The Hedley Club ★ 4.4
$$$Downtown{'monday': '11:00-22:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-23:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-23:00', 'thursday': '11:00-23:00', 'friday': '11:00-00:00', 'saturday': '17:00-00:00', 'sunday': '17:00-21:00'}
The Hedley Club at Hotel de Anza is San Jose's premier art-deco lounge with live jazz Thursday through Saturday in a beautifully preserved 1930s room.
Tip: Live music also runs the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month; the seasonal cocktail menu and wine program are among the best curated in downtown San Jose.
Five Points Cocktail Bar ★ 4.6
$$$Downtown{'monday': '16:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '16:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '16:00-02:00', 'thursday': '16:00-02:00', 'friday': '16:00-02:00', 'saturday': '16:00-02:00', 'sunday': '16:00-02:00'}
Five Points is downtown San Jose's craft cocktail bar, hosting free live jazz jams every Monday night in its intimate Penny Room with San Jose Jazz.
Tip: Jazz jam starts at 9:30pm Mondays with a concert set at 8:30pm; free entry and open bar menu make this the best value listening night in the city.
Paper Plane ★ 4.6
$$$Downtown{'tuesday': '17:00-00:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-00:00', 'thursday': '17:00-00:00', 'friday': '16:00-02:00', 'saturday': '17:00-02:00', 'sunday': '17:00-00:00'}
Paper Plane is San Jose's benchmark cocktail bar since 2013, with one of the Bay Area's largest spirits archives, a rotating seasonal menu, and a patio.
Tip: Bartenders here are educators as much as mixologists; let them introduce you to spirits from the deep archive beyond the regular menu.
Trials Pub ★ 4.2
$Downtown{'tuesday': '17:00-00:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-00:00', 'thursday': '17:00-00:00', 'friday': '17:00-02:00', 'saturday': '17:00-02:00'}
Trials Pub is a grungy English dive bar in downtown San Jose with dim lights, bookshelves, wallpaper maps, and an excellent draft list without a TV in sight.
Tip: The fish and chips and pot pie are serious kitchen output for a dive bar; no TVs keeps conversation actually happening at the bar.
The Caravan Lounge ★ 3.9
$Downtown{'monday': '14:00-01:30', 'tuesday': '14:00-01:30', 'wednesday': '14:00-01:30', 'thursday': '14:00-01:30', 'friday': '14:00-01:30', 'saturday': '14:00-01:30', 'sunday': '14:00-01:30'}
The Caravan Lounge is San Jose's oldest owner-operated dive bar, open 365 days a year with free live music, comedy, karaoke, and a pool table in the back.
Tip: Late-night Power Hour from 11pm to midnight offers cut-price drinks; no cover ever. One of downtown San Jose's most dependable all-night spots.
Britannia Arms Downtown ★ 3.6
$$Downtown{'monday': '11:00-22:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-23:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-23:00', 'thursday': '11:00-23:00', 'friday': '11:00-02:00', 'saturday': '11:00-02:00', 'sunday': '09:30-21:30'}
Britannia Arms Downtown is a large British sports bar in San Jose with indoor and outdoor bars, TVs on every wall, and Friday and Saturday service until 2am.
Tip: The patio is one of the largest outdoor bar spaces in downtown San Jose; fish and chips are made in-house and hold up well past midnight.