Prohibition

Pretty cool spot great vibe we got there around 8:30 which was the perfect time to get a seat as there was live music at 9:30 and by 9 it was packed. There was a cool cocktail list, I got the Sam Elliot as I love bourbon but way to sweet for me. I went with «dealers choice» and said bourbon with smokey citrus flavors and she knocked it out of the park just wish I would have asked wha she called it.

I had a chance to visit this place this past weekend, and all I have to say is that this place is awesome! I love the live music. Totally going back!

This may be as close to what an actual speakeasy must have been like. No proper signage on the door. A slow walk down a dark staircase.
It has a great club-​like interior. The drinks are well made and interesting. There is a cool jazz band playing, as well.
It may not be the best place for regular drinking, but as a destination once in a while, it is the best of this type of bar.

By far the best kept secret of San Diego. Live music every night, amazing cocktails, great bartenders, and the ambiance is on point. You truly feel like you stepped down into 1925. I recommend this bar to any & everyone I know that are looking for something unique for cocktails out on the town. Crazy to think it’s hidden in the gaslamp quarter too. Step down into this speakeasy for loads of fun ya jive turkeys

Fun, dark little quiet spot in SD Gaslamp. Atmosphere and service good but just wait until the bill comes. McCallan 18 for $ 75 a 2oz drink is just silly. If your going to charge more than double your neighbor bar at least be honest about and give a heads up as you order. Just crazy but that’s life for a one hit wonder taking on tourists one drink at a time.

I came a few weeks ago but was only there a few minutes. Unless there were other hidden areas, this is a pretty small bar. It’s was very dark & the crowd was quite odd. Good concept for a bar but I don’t see myself coming back.

Are you in the know? If you are then you know, then you know how great this place is. Once you’re in, the live music will spend no time in setting the mood. The cocktails prepared by the bartenders are top quality in this place too. Don’t sell yourself short for a vodka soda, order something that’s made with more love & passion!

I want to start off this review by saying the women’s bathroom here is the cleanest I’ve ever seen in any bar and most restaurants! That is such a big deal because if a bathroom is disgusting it makes me not want to buy anymore drinks in fear of needing to use the bathroom again.
The vibe to this bar is really laid back. It’s a mature crowd, great music and nice dim lighting. There were plenty of seats to sit in and was very comfortable to the point that we choose to hang around there for the rest of the night. The bartenders were great. My husband is pretty picky about his drinks and he said the drinks were complex and strong, just the way he likes them. My only complaints are that it was really hot. They were nice enough to put out a self serve water area but my suggestion would be to possibly put some sort of fan to circulate the air better or invest in getting better a/​c. And another thing, I really dislike having to pay just to come in. My problem with this is, what if you get in there and not like it? I got lucky and happened to like this place but I still don’t like it.
Overall, I would highly recommend this place, it was a great experience. Even the bouncer was friendly.

This place has some great cocktails to choose from. I loved the live music. The band playing was amazing! My girlfriend and I had a lot of fun.
The wait went by fast because they have a nice lounge where you could hang out and grab a drink while you wait.

This is one of the top cocktail bars in San Diego, and definitely downtown. Ryan is a phenomenal bartender and does amazing work. We were quite indecisive about what to order and Ryan made sure he understood what our preferences are to help guide us to a drink we would enjoy and made some recommendations for us. We ended up choosing the Kentucky Riverboat and Mezcal Me Maybe. Both are very alcohol forward drinks, but very well balanced and suited our tastes perfectly. The space has recently been remodeled. I was worried it would be drastically different, but they did a good job preserving the original feel of the place, and gave it a nice refresh. We were here on the earlier side of a Friday night shortly after they opened, so it was not busy initially, but quickly became so. Considering the space is not all that large, I recommend coming early to avoid a line or getting turned away.

Referred to Prohibition by a friend and he was my hero for the recommendation. The band was amazing. They incorporated the audience. Included popular songs that everyone loved to sing along to. The drinks were unique and there was something everyone liked. I got a cucumber drink West Side Eddie! Others got unique beers. There was something for everyone. I can’t wait to come back again!

Great atmosphere, very cool, trendy, dark. We went on a Friday night so there was live music (love!). 5 dollar cover per person. Drinks were pretty good, very expensive. It’s an unfair complaint but I really hate when there’s no place to sit so my husband and I had to stand awkwardly by the bar. It’s so uncomfortable to have to stand, I’m short so I couldn’t see the band and I always felt in the way. Anyway, the place itself is super cool and I’m glad we went.

Strangely enough, I’d never stepped foot in Gaslamp in my entire life. I’m sure I must’ve driven through but never ate, drank, or barhopped in the district. Mind-​boggling. This was fixed during our weekend trip to SD over St. Patty’s weekend.
I don’t remember much from the night, but Prohibition was one of the bars we stopped at, and it’s now one of my favorite bars. There was a wait, around 30-​minutes, and we were told to go upstairs and have a drink. When we were called, we were told we couldn’t bring our drinks with us, so I downed my cocktail. By the time we got to the basement, I was wasted thanks to my low tolerance for alcohol. I’m not usually down to pay cover, but since I was inebriated (that’s how they get you), I paid the $ 5. It was worth it.
Prohibition is a super classy jazz bar and there’s no doubt in my mind you’ll love it, especially if you enjoy jazz. They had a live jazz band performing with amazing singers, including one musician I really enjoyed, Jason Brown. So much so that I went up to him on stage before I left, telling him how amazing I thought he was and shook his hand. To my friends, I’m sorry for embarrassing you. But really, he had a charmingly soulful voice and his saxophone game was strong. Check him out at
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The vibe was fantastic. Dimly lit, intimate, mysterious, and romantic, perfect for both dates and groups of classy friends alike. And the women’s restroom was really clean! Always a plus.
My only complaint is how much they charge for certain drinks. The bartender offered the Macallan 18 to my friend, to which he obliged. When the bill came, his jaw dropped because they charged him $ 75 per glass. So for three glasses, it was $ 225. Yes, Macallan 18 is an expensive scotch, but we could’ve easily bought a bottle for $ 260. In all my experience, I’ve never seen it priced that high for a single glass, ever. At most, $ 30. But $ 75??? Are you shitting me? Ridiculous.
Stop by here if you’re in Gaslamp. Just don’t get the Macallan 18.

You have to visit this place, the top is called «Last Call» super cool vibe, lounge. Great to have a good time and also a regular volume conversation (not yelling)
The street level is a great bar & restaurant, kind of sport bar but with good drinks & food.
The basement is this misterious speak-​easy bar with amazing mixology behind the bar. Usually live music and loud enough to start the party.
Looks like is no kids friendly and the parking could get difficult. The street is very busy.
Über ;)
«Mezcal Me Maybe» at the new roof top bar «Last Call» above @ProhibitionsSD
#MezcalElSilencio
House made watermelon cordial
Ancho Reyes
Lime
Agave
Tajin

All the staff is super friendly! The cocktails are a little pricy but definitely worth it! The live band was also great. If you want a seat I recommend getting here early, it does fill up fast. This was my favorite bar in the whole area, would definitely come back!

Great music great atmosphere we fit right in.
Love it, I will be back

Prohibition is the definition of a speakeasy! If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll never find it. Right in the center of the Gaslamp Quarter, this is a gem that stands out among the many bars on 5^th Avenue.
The door, marked «Law Office of Edward Joseph O’Hare, Esquire,» leads to a set of stairs and an underground bar where a live band is playing and the bartenders are mixing up some outstanding drinks! The speakeasy is long and narrow, but they make sure it doesn’t get too packed so it’s comfortable and cozy inside. As far as drinks go, I went with the Dealer’s Choice, where you can tell the bartender what you like and they’ll make you something special. The menu has a lot of options but I figured I’d let the bartender do his thing and I wasn’t disappointed at all! I ended up with some tasty variation on a Whiskey Sour.
My favorite part though was the live band. They were absolutely KILLING it and the female singer was no joke. When we got in, the bar area was empty because everyone was listening to them (and I couldn’t complain because we got a drink right away, even though it was at capacity). I looked them up online after and the band’s name is Tiffany Jane and the Kicks. I would definitely recommend going on a night when they’re playing because they blew the roof off this place!
All in all, Prohibition is the perfect hideaway where you can sit back and relax, listen to live music, and enjoy some quality drinks.

1^st time here.
My fiancée’ has been wanting to take me here and randomly went on a Thursday night.
She described the entrance as a random door with a sign saying it was a «law office» and you would have to turn on the red light in order to gain entrance. I thought that was pretty cool that some random law office door led you to an underground bar.
Atmosphere: after being greeted by a «lawyer» upon entering you walk downstairs to a dim lighted area that somewhat looks like an law office. from the floor to the ceiling the décor is awesome. relaxing with bench couches along the wall.
Drinks/​Bar: a wide variety of liquor and cocktail concoctions. I decided to get drinks off their menu and i started with the «i love you honeybear» pretty much taste just like it sounds starts off sweet like honey but get that musky bear taste. Then went over to try the Chinese Czech-​ers (because of the hint of chinese décor) which was a much better drink; tasted like lemonade. was hoping to get a more lychee taste but i guess the other ingredients masked it. and then ended with the Willem Goes Cycling (highly recommended) best drink yet.
My fiancée’ was drinking the dealers choice all night. And i must say the mixologist sure know how to make some great drinks.
Music: Live band (Pianist, Bass, Drums). Playing old school covers with a jazzy feel. Great songs and band to groove too.
Awesome Speakeasy Bar. Great first time experience. Will definitely come back.

This place is no longer that exclusive of a «speakeasy» as they allow anyone to come in without reservations (bring back a system similar to Noble Experiment). Other than that, the cocktails are top notch and crafted very well! Whiskey sours can be had anywhere but the bartenders whip up some damn good ones here!
If you’re looking for a spot to lounge out at without too much noise then come before 8 or 9pm. It gets a bit crowded after that and when the live band starts playing, you’ll have to start screaming (and the standing crowd grows and grows). Come early enough so you can grab a seat right by the band if you fancy that.
The entrance isn’t too far from the corner of 5^th & Market. Just look for a law office sign. If the line hasn’t built up her, the door buzzer is in the form of a fire alarm switch on the right side of the wall.
Overall it’s a cool lounge if you don’t come too late into the evening. Perfect spot to start off your evening before you hop around downtown!

This was my favorite bar in the Gaslamp/​Downtown Whale’s Vagina area.
We went to a few bars that night, but this was my favorite because of the live music that was playing. It’s a real intimate setting, so you’ll be in real proximity with everyone around you. Jazz/​Soul/​Funk is the vibe.
Drinks are a little pricey, but they are of higher quality.
Quick Hitters:
1) There’s a not so secret door to enter
2) Lots of places to sit