Bars & Pubs in Hillcrest — Top Local Picks (2026)

Wine Vault & Bistro

4.9 (236)

3731 India St B, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-3939

DASHI

4.9 (97)

501 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-960-2045

Pure Project Balboa Park

4.8 (578)

2865 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-323-2000

Divo Diva Cafe

4.8 (362)

3650 Fifth Ave #104, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-906-5566

Cigar Cave

4.8 (236)

3858 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-260-8099

Cork & Stem

4.9 (65)

1035 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-535-0020

Royal Food Mart

4.8 (180)

3403 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-7666

Frenchy's Hideout

4.8 (60)

142 W University Ave Ste C, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 858-345-7379

Aero Club Bar

4.7 (1,167)

3365 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-297-7211

Wolf In The Woods

4.7 (368)

1920 Fort Stockton Dr Suite C, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-234-2597

North Park Beer Company - Bankers Hill

4.7 (303)

3095 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-230-5179

Dyno Bar

5.0 (16)

3367 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-297-7211

Finest City Improv

4.7 (190)

3746 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-306-6047

Longball Cocktail Club & Golf Simulator

4.8 (34)

4026 Hawk St A, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-752-4972

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

4.6 (4,398)

3940 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-500-3344

Shakespeare Pub

4.6 (2,293)

3701 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-299-0230

Trader Joe's

4.6 (2,068)

1090 University Ave Ste G100-107, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-296-3122

Trust

4.6 (1,385)

3752 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-795-6901

The Red Door

4.6 (832)

741 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-6000

La Puerta

4.6 (713)

4020 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-876-5200

Bar by Red Door

5.0 (3)

729 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-6001

Hillcrest Brewing Company Bar & Pizzeria

4.6 (367)

1458 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-269-4323

Cellar Hand

4.6 (128)

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-876-4099

Négociant Winery

4.5 (96)

1263 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-535-1747

FruitCraft - Winery, Distillery & Event Venue

4.5 (103)

1477 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 877-484-6282

Ibis Market

4.5 (103)

1112 Fort Stockton Dr, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-298-5081

CJ's Lounge

4.5 (110)

222 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-296-2721

The Loft

4.5 (358)

3610 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-296-6407

Nunu's Tavern

4.5 (436)

3537 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-2878

EQ San Diego

4.5 (637)

1271 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-299-1983

Lazy Acres Market - Mission Hills

4.5 (1,152)

422 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-272-4289

Starlite

4.5 (1,149)

3175 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-618-2830

insideOUT

4.5 (1,642)

1642 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-888-8623

R Place Bar & Eatery

4.4 (49)

1027 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-902-4646

Hills Wine & Spirits

4.3 (23)

3981 Eagle St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-230-1188

Alibi

4.4 (508)

1403 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-0881

Number One Fifth Avenue

4.4 (603)

3845 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-299-1911

Uptown Tavern

4.4 (755)

1236 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-241-2710

Bubbles Market & Spirits

4.1 (86)

135 Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-310-5782

NOLA on 5th

4.2 (490)

3683 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 858-444-6173

Cottage Drive-In Liquor

4.0 (112)

3747 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-295-4391

The Brass Rail

4.0 (142)

3796 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-298-2233

The Lamplighter

4.1 (723)

817 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-298-3624

Flicks

3.8 (378)

1017 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-297-2056

Rich's

3.5 (326)

1051 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

+1 619-990-2703

Bars, Pubs, and Nightlife in Hillcrest

The Gay Village Core: Rich's, Flicks, and Hillcrest Brewing

Rich's on University Avenue is one of San Diego's longest-running gay dance clubs, with DJ nights, drag performances, and go-go dancers defining the weekend nightlife calendar for the gay village. Flicks covers the video bar lane with music videos, drink specials, and a mixed crowd on University Avenue. Hillcrest Brewing Company Bar & Pizzeria was founded as the first openly gay-owned and gay-themed craft brewery in the United States and runs a full taproom with wood-fired pizza alongside the house beer list. The Loft rounds out the gay village bar cluster.

Dive Bars, Craft Beer, and Wine

Aero Club Bar on India Street is one of San Diego's most respected whiskey bars, with hundreds of bottles behind the counter and an aviation-themed interior dating to the 1940s. Nunu's Tavern on Fifth Avenue is the classic Hillcrest dive with dim red booths and a loyal regular crowd that predates the gay village era. Pure Project Balboa Park and North Park Beer Company - Bankers Hill bring organic-ingredient and hazy-IPA craft beer to the Uptown side. Wine Vault & Bistro runs the wine-flight-and-dinner format on Washington Street. The subcategory sits inside the dining parent of 166 listings and pairs with American restaurants for late-night food. For beach-bar nightlife, residents head to Pacific Beach.

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