Prohibition
548 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
This is the grown-up version — or maybe the original template — of every wood-paneled basement rec room you ever drank in. It’s all there: the low ceiling, the red lights in the brass sconces, the mirrored wall behind the bar, plus some olde-tyme movie-star photos for atmosphere. But there the resemblances stop: This bar has codes for dress and behavior, the wood on the walls is real, and the Bombay Sapphire Gin doesn’t even make the top shelf. The bar prides itself on innovation, but isn’t above classics like the Deauville (brandy, applejack, and Cointreau). Guest-list entry only (except Wednesdays); reserve online.