Where to Drink Cocktails in San Diego

In Los Angeles, we’re fortunate enough that must-visit wine regions and drink destinations, such as Santa Barbara and San Diego, are only a couple hours away. But, admittedly, I often take that for granted. So, being overdue for a visit to SD, I was excited to catch up on the city’s cocktail scene. I have my go-tos like False Idol and Raised by Wolves, but it was time to explore the newer offerings, which included everything from a curated cocktail experience hidden in a Japanese cafe to a spaceship-inspired tropical bar. Here are some picks for where to drink in San Diego right now, all within a rideshareable radius, from North Park to Seaport.

Lafayette Hotel

Hospitality group CH Projects has transformed this historic North Park hotel into the cocktail enthusiast’s dream barhop. If you’re a guest at the hotel, well-crafted cocktails are mere steps away thanks to several intriguing on-property bars and restaurants. Indulge in a banana coconut milkshake with rhum agricole and Benedictine at the 24-hour Beginner’s Diner or end the night with a tequila and aged rum Espresso Martini at supper club Lou Lou’s Jungle Room. Even the poolside offerings go beyond the usual Margs and Mojitos, with drinks such as a Saturn variation with navy-strength gin, bianco vermouth, amaro, and passion fruit. But don’t sleep on the in-room minibar curated by Paul McGee, formerly of Lost Lake. With high-end barware and glassware, recipe cards, and quality bottles such as Don Fulano tequila and Jefferson’s Ocean “Aged at Sea” bourbon, you’ll be tempted to stay in. 

Mothership

Mothership steers away from the tiki bar trope by infusing its 1,500-square-foot space with immersive sci-fi elements. Instead of a desert island, your spaceship has crash-landed on an alien planet. The bar is intermittently interrupted by a ship malfunction with blinking lights and mysteriously smoking equipment, instead of a manufactured thunderstorm or erupting volcano. Peruse the flight manual/cocktail menu for out-of-this-world takes on tropical classics like the Mindkiller, a Painkiller made with a Tang cordial, and Warbird, a Jungle Bird with yuzu, pomegranate, and blood orange. It’s a fun detour from the usual tropical bar theme. Walk-ins are welcome. But if you want a seat at the bar, make a reservation first.

Youngblood

Located steps from beloved speakeasy Noble Experiment in restaurant Neighborhood is the hidden entrance to Youngblood, a more intimate, reservations-only bar with 16 seats and a three-course cocktail experience. Don’t look for a menu to skim while you sip on your welcome glass of Champagne. Your next drink lives in the minds of the two brilliant bartenders behind the bar. All they need is your favorite flavors and cocktail styles and they will take it away. In a mere 90 minutes, you’ll enjoy a refreshing aperitif cocktail, a spirited second course, and a dessert drink. The overall experience will leave you feeling seen—and wishing you could have stayed longer to explore the extensive spirit selection.

Roma Norte

At the sophisticated Mexico City-inspired bar Roma Norte, the habanero Margarita isn’t just another spicy Margarita. It’s mixology magic. Beau du Bois, award-winning bartender and Puesto’s vice president of bar and spirits, vapor-infuses tequila with habanero to retain all of the pepper’s flavor without any of the heat. It’s perfect for spice wimps who want a spicy Marg without the pain. Meanwhile, fire fiends can make the cocktail as hot as they dare with an accompanying dropper of capsaicin shrub. But that’s just one example of the technique-driven mixology behind du Bois’ bar program, which boasts an impressive 72 cocktails. Despite the elaborate, behind-the-scenes prep that includes liquid nitrogen, force carbonation, and a centrifuge, the cocktails remain approachable in both flavor and price. 

Bar Kamon

Step into this elegant cocktail bar hidden within Japanese cafe Asa Bakery and be transported from the East Village to 1920s Japan during the Taishō Roman era, when the country first started to import elements of European culture. The East-meets-West concept is carried throughout from the wood decor to drinks like the black sesame Old Fashioned and the clarified ube Jungle Bird. Adventurous imbibers will want to order the ramen-inspired Fifth Element and the Trash Panda, a coconut-infused shochu cocktail with durian. And make sure to arrive hungry, as you’ll want to snack on the crispy spicy tuna with caviar, chicken karaage, and ceviche.

Part Time Lover

While this high-fidelity listening bar in North Park celebrates vinyl sound and culture in a craftsman-style living room space, don’t expect subdued vibes. There’s a line out the door, cushy chairs are at a premium, and the bar, which focuses on Japanese spirits, beer, and cocktails—can get about two-people deep. But the energy is fun, the drinks served quickly, and once you find a seat and make new friends, you won’t want to leave. Be sure to head to the backroom record store and flip through the albums with a Japanese whisky Manhattan in hand, or explore the bar while enjoying your highball and the state-of-the-art sound system by Uncanned Music. 

Happy Medium

Everything about this North Park neighborhood bar is welcoming, from its wide-open, roll-up windows to its slushie cocktails served in to-go jungle cups. Most nights the corner bar is packed, but that doesn’t slow down service thanks to batched and draft cocktails. Noble Experiment alumni and Happy Medium co-owners Eric Johnson and Christian Siglin are behind the crafty, high-volume bar program featuring a blue Negroni, a Ward Eight with Tang, and the most popular cocktail Super Grass, made with lemongrass mezcal, tequila, lime, pandan, and mango. Come by for brunch on the weekends and make it an all-day affair, starting with breakfast burritos and Party Pimms Cup topped with Red Bull.