2 Best Bars in San Jose, The Bay Area

This cocktail bar with a stunning brick back bar easily competes with the best in the Bay Area. Cocktails are creative and compelling, frequently incorporating atypical ingredients like Thai tea or a syrup made of pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The short food menu revolving around spruced up comfort food is less inventive than the cocktails but far more interesting than standard bar grub.

This sharply dressed speakeasy is one of the South Bay's gold standards for craft cocktails. Drinks are intricate without being fussy, and the bartenders are always quick to offer insight into what cocktails might fit your taste. The cozy, low-ceilinged space is filled with velvet curtains and plush booths, continuing the 1920s feeling.