My husband and I recently spent some days in San Diego. He found this speak easy and we decided we…read moreneeded to try it out. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. From the spooky, dark, skulls old school ambiance and decor, to the experience of not ordering from a menu, everything about it made it feel unique and curated making it feel like a true individualized experience. As mentioned, there are no menus. We sat at the bar, the bartender makes casual conversation with you regarding the types of drinks you enjoy. He curated something for both my husband and I based on what we shared we enjoyed. The drinks were delicious. The entry was very cool! It felt as if you were entering a hidden spot - which you do. When you enter the restaurant, you let the hostess know you're there for the Noble Experience. She let us know to head to the wall with the kegs (which is actually a door). You enter and there's a small waiting area where you're greeted by another hostess. This place is a 20/10. We can't wait to return on our next visit to SD.

Drinks are hit and miss. No menu bar is more gimmicky than anything…read more I'm sure there's some set menu that the bartenders just play off of and quality of the drinks really really just depends on who's your bartender. First round was great, not exactly what we ordered but still quality cocoktail. Second round was not good at all. And especially not what we ordered lol The wait on off days can be 5-10 minutes. Busy days it can be 1-2 hours. Drinks: 5/10 Service: 6/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Value: 4/10

So came down to San Diego to celebrate my brother birthday and we decided to take a whiskey class…read morewith our ladies. So we found that Prohibition offers a whiskey class where you can make drinks yourself. Met the owner Ryan who is the owner of Prohibition Whiskey and he told us the story about how he started the business and we connected because he was from Oakland. From that moment it was on and poppin. The vibes of the class was great and conversations along with the drinks were flowing. We ended the night by making an espresso martini made with whiskey and it was amazing. Plus it was dope that I got to make the drink myself. Can't wait to come back to San Diego to patron this establishment

I went to Prohibition when I was attending a conference at the Convention Center, so I think my…read moreexperience is a little different. A sponsor had rented out the whole place and all drinks were comped with food being passed around. We had cuban sandwiches and empanadas, which I think were all from the Havana restaurant upstairs. Food was great! Drinks were good, but the menu was so confusing to me. I didn't really like how they categorized them. Sometimes I feel like just being straightforward is better. Too cute with trying to do the prohibition/speakeasy menu. It did take a while to get drinks when it was packed. Understandable. But I had a few that were good, the boats and hoes, and keffir lime tequila drink were great. I would say that the bathroom had a bit of a stink to it...not sure what it was but smelled just like coming up from the pipes. May just be a basement issue. Overall, good experience. It didn't feel super special but just like any other speakeasy. I like False Idol better in terms of overall vibe.

Fun experience and very cool inside! We love speakeasies and heard about this from a friend. We…read moreonly had time to stop by for a quick drink on our way to a dinner reservation nearby, so they were able to squeeze us in since it was pretty early still, but I imagine it may be harder to get in without a reservation later in the night. I loved the concept of ordering here how you describe some drinks you like and they come up with a cocktail for you - whatever they made me with Chareau was fantastic but I forgot the other ingredients in it!

Cocktail bar from heaven…read more Young Blood is tucked inside Neighborhood, and apparently San Diego decided one secret bar wasn't enough. There are multiple worlds happening here. Young Blood is classic, glamorous and completely committed to the ambiance. Then there's Noble Experiment on the other side, which is exactly what the name suggests... experimental. We chose Young Blood. And holy bananas. This bar is DONE. The lighting. The design. The details. The entire experience. I love a cocktail and I'm not saying the cocktail wasn't good, I think I was just mesmerized by the spot! I REALLY love an ambiance. Give me a beautifully designed room, a good drink and a bartender who knows what they're doing and I am apparently very easy to entertain.

The speakeasy schtick may be over done. Dark and some of the menus require a cell phone light to…read moreread. But the cocktails and service are outstanding. The menu has an excellent list of classics and Room 56 signature versions. The bartender Henry was friendly, very knowledgeable, and made excellent drinks. I highly recommend Room 56.

Room 56 is an amazing speakeasy you could go to! The element of surprise is definitely there and it…read morefeels like this place should be kept secret in fact. Service here is amazing, the servers are very knowledgeable about their menu, everyone is very friendly and attentive. The vibes on the inside are immaculate, very upscale and intimate. The drinks are also good yet strong. It is on the pricier side however I didn't mind since the vibes of this speakeasy and drinks were equally as great. I'd definitely recommend!

It's cloooooosed! Walked all the way here and had no idea the place shut down...wasted my eventingread more

Our bartender made our experience AMAZING! She was so sweet and held great convo…read more We were visiting the area for the first time and she was so happy to provide us with local places we should try! The inside was nicely decorated and there was some nice places for photos! Huge thanks to our amazing bartender!!

such a fun and interesting place! Very alice and wonderland kind of vibe, came for the Cinco de…read moreMayo SD bar crawl and grateful i discovered it through it

Whimsical yet mysterious... and just a little creepy. The…read moremoment I stepped inside, it felt like entering another world--an atmosphere thick with secrets and intrigue. The service was fantastic, the drinks were strong, and everything carried this curious energy, as if something unseen lingered in the shadows. A good time... but the vibe kept its secrets hidden.

Kamon is a craft cocktail bar inspired by the Taisho era of 1920's Japan. It's also a speakeasy…read morehidden inside a Japanese bakery on a corner of San Diego's East Village. Reservations can be made on OpenTable if you are fast enough. We weren't... on our last trip to San Diego. So when I found availability for 2, I made a special trip down to San Diego just for this speakeasy. After 2 and a half hours of driving, I reached San Diego. I miraculously found street parking on the same block as the bar and made my way inside Asa Bakery. My friend was already waiting for me at a table. He, a San Diego local, told me that he took the bus to avoid the parking situation entirely. Smart man. We were still quite early for our reservation, so I had a latte from Asa Bakery while we waited. During this time, we were trying to figure out where the speakeasy was located. Then we saw a couple enter Asa and press a handicap assistance button near the door to the bakery. A big section of the wall opened up and revealed a swanky looking bar behind it, complete with hosts wearing sleek black vests, button ups, and bow ties - a complete vibe change from the modern bakery we were sitting in. Once it was our seating time, we also made our way over to the secret entrance. Kamon itself felt like a rift in time, as if we were stepping straight into the 1920's. The room was heavily inspired by the Taisho Roman era, the period when Japan was influenced by European romanticism. Decor featured visual harmony between traditional Japanese motifs, such as screen doors and woodblock prints, and influences of the Western Roaring 20's, such as glamorous Art Deco chandeliers, red carpet, and lounge chairs. We were seated next to a beautiful zen garden. The concept of the menu is "omiyage" or souvenirs from different regions of Japan. My friend started with the Tokyo Banana, inspired by the iconic Tokyo Banana cream pastry found all over souvenir shops in Tokyo and Haneda Airport. The spirits in this cocktail were Suntory Toki and rum. I started with the Yame Matcha, inspired by the city of Yame in Fukuoka prefecture, which is reveled among matcha snobs for producing matcha with nutty flavor. The matcha was prepared as a cream top, a nod to matcha lattes, and sat on top of a spirit base of mezcal, Mizu green tea shochu. This drink was so fun and creative. I would've never thought about pairing matcha with mezcal, but surprisingly, it worked very well. The smokiness of the mezcal paired well with the creamy, nutty matcha top and roasted genmaicha flavor.  Because of the amazing theme of the menu, we couldn't resist ordering a second round. My friend got the Ao Ichigo, featuring strawberries from the Tochigi prefecture. The spirit for this was a reposado tequila and vodka. This is good if you want a light, refreshing, sweet drink. My second drink was the White Lover, inspired by Hokkaido and its dairy and pastry culture. The spirit for this drink was Sotol, which was also quite smoky. The body of this cocktail was composed of kefir and Calpico, with notes of yuzu and croissant as well. This drink also comes with a "surprise," and to maintain the integrity of said "surprise," I won't tell you what it is! This was probably my favorite drink of the night. As an alum of Asian American college party culture, I have had many drinks mixed with Calpico, so this was my favorite drink of the night because of how close to home it felt. You could almost call it an "omiyage" of USC ahaha... However, I was not the biggest fan of the food here. We both weren't that hungry, so we just got some appetizers, but honestly, I don't remember the food menu being that big anyways. We got the tuna tartare cannolis and the karaage. The tuna tartare was a bit weird for me. I kinda expected it to be fresh and light and silky, as a tartare should be, but I would describe this as more of a... tuna salad? Heavier than I expected... and creamy. And strange. I think it's the mayo. I just didn't like it very much. And the cannoli presentation was fun, but I don't think it's needed. I think just a classic tuna tartare would have been more enjoyable. And the karaage was fine. Not good, not bad. I wouldn't get food here again though.The drinks at Kamon, however, are phenomenal. I love the theme of 1920's Taisho Japan. The ambiance is impeccable. The theme is even integrated into the menu's concept. There's a story behind each of the signature drinks, giving you a glimpse into what makes each featured region of Japan unique. I definitely want to return to Kamon one day.

Such a fun speakeasy and the perfect way to end our date night!…read more Bar Kamon is hidden inside Asa Bakery in East Village. The space is inspired by 1920s Taisho-era Japan, so the whole concept carries into the decor, Japanese ingredients and cocktails. Their menu gets pretty creative with Japanese whisky, shochu, sake, highballs, clarified cocktails and small bites. After bakery hours, finding the entrance wasn't difficult. Just enter through Asa Bakery and you'll see where to go. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. We were able to grab one the night before for a Friday without any trouble. We had already eaten dinner, so we came for drinks with a small appetizer to share. We ordered the Karaage, Tokyo Banana and Yame Matcha. Service was incredible throughout the night. It took a little bit to get seated since nobody was standing at the host area when we walked in. Someone eventually spotted us through the curtain then quickly came over to help. From there, everyone was attentive. The Karaage came out first. I wish the outside was just a little crispier, but it was still really good. The slaw was actually my favorite part because the acidity paired perfectly with fried chicken, especially while sipping on cocktails. The Yame Matcha was so decadent. It had this beautiful matcha cloud on top with a deeper roasted flavor underneath, almost smokey, that lingered after each sip. Definitely not your typical sweet matcha cocktail. The Tokyo Banana was my favorite. The presentation alone was gorgeous. You get that banana flavor right away, but it still tastes like a proper cocktail rather than a banana dessert. It was definitely strong, so this was one I slowly sipped throughout the night. The hojicha mixed with the banana worked SO well.

Altitude Sky Lounge in downtown San Diego has an absolutely beautiful rooftop view. From the top,…read moreyou can enjoy views of both the waterfront side and the downtown skyline, and honestly the scenery alone makes it worth visiting. To get inside, you have to go through the hotel entrance and then take the elevator to the top floor. There was no issue going up or down, and everything moved rather quickly considering we visited on a Friday night. Up top it was a little crowded near the edges where everyone was taking photos, but people moved around pretty quickly so it was still easy to get some really good pictures from the rooftop. I didn't order any drinks, so this review is based solely on the location and the views, but once you're up there it's just absolutely beautiful. We stayed for about 20 minutes, enjoyed the views, took in the atmosphere, and then headed out. Definitely worth checking out if you're in San Diego.

I've been here multiple times before heading out for a night on the town, but this was my first…read moretime visiting during the daytime. It was nice to switch things up and catch a sunset from the rooftop. The drinks are always solid and this spot has become a staple first stop before hitting Gaslamp.

This is the vibest dark and moody date spot. It felt like such a treat for a last minute dinner…read more Their drink menu was quite flirty and punny so reading that set the tone for the meal. Had a very grape forward gin fruit loop cocktail and then a 11/10 burger and a roast chicken. I wish every burger tasted like that burger. We didn't come during happy hour but I would make my way back during it to have that burger again. The roast chicken was so elevated. It was rolled and wrapped in its own skin. The sauce on the side was unctuous and apparently the chefs favorite dish.

Food - 5 Service - 4…read moreAmbiance - 4 Parking - hard to find Such a cool and unique spot in San Diego! I picked up my husband from the airport and we came here for a date night and it ended up being such a memorable evening. They gave us a fortune cookie and inside it read, "A reunion with a loved one awaits you tonight." How perfect was that?! It couldn't have been more fitting for our night together. I absolutely loved the dark, moody ambiance and all the eclectic decor. The space has so much personality and such an intimate, fun atmosphere. The food was excellent, and the drinks were just as amazing. Everything came together to make it the perfect date night. We had such a great experience and would definitely come back!

We've been wanting to check out Long Play Hi-Fi for a while, and after finally finding it (which is…read morepart of the experience ).. It's got this hidden, almost speakeasy vibe. You ring the doorbell, wait patiently, and once you're inside, you realize this isn't your typical coffee shop. It's a place to slow down, enjoy the music, and savor your drink. Monique and Danica were both amazing. They're warm, welcoming, and you can really see the passion behind what they do. Danica is also the DJ, and her eclectic playlist made the whole experience even better. One of my favorite parts was just sitting there watching our drinks being made. You can see the care and craft that goes into every cup...even the Kuramoto ice is beautiful. The Matcha Americano completely changed my perception of matcha. The Kyoto cold brew pour-over was fascinating to watch and incredibly smooth. We loved it so much that we came back the very next day. This time I had the Midori, and my brother-in-law loved the Highball, especially the yuzu. No laptops. Trust the DJ. Drinks are meant to be enjoyed fresh, so take your time. If you're looking for a quick coffee run, this isn't it. But if you appreciate great coffee, good music, and people who are passionate about their craft, Long Play Hi-Fi is absolutely worth the visit.

Came on a Sunday afternoon with no wait, just stood outside without ringing the doorbell and…read moresomeone let us in after less than 5 min. (Dw, from the inside, you can see outside well) Drinks were really good and carefully made, song selections were unique! We ended up chatting with one of the customers there too. Chill atmosphere 10/10 recommend. There's also free wifi here, signal isn't very good. :) Parked in free street parking about a min walk away.