The Cordova Bar — Restaurant in San Diego

I generally don't drink, but other humans with whom I wished to commune were at the Cordova this past weekend. I have some issues with this bar, but possibly it's just that my lack of alcohol meant I wasn't wearing rosé tinted glasses that might have granted it a bit more leeway.

I didn't have any issues parking around the corner and walking back to the bar, and this was a Saturday night at 9:45.

There don't seem to be any mocktails publicized on the drinks menu, and I'd love to see that in the future.

The outdoor patio is really nice and probably the highlight. Fireplace, heaters, lots of tables, easy to converse at normal levels at the many tables--Cordova did a good job with this. However, the patio closes at 10pm, probably due to noise restrictions? In any case, we had to move our group indoors shortly after I arrived.

The inside of this bar confuses me. Red LED string lights across the ceiling, ok, interesting design choice but I can vibe with that. Moody. But then we have obviously fake flowers and vines dripping from the light fixtures and in a vase on the table. Now we're in an English garden. But wait, the art in the walls is made up of heavily hand-beaded animals on what appear to be velvet backgrounds. This could work for your French parlor, perhaps. Except on the wall behind the bar there's a shelf of what can only be described as an eccentric collection of items, possibly including a Storm Trooper helmet and a Buddha statue? Unconfirmed, because of the distance and the LED strip lighting behind the shelves.

There's more. There are two flat screen TVs next to each other, one showing a view as if from an old window looking out on a heavily-snowing night, the one on the left from the interior of a cozy cave, also snowing outside, and with an acoustic guitar leaning against the cave wall. Now I have no idea what year we're in, what country, or what mood I'm supposed to have, which is only exacerbated by the whiplash caused by the music, which veers from oldies to songs like David Guetta and Rihanna's "Who's That Chick" with a truly impressive lack of transition.

If the goal of the decor and music was "something for everyone," they have absolutely nailed it. I wish so hard that I could redecorate this place. At least let me take the fake plants down,...

The good: ~Live music. ~ Food for sale & they also allow you to bring in food from outside. ~ Really nice outdoor area including fire features and couches, and a cool dive bar feel inside. ~ Good sized bathroom & it was well stocked. I always feel you can tell a lot by a place’s bathroom. ~They allowed my dog. ~Well made drinks. ~Really nice staff.

The bad: -The music was L.O.U.D.!! As in, my watch alarm went off that it was 90 db. And, 30 minutes in that loudness can cause temporary hearing loss & repeated exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. Good thing I brought my ear plugs & please remember to bring yours if you want to keep your hearing!! -Drinks were in the mid-$10’s, so I would think they’d pay for the band from their profits. Nope. -There was a cover. It was small enough to not be a deterrent. -Last time I came here, there were only hot dogs on the menu. Then, the guy came back & said they were out. I was hungry so it was bad timing! So, their food offerings are inconsistent.

The ugly: :p No hooks under tables or in the woman’s bathroom for purses. :p Street parking and you have to park in the nearby residential area. There’s going to be a...

First of all the Cordova is a quaint bar tucked away off of Morena Blvd. It almost had a vintage tiki feel as you walk up. We were welcomed with a tasty welcome drink masterfully made with whiskey and locally sourced fig jam. At 1st I questioned the concoction but quickly realized do not question it was super good. I am not a huge fan of super sweet drinks and this was the perfect mix of sweet and tart. As I walked around the Cordova there were three whiskey tasting stations set up, a lovely charcuterie table in the center, and a fun whiskey questionair/activity to complete. The Cordova staff is amazing, very helpful and so nice. They have different events throughout the week (such as Tiki Tuesday and Dim sum Sunday's) and there is plenty of seating inside and a great outdoor patio as well. Last night we even got to experience some live music. Their whiskey sours are amazing! 1st time I have ever had one and I will for sure be spoiled by the Cordova's version (a gentle froth from being gently shaken with egg white and topped with cinnamon and a fancy cherry). I cannot wait to get back to try some of their specialty drinks. Such a neat place with...