The Best Bars In San Diego

San Diego is a party town – there are bars everywhere in the city, with some neighborhoods having significantly higher concentrations per square foot (ahem, Gaslamp, ahem, PB). But the best bars in San Diego are not necessarily the most obvious. And there is a diversity of bars here too. It’s not all drink Bud Heavy and fight a military recruit bars. And it’s not all high end country club lounges where everyone looks at you funny when you walk in. It’s everything in between. And more.

Below are some of the best watering holes in the city divided into digestible categories for your convenience.

The Best Bars

The Best Craft Beer Bars In San Diego

True craft beer is everywhere and small breweries are making some of the best beers probably ever made in the history of humanity. The trouble is figuring out which ones to drink. Thankfully there are a few bars around San Diego that make that choice for you. These bars hand select what they think are the newest or best breweries around San Diego, around California, around the country, and around the world. They will have beers you can’t get anywhere else and their knowledgeable staff will help you decide what to try. Enjoy

The Best Cocktail Bars In San Diego

San Diego has seen an explosion of amazing cocktail bars over the last few years, possibly a sign of a city growing up and embracing its middle age. Or maybe cocktail bars are just popular these days. Either way, the citizens of the city are the winners here.

The Best Wine Bars in San Diego

Wine bars are a great option for early in the game dates or when you want to be social, but not deal with the energy of a louder bar or brewery. San Diego has plenty of lovely and laid back wine bars and wine gardens where you can sip your fermented grapes in tranquility. Bring a friend or bring your favorite Jean Paul Sartre book.

The Best Dive Bars In San Diego

The term dive bar is probably overused. A true dive bar won’t be in a guide. But something that isn’t dressed up and Instagrammable will fit the ticket these days. Generally, it will be a place that has a pool table or arcade games, serves Bud heavy, and is not particularly focused on customer service. It will smell vaguely of urine, the floor will be sticky, and you will have flashbacks to your days in high school. Karaoke will be taking place.

The Best Breweries In San Diego

The best breweries in San Diego has changed over time. San Diego used to pride itself as the Craft Beer Capital of the United States and then every other city in the United States started focusing on craft beer. That being said, with the breweries popping up these days, we think the city can still make that claim.

The Best Date Night Bars In San Diego

Love is in the air and you want to find a good date night bar in San Diego. Or maybe you just met someone online and you need to find a place to get a drink rather than sit down to a full on dinner with chewing and all. Below are bars that are a bit more romantic and fit for nice dates rather than loud dive bars where you have to scream over twenty people to hear yourself think. Some of them require reservations, such as the speakeasies, but most of these bars are great for a casual walk up date night drink.