The Guild Bar

My bf ordered whiskey on the rocks. The bartender gave it to him neat. He asked for the ice letting her know he was going to place the ice himself but the bartender insisted, which she splashed. Didn't apologize or anything like that. Although the bar area looks cool!

I recently had a friend in town and he decided to stay at The Guild Hotel. So where's The Guild Bar? You guessed it, genius, at The Guild Hotel. In the lobby. While I waited for my buddy to catch a quick shower before going out for the night I made my way to this wonderful lobby bar for as many cocktails that were necessary to kill the time. What a great little hotel bar, even for us locals! This bar is a gathering place for guests and San Diegans alike, at least when I was there. I met and chatted up a nice young couple from Arizona when I was there and I was happy to lend them some local knowledge before they went out for a night on the town. Did they take my advice? No idea, they should have though .The bartenders are talented, they are friendly, and the selection of booze was far from standard. In fact, they even carried a few bottles of booze that my friend makes from the Bay Area. I thought that it was pretty cool that the bartender even blessed it as being "really good" before I even told him my relationship with the brand. Gotta love a knowledgeable bartender and it seems that The Guild Bar has a few of them.

Caesar salad with shrimp or salmon is so good. Don't recommend ordering a side of truffle Fries. They cost $14 for a side order and aren't worth it. Service was not great either but the courtyard is really cute.

I cannot believe that we've lived here since September and have never been here before. Craving cocktails we ended up here thanks to Yelp. Not a single disappointment here. Amazing space, great service and of course perfectly crafted cocktails. Starting with the space. Gawd, wow! It has so much vibe and feel, blown away. Geez, even the bathrooms are cool! I enjoyed their Manhattan(s). Probably one of the best I've ever had. So delicate and nuanced though deliciously strong. The only negative was that their kitchen was closed. On a Saturday night this left me scratching my head. Menu sounds great, so here's hoping next time we visit.

Last night I met up with a friend at the Guild Bar for cocktails and conversation. It is a bit further out of the Gaslamp than I had expected. I was surprised to see that the hotel is in the old YMCA building. Years ago, when I worked downtown, I would go there to gym classes in the evenings. I love how they saved the integrity of the old historic building. The bar is really a lovely open space. There are booths, tables, and an area in the back where they had a wedding party that evening. As it is out of the main drag, it is not the most happening spot at night, but seems like a great bar if you happen to be staying at the hotel. I imagine it is a great spot for Happy Hour if you work in the area.The do have a small menu. I was tempted to try the deviled eggs, but wasn't really hungry, so I just had cocktails.I wanted to try one of their specialty cocktails, so had the Corporate Rebel, which was a twist on the Negroni. I later had a couple Side Cars, one of my favorite classic cocktails. They were well-made, tasty, and nicely presented. My only complaint was the wait for each cocktail. The bar wasn't crowded and sometimes it seemed to take forever to even order. When my friend asked about the wait, we did get a free shot of Lillet to tide us over. The bartender explained that it was the wedding party taking up most of the service.I would definitely come back for a nice space for friendly conversation over classic cocktails, and maybe try some of the food.

We live nearby and I've come into this place twice in the past few months, and it is impossible to get a server, the time of day seems not to matter at all.

Pricey. Menu is ever-changing and usually not what's listed online. Food quality ok. One bartender had a frequent, brutally loud, ear splitting laugh that ran us and others off,,, twice. Nice vibe. No TVs, no music.

I've been to the Guild Bar located at the The Guild Hotel of San Diego a few times. Both times for coffee and not adult libations. One time I had a cafe au lait and the other a regular latte, although other coffee specialty drinks are available. They use a premium Intelligentsia Coffee product. The coffees I have had were both rich and smooth, and no doubt flavorful. They offer a happy hour which offers $5 drafts, $6 wells & wines, and house specialty drinks that run from $7 to $12. Happy Bar Bites area also available during this time. Happy Hours runs daily from 4 pm to 6 pm.The young gent and lady who served me on different days were super friendly. It's a great place to either start your evening before eating at Luca right next door, or end the evening with a night cap.

The Guild Bar is a great place to stop for a cocktail! Jake and Seth were our bartenders are they are very knowledgeable on different drinks and they even have "dealers choice" where they take your preference in spirit and flavor palette and make something creative. The outdoor patio has a very cute vibe. Will definitely be back!

First time here on Monday December 5, 22 for happy hour with some colleagues. Great bar, food, atmosphere and service. If I'm I the area again will definitely stop by.