My friend was celebrating her birthday at Understory, thankfully she made reservations because this place can be really busy. Understory is so beautiful and moody, it's a perfect place to have a nice cocktail and small plates. The QR codes on the table allow you to order food from other restaurants within Sky Deck which is really convenient. Although Understory has a food, I only opted to get a cocktail, a mezcal cocktail called the Halcyon Horsehoe, the mezal was really nice a smokey and the drink was not too sweet. My friend ordered a carajillo which was so tasty, I wish I opted for that as well. Cocktail costs are on the higher side but they are worth it. read more

Good spot in the middle of sky deck. Good selection of drinks with restaurants all around. Can order food to your bar table via centralized code. Drinks: Signature old fashioned 4/5- Solid old fashion with some coffee liqueur, good sweetness and smokiness Manhattan 3/5- Solid drunk based off recommendation. Might be because I'm not usually a manhattan or rye drinker Over solid spot with potential when combined with food options read more

Understory Bar - Signature old fashioned - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Located in the center of the Sky Deck, this place is perfect for grabbing a drink and ordering from any one (or more) of the restaurants in the Sky Deck. Small caveat, in order to order from the restaurants while at Understory, you have to purchase a drink from Understory. I ordered a gin and tonic with Empress gin and then food from Kiin. Great experience and totally worth it to enjoy a fun outing with a friend or lively date night. read more

My girlfriends and I went to Skydeck and stopped here for cocktails to start our night. The bartender was super friendly and tentative to helping us pick our drinks. This is a really great spot for a date night or just hang out with the girls. Skydeck generally is a really fun spot to go, for our drinks or food. And this is a great place to start! read more

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Went here for the first time. Sofia and Jess are awesome, very talented bartenders. Cool vibe. Will definitely be returning soon for the great service and fantastic drinks. read more

Understory Bar - Mezcal sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I got a mocktail after giving up alcohol and ordered the mocktail mango margarita with tajin and loved it! Service was prompt and they gave us space to have our convos and checked in with us regularly. The ambiance was really nice and calming. It's in the center of a food court so it's a bit loud but it feels like you're away from everyone with the setup. read more

Understory Bar - Mocktail Mango margarita with tajin - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here with a friend on a Saturday evening and it wasn't busy. We were seated immediately at a booth, which was nice. I had a couple of alcohol-free drinks and they were tasty and well made. Service was a bit slow at times. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Overall, a pleasant spot for drinks and conversation. read more

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Understory Bar is located at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center. It's on the second floor right in the middle of the Sky Deck. It is part of the indoor outdoor area that's really spacious and has great natural lighting. There is free parking in the structure. The cool thing is that you can order from any of the restaurants in the vicinity through the QR code and your phone and they will bring it to you regardless of which restaurant you're at. My first drink was the barbary macaque ($17) which was slightly sweet and delicious! This was definitely one of our group's favorite drinks. My second drink was the domino cuckoo ($17) which was slightly bitter from the campari and was tiki-like. The vibes here were great when the sun was shining bright and the drinks were good. read more

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An amazing place to get drinks and food!! Understory is in the middle of the skydeck and you can order food from any restaurant. It's great place to go if you have people who want to eat different cuisines. The ambiance is the best part about this bar with very nice booths and tables. And everyone who helped us that night was beyond nice and very fast! Will definitely be coming back and recommending it to my friends and family. read more

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Understory is located in the middle of the SkyDeck. The ambiance is inviting with lighting that looks like trees and cozy booths. I had a reservation for 5 people and we were sat promptly. The menu has very appealing visuals for each cocktail the make and depending on the cocktail, can come in different types of glasses. The drink I got had a tropical taste to it and came in an Elephant glass. Unfortunately the experience wasn't the best due to the DJ that was blasting music while we were there. I could barely hear the person next to me since the music was echoing throughout the whole building. When we asked our waitress if they could turn down the music, they said they couldn't since they weren't the ones who hired them. But the DJ was performing in their bar which didn't make sense to me. read more

Understory Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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COCKTAILS AND DECOMPRESS (4.5 stars) Sometimes a good cocktail or two is needed to decompress. I am not much of a drinker these days but when I do it's because I'm extremely stressed and I need a feel good moment. And lately, I've been dabbling THE RABBIT EYE ($17) - nolets gin, lemon, blueberry, sage, and egg white. I love gin and quickly drawn and compelled to get this drink from the menu list. Price it portion was a little pricy but this place is one of those crafty cocktail bars - so I get it. I felt as if I was drinking a blue berry drink (but spiked) with a foamy top. If you haven't had egg white froth in your cocktail, think of the foamy top as a smooth and silky layer of foam. Not too bubble/foamy but light and smooth. The cocktail taste was not strong at all BUT after having brunch and my third cocktail of the day - I did feel a small feel good buzz. Mission accomplished. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Not sure why I had two of these when I did want to try the cocktail in the elephant cup. More reason to come back! APPROVED. read more

Understory Bar - The Rabbit Eye - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The bartenders here are true mixologists who really know their craft. They're personable, attentive, and happy to work with you to create whatever drink you're craving. The vibe is super hip, set right in the heart of the market halls--making it the perfect spot to sip, socialize, and explore. A little on the high end but not unreasonable. read more

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Place was great! Went on a Saturday and got seated right away (2 of us). Service was super friendly and food was quite good. You can order from all the restaurants from the bar, which is pretty cool. Seating was a little dirty but other than that no notes. read more

We had a great Saturday afternoon with Jerrica at Understory bar. She is a fantastic bartender, knowledgeable and personable, giving great suggestions and making balanced and nuanced cocktails. The bar is light and bright with a comfortable feel and we easily ordered in delicious food from Marufuku Ramen which was delivered right to our table. This is a must try if you are in Del Mar or anywhere near by. Definitely ask for Jerrica; she made the experience perfect. read more

Understory Bar - A "Forty Leg" and a "Prince Ruspoli's Turaco. They were both delicious. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Fantastic ambiance, craft cocktails, and excellent service. Understory is the perfect central location for the ultimate SkyDeck experience. The hostess and server were really helpful and friendly. Their drink menu is unique and creative. I was even able to order a mocktail off menu! They are quick with recommendations and checked on us frequently. We ordered food from all the restaurants around using the QR code on the table. On a Friday night, as the evening went on, there was a live DJ playing music too! A great spot to hang with friends or go on a date. read more

We had a great time here for date night! Understory bar is located in the middle of Sky Deck. The ambiance was night with low lights and a corner booth. You might be sharing a bench with another party but quickly it didn't bother us. The cocktails were beautiful. We got the Van Dam' Vanga and the Halcyon Horseshoe. Both were surprising and delicious. I think the pricing is expected for a craft cocktail. My favorite was that you can order food from any of the restaurants within Sky Deck and they bring the food to you! We ordered some burgers from Craft House and they were so delicious! I got the shroom and truffle burger. My fiancé got the Not so Basic burger. Both came with a large helping of fries. Everyone was very nice and attentive. We were mostly left alone to enjoy each others company. Really great experience. read more

Understory Bar - Burgers and drinks! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Love the cocktails, friendly staff and amazing ambiance! If you want to grab a fancy drink, and feel like it! This is the place! read more

One of my favorite date spots!!! Sit at the understory section to order drinks AND be able to access and order food from the other food stands surrounding it. Scan the QR code to order and they will bring the food to you! Such a cool and unique concept especially if you want to try different things and not be constricted to one cuisine. Perfect mega feast ! Poke nachos were very good but I do wish there was more fish; felt imitation crab heavy. Pork bao buns are a must from the ramen place. Pizza was good as well!! Can't go wrong read more

Understory Bar - Poke nachos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Walking into this place for the first time is such an experience - so many options around you, decor is really pretty. They lived up to the 'luxury cocktails' name as we loved all of our drinks! I specifically enjoyed the Domino Cuckoo, it was an experience with the 'buzz button' edible flower. They recommend you bite into it halfway through the drink, it gives your tongue a tingling sensation and was such a sensory delight! Being able to order from the surrounding restaurants and have them bring it to you in the center at Understory is great-- but ordering through the QR code adds an 18% service charge...... whereas if you just walk over to the place you want food from, you avoid that charge and they'll still bring it over to you. Pretty bizarre of a charge and influences you to pay less of a tip. Regardless, we enjoyed this spot and would absolutely come back!! read more

Understory Bar - Domino cuckoo, pornstar martini (forget the purple ones name) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Dark lighting and very immersive ambiance. Seating is intimate and good for small groups to talk over cocktails. The drinks were great and they have happy hour deals for classics. It can get crowded on weekends so recommend reservations in advance. Plenty of parking in the plaza. Located on second floor. read more

Large, geometrical tree statues loom over this modern botanical cocktail lounge. In staying with the nature theme, their menu depicts each hand crafted cocktail; loosely illustrated, incorporating floral and fauna elements. Reservations are highly recommended. THE ELABORATION FOOD. Note: They don't make food here. Food can be ordered to your table from surrounding restaurants. We decided on Craft House... - Shrooms & Truffle | Eight ounce (juicy) patty, with smoked Gouda cheese, mushrooms, arugula, garlic aioli, onion jam and black truffle. I basically listed all my favorite ingredients so this burger was obviously delicious. I had a refreshing side salad (spring mix) with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. - Parmesan Garlic Truffle Fries | More truffle and I loved the pungency combined with the garlic and parmesan. - Buffalo Cauliflower | Looks like boneless chicken wings, but it's cauliflower coated in buffalo sauce. Great flavors and texture. THE DRUNKS DRINK. - The Domino Cuckoo | A little bitter, with subtle notes of spice and sweetness. Garnished with a dehydrated pineapple and a trippy little Szechuan button (aka buzz button) that creates a tingling/numbing sensation when consumed. THE PARKING. Location is on the second floor Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands (food hall). There's a surface lot in front and parking is free, but you gotta hunt it down. You can also park in a parking structure (behind all the shops) off of Townsgate Drive. THE WEIRD SIDE. The tables are bolted down and spacing is unusually far from booth seating. Pretty uncomfortable when trying to eat... read more

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I ordered a mocktail, the crimson fruitcrow, and it was awful. You usually can't go wrong with a mocktail, but this one was genuinely gross and impossible to drink. The bartender also didn't bother asking me how my drink was, and only talked to my partner about his drinks read more

Understory Bar - Barbary Macaque - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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We visited the Understory Bar for "date night" and loved the beautiful and creative decor. It's very romantic with cozy nooks for couples and groups to hang out. Lots of photo opps in the bar and adjacent restaurants. The bar itself is a five-star experience. While in the bar, you can order food from seven unique restaurants that surround the bar. We wanted to try different specialties, so we ordered from 3 restaurants. Here's the problem with that idea: food delivery is uncoordinated. One meal arrived quickly while two other orders were painfully slow. The first person finished her meal before the other meals even arrived. Sorry, only 3 stars for food service. Despite the flawed timing, the food tasted great. The bar's vibe is fun and iconic. It's perfect for happy hour or hanging out with friends. We enjoyed the ambience and will definitely come back. read more

I stopped by for the Après Ski booth they have. The vibes at Understory are always unbeatable, but it was quite busy, so it took some time to get drinks and appetizers. The place has plenty of parking and is located on the second floor of a food court. Previously, they didn't serve food directly--you would scan a code at your table to order from the food court, and only drinks were available. This time, however, they were serving appetizers, which was a nice change! read more

Such a neat place smack dab in the middle of skydeck's food market. You can order drinks only or also order food from any of the surrounding restaurants through your phone. Everyone in your party can order whatever cuisine they're craving. We went on a Saturday evening and a DJ was spinning music but it wasn't overbearing. It was perfect, adding to the overall chill but fun ambiance. We ordered a few drinks which tasted and looked scrumptious and we both were craving something different and ordered tacos and karaage chicken. Everything we drank and ate was delicious. I was also surprised how quick the food came out as well! I will definitely return. read more

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We live nearby and love walking over to Understory for special occasions or if we have friends visiting! The drinks are all delicious, and it's convenient and fun to be able to order snacks/food from the other surrounding restaurants at SkyDeck. My favorite drink is the Barbary Macaque - it used to come with a cute little plastic monkey sitting on the ice cube, but they recently informed me that they stopped doing that! Please bring back the monkeys! They're fun to collect read more

I never knew this place was here, but we decided to make a reservation for five of us as we met up with some friends here one night. the inside of this place is gorgeous and the cocktails were so delicious. Our friends ordered the espresso martini tree, which was just a whole experience lol it's huge. They're all tasty and it was definitely a attacking point. Everybody loves their cocktails here this evening. There wasn't a dud in the bunch and we had a couple of rounds. We then decided to order a bunch of food so my only criticism here is that the tables here are tiny and they encourage you to order food from your phone from anyone of the food vendors inside but the tables really suck for this lol we really had to do a lot of shifting and moving around especially because we had two tiny cocktails tables between the five of us so it was a little harder to make conversation and hear everybody. It was a little harder to kind of share appetizers and food all around, so that would truly be my only criticism all of the food that we had here from the vendors was really great and our waiter was really awesome. I'll definitely be back with my husband for some cocktails and pizza one night and I think it might be easier. It was just the two of us even with a tiny table but really fun place would definitely take guest from out of town here if we had a night that we wanted to do cocktails and probably we would walk across the street to salt and straw to really have a great night cap to the evening lol parking is easy. We will be back. read more

Understory Bar - Espresso Martini tree - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Yum yum yum. Ok the drinks- these are fun cocktails that you can get into trouble with. They are pricey and I think are more because you feel cool drinking them? My favorite part of this bar is the fact that you can order from any of the surrounding restaurants. So one could have ramen, potstickers, pizza, a burger and fab cocktails all at once. And one would be very happy. That one was me btw. The brunch here is also good and same gig. Good food and all brought to your heavy immovable stone table that is slightly too far from you but again you feel cool and the drinks ambience and service are all good. Make a reservation and use for a nicer date night or special occasion. Lots of places also offer happy hours specials so enjoy! Just prepare for spend some pretty pennies and to feel underdressed if you show up in joggers and uggs... for example. read more

Understory Bar - Eggs and hash and French toast - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ambiance was great but service on Sunday night was awful . It took them over an hour to get our first round of drinks. We ordered the blue moon and it wasn't even blue like the picture. The drink was mostly ice and about a half shit of alcohol. Very disappointing and we had to ask for a replacement drink. Bartender was not very nice about it but the quality and quality was not worth the price. Another drink was not made correctly and was missing the signature monkey. Overall the quality of service and drinks was unusually poor. This used to be our go to spot but we'll reconsider that now. read more

Second time coming here with a party over 6 and Aisha has been server both times. She makes the experience here super fun and she is so beyond cool, relatable and nice! I enjoy coming here on any other day, just very convenient that understory allows you to order food from all the restaurants in the food hall. Ambiance is for sure chill and fun, with some nights a DJ! Area is always so clean, trendy and worth taking photos. Understory is located in the middle of the food hall. You have to be 21+. The food hall itself is great, haven't had anything bad to say about this place. Bathrooms are located in the back right corner and has plenty of space and privacy. I will be coming back here again, especially for the 50% off happy hour! read more

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This place is transcending, somehow you're in the middle of the Skydeck a place with many restaurants and hustle and bustle yet I felt like we were in a stand alone building. Something was intimate about the bar being so upfront and center, everything on display. The drinks were delicious and unique. Highly recommend the charcoal margarita it was to me a whole new level of margarita. I loved being able to order from every place in there for food if we so pleased. We went here for our anniversary and I can't wait to have another date night out! Kinda just want to know how to reserve the fancy table that was its own special booth just seemed to hold a special view and was obviously on its own stand alone level of experience. read more

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I came here for a date and it was the perfect spot for that. It was a Friday night and we didn't have a reservation, but it wasn't busy at all so we got seated right away. We opted to sit at the bar. The bar workers were all super sweet. They knew when we needed something and when we wanted some privacy. The menu is like a little fairytale book with drawings of their special drinks and a description of each one. Very unique! I started off with the Camarosa which had tequila, lime, strawberry, cucumber, mint, elderflower, and arugula mint droplets. It came out looking exactly like the drawing and it was delicious. After that I had a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon. My date got a few rounds of old fashioned. During our rounds of drinks, we wanted a snack and our bartender showed us the QR code that you can scan and place a mobile order with any of the restaurants in the Sky Deck. We ordered poke nachos and calamari from Glass Box. No need to get up and pick up the order - it was delivered right to where we were sitting at the bar. It was quick and convenient! I would recommend this place for a date night, an outing with friends, or even a business meeting! read more

Understory Bar - Old fashioned, Camarosa - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very cute bar in Del Mar. Clever drinks, which are quite expensive. I don't really drink, so the cost of cocktails is outrageous to me. I do like that they had mocktails that were not being charged like their alcoholic counterparts. It's nice that you can order food from surrounding restaurants. read more

Understory Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Such a cute place with an intimate vibe in the center of Sky Deck. Came on a Thursday night at 5:45 and was able to get seated at the bar for a party of two without a reservation. You can use their QR code to order at the restaurants in Sky Deck and they'll deliver it to your table. They have a great HH with 50% off select cocktails and daily specials. Service was great as we didn't have to wait too long to order or to receive our drinks. They have a variety of cocktails that feature many different spirits, lots of wine options, and a few N.A. options as well. We ordered two different old fashioned cocktails - Old Viejo (mezcal) and Old Vieux (cognac). We were happy with ours as they took a cool spin on your typical old fashioned. The Old Viejo came with a pale santo stick - super Cali vibes but I love the smell of palo santo so no complaints! The high tops and bar seating is set for your party, but the big booths are communal. So if you're a small party and don't mind sharing the space with another party, it works out nicely! We ordered a few apps from different places. They were staggered when brought out which was perfect. They provide plates and napkins when needed and if you need a box, just ask. Would definitely come here again! read more

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Love the drinks here and the vibe is awesome. Best part you can order food from the surrounding restaurants. The staff is super helpful and attentive. My go to drink has been the halcyon horseshoe cause I do enjoy a good mezcal. Every drink I've tried here has been great and if you don't like one they will happily make you something different. That to me is awesome service. The atmosphere is what really attracts me to this place. I come back because they don't have any music playing so you're able to hear your guest and enjoy the drinks and food together. The location has a lot of other things to offer so after drinks it's nice to walk around and grab some dessert. read more

Understory Bar - Menu cover - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The vibe here is pretty cool with the overall set up of the place. Had a great time catching up with my friends. Our server was attentive, but not intrusive. The drinks looked promising, but unfortunately didn't deliver on their promise. I ordered the Blue Moon which in reality was grey and packed with so much pellet ice that it looked like a snow cone (to be fair the illustration showed ice to brim, but the really high mound of ice in mine made it really difficult to drink). My friends were similarly unimpressed with their drinks. We opted to order some apps which is super easy to do here. The potato tacos were delicious. The guacamole was kind of slack, had too much lime juice, and didn't really have much flavor (maybe someone was having a bad day in the kitchen). The tortilla chips were good though. Also tried the caprese salad which included a whopping three slivers of flavorless tomato, three pieces of mozzarella, and two tiny slices of bland, somewhat stale focaccia. The prosciutto and burrata focaccia was all textures with hardly any flavor. I'd order the potato tacos again no problem. The other stuff not so much. Overall, would say lackluster on most of the food, expensive cocktails that don't really deliver (get wine or beer), but still had fun and enjoyed the look of the place. read more

Understory Bar - Burrata and prosciutto on focaccia - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Beautiful little bar inside Sky Deck, Del Mar. Girlfriends and I were in the area so decided to give it a try because it is center of the plaza- it is beautiful light structure with understory themed décor in the middle- you can't possibly miss it. They have good service, delicious strong drinks. The drinks are themed/names after Understory like frogs, birds, plants- all very unique. You have the option to order food from any of the restaurants in the plaza, and they bring it over. We had a blast- had few drinks and got a pizza from on of the Italian places. I would go back again read more

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Not what I expected! This place is in an open concept food hall with multiple other restaurants. Vibes are cool and unique. Can do multiple stops in one area. We only grabbed drinks here but they also have food you can order at the bar. Drinks here are unique and fun. We sat at the bar and had a fun time looking around. read more

Understory Bar - The Camarosa and The Blue Moon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I've seen so many Instagram posts about Understory and it looked so cute and right up my alley. But when we came in on Thursday night, I was quickly de-influenced. Lol The space is fairly small and I expected a more moodier environment but the lights a bright and shown throughout the space. The booths with the tables are also weird. The tables are bolted to the ground so you can't move it closer to you and it's an awkward distance away from you while sitting. Just weird set up. We ordered a few drinks and all of which a were unique and handcrafted. My husband's old fashion was classic and stronggggggg. My bestie enjoyed her mocktail and said she would order it again. I'm not sure if I'd return, but my suggestion would be to start your night here. We ended our night here and it was kind of a dud. Lol read more

The ambiance and flex food options earn this bar 3 stars, but the drinks leave so much to be desired. High ceilings, secluded nooks and that unique upside-down under the sea decor make this a fun date spot. Also a plus is the ability to order from any restaurant in Skydeck and have it brought to your table. Unfortunately, the drink list is bad, starting from the menu design itself which features centipedes and other icky bugs crawling over the glass illustrations--not at all appetizing. Another drink is called Satanic Brew--gross! Is this a Halloween-themed or Illuminati joint?! They seemed to have only 1 rum Infused drink, which my date did not enjoy, and my tequila-infused Espresso was underwhelming--too much ice and no better flavor complexity than something you could get at Starbucks. The Mexican food that we ordered was ok--glad they had mole on the menu but it was very muted in flavor. So, come here for the atmosphere but definitely get your drinks elsewhere. read more