Goodtime Bar — Restaurant in San Jose

I first learned of Goodtime Bar through my fiancé who first visited after realizing that his alcohol allergy and new medication prevented him from enjoying anything other than natural wines. He went with a coworker and was gone for HOURS, something I couldn’t fathom until we went again with friends. The bar is situated in a part of downtown we haven’t frequented since the Backyard days pre-COVID, down an alley and with some seating outdoors. Inside, the vibes were cozy, the service was welcoming, and the food was delicious! Since then, Goodtime Bar has also done some much appreciated catering at events for the local indoor climbing community to which I belong! Yesterday (a Wednesday), I went with a friend to celebrate my birthday and I really enjoyed the spooky decor they put up, from the fake webs and bats to the “floating candles” in the hall and the dim, red lighting as the night progressed. Being a bit hard of hearing, I was pleased at the volume of the fun beats they were playing and how the other conversations never drowned out my own. I arrived at about 5:30 when there were only a handful of other customers, stayed through a rush, and by the time we left at 8:30 the place was busy but not crowded. I grabbed a seat and was brought complimentary water which I sipped while waiting for my friend. When she arrived, I ended up having the sparkling rosé (was told it’s their only current by-the-glass bubbly) and later the orange wine as it was recommended by a recent hire. I got tastings of each, with a sip of the former served to me before I could even think to ask, which I was delighted by. Both drinks were really good!! We ordered some snacks of course; the arancini was reliably yummy, the heirloom panzanella was refreshing but had a strong peppery taste that led me to take sips of water every few bites, and I only tried the tinned spicy tuna because I found it to be a kind and level of spiciness that I knew would not sit right with me. To speak generally about our experiences, my fiancé’s personal favorite bites are literally any of the tinned fish, and we were delighted to learn they sell some fun stickers for what I feel is a reasonable $2 each. I just know we’ll be back soon, it’s just a matter of with...

We tried to visit Goodtime Bar once before, but seating is very very limited, so decided to try again another time when we could get a seat (it's a small space, both inside and outside, and even the standing room is limited - but standing room isn't what I'm looking for in a wine bar). Last night we made it at a time when we were able to grab the only 2 seats available. The ambiance is great - the setup is very modern, and the music is enjoyable. I was rather disappointed by their Wines by the Glass selection - rather, their lack thereof. Their menu has a single listing for "wines by the glass" with each color listed beneath (bubbles, white, orange, red) and a note to ask what they're pouring tonight. I like this in concept - it suggests a rotating menu. however, the options were limited - for a red, they only had a red blend (no other options for a single glass). I will caveat that with this: the red blend was delightful and I would absolutely get it again (if I knew what it is)! but when I go out to a wine bar, I'm interested in either a flight of different wines, or 2 glasses of 2 different wines (of the same color). so while our intention was to stay for 2 glasses each, we just had the single glass and left. they do seem to have plenty of Wines by the Bottle options - again, a single listing on the menu pointing you to all the bottles on the wall with their prices written on them in sharpie. so if you're with a bigger group, or planning to stay for the whole evening, I can see Goodtime being a good time for you!

our service was great too! they are super friendly. a table inside with kids accidentally broke a wine glass, and I watched two of the workers immediately rush over to clean it up. I was very impressed with the response and the...

Goodtime, where have you been hiding?!

👨🏻‍🍳 EXPERIENCE: Ming, the man! You made our visit extra special with your expertise on the food and drinks. I loved how easy it was for us to describe a craving and have him sweep us off our feet. We arrived right at 4pm after work and didn't have to wait for a table. It got way busier around 7pm when we left, so plan accordingly. I did enjoy sitting outside with the lighting and music.

DISHES: 🌟 Arancini — I was skeptical about kimchi + arancini ... trust! They were so full of flavor and the sauce was insane. 🌟 Bluefin Tuna Tostada — smaller portion but still enjoyable, the tuna was very fresh. 🌟 Burrata and Figs — brown. butter. enough said. 🌟 Fingerling Potatoes — seaweed mayo on the bottom was unreal, we almost wanted another piece of bread to soak this all up. 🌟 Mushroom — I was getting full by this point but the tomato sauce on the bottom was to dieee for!

💵 PRICE: Considering the high quality this was a steal. We walked out at $46/pp (incl. tax+tip) for a group of 4 with 2 rounds of drinks + 5 dishes.

I will absolutely bring more friends to discover Goodtime in the...