Favorite spot for happy hour drinks in SD. Beautiful views and sun in downtown ? What more could you ask for. My favorite drinks?? The Aloe and Paloma!! They add real fruit puree and juice to their drinks. Sooo good. They have a daily happy hour from 11am-6pm. Just note the FINE PRINT.. they automatically include an 18% gratuity on every check. read more

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Party of one, traveling for work and wanted to see a lovely skyline on my last night. San Diego is too beautifully to not see it from a rooftop. It was a bit chilly and windy and the lovely server brought me a fuzzy blanket - it was such a nice touch. Fabulously balanced cocktails, fast service, the guac is delicious. It's definitely a light bites place which was perfect for what I wanted. It was definitely limited for gluten free or gluten friendly options; as a celiac that can handle shared fryer situations this was OK, but someone who can't may have trouble here. Half a mile walk to my hotel afterward allowed me to take a nice evening walk. Lovely night and great place to end a work trip! read more

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Bad service. Our server didn't even bother greeting us to start off nor give us her name. We kindly asked to move to a different table when we came in, and instead of being kind and understanding she immediately just told us to ask the host. The host was very kind and accommodating. He was able to move us to a better spot and checked in on us once afterwards. Having a gratuity of 18% automatically included when service is mid is absolutely unacceptable. Our server checked on us twice in the span of 2.5 hours. When using the restrooms, there's only two stalls available and one is out of order. There is no one cleaning up the restroom area so it was not up to par considering this is a rooftop bar in DT. Our food was undercooked had to ask to get it remade. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Don't be dissuaded by the alcove elevator that takes you to the roof. You open into a rooftop with good views. Beware, only two restroom and one was out of order over a holiday weekend. So be ready to wait... For the covered patio seating, heaters are on. You can see a peek of the park, different angles of Coronado bridge and the water some blocks away. Checks the box for being above the calamity on the street below. Very much a transient spot, grab a drink, grab a bite to eat and then go. It doesn't seem to be a hang around for a hour and a half type place unless you are a big group As for the service, Mike had a sense of humor and knowledgeable about the drink menu. Hardest hustler was the host, kudos to that guy this evening. If you're a G&T gal, get Ginney from the block. More floral but same concept of a good gin drink. Definitely meets the "botanical" concept. I chose a small bite, that actually did disappoint. The carrot coleslaw was a complete miss and ruined the pork slider dish. Pretzel bun was fine, not very buttery. Pork was well seasoned, the only good part of the meal. I didn't see other patrons really crushing food either. Stick to the views and cocktails. Find a morsel somewhere else. read more

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Decent little HH rooftop bar. Cocktails were alright for $9 each and the Korean spice wings were pretty good, while the carrots had good flavor, they just looked a little small and shriveled. Service was friendly and prompt, with great music, overhead heating lamps, and blankets available for comfort. Def a good view of the bay and the Coronado bridge. read more

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always a great time at the nolen!:) happy hour is my fav! I would recommend that if you order the pretzel bites that you eat them asappp or else they will get rock hard unfortunately read more

The Nolen - padres punch - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I stopped by here a few weeks ago. The weather was great, so we were looking for a place where we could sit outside, enjoy some nice views, and have a few drinks with light appetizers. The Nolan didn't disappoint! The service was great from start to finish. We were surprised to find that they offer happy hour on the weekends from 3-6pm. We were able to order from both the appetizer menu and the regular menu. We ordered the meatballs, wings, and the carnitas flatbread, and everything was delicious. Overall, it was a great experience and exactly what we were looking for that day. We will definitely be back! read more

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Cool little rooftop spot downtown, solid happy hour offerings. Few food options and cocktails - all were about 50% off regular price. Cocktails were just ok, but the wings were pretty tasty. Service was super friendly though! Heaters for those chillier evenings too. read more

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Came here for happy hour on a weekday and surprisingly did not have difficulty getting a table! Decent food and drink specials, especially being downtown. We really liked the cocktails and loved that they had tater tots on the menu. The views are amazing, and I highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting downtown SD. read more

Overall pretty good experience! We made reservations for 7 which was nice that we didn't have to wait. There are beautiful views from the top and good drinks! My only complaint is that we tried to order more food at 7:30 but was informed that the entire kitchen staff was on break and it would be about 30 minutes. That was fine and we were willing to wait but after 45 minutes I walked by the kitchen to use the restroom and there was still no one in there. I'm confused how the entire kitchen staff has a break at the same time making it impossible to order food at 7:30. We ended up having to cancel our food order and weren't able to order a second round of truffle tots (which were incredible). So that was a bummer but the drinks were good and the view was incredible! I highly recommend the truffle tots, the chips and guacamole were nothing too special. They also were playing the World Cup game on the TV so I can imagine it being a good place to go watch a sports game read more

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Man, IDK what happen here, but their drinks are terrible now. Maybe it's a HH issue? The Old Fashioned was premixed and super strong. Not well-balanced at all. We tried the Paloma and the Lil Moss Aloe drink too and they were so bad we ditched them after three sips. I can't remember the last time I walked out of a bar without finishing my drink. What a shame. read more

THE NOLEN @ DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO Parking is available for street parking, it can get extremely busy! Pay for parking is during the day, and you can definitely find spots at night for free after a certain time. I came here for a friend's birthday, and we had a reservation set for 7:30pm, and we're coming late, the staff were really accommodating and allowed us a 15 minute grace period. This spot is located in the rooftop and you go through a specific door, the security will check all ID's before entering. Walking in, I absolutely loved the view and the place itself. It was dark and had a romantic night vibe, and we got a great seat on the side. We got truffle fries (delicious, but there wasn't much truffle flavor, this rasberry mocktail (INCREDIBLE, loved this so much) martini espressos (was more on the watery side, not that strong). Overall, a great experience, I definitely wish some items were a bit better quality especially for the price paying but it was still good overall. Service was decent, I had to flag the server a couple times to get another cup of water and some napkins, but overall great. read more

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The Nolen Rooftop is the ultimate weekend brunch spot in downtown San Diego. Sitting atop the 14th floor of the Courtyard Marriott, it serves up sunrise city views, craft cocktails, and shareable bites that totally hit the spot. Brunch is served every Saturday & Sunday from 10-2pm and I tried the Loaded Tots, Pulled Pork Benedict, Egg White Frittata, and Waffles with Berries . For cocktails, I went with the Sassy Señorita (vodka + hibiscus agua fresca), the Gone to Kona Martini (vanilla vodka, espresso, macadamia, coconut milk cold foam), And it was Called Yellow (basil-infused gin with limoncello), and an Old Fashioned . Brunching above the skyline = a whole vibe Thanks to the staff for making it a memorable one! read more

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Visited The Nolen Rooftop for brunch: The place has an open-air setup with a nice view of downtown San Diego.The location is great close to plenty of spots to walk around after. I went for a friend's birthday brunch with a group of 18 people Our waitress was the best! She recommended the sassy señorita with Tequila which was tart but good and I ordered the breakfast burrito.Service wasn't bad, and it wasn't too crowded. The only downside was that most of the menu was focused on bar snacks and appetizers. I wish there were more meal options. Overall,Good spot to meet friends in the day and might be the vibes for nightlife. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We had a party of 8. We were seated immediately (we had reservations) and the place was quite busy. Forewarned. Only one check per table. Add to that they add an automatic 18% gratuity -no matter the level of service. Our service was good. Not overly speedy but it was good. Everyone liked the drinks and the most people loved the food. The view is incredible and the atmos is great. A nice place to go and chill for sure. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The Nolen is a perfect rooftop bar for late night drinking with a view of downtown San Diego. Pros: Plenty of seating with views in almost every table. There are a variety of drinks and appetizers to choose from. There are QR code menus easily accessible at each table and is easy to navigate. I ordered an old fashioned which was very well made and my girlfriend ordered a berry mocktail drink which was really tasty. We hung out with friends here and it has a good vibe for big groups. We also ordered truffle fries which were tasty and came with a truffle mayo sauce. Cons: There are bathrooms here but it's single use and gender neutral. This is good, however, lines form pretty quickly. Verdict: This is a great place to get your night started or to end off your day easy with downtown SD views and great tasting cocktails and appetizers. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for rooftop experiences read more

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Gorgeous views.. wish I could say more. When we got in they let us know food orders were back up. But we also noticed that only one person in the whole restaurant had food. Everyone else just looked annoyed at waiting. We sat for a bit before a server even came over. Didn't want to spend all day waiting so we left. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE SERVICE! I have been here multiple times and have typically had 'Nicole" (I think that's her name) as my server and she is 100% amazing. However, anytime she is not. My server service is absolutely awful. Tonight set me over the edge. We made a reservation and got seated in the worst possible spot ever. We asked if we could move and the bartender (white, about 6'0 ft, glasses brunette) working at 8pm July 3rd.) said that was fine and he would clean the spot for us before we sat and instead he sat another couple down, we then saw another table that was open in the outdoor area and was told we were not able to sit there because of a reservation. We never got waited on. We only had one drink. Drinks were OK and service was absolutely the worst I've ever had. I would not recommend and I hate to say it because I am a Marriott member and I absolutely adore Marriott hotels and restaurants. I would never recommend this location to anyone I know. read more

Pros: - Ambience is on point. Great view with very few crowd on a Sunday afternoon. - Happy hours: Monday - Friday 4PM to 6PM, Saturday and Sunday 3PM - 6PM. Finger food and drinks were to die for! Quality was not sacrificed for the HH. - Great view of the city. Cons: - None that I can think of unless you're trying to drive in downtown..then that's just your normal commute con. Tell me another place where you can get an old fashioned for $7 and $9 truffle fries. read more

The Nolen - IG @devouredwithlove - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

This hidden gem has one of the best views of Gaslamp. This speakeasy rooftop can easily be missed, as the entrance is a small door in between buildings. But when you know, you know. We came here to grab a few drinks and it was a nice surprise that it was happy hour, and on a Sunday. Their $7 old fashions and $9 proseccos are hard to beat. There's plenty of seating right at the edge, to get the most of the views - perfect place to hang out especially during the golden hour. There's also a fire pit for those cool San Diego nights. I recommend this place for pre dinner drinks or a night cap. read more

The Nolen - Truffle fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is a must go for locals and tourists. You can't beat the view, the servers are super attentive and the bartenders actually acknowledge you. Not to mention the cocktail menu is amazing. Not the same thing you see at all the other bars. Not to mention if you make it here for the sunset!! Definitely one of San Diego's secret rooftop bars! Oh and if you weren't going to try it already their bar bites are delicious!!! read more

The Nolen - Best espresso martini with a view! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Another great rooftop bar. very laid back vibes. great drinks and food. firepit at the rooftop read more

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The Nolen was such a gem! I loved the relaxed vibe of this place and it's perfect for a date night or cocktails with friends. Service was super friendly, and I loved their drinks as well! They had some really unique cocktails that were DELICIOUS. Be sure to stop by to enjoy their happy hour specials too! It is hard to beat the views of downtown San Diego from here. Can't wait to come back! read more

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THE NOLEN @ DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO Parking is available for street parking, it can get extremely busy! Pay for parking is during the day, and you can definitely find spots at night for free after a certain time. I came here for a company holiday party, and we had the private event set for 6pm-9pm! The staff were fun and accommodating, they really matched the energy of our party. This spot is located in the rooftop and has a great view of downtown SD. Walking in, I absolutely loved the view and the place itself. It was a ski winter wonderland vibe fitting our party theme. We had hors d'oeuvres before dinner was served (everything was delicious!). We also had specialty themed cocktails for our event (INCREDIBLE, loved this so much). Overall, a great experience! Book the Nolen for your private events, they'll treat you well! Had a blast, I can't remember half of the night! read more

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We came on a Saturday, and it was one of the less busy spots, which was great. We went straight to the rooftop via the elevator and were able to find an empty table in the corner. The drinks were good, though slightly pricey. Overall, a great spot to hang out for an hour! read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The Nolen was one of the best finds of the trip. One of my friends who lives in SD had told me that if I was looking for a good rooftop bar to try the Nolen. I am so glad he made that suggestion because we had a lovely afternoon on their rooftop bar deck. If you like a party vibe come at night. If you want to me grandmas like my friend and I then come on a Sunday at like 3pm haha. No joke it was the perfect time to come. The rooftop bar was dead and the large groups that came around lunch had just left. We got an amazing corner booth overlooking the city and we had privacy and such a lovely vibe. The views are worth it! At night it would also be cool but for a lowkey vibe know coming inbetween lunch and dinner rush is a great lowkey time. Our server / bartender was Darius and he couldn't have been lovelier. He was kind and very attentive but also gave us the right amount of space so we could just enjoy ourselves. When we wanted to yap, he yapped with us and was a nice guy. Really good service and attitude. He helped make some great drink suggestions to my friend who loves mezcal and all was right in the world. Cocktails here are fabulous. They are visually stunning, pretty colors, and fun ingredients. You will definitely get an Instagram worthy picture here. I had a gin based purple cocktail which was stunningly gorgeous and strong! My friend tried two different mezcal's and loved them both. Presentation and flavors were a 5/5. Service and atmosphere also a 5/5. You can't go wrong here. To second what another reviewer noted, there is an automatic 18% tip included here. I know not everyone is cool with that and I get it. What I did appreciate is Darius our server called it out right away. There was no sneaky behavior and he let us know. That goes far in my books. Also the way I look at it, for a view like that they could charge a cover / entrance fee which they don't during the day so all in all I think it equals out. If you want to impress, come here for cocktails. They are amazing and refreshed. read more

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Great downtown rooftop. the happy hour is great with spectacular views. the ambience is definitely for a refined crowd.

The Nolen has quickly become our go-to bar for great drinks and yummy food. We have taken multiple out-of-town friends here, and every time we are complimented on our choice of place. Food & Drinks: I love that they have so many light plate options to accompany teh cocktails. I am a fan of the truffle fries, flatbreads and burrata. All of their cocktails are delicious. Ambiance: Dare I say that this is teh best rooftop bar in San Diego? The vibe is very moody and chic. They have a bunch of fire pits across teh floor which are great for chilly nights. You can see a lot of DT SD from here, and the music is just right. In-all: A great upscale spot to hang out with your group. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

I had a very disappointing experience with The Nolen Rooftop. We had a brunch reservation to celebrate my father's birthday, and at 7:00 p.m. the night before, I received a cancellation email. At first, I assumed it was a mistake and immediately called the restaurant. The staff informed me that management "was unable to staff the restaurant." I expressed that this was unacceptable and asked to speak with the manager directly. The manager explained that two team members had family emergencies and he decided to cancel all brunch reservations as a result. While emergencies happen, canceling an entire brunch service the evening before -- especially for guests celebrating special occasions -- shows a serious lack of contingency planning. Staffing is a management responsibility. Notifying guests that late makes it nearly impossible to secure another quality reservation elsewhere, particularly for a weekend birthday celebration. What should have been a special family gathering turned into a scramble to find alternatives, all due to poor planning and lack of accountability from management. I would strongly reconsider booking here for any important event. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Great food and service! The views were amazing from the rooftop and the food and drinks were very high quality. The host also took some top tier photos of us. read more

The Nolen - Exceptional service from the host - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The service, the food and the drinks were fire here at this place. This is a very beautiful romantic upscale rooftop. I had the Asian zing wings with a truffle tater tots. Our server was Darius. He was awesome. He was very patient with our large party and helped us celebrate our brother's birthday and made him feel special. The owner came over to greet us to make sure everything was all good 10 out of 10 we recommend will come back. read more

I visited at 7:55 pm and waited forever for the elevators. By 8 pm, they were checking IDs at the door like it was a club. No seating near the cocktail bar, no basic bourbons like Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, or Makers Mark. The days of long waits, non accommodating cocktail bistro seating, no bourbon, and bouncers checking IDs way too early are over. To make matters worse, the one elevator they rely on to bring every patron to the rooftop hasn't even had a current inspection in years. That alone shows how much thought they put into their guests' experience and safety. I walked my date right across the street and had a great dinner with no lines, plenty of bourbon, and zero hassle. read more

The Nolen - The one elevator The Nolen relies on to get every guest to their rooftop was last inspected years ago. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

9-30-26 We had an amazing experience at this rooftop restaurant, and the manager truly made a difference. From the moment we arrived, everything was well-organized and welcoming. Matt was attentive, professional, and genuinely. We order a few drinks and some appetizers. The guacamole and chips is a 10 star. Highly recommend this place. Amazing view read more

The Nolen is fantastic. I have been here for both happy hour and the regular menu, and both times were fantastic. They have a ton of servers so getting drinks/food doesn't take long (but be prepared to wait longer during happy hour). I loved the paloma and hot wings I got, and happy hour prices are so affordable for downtown. Loved the vibes and will definitely be back soon. read more

The Nolen - Beer and paloma - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Such an awesome environment. The rooftop bar really is nice. Drinks are good and plenty of food. read more

The Nolen - Beer - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Only came here for drinks and they were honestly pretty good. I tried the Feels Like Summer and Bae-cation. It has a nice view overlooking Petco park and the Coronado bridge and the vibes were pretty chill/loungey. I want to come again to try the food and other drinks. Leaving a 4 star for now. read more

The Nolen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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We came here three times in a week... That must tell you something! The atmosphere on the rooftop was fabulous! Great views of the town, great decorating in the space, wonderful seating configurations. Just super! We never ordered food, only drinks. I thought the wine list was excellently curated and enjoyed their selections from different CA wine regions and beyond. We had service that was attentive, but not pushy or hurried. Paced well. I loved this rooftop place so much that I told several people to check it out. read more

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Beautiful ambiance, very friendly service, fast and delicious, incredible view! More casual than other rooftops!

This will be my go to bar when I'm in SD! Ambiance/vibe: A+ Very intimate spot with fantastic views of the area. This is a rooftop bar so you get great scenery. Could even see part of the inside of Petco park while a Padres game was going on! Tiki Party in Thailand: B white rum | coconut milk | ancho reyes | lemongrass syrup | lime juice Very intrigued when I heard lemongrass syrup, so I had to try. That plus the ancho Reyes made for a very unique cocktail flavor profile. Definitely reminded me of Thai cuisine with the coconut milk and lime juice. Service: A Very attentive and checked up on us often. read more

The Nolen - Tiki party in Thailand - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We stumbled upon this rooftop bar when I googled "rooftop bar" in Google maps. It's inside the Marriott hotel and doesn't look like much from the street. You have to take the elevator from the small hotel lobby up to the roof. The view is really great and it was nice and breezy up there. We were just having drinks. They had a small selection of wines to choose from. It was a nice place to just relax and take in the view with friends. We went on a late Sunday afternoon and it was quiet there. read more

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