3 New Years Eve Spots in San Diego
In Partnership with the Metropolitan Transit System
New Years Eve in San Diego can be an incredibly amazing time! From bars, parties, and so many great restaurants it can be hard to choose how best to enjoy this great night. Here are some of our recommendations of where to go and how best to enjoy a New Years Eve in San Diego!
The Famous Gaslamp Quarter! Easily accessible by the Green and Blue Line!
New Years Eve can be one of the busiest nights out in San Diego, so we highly recommend utilizing the Metropolitan Transit System for getting around downtown San Diego and other hotspots from La Mesa to UTC! Best part is that after 6pm on New Years Eve, all transit riders get FREE rides all the way to 3am on January 1st thanks to Big Outdoor.
The City Center / Little Italy Trolley Stop accessible by The Green and Blue Line
Bar Idea #1 - Craft and Commerce
After taking either The Green or Blue Line into Downtown and arriving at the City Center / Little Italy Station it is a less than 2 min walk to the famous Craft and Commerce! This festive bar is a perfect spot for a drink and bite to eat. From their taxidermist themed decor, well made cocktails, and hidden tiki speakeasy this bar has a lot to look at.
Craft and Commerce - Easily accessible for the Green or Blue line
For drinks the Bah Humbug with dark rum, London dry gin, sugar plum, island spice, campari and lime is refreshing yet complex. If you like it a little sweeter the Oh Snap! It’s the Gingerbread Man with brioche cognac, genever, gingerbread, biscotti, oat milk and egg is a dense but crushable choice!
Reservations are highly encouraged | Make yours here
Cocktails at Craft and Commerce
Bar Idea #2 - Bar Kamon
Hop on to The Blue or Orange Line and stop at the Park and Market Station to visit this cozy and intimate speakeasy tucked inside Asa Bakery. From the creative team behind BeShock Ramen, Ayaka Ito and Masaki Yamuchi are hoping to bring a unique bar to San Diego! Inspired by Taisho-era style design from Japan, Bar Kamon is a unique and innovative new cocktail program that combines traditional Japanese flavors with modern flair.
Inside Bar Kamon
With so many delicious choices inside Bar Kamon it can be hard to pick. Here are some of our favorites to help you make a choice! Roasted Hojicha Negroni with chocolate is a complex and bitter drink with rich earthiness from the Hojicha that makes this cocktail a proper sipper! For a truly unique drink the Good Soup is hard to beat with
Coconut Washed Imo Shochu, Galangal, Gran Classico, Lime, Lemon glass, Chili Tincture, Chicken Broth.
Reservations are a must here so be sure to make them here
Cocktails at Bar Kamon
Bar Idea #3 - Lumi
Gaslamp Quarter is the heart of the NYE scene in San Diego so it only makes sense we talk about one of the best spots for a cocktail in this busy downtown district! Easily accessible by The Green Line to south, and Blue and Orange Lines to the north, Gaslamp is a breeze to get to. Once arriving in Gaslamp Quarter it’s a short walk down the pedestrian friendly 5th Avenue.
The Gaslamp Quarter Station, a great spot to start or end your NYE out!
After you have arrived at Lumi it’s time to enjoy their festive drinks and club vibes! We love this vibe filled rooftop full of we ll made drinks, djs, fire pits, and open air! The cocktails here are some of our favorites and we love MIZA “WOLF with elijah craig toasted barrel, palo santo, tamari spritz, burnt sage syrup, on a large rock ice. This boozy cocktail is a perfect choice for those who love old fashioneds. If you are looking for something a littler more refreshing their Sake Flights are not to be missed. We particularly loved the FRUITY & FLORAL FLIGHT that comes with the Tears of Dawn, Gold Blossom, and The 55. This great flight is a good entry level choice that allows you to fully try this incredible spirit!
Cocktails at Lumi!
After all of those cocktails it’s a good idea to get a ride home on the MTS! Remember that there are free rides on ANY MTS system from 6pm on December 31st to 3am on January 1st. With extended hours and plenty of stops its a safe, effective, and great way to save some money!
