The End of an Era—An Upscale Twist on San Diego Beach Drinking

While we hope for hot weather and warm water, there is one ocean-side certainty we can count on this summer in San Diego: the drinking ban.

While we hope for hot weather and warm water, there is one ocean-side certainty we can count on this summer in San Diego: the drinking ban. That’s right—daytime barbecues, sunset picnics and holiday parties in Mission Beach and Pacific Beach will be without one previously essential element: alcohol. It truly is the end of an era.

So, we ask, where will the beach drinkers go? 2008 is the year for San Diego beach towns to step it up with alluring nightlife (and daytime) alternatives for every spring and summer desire of the now-displaced beach drinking community.

Leave the tired boardwalk dive bars and retro house parties for the rowdy crowds and find your new spot for elevated fun under the San Diego sun. Discover the all-new SWIM in Mission Bay and Firehouse American Eatery and Lounge and Bar West in Pacific Beach.

SWIM: Cocktails and waterslides

Put away your homemade beach-ready slip ’n’ slides and head to San Diego’s hottest bayside spot for daytime fun in the summer sun. SWIM is the brand-new bar and poolside lounge at the freshly renovated Hyatt Regency Mission Bay. This spot is completely hidden behind the statuesque Hyatt and, despite the hype, it’s hard to hide the look of simultaneous shock and excitement when you first set your eyes on SWIM.

Allow yourself to be swept away to a Vegas-style resort where a Vegas mindset is highly encouraged. The elegant indoor bar boasts a 360-degree 800-gallon aquarium along with sparkling views of Mission Bay, and through floor to ceiling glass walls rests the outdoor patio with its own stretch of sandy beach. In addition to a tantalizing cocktail menu, SWIM serves contemporary pan-Latin fusion cuisine. Across the courtyard is the vast poolside lounge complete with multiple pools, waterslides and luxury sun chairs. With obvious allure for adults and children, SWIM is the first of its kind in San Diego and is sure to be the talk of the town for hotel guests and locals throughout 2008.

With leading San Diego promotion companies currently planning spring and summer parties at SWIM, this new Mission Bay spot won’t stay a secret for long. But rest assured the Hyatt guarantees a consistent mellow vibe at SWIM, maintaining the universal appeal. Other new and notable additions to the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay are Red Marlin, a seafood restaurant with stunning panoramic bay views, and Blue Marble, San Diego’s first entirely eco-friendly day spa.

From the sandy beach to the multiple pools and waterslides, SWIM is guaranteed to be the most buzzed-about venue for daytime parties in San Diego throughout 2008.

When to head to SWIM: Brunch and every afternoon of the week. We dare you to try and leave in the evening—hotel rooms await for your convenience.

DSD Insider drink pick: Watermelon martini—Chopin Vodka with watermelon purée

Firehouse: Swank lounge with a view

On the coastal cusp of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach sits Firehouse American Eatery and Lounge, the stylish restaurant and rooftop bar that has somehow remained a local’s secret, except, of course, to boardwalk-strolling tourists. Residing between the fire station and the boardwalk, Firehouse almost blends into the scenery save for a flash of startling red; intriguing oversize umbrellas peer down from the second-story lounge.

Enter Firehouse on the first floor and meet a red-walled bar facing a dining room filled with window-seat booths and dark wooden tables. Large inviting chocolate leather sofas pose as a posh waiting room, separating bar guests from restaurant diners. The downstairs interior is adorned with plasma TVs atop white and black paisley designs, offering a chic environment for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A mysterious wooden stairway leads to the top floor, where spring and summer offerings abound.

Underneath bold red umbrellas with silver lining lie dual-seated white lounge beds. Soft wood chairs with metal frames pair with central tables, while the rooftop bar also offers seating for guests. A direct ocean view captivates seated and standing guests from the south side of the upstairs lounge, while the other side is known for the unique sand-filled fire pit, adjacent to an elongated red couch often reserved for VIP parties.

The rooftop ocean view coupled with the direct sunlight and ocean breeze makes Firehouse American Eatery and Lounge a must-try venue for spring and summer in San Diego.

When to head to Firehouse: Brunch, daytime cocktails, happy hour

DSD Insider drink pick: The Q—fresh cucumber, sugar, VeeV açai spirit, club soda

Bar West: Gaslamp meets the beach

Safely off the Garnet strip on Hornblend Street, Bar West offers beach-chic style with a decidedly Gaslamp-worthy repertoire. Idealized by Davis Ink, the design team behind all San Diego EnDev venues (Side Bar, Stingaree, The Witherby and Universal), Bar West is the best Pacific Beach venue for all-night summer parties.

While only blocks from the boardwalk, Bar West is not known for its outdoor allure. The modest patio space is typically frequented for fresh-air cocktails and conversations by day and smoke breaks by night. However, what Bar West lacks in exterior accommodations it makes up for in interior intoxication.

You can almost feel a flash of sunlight as your eyes hit the brilliant tangerine, yellow and red designs twirling about the walls. A bubbly chandelier cascades down the center of the deejay circle, black booths seat restaurant-going guests and anemone-shaped lanterns hang above the wooden tables. Those opting for VIP treatment are greeted by wraparound lime-green booths before black and white paisley walls.

From the sophisticated shades of summer to the cosmopolitan elegance, Bar West is the most coveted spot for spring and summer nights in Pacific Beach.

When to head to Bar West: Every weekend night—including Wednesday and Sunday, of course

DSD Insider drink pick: Guava mojito—Effen raspberry vodka, lime, mint, club soda and guava nectar, garnished with lime and sugar cane

Just because the beach party is over doesn’t mean your San Diego nightlife (and day-life) has to end. From poolside indulgence to rooftop lounging and seaside clubbing, head to SWIM, Firehouse and Bar West for the best in spring and summer fun in San Diego.

For more information on San Diego nightlife and lifestyle, become a DiscoverSD Insider at www.discoversd.com.

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