California · best-of list
The 29 Best Bars & Cafés in California
All 29 bars & cafés our route editors picked in California, across 18 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect bars, cafés and tasting rooms, spread across 18 destinations.
Our curated picks
29 bars & cafés in California, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Healdsburg 3 picks
Dry Creek Vineyard
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Family winery since 1972 with picnic lawns and crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
Photo: Dry Creek Vineyard · Google
Jordan Winery
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Chateau estate in Alexander Valley with Cabernet tastings paired with food.
Tip: Book well ahead; the estate tour includes a vista point.
Photo: Jordan Vineyard & Winery · Google
Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Straw-bale tasting room known for old-vine Zinfandel blends.
Photo: Crème Brûlée · Google
Santa Barbara 3 picks
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Funk Zone taproom of a Santa Ynez Valley brewery with a patio.
Photo: Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Santa Barbara · GoogleFunk Zone
Santa Barbara · On our Solvang & Santa Barbara route
Former warehouse blocks near the beach, now full of wine tasting rooms, breweries and murals.
Potek Winery
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Single-vineyard Santa Barbara County wines in a lounge at The Mill, with a patio shared with Third Window Brewery.
Tip: Reserve the lounge for a seated tasting; walk-ins fine on the patio.
Photo: Potek Winery · Google
Downtown LA 2 picks
Perch
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
French-styled rooftop bar 15 floors up, with fire pits and live music.
Tip: Dress code at night; go before sunset for a table.
Photo: Perch · Google
Seven Grand
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Whiskey bar with hundreds of bottles, pool tables and live jazz some nights.
Photo: Seven Grand · Google
Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter 2 picks
Altitude Sky Lounge
Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Rooftop bar on top of the Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, looking down into Petco Park.
Tip: It sells tickets for New Year's Eve; dress for wind on the open deck.
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Gaslamp hotel that throws one of the city's biggest New Year's Eve parties across several floors and its rooftop.
Tip: General admission is the cheapest ticket; VIP tables sell out first.
Photo: BrokenSphere · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hollywood 2 picks
Good Times at Davey Wayne's
Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
1970s-themed bar entered through a fridge door, with a backyard patio.
Tip: Lines form after 10pm on weekends.
Photo: Cornelis J. van Santen · Google
The Hotel Cafe
Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Intimate singer-songwriter venue that launched many acoustic careers.
Photo: Yubert Fang · Google
Napa 2 picks
Domaine Carneros
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Chateau-style sparkling wine house with a terrace over the vineyards.
Tip: Reserve a terrace seat on a clear afternoon.
Photo: Domaine Carneros · Google
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Home of the Cabernet that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris.
Tip: Tastings are by reservation.
Photo: Stag's Leap Wine Cellars · Google
San Francisco 2 picks
Buena Vista Cafe
San Francisco · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Bar at the cable car turnaround that popularized Irish coffee in the US.
Tip: Order the Irish coffee; bartenders line up a dozen glasses at a time.
Photo: BriefEdits · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vesuvio Cafe
San Francisco · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Two-floor bohemian bar next to City Lights, a Kerouac-era hangout since 1948.
Photo: Shadle · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sonoma 2 picks
Buena Vista Winery
Sonoma · On our California Wine Country route
California's oldest commercial winery (1857), with historic stone cellars.
Photo: Matkatamiba · Public domain
Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Sonoma · On our California Wine Country route
Family winery since 1858, with hillside vineyards and a relaxed tasting room.
Tip: Book a tasting ahead, especially on weekends.
Photo: Gundlach Bundschu Winery · Google
West Hollywood 2 picks
The Abbey Food & Bar
West Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Landmark LGBTQ bar and club with patios and dancing on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Photo: carlos chavez · Google
Tower Bar
West Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Wood-paneled bar in the Art Deco Sunset Tower Hotel.
Tip: Dress up; reserve dinner.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Big Sur 1 pick
Big Sur River Inn
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Roadside inn where you can sit in chairs set in the river with a drink.
Tip: Summer is best for the river chairs.
Photo: Brian Lopez · Public domain
Joshua Tree 1 pick
Joshua Tree Saloon
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Roadside saloon with burgers, karaoke and live music.
Tip: Easy last stop after a park sunset.
Photo: Laurie Morrison · Google
Los Angeles 1 pick
Musso & Frank Grill
Los Angeles · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Hollywood's oldest restaurant (1919), known for its martinis.
Tip: Sit at the bar and order a martini.
Photo: Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)) · Public domain
Monterey & Carmel 1 pick
Hog's Breath Inn
Monterey & Carmel · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Courtyard pub once owned by Clint Eastwood, with fire pits and murals.
Photo: Hog's Breath Inn · Google
Palm Springs 1 pick
Bootlegger Tiki
Palm Springs · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Small red-lit tiki bar on Palm Canyon Drive.
Tip: Order a mai tai; fills up after 9pm.
Photo: Bootlegger Tiki · Google
San Simeon 1 pick
Hearst Ranch Winery
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Tasting room in the historic Sebastian's building across from the beach.
Photo: Tina Luu · Google
Solvang 1 pick
Los Olivos tasting rooms
Solvang · On our Solvang & Santa Barbara route
Small ranch town ten minutes north whose main street is lined with tasting rooms for Santa Ynez Valley wineries.
Tip: Book a driver or pick one person to skip the tastings for the drive back.
Tahoe City & Palisades 1 pick
Bridgetender Tavern & Grill
Tahoe City & Palisades · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
Long-running Tahoe City tavern next to Fanny Bridge, known for burgers and a patio over the Truckee River.
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building 1 pick
Top of the Mark
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
Glass-walled lounge on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, open since 1939, with 360-degree views.
Tip: On Dec 31 it holds a ticketed gala with dinner, an orchestra and a balloon drop; New Year's Day brunch is also served.
Photo: CVB · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the bars & cafés in California?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 29 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of California has the most bars & cafés on this list?
Healdsburg and Santa Barbara lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 16 more destinations.
More lists for California
Best bars & cafés nearby
Destinations on this list
- Healdsburg 3 on this list
- Santa Barbara 3 on this list
- Downtown LA 2 on this list
- Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter 2 on this list
- Hollywood 2 on this list
- Napa 2 on this list
- San Francisco 2 on this list
- Sonoma 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.