300 San Jose
5420 Thornwood Dr., San Jose; 408.578.8500. Bowling with all the extras of a nightclub.
7 Bamboo
162 Jackson St., San Jose; 408.279.9937. The kingmaker of the local karaoke scene.
Affinity Restaurant and Bar
San Jose, 300 Almaden Blvd., San Jose; 408.287.2100. The bar inside the Hilton San Jose features jazz on alternate Wednesdays.
Agenda Lounge
399 S. First St., San Jose; 408.287.3991. The popular two-story club has plans for a sports bar downstairs in the near future.
AJ’s Restaurant & Bar
393 Lincoln Ave., San Jose; 208.292.3445
Alex’s 49er Inn
2214 Business Circle, San Jose; 408.279.9737
Azucar
71 E. San Fernando St., San Jose; 408.293.8482. The Latin hotspot and Metro Best of winner specializes in mojitos.
Bamboo Lounge/Island Grill
1355 N. Fourth St., San Jose; 408.392.2468
Bears Cocktail Lounge
1872 W. San Carlos St., San Jose; 408.998.3425
Billy Berk’s
99 S. First St., San Jose; 408.292.4300
The Blank Club
44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose; 408.292.5265. Stark and small but still the spot for local and touring rock bands.
The Blue Chip
325 S. First St., San Jose; 408.971.2898. The walls of the basement bar are hung with an impressive array of sports memorabilia and imagery.
Branham Lounge
1116 Branham Lane, San Jose; 408.265.5525
Britannia Arms Almaden
5027 Almaden Expwy., San Jose; 408.266.0550. The British pub gets busy even on Mondays and Tuesdays, with beer pong and trivia games.
Britannia Arms Downtown San Jose
173 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.278.1400. A new series on the weekends features local bands.
Brix Nightclub
349 S. First St., San Jose; 408.947.1975. The successor to Hunter’s keeps up the tradition of a high-energy dance spot for gay clubbers.
Buckhorn Tavern
3273 Sierra Road, San Jose; 408.251.3300
98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose; 408.995.6220. Straddling the line between underground haunt and rock club, Caravan keeps its live music free every ThursdaySaturday, even with touring acts.
Cinebar
69 E. San Fernando St., San Jose; 408.292.9562
Club Caribe
1001 S. First St., San Jose; 408.297.7272
Club Max
Inside the Doubletree Hotel, 2050 Gateway Place, San Jose; 408.437.2167
Club Milano
394 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.297.0607
Club Rodeo
610 Coleman Ave., San Jose; 408.920.0145. A burgeoning country music scene is developing with touring acts of note.
CueTopia
4700 Almaden Expwy., San Jose; 408.266.7665
The Den at Fourth Street Bowl
1441 N. Fourth St., San Jose; 408.453.5555
Dive Bar
78 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.288.5252
El Rancho Sports Bar
3860 Monterey Highway, San Jose; 408.281.3002. The bar also offers to take the party to you with a catering service.
The Escape
2942 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose; 408.377.5436
Eulipia
374 S. First St., San Jose; 408.280.6161
Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge
99 San Fernando St., San Jose; 408.998.9998. Sleek and hip ultralounge style with an Asian accent.
Fairmont Lounge
170 S. Market St., San Jose; 408.998.1900. The lounge is a regular stop for San Jose Jazz Society performers.
5th Quarter
1373B Kooser Road, San Jose; 408.265.7033
Final Score
1126 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.296.9591
Firehouse #1
69 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; 408.287.6969
Freddie J’s
97 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.892.8109
Garden City
360 S. Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.244.3333. The go-to place for some card games.
Goosetown
1072 Lincoln Ave., San Jose; 408.292.4835
Gordon Biersch
33 E. San Fernando St., San Jose; 408.294.6785
The Grapevine
1389 Lincoln Ave., San Jose; 408.293.7574
Hedley Club
233 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.286.1000. Longtime jazz club captures the vibe of the music’s heyday.
Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life
301 W. St. John St., San Jose; 408.295.5414
Hooter’s
1555 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose; 408.377.9464. The idea of the waitress in hot pants remains a big draw.
House of Genji
1335 N. First St., San Jose; 408.453.8120. The Japanese steak house also attracts hip cocktailistas.
Hyde Park Cocktail Lounge
1070 N. Fourth St., San Jose; 208.286.8888
Ike’s Lounge
3075 Driftwood Dr., San Jose; 408.379.7137
The Improv Comedy Club
62 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.280.7475
Jack’s Bar & Lounge
167 E. Taylor St., San Jose; 408.287.5225
JJ’s Blues
3439 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose; 408.243.6441. A stalwart of the blues scene for more than 20 years.
John’s
1238 Lincoln Ave., San Jose; 408.998.1479. Known as John’s XLNT Foods, the Willow Glen restaurant is reinventing itself with a bar, TVs and a remodel, coming in July.
Johnny V’s
31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.947.8470. Ever-so-slightly remodeled since its return, Johnny V’s books everything from rock and hip-hop to electronica and metal.
Kaama Lounge
385 S. Winchester St., San Jose; 408.243.4200. In the shadow of Santana Row, Kaama Lounge boasts plush decor, as well as a garrulous bartender. The menu at the restaurant side is Asian Indian.
Koji Sake Lounge
48 S. First St., San Jose; 408.287.7199
La Pinata
17. N. San Pedro St., San Jose; 408.280.1250. A new restaurant in town with an excellent selection of tequilas.
Lido’s Nightclub
30 S. First St., San Jose; 408.298.4318
Linda’s Light Rail Lounge
1336 N. First St., San Jose; 408.453.5326
Loft Bar and Bistro
90 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.291.0677 With jazz on Thursdays, and bands on the weekends.
Mac’s Club
39 Post St., San Jose; 408.288.8221
Mezcal
25 W. San Fernando St., San Jose; 408.283.9595
Miami Beach Club
417 S. First St., San Jose; 408.242.9621
Serial club operator (Sabor, Cuccini, Blue Pheasant) Ray Shafazand plans to open Myth Taverna & Lounge later this month in the building formerly occupied by Smoke Tiki. Myth will feature modern Greek cuisine and a chic lounge and large outdoor patio, with entertainment nightly from live bands and DJs. It’s located at 152 Post St., San Jose.
Mosaic
211 S. First St., San Jose; 408.282.8888
Motif Lounge
389 S. First St., San Jose; 408.279.1888. The downtown dance club was remodeled earlier this year.
O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub
25 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; 408.947.8007. With, naturally, Irish music, Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings.
Old Wagon Saloon
73 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; 408.971.9346. Featuring blues with JC Smith on Sundays, and occasional jazz on Wednesdays.
Original Joe’s
301 S. First St., San Jose; 408.292.7030
Pagoda Lounge
170 S. Market St., San Jose; 408.998.1900. One of the newer players on the scene has made an impact bringing hip electronic acts to the South Bay.
Park Lane Lounge
5152 Moorpark Ave., San Jose; 208.257.6738. This friendly local joint has been remodeled. A neat feature is the one-way glass wall for people watching.
Patty’s Inn
102 S. Montgomery St., San Jose; 408.998.4566
A Perfect Finish
55 S. First St., San Jose; 408.288.6000. Wine bar with live music on the weekends, mostly in the blues and jazz vein.
The Pink Poodle
328 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose; 408.292.3685
The Place
1058 S. First St., San Jose; 408.297.3473. The longest bar in town, at least the longest between First and Second streets; the signs for this neighborhood joint alone are worth a trip .
Poor House Bistro
91 S. Autumn St., San Jose; 408.29.BLUES. The closest thing to New Orleans in the South Bay.
Red Stag Lounge
1711 W. San Carlos St., San Jose; 408.292.6777
Redi Room
4340 Moorpark Ave., San Jose; 408.257.7770
Renegades
501 W. Taylor St., San Jose; 408.275.9902
RSVP44 Restaurant and Lounge
1471 N. Fourth St., San Jose; 408.452.0200. A new restaurant with traveler’s bar inside the Radisson Hotel.
Sabor Tapas Bar & Lounge
72 N. Almaden Ave., San Jose; 408.287.1737
San Jose Bar and Grill
85 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.286.2397
Sherwood Inn
2988 Almaden Expwy., San Jose; 208.266.2480
43 W. San Salvador St., San Jose; 408.792.7356. Dimly lit Single Barrel has elaborate mixology rituals — like crushing ice with a mallet and a towel — and a fragrant cornucopia of herbs, fruits and essences that go into its vintage cocktails.
South First Billiards
420 S. First St., San Jose; 408.294.7800. This stylish pool place cues up live bands, art happenings and cool cocktails.
Stanley’s
1500 S. 10th St., San Jose; 408.999.6718. Located next to the Sharks training facility for hard-core hockey fans.
Studio 8 San Jose
8 S. First St., San Jose; 408.279.4444. What was once Pearl has been reborn as Studio 8. It is now a favorite haunt for celebrity performers at after-concert parties.
Temple Bar & Lounge
52 S. First St., San Jose; 408.288.8518
Teske’s Germania
255 N. First St., San Jose; 408.292.0291. The area’s leading beer garden hosts jazz on the weekends.
Touchdown Tommy’s
5837 Camden Ave., San Jose; 408.723.9981
Tres Gringos Baja Cantina
83 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.278.9888
Trials Pub
265 N. First St., San Jose; 408.947.0497. The best spot downtown on Mondays for trivia night.
Vahl’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge
1513 El Dorado, Alviso; 408.262.0731. Neighborhood bar for the farthest outpost of the city.
Willow Den
805 Lincoln Ave., San Jose; 408.271.1880. Out of nowhere, this mellow Willow Glen bar has become a player on the nightlife scene with live bands and DJs.
Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza
1072 Willow St., San Jose; 408.971.7080; and 1554 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.871.0400. The Willow Glen location of the popular mini-chain is undergoing a significant expansion that should be done before the end of summer.
Santana Row
Blowfish Sushi to Die For
355 Santana Row, Suite 1010, San Jose; 408.345.3848
Cielo
355 Santana Row, San Jose; 408.551.0010. A wine bar on the roof of the Hotel Valencia.
Consuelo Mexican Bistro
377 Santana Row, San Jose; 408.260.7082. The varied Mexican menu roams beyond the obvious, and the bar stocks an enormous selection of tequilas. The covered sidewalk seating is perfect for people-watching while still being a bit insulated from the hubbub of the Row.
El Jardan
386 Santana Row, San Jose; 408.246.1744. The outdoor restaurant and bar sits on an island between the ranks of stores.
355 Santana Row, Suite 1060, San Jose; 408.247.1706
Sino
377 Santana Row, San Jose; 408.247.8880
Straits
333 Santana Row, Suite 100, San Jose; 408.246.6320
The V-Bar
355 Santana Row, San Jose; 408.551.0010. A chic lounge inside Hotel Valencia.
Yard House
300 Santana Row #101, San Jose; 408.241.9273. Seemingly the most popular bar in San Jose for the last few months, Yard House often has a long queue that reflects its top ranking on the Row. Pipe-organ-style tubes run from an upstairs room full of kegs down to the bar. More than 100 varieties of beer are available.
