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    Nova SD

    3.0 (215 reviews)
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    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    They brought the marquee
    Michelle R.

    NOVA SD We've come here for years but our favorites times are getting booths. It's nice to not feel crowded and actually have room to dance. They have multiple levels. And the top floor is the rooftop where it's a different DJ with a different vibe so if you want fresh air, go to the rooftop. Pro tip: always get with a VIP host to find which dates and prices, if you're looking to splurge on a booth. And make sure you get the booth you request. Even on the cheapest of nights when we spend a date night here, it's always over $1500. We spent my birthday here and it was well over $2k so even though they say the booth price and drinks, you end up spending a lot more. The VIP servers were so accommodating! When we first checked into the booth, I ran back to the entrance to get my other friend and they brought the Marquee with my name and sparklers. Haha awkward without the birthday girl (me) in the booth so after talking to them, they came back later. I would suggest that the servers make sure to tell the guests "stay in the booth since we'll be back with your marquee" since I'm sure I'm not the only one. Also, we usually always have someone in our booth at all times while there's drinks there but we noticed the booth next to us was a group of guys and when they left the booth, someone in the crowd stole their bottles. It was pretty messed up so if you get a booth, watch your drinks. Overall, this is a fun place to go with the best DJs! And you wouldn't know it but I'm completely sober in these photos. The hostess were all really sweet and made sure we had other juices for me to have. It took everyone by surprise that I'd spend my birthday at a club and not drink but we all had a blast and I'd go back any day of the week!

    Upstairs patio
    Mimi M.

    My group & I came to Nova SD for Sullivan King and overall, everything was absolutely perfect. The drinks were pretty good and the interior was great. It was much bigger than expected. The bouncers were kind as well as the bartenders inside. They even had a little patio upstairs if you needed a smoke break or a breather from all the loud music. I'm not very big on clubbing but I would most definitely come back to Nova after that wonderful experience.

    San Holo
    Laura B.

    Really Loved This Venue! It Didn't Feel Over Crowded And Did Not Get To Hot. Bathrooms Were Pretty Clean. Hoping To Go Again!

    Outdoor rooftop area
    Leslie B.

    My husband and I went to Nova to see Deadmau5, one of our favorite old school DJs, perform on NYE. Though I had never been to Nova, I had spent many weekend nights back at this venue when it had been the old beloved Stingaree or the more recent Omnia. We arrived around 10 PM, following a dinner nearby. There was no line to get in. I was a bit surprised to find that not only was my bag searched and I was wanded by a metal detector, but was also patted down. The bouncers confiscated my husband's eye drops (he has issues with his contacts), saying the the eyedrops could be drugs. I know it's good to be safe, but these exaggerated antics make me wonder what is wrong with this place. When we walked in, the show hadn't really started yet. The dance floor was empty at that time. We decided to head to the rooftop to get some air and a drink, sit down and relax. The best things about the club were that the rooftop had a lot of seating, as no one had purchased the tables up there, the bar service was fast, and the restrooms were clean with polite attendants. When it was after 11 PM, we headed down to check out the show. The floor was full... and I mean so full you couldn't get onto the floor. If you were there, you couldn't move to dance, nor move on or off the floor to get drinks. We stood back by the wall, in one of the only areas where you could actually see the performance without security telling us we couldn't stand there. Since the floor is completely surrounded by bottle service tables, the rest of the crowd has nowhere to stand other than to fill the walkways. This did not make for a fun night of dancing at all. Another huge disappointment is that the club did absolutely nothing at midnight. I mean, this was NYE! There was no balloon drop, no streamers, no fire, no nothing. It was just basically a crowded club night as usual. We got tired of standing in our corner, so we retired back to the rooftop to watch the performance from the screen and listen to the music piped through speakers. It was kind of a bummer that the only comfortable way to listen to the music was to remove ourselves from the stage area. Late in the night, closer to 1 AM, we went back inside to the balcony where we could mostly see the show and actually dance a bit, but that was after many other patrons had already left. The website states that there is a dress code, but many people wore sneakers and some were in sweats, or even pajamas. It is nice to have a place that hosts some great EDM artists, but it defeats the purpose if there is no space to dance, or breath, or a way to get to and from the bar. I will definitely continue to look to other venues to see my favorite artists.

    AMF
    Ashley P.

    Everything was good! The vibes! The drinks! The AMF will get you haha but it was really good. We went to see Sabai and he was such a good performer.

    we finally made it to the very back middle at 1:30 am when a few people left
    Janessa H.

    Sorry Insomniac but do better. I'll start with the good: -paramedics on site walking around -decent bathroom lines / # of stalls -short bar lines (usually no wait) -bar staff was friendly could be better: if the only areas people who do not have a table can stand at is the center of the floor and the top floor center than stop overselling the show, it's ridiculous you have absolutely zero view upstairs in the center and SO MANY people stand there it's crazy. We luckily found a spot in the back by the stair entrance at the bottom and the garbage can that we could stand at and security didn't boot us away. Thank you! They were actually pretty chill about it because we weren't being drunk messes just trying to vibe without being trampled on. A bottle of water was $7.50 before tax. The ghost energy drink was $8.50 for an 8oz but tastes pretty good! Those are vegas prices tho! Big issue here is they over sell the venue so it is not comfortable at all. The only reason I went is because Kaskade was playing, anyone else it's a hard no.

    Rooftop

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    4 years ago

    MY FAVORITE PLACE TO PARTY AT!!!!!! Drinks are amazing and music is great!! And the rooftop terrace is even better

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    4 years ago

    They should pay their bouncers more so they don't have to steal things from guests to make ends meet.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ali P.

    Ali P.

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    4 years ago

    Paid to have my hat held and an employee stole it. I had my receipt but no signs of my hat. Manager did nothing

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    4 years ago

    Shelby @shelbialyssa is the best bottle server in very so sweet and so kind. Check in on us constantly is we need anything!love her 10/10

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    4 years ago

    Great staff, great drinks, and great entertainment. Staff is super chill and really knows how to throw a party.

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    4 years ago

    Awesome! Always great service from the staff and bartenders are professional and friendly. Will be back again!

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    4 years ago

    The staff was so kind and accommodating. They made my birthday really special. We had a blast! Vibes are really great too.

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    Ali P.

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    Nova SD Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Nova SD

    Is there a coat check?

    Yes there is a coat check next to the entrance!

    Am I allowed to wear revealing rave attire to see yellow claw? Like super short cheeky shorts and fishnets?

    Is some of these folks could come in there with slippers then yes LOL

    I lost an item at NOVA this past weekend... How quick is response time on these issues? When is the venue available for lost item pickup?

    Hi Melissa, you can email us at info@novasd.com. We're back in the office from Tue-Fri of next week from 10am - 6pm.

    Is there a coat check in the winter?

    Hi Melissa! We do offer a coat check. It's just $5 and located in our Box Office, near our front… 

    Going to nova for the first time what's up with parking would anyone recommend any free parkings I'm willing to pay but what would be my best option?

    There isn't really any free parking in that area. I'd recommend parking in one of the $10 flat fee garages and walking a few blocks.

    Is this place 18 + on saturday?

    No it's 21+ for every event

    Can we wear Dj's jerseys?

    Yess!! I see people do it all the time 😍

    View All 8 Questions

    Review Highlights - Nova SD

    We worked with Paz and he went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing night for our friends bachelorette party!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Side Bar

    Side Bar

    4.4(208 reviews)
    0.1 miGaslamp
    Luxury
    Private events

    Sinclair was so inviting and his security made me feel so safe and comfortable. Had a great night…read moreknowing the security had my back

    Exceptional Hosting by Keagan at Side Bar and Gaslamplighter!…read more If you are planning a corporate event, team-bonding outing, or just looking for an unforgettable night out in San Diego, you absolutely need to visit Side Bar and Gaslamplighter. Our team was in town for our quarterly QBR last quarter, and we went out afterward to let loose on the town. We randomly came across Side Bar on a Thursday night and met Blake the manager who introduced us to Keagan, who completely transformed our entire trip. He was the ultimate curator! He immediately assessed our group's vibe, realized we were out for team bonding, and invited us right in, securing a fantastic VIP booth for my team. After a few shots and grooving to great music, he personally ushered us over to Gaslamplighter for a change of scenery, where we spent the rest of the night enjoying amazing drinks and live karaoke. The experience was so incredible that on our second night out, after hopping around various other bars in the Gaslamp Quarter, our team unanimously decided to end our night right back at Side Bar. Once again, Keagan took flawless care of us. He hooked us up with another booth and a few bottles. We happened to be celebrating a team member's birthday that night, and Keagan made it unforgettable. The staff brought out the full VIP treatment with bright sparklers and "Happy Birthday" signs to close out the night in style. What makes Keagan so special is his attention to detail. Even while working a packed club and making his rounds to ensure everyone was taken care of, he constantly circled back to check on our group. He made every single person on our team feel incredibly important and looked after on both nights. We walked away with fantastic pictures, amazing team memories, and a strong desire to return. Shout out to Keagan and the exceptional teams at both Side Bar and Gaslamplighter; memories were truly made! I highly recommend these venues for any group outing in downtown San Diego.

    Photos
    Side Bar
    Side Bar - Wine by the glass in a whimsical lounge setting.

    Wine by the glass in a whimsical lounge setting.

    Side Bar - Gorgeous tasting 'Hush Money' cocktail in the Side Bar Lounge.

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    Gorgeous tasting 'Hush Money' cocktail in the Side Bar Lounge.

    U-31 - Cheap drinks that aren't bad!

    U-31

    3.4(749 reviews)
    3.2 miNorth Park
    $$

    Got some, Cozi shots for a celebration of someone's life. I must say these kamikaze shots went down…read morebeautifully not only were they tasty. There was pretty much no alcohol present when it went down but they got us nice and loose and we're able to enjoy the night as we celebrated the life of a lost loved one Service was very fast. Our server took great care of us. The ambience of the venue is different than what it used to be a few years ago. They've switched things up. It doesn't look like there's as much space to dance anymore, but the modern clean feel of the venue was very much enjoyable.

    I visited this place for the USA vs. Belgium World Cup match, and I was astonished that the place…read morewas completely empty. The pool tables were also unavailable, because they invited a pool club team on that day. That seemed to be bad timing on a day that could have been a very high revenue generating evening. I was trying to find out why this place was empty for one of the biggest sporting events of the Summer? I think I found my answer when I ordered a drink. Although $20 for a Long Island Iced Tea is comparable for an upscale restaurant, this place is a dive bar, so it should have been included in a well-drink special menu to bring customers in the door. The selling point of dive bars is usually the reasonable drink prices, the sense of community, and a good place to watch sporting events. This place has potential, but this was unfortunately a miss on all 3 fronts.

    Photos
    U-31
    U-31
    U-31

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    Onyx Room

    Onyx Room

    3.7(701 reviews)
    0.3 miGaslamp
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Onyx Room - Best night club in San Diego!!  come visit Juan for the best service

    Best night club in San Diego!! come visit Juan for the best service

    Onyx Room
    Onyx Room - VIP Services

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    VIP Services

    Good Night John Boy

    Good Night John Boy

    4.3(78 reviews)
    0.2 miGaslamp

    The rumors are true - this is a cool freakin' bar…read more If you're looking to host an event at Good Night John Boy, I highly encourage you to look no further. I was lucky to be suggested GNJB as a venue option for a corporate event I was putting together. Not only was it super easy to get in touch with Rick, he made planning this event so seamless. Rick was always available to chat, quick to respond and was able to answer any/all questions I had. His suggestions were always helpful and appreciated. Belinda was also such a pleasure to work with. She was always accommodating to our needs and requests. Her team delivered the best service for our guests - from the security (shout out Sebastian) to the bartenders. What a dream team! I can't wait to host another event at this venue :)

    Went here for a night out with some friends and had a great time! We did get bottle service and our…read moreown separate area behind the DJ which probably helped too because it definitely got packed as the night went on. The space is 70s themed and they have two disco balls right in the center of the dance floor. The music was mostly 70s right when we went around 8 but as the night went on they mixed in a lot more genres. So everyone will find something they like. The DJ definitely could have been better though. They rotated through songs really fast so just as we were getting into something it was already changing. Service at the bar was really friendly and prices aren't unreasonable. Cocktails were tasty, albeit a little sweet.

    Photos
    Good Night John Boy - Inside

    Inside

    Good Night John Boy - Upper level bar

    Upper level bar

    Good Night John Boy - Partial view of the dance floor from the upper level

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    Partial view of the dance floor from the upper level

    Club Train - Some Club Train guests out celebrating a bachelorette party

    Club Train

    4.6(25 reviews)
    0.1 miGaslamp
    $

    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.

    Photos
    Club Train - Sexy ladies on the Club Train club crawl

    Sexy ladies on the Club Train club crawl

    Club Train - Alex one of our host helping out two Club Train guests

    Alex one of our host helping out two Club Train guests

    Club Train - Party at Sidebar.  The 2nd stop for the Club Train club crawl

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    Party at Sidebar.  The 2nd stop for the Club Train club crawl

    The Tipsy Crow

    The Tipsy Crow

    3.7(1.5k reviews)
    0.2 miGaslamp
    $$

    It's a very narrow building with multiple levels with each level feeling like a whole new place…read more The main floor is an ordinary bar to lounge, order drinks and listen to some music. It's sort of the least busy part of this location. Downstairs is more like a club! There's partying, the room is dimly lit and music is blasting. You're walking shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone. People are walking around carefully with drinks in their hands while grooving to the party music in the basement. It's very warm in here as you'd expect in any club. If you go upstairs, you have two options. There's another bar up here and on one side, it seems they've prepared a dance floor with a DJ. The other side of the upper floor has a pool table if you want a quieter environment. It's a cool experience and something I'd recommend people at least trying out if they're looking for a night life in Gaslamp.

    Full disclosure, we didn't come here for food. Landed around 1030pm and shut the place down on a…read moreTuesday night during a conference week. We got so lucky by having the entire top floor to ourselves with a whole dance floor, DJ, and pool table with bathrooms too! Blonde bartender was so good putting up with ~50 - 70 corporate people and customers, apologies I didn't catch her name but I'm so grateful! She made solid drinks and we caught a pic with her! DJ was taking requests and playing music videos across all screens (MTV - the nostalgia!!). We had customers from all around the world and they all had a great time. Will be saving this place for future nights out.

    Photos
    The Tipsy Crow - Nice bar on the first floor

    Nice bar on the first floor

    The Tipsy Crow
    The Tipsy Crow - Early in the night, ample space for people to catch up, have some food (might be sold only on the 1st floor) and drinks

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    Early in the night, ample space for people to catch up, have some food (might be sold only on the 1st floor) and drinks

    Nova SD - danceclubs - Updated September 2026

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