A hole in the wall gem! Quality music (attended the Billy Joel themed evening) and artists. Very…read moreintimate setting. Fair ticket price. We will absolutely be back. An amazing night! PS: don't bother ordering food, it's not good, apart from the pizza and their ordering system doesn't work. Get a drink there but just have dinner before going.

We happily returned to The Jazz Lounge with its renovation, welcoming atmosphere and best of all,…read moreLeonard Patton. We have loved this venue for its five years but with the new menu and intimate feeling, it is better than ever. The Stevie Wonder concert last night was amazing, no one was still as the five musicians belted it out, and love of music permeated the whole room. Feels like going home.

I visited onyx for a friends graduation from UCSD as a celebration. I had a PHENOMENAL time here…read more My bar tender, by the name of Karina, made me feel so welcome! She provided excellent customer service and recommended many fun drinks! The candy shot was an easy drink to handle. If you have the chance, visit, as she's in the basement floor and always serves with a smile. Thank you for an amazing experience!

Extremely disappointing experience, $2,000 spent for unacceptable service…read more We came to Onyx Room in San Diego to celebrate a birthday with 20 friends and had a bottle service table reserved. We spent approximately $2,000, expecting a great experience, but the service was extremely disappointing. After our first set of bottles was delivered, our waitress barely checked on us. We were left without cups, chasers, or anyone attending to our table. About 1.5 hours later, the next set of bottles was finally brought out -- again, with no cups or chasers. We repeatedly had to chase down staff just to get the basic necessities for our table. The situation became so frustrating that my girlfriend and I eventually had to go into the private staff area to address the issue directly. The promoter eventually offered us two bottles of champagne to make up for the inconvenience, but by then there were only about 40 minutes left before closing, making the gesture far too late to meaningfully fix the experience. What made it even more frustrating was the automatic 20% gratuity added to our approximately $2,000 bill, despite the fact that we received very little table service and spent much of the night trying to get staff's attention. We understand that nightclubs get busy, but when you're spending this much money on bottle service, you should not have to repeatedly ask for cups, chasers, or basic service. If you're considering Onyx Room for a special occasion or planning to spend significant money on bottle service, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere in San Diego. I hope management reviews what happened and considers a meaningful partial refund or discount on what we spent, because two bottles of champagne with 40 minutes remaining did not adequately compensate for the experience.

Imagine walking into a dark bar and feeling like you just busted in on a funeral, except everyone…read moreis welcoming you and suddenly you're hanging with the locals. The lamplighter is a classic neighborhood hang in mission hills- I think it's a dive bar by day; but I think it gets "hipster" by night. I enjoyed the ambiance, bartender, patrons & music. Mackenzie was an outstanding bartender ! Made me feel right at home! And fellow stool mate Anthony was warm & fuzzy like a big old teddy bear! Note: cash only. No food, but you might get a candy apple vendor coming through...

Ella is the best! From the moment we walked in, the energy that Ella and the security guard brought…read moreset the tone and had me expecting a great experience. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with a couple of the bartenders. They came across as snarky and condescending, and it felt like I was inconveniencing them just by placing a drink order. The contrast between the warm welcome at the door and the service at the bar was disappointing.

We came here for New Years Eve and had an amazing time! This is definitely my new favorite spot to…read morego out in San Diego! Loved how there wasn't a huge line to get in or at the bar to order drinks. There were a lot of people but it wasn't super packed/cramped so there was actually space for you to move around/not always be bumping into someone. METE plays the best music out of every bar I've been to in both PB or Gaslamp. I'm not a huge fan of hearing pop/country/ when I'm out so highly recommend coming here if you love rap!

You have to almost imagine METE as two different places. It's a super club. First comes dinner…read more Asian inspired. And, I get that you roll your eyes a little at more of that. Actually, there isn't much of that downtown, and, frankly, there's just not the quality of this downtown. We tried two the inspired dishes and they didn't disappoint, in fact they've got something on top rung. Service is another thing. People came and went fast - but there was always someone on thier way. The Chef even stopped by to ask us how things were - honestly, something more places should let happen. Bartender knows the way to mix, with some good versions of favorites. METE is a new turn on something San Diego used to have lots of - Supper Clubs. It's picking up fast (we tried to come a week prior, but the line was long - we made reservations to get our foot in), and probably gonna be one of those places you wish you went early on. We're glad we did. It's legit new design inside - none of the tired 'industrial' look that's overused in San Diego, none of the chrome and wood look that someplaces try. It's got it's own high energy vibe to it that's finally bringing something San Diego's needed for a long time.

I highly recommend signing up for an evening with Club Train versus just going out and showing up…read moreat a club on your own. No lines, no hassle, no cover fees and a free drink (shot) to start. I also enjoyed the entourage aspect of it with our Club Train leaders Alex and Vince, dressed in dapper bow ties and suits, shepherding us around the Gaslamp district of downtown San Diego. I tried out Club Train last weekend (bought my ticket through Pacific SD Magazine for extra savings). The itinerary included a set schedule for visits to Don Chido, F6ix, Side Bar and FLUXX with an hour at each location and 90 minutes at the last one. The evening was slow to start, as my friend and I found ourselves bored at our first stop, the new bar/restaurant Don Chido, where the group was to meet and depart to the clubs. If we could do it again, we would've shown up later for that first stop because it was not necessary to be there the whole first hour. We were told by our Club Train organizers that there were food and drinks specials at Don Chido. When we got there, we were seated at a table, then ignored by waitstaff for a long time before we finally asked someone who then told us we had to get drinks at the bar in order to get our Club Train deal. Also, we were told by the Don Chido staff there were no food specials. By showing our Club Train wristbands, we ended up with $5 margaritas (half price!) from the bar so it wasn't a complete loss but we felt like we wasted a lot of time in Don Chido and that the night was off to a rough start. Once our group leader summoned all of us (around 30 people), things went smoother as we then proceeded to each club. The evening then flew by as we had about an hour in each venue. Our Club Train leaders escorted us as a group from club to club but it was fine when we twiced missed our group leaving. We were still able to follow on our own with our wristbands. It was nice to be taken care of but not completely babysat, as once you are inside the club you're on your own. I didn't get a chance to talk to other members of our group, but theoretically you could probably make new friends in Club Train. A Club Train ticket normally costs $30, but I got the magazine deal where it was $20 with fees (total $22), which is a steal. The highlight of Club Train was the group photo at the end of the night. The group leaders always have the group gather together and take a photo in the middle of Market Street which is a lot of fun. Timing is everything with the traffic lights!

NYE crawl. No line, yea, right. Unorganized crawl from the…read morestart. Couldn't get any of the the crawlers into the first venue. The round up to each venue was poorly done. Skipped one of the venues for reasons they never told. Waited for too long to get into the last venue. Do yourself a favor people, skip this crawl and go to the other ones. By far the worse one in Downtown SD.

Tiki Oasis is a 4-5 day total immersion in TIki Culture, retro-vibe, music, fashion, cocktails,…read moreparties, seminars, shopping, and connecting with people! It can be very pricey between tickets and lodging, but if you enjoy the environment, it's truly an amazing event. The marketplace has everything you can think of that might relate to Tiki and Mid-Century Modern living. The seminars provide information on everything from how to make cocktails to history, movies, books, people, and any other topic you can think of... including some where you can make your own items with an instructor, like lamps, etc! There is so much to do or you can chill with your friends by the pool or at one of the bars or over a meal. At night, there is a concert every night with a mixture of types of music: you might find exotica, rockabilly, surf music, Hawiian sounds, you just never know! The people who attend are there for a good time and to learn, spend time with friends, show off their amazing outfits and overall HAVE FUN. I hightly recommend a visit. Start with a day at the marketplace and see what you think and if you want to commit to the full thing next year!

This is the biggest gathering of tiki lovers in the country; possibly now too big. I liked it…read morebetter pre-covid but it's still a great event. Entertainment, sun, food, tropical adult beverages, room parties, burlesque, shopping and more. The fact that it's in San Diego also enables visits to Bali Hai, the Grass Skirt and False Idol.

FRIDAYS, 9:00 pm to midnight $7.00 at the door, $5.00 if in…read morebefore 9:30 pm If you love to dance, but hate the club scene, this is your place. DanceJam is an open floor, mixed dance venue -- music ranges wildly, but tends mostly to worldbeat/latin, 80's and electronica. All styles and abilities welcome, on floor participation not required -- DJ is a great place for non-dancer you to bring your dance-lovin' honey to get the groove on. DJ is family-friendly: you can bring your kids if you like -- so pack up your mind, your muse, your munchkins, your moves, your mojo, your... oh, oops, sorry -- got stuck on the alliterative track for a mo'... whatever you like, truly. Comfortable clothes recommended, also socks or soft shoes for those who don't like to do their boogie barefoot. WHAT IT IS -- FUN: yes, I know -- *duh*. However, I've been to plenty of dance venues that completely failed this primary requisite. INCLUSIVE: everyone is welcome here, and that really does mean *everyone*, regardless of age, sexuality, race, shape, (or lack thereof!) other arbitrary definition or even the inclination to dance. ACCESSIBLE: located just around the corner from Claire de Lune at 30th and Kansas, DJ is easy to get to by any known means of transportation, public or private. NOTE -- parking *can* be a royal pain, and I recommend you do NOT park behind Acoustic Expressions. LOW-KEY: the crowd is very mellow, there is ***LOTS*** of seating for the tired / non-dancing folks, music is various enough to suit most tastes and the people watching opportunities are endless. WHAT IT IS *NOT* -- A MEAT MARKET: if you are looking for a hookup, don't look here -- *totally* wrong venue. A BAR: this is an alcohol, drug and smoke-free environment. BIAS ALERT -- I have been attending DJ for the 20+ years its various incarnations have been in existence -- *of course* I think it is a good thing... and I'm willing to bet you will too. Give it a try -- Tante Dio sez'

I came here specifically to support my husband's friend, who was playing piano with his band: he's…read morebasically blind but has been playing for 30 years, and watching him perform was such a treat. The live music was definitely the highlight: fun, nostalgic, and clearly loved by the crowd. The vibe leans toward the older generation, but honestly it was really endearing seeing everyone enjoy themselves. Food and drinks weren't the stars of the night, but they did the job. Service was surprisingly attentive, even though we were seated in the darkest corner of the place. Overall, a solid experience and a great spot if you're here for the live music!

Enjoyed a delicious dinner looking out at boats at dock and watching the sun go down. Nice…read morerestaurant and separate bar areas. Preanniversary dinner we enjoyed the Citrus Cilantro Pork Chop with Demi glaze, fresh veg and creamy mash potatoes, and the Asiago cheese gnocchi dish with sun dried tomatoes. Enjoyed the recommended yeast buns. Everything was delicious. Great ambiance, service and experience.