Hillcrest · Best Dive Bars in San Diego
Nunu's Cocktail Lounge Review
Last updatedRanked #7 of 8 in Best Dive Bars in San Diego
A 1960s round-booth lounge that never modernized, and shouldn't.
Score breakdown
- Character92/100
- Drinks84/100
- Value88/100
- Crowd & service88/100
- Extras78/100
The verdict on Nunu's Cocktail Lounge
Ranked #7 of 8 — 87/100 in our Best Dive Bars in San Diego coverage
Nunu's is a preserved mid-century cocktail lounge with red vinyl booths and low lighting, a few blocks off the Hillcrest bar strip. Drinks are strong and cheap, and the room feels like a set from a movie about 1965.
What to drink at Nunu's Cocktail Lounge
Across our coverage the recommendation is consistent: Old fashioned in a red booth.
Late nights get busy; the early evening is when the room is at its best.
When to go
Bars and breweries in Hillcrest typically fill up on Friday and Saturday nights; a weeknight or early-evening visit is the easier way to get a seat without a wait.
Is Nunu's Cocktail Lounge worth the price?
Nunu's Cocktail Lounge sits at $ — the budget band for this category. We scored 4 other $ options on the same list, and Nunu's Cocktail Lounge outscores 0 of them. The bracket leader is The Waterfront Bar & Grill at 92/100, so compare the two before you commit.
Nunu's Cocktail Lounge FAQ
Is Nunu's Cocktail Lounge expensive?
Nunu's Cocktail Lounge is priced at $, which puts it in the budget band for this category. We scored 4 other $ options on the same list for a direct comparison.
Is Nunu's Cocktail Lounge worth it?
It scores 87/100, 1.9 points below the 88.9 average for its list. It still ranks, but there are stronger options nearby in score.
What should I get at Nunu's Cocktail Lounge?
We recommend the Old fashioned in a red booth.
What else is nearby Nunu's Cocktail Lounge?
Great Maple (90/100 in our best brunch in san diego list) and Hillcrest Farmers Market (90/100 in our best farmers markets in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
What works
- Strong character — scored 92/100 in our ranking
- Strong value — scored 88/100 in our ranking
- Strong crowd & service — scored 88/100 in our ranking
Know before you go
- Extras is the weak point — 78/100, below the rest of its scores
- Late nights get busy; the early evening is when the room is at its best.
The full review
Nunu's is a preserved mid-century cocktail lounge with red vinyl booths and low lighting, a few blocks off the Hillcrest bar strip. Drinks are strong and cheap, and the room feels like a set from a movie about 1965.
On our weighted scale it earns 87/100 — good for #7 of 8 places we evaluated for best dive bars in san diego. We drink at the places we rank, pay our own tab, and re-score when a bar changes hands, moves or reworks its list.
What to drink at Nunu's Cocktail Lounge
Old fashioned in a red booth
Typical spend: $
How we scored Nunu's Cocktail Lounge
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: character, drinks, value, crowd & service, extras. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We drink at the places we rank, pay our own tab, and re-score when a bar changes hands, moves or reworks its list. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.