Part Time Lover ★ 4.6
$$North Park{'monday': '16:00-00:00', 'tuesday': '16:00-00:00', 'wednesday': '16:00-00:00', 'thursday': '16:00-00:00', 'friday': '16:00-02:00', 'saturday': '16:00-02:00', 'sunday': '16:00-00:00'}
Part Time Lover on 30th Street, opened 2022 in the former Bar Pink room, is the CH Projects and Folk Arts Rare Records hi-fi listening bar in San Diego's North Park.
Tip: Walk-in, no reservations. Vinyl runs 16:00 to close. Japanese highballs and the bartender's Old Fashioned are the regulars' choices.
Convoy Music Bar ★ 4.6
$$$Convoy / Kearny Mesa{'monday': '18:00-00:00', 'tuesday': 'closed', 'wednesday': '18:00-00:00', 'thursday': '18:00-00:00', 'friday': '17:00-00:00', 'saturday': '17:00-00:00', 'sunday': '18:00-00:00'}
Convoy Music Bar on Convoy Street, opened May 2022 under Showa Hospitality, is the Tokyo-style listening bar in San Diego with Kenrick-rebuilt JBL speakers and a McIntosh MC462 amp.
Tip: Reservations through Resy strongly recommended. Cocktail attire encouraged. Sets run jazz to disco curated by rotating selectors.
Longplay HiFi ★ 4.5
$$Barrio Logan{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': 'closed', 'wednesday': '16:00-23:00', 'thursday': '16:00-23:00', 'friday': '16:00-00:00', 'saturday': '12:00-00:00', 'sunday': '12:00-22:00'}
Longplay HiFi on Imperial Avenue is the high-fidelity listening club near Barrio Logan San Diego, with a library of over 1,000 records, Mexican coffee from Flor and Seed and original-pressing playback.
Tip: Walk-in seats fill fast; the membership tier opens private listening events and reservations. Coffee in the afternoon, cocktails after 18:00.
Books and Records ★ 4.4
$$$Hillcrest{'monday': '17:00-21:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-21:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-22:00', 'thursday': '17:00-22:00', 'friday': '17:00-22:00', 'saturday': '10:00-22:00', 'sunday': '10:00-21:00'}
Books and Records on Fourth Avenue in Bankers Hill, opened September 2023, is the 80-seat San Diego restaurant and listening bar with live jazz Thursday through Saturday and a vinyl rotation.
Tip: Reserve through the venue site for the jazz nights; the bar is walk-in. New Orleans style jazz brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00.
Aero Club Bar ★ 4.5
$Little Italy{'monday': '14:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '14:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '14:00-02:00', 'thursday': '14:00-02:00', 'friday': '12:00-02:00', 'saturday': '12:00-02:00', 'sunday': '12:00-02:00'}
Aero Club on India Street, established 1947, is the Middletown San Diego dive bar pouring from over 1,200 whiskeys, with an arcade, pool table and a food truck on the patio most nights.
Tip: Open weekdays 14:00, weekends from noon, to 02:00 daily. Cash and card; dog friendly. Happy hour 14:00 to 19:00 daily.
The Tipsy Crow ★ 4.2
$$Gaslamp Quarter{'monday': '12:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '12:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '12:00-02:00', 'thursday': '12:00-02:00', 'friday': '12:00-02:00', 'saturday': '12:00-02:00', 'sunday': '12:00-02:00'}
The Tipsy Crow on Fifth Avenue occupies the 1874 Spencer-Ogden building in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, three levels of bar, beer hall and basement dance floor open daily noon to 02:00.
Tip: Drink Exchange happy hour Monday to Saturday from open to 20:00 drops prices every five minutes. The Underground basement is the dance floor.