False Idol to see if there are any openings. The bathroom plays bad Yelp reviews on audio repeat which is possibly our favorite feature of any restaurant we’ve ever been to.

Are tiki bars slightly racist? That is something we don’t really know yet. But for now we will just enjoy them in bliss.

Best Parts

• Tiki themed top to bottom
• Yelp reviews played in the bathroom
• Lots and lots of rum

Behind The Counter

False Idol is owned by Consortium Holdings, a San Diego-based restaurant group that seemingly can do no wrong when they lay their hands on a project. They are the team behind Lafayette Hotel, Ironside Fish & Oyster, Neighborhood, Underbelly, Youngblood, Morning Glory, Born and Raised, Raised By Wolves… is that enough? Because there is more.

Arsalun Tafazoli, the founder of CH and a local San Diegan, wanted to up the game of San Diego’s eating and drinking establishments back in 2007 and he has done that. He started from humble beginnings with Neighborhood, originally a craft beer bar in East Village, and has not stopped since. While CH is somewhat of an empire these days, at least it is a local empire. The San Diego equivalent of Danny Meyer in New York.