27 editor picks in San Antonio.
San Antonio's cocktail culture has deep roots and a busy present, from historic taverns to polished hotel bars. The Esquire Tavern downtown claims one of the longest bars in Texas and a serious drinks program, while Bar 1919 in Southtown helped define the city's craft-cocktail era. The Pearl clusters several rooms, including The Modernist and Sternewirth, and Pastiche in Dignowity Hill carries the neighborhood torch.
27 cocktail bar places in San Antonio we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in San Antonio · Cocktail Bar across every city.
Drink Reimagined European classics
Pastiche pours playful European-leaning cocktails from a 1920s cottage in Dignowity Hill, a quiet east-side bar with charcuterie boards and real charm.
Drink Made-to-taste classics, no menu
The Modernist near the Pearl runs without a menu; tell the bartender a spirit and a mood.
Drink Cocktails under the brewhouse tanks
Sternewirth is the bar inside Hotel Emma at the Pearl, set beneath the old brewery's restored cast-iron tanks, one of the most evocative rooms in the city.
Drink Tropical tiki cocktails
Hugman's Oasis is a river-level tiki bar on the River Walk where tropical cocktails meet mid-century flair, named for the architect who designed the river.
Drink Whiskey-forward classic cocktails
Bar 1919 hides downstairs in Southtown's Blue Star complex behind an unmarked door, a Prohibition-styled speakeasy built around whiskey-forward classics.
Drink Cocktails with a skyline view
Paramour sits on the rooftop of the Phipps building near the river just south of the Pearl, a glamorous open-air bar with skyline views, shareable plates.
Drink Cold longnecks and frozen margaritas
The Friendly Spot is a family and dog friendly Southtown ice house with a huge beer list, where a frozen margarita and a taco under string lights is the move.
Drink Stiff pours and 60-plus craft beers
Faust Tavern is a Tobin Hill dive with stiff pours and a craft-beer list past sixty, cash-friendly and busy with the St Mary's crowd on weekend nights.
Drink Cocktails at the longest wooden bar in Texas
The Esquire Tavern downtown keeps the longest wooden bar in Texas upstairs and a cocktail room by the river below; a burger soaks up the drinks either way.
Drink Cocktails that fund local causes
The Cherrity Bar near downtown's east side pairs craft cocktails and comfort food with a charity model, donating proceeds to rotating local causes.
Drink Cocktails with burgers and Texas oysters
Double Standard is a downtown American tavern with a serious cocktail list, chef-crafted burgers and small bites, and fresh Texas oysters on ice.
Drink Prohibition-era cocktails with live jazz and blues
Bar 414 is a downtown speakeasy stirring 1920s-style cocktails with house-made ingredients, named for the Gunter Hotel room where bluesman Robert Johnson.
Drink Cocktails with Tex-Mex and American plates
Liberty Bar is a genuine Southtown institution that is equal parts restaurant and bar, where the cocktails and the enchiladas both more than hold their own.
Drink Craft beer in a converted yard
Burleson Yard Beer Garden is a big open east-side yard good for groups and dogs, pouring craft beer alongside whatever food truck is parked that day.
Drink Carefully made elevated cocktails
Bar Du Mon Ami is a quieter, grown-up cocktail option in Alamo Heights where the bartenders take the classics seriously; let them steer the order.
Drink Texas whiskey flights and cocktails
Maverick Whiskey is a downtown distillery in a historic late-1800s building, where the Lockwood Bar pours Texas whiskey flights, cocktails and house brews.
Drink Craft beer and themed cocktails on a patio
Rumble is a beer bar on the St Mary's Strip with a big patio, craft beer, themed cocktails, and a steady run of live music, a reliable anchor of the strip.
Drink Espresso early, craft beer late
The PigPen near Brackenridge Park is a hybrid coffee-and-beer bar with a large shaded patio, pouring espresso in the morning and craft beer in the afternoon.
Drink Proper cocktails with Texas plates
Bar Loretta in the King William district is a bar, restaurant, and market in one, with proper cocktails and a choice wine list behind modern Texas cooking.
Drink Asian American cocktails like the Mint Jue Let
Jue Let is chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin's Asian American cocktail bar at the Pearl, a two-story room with brocade ceilings, private karaoke and a drinks list.
Drink Cold beer in a historic ice house
La Tuna Icehouse is a Southtown ice house on Probandt whose shaded outdoor yard, cold beer and live music are the whole formula on a warm evening.
Drink Cheap beer and live indie bands
Hi-Tones is a popular Tobin Hill dive and live-music room just off the St Mary's strip, with a patio, cheap drinks, and a steady run of indie and local bands.
Drink Craft beer in a downtown taproom
Roadmap Brewing is a rare downtown taproom within walking distance of the Pearl, pouring its own wide-ranging craft beer with a rotating food truck out front.
Try Burgers and bar snacks at the long bar
The Esquire Tavern keeps its downstairs cocktail room by the river running late, where a burger at the historic downtown bar is the after-dark order.
Try Made-to-taste cocktails
The Modernist near the Pearl runs late as a menu-free cocktail bar where you name a spirit or a classic and the bartender builds the drink to your taste.
Pastiche is a cocktail bar in an unmarked 1920s Dignowity Hill cottage; charcuterie and cocktails reward the search down a quiet east-side street.
The Cherrity Bar is an east-side cocktail-and-comfort-food spot whose every tab funds a local charity, a giving-back model few visitors know about.
