The best bars & nightlife in Santa Clara
72 bars & nightlife we’ve checked and stand behind — with the story on each one. Not a ranking; a record.
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Pinned in Santa Clara today
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Two pinned places a day in Santa Clara — $10 here, $25 adds the newsletter. List your business →Paid placements are always marked.
Graduate Restaurant
NightlifeFamiliar pizza parlor with a sports-bar feel, serving burgers and other casual bites.
Graduate Restaurant
NightlifeTallboy
NightlifeMartini bar serving slushies and hot dogs in a cozy space.
Tallboy
NightlifeValley Brewing Co
NightlifeWhether you're craving a fresh pint, live jazz, or a spot to catch the game, Valley Brewing Co delivers with Stockton’s oldest brewery, the…
Valley Brewing Co
NightlifeAlta Vina
NightlifeAlta Vina pours an ever-curious lineup that invites you to taste outside your usual lane, with friendly guidance that feels more neighbor…
Alta Vina
NightlifeLa Catalana
NightlifeThis week, skip the flight, keep the flavor. La Catalana delivers classic and modern tapas, paella, and rare-to-find fideu, alongside…
La Catalana
NightlifePaper Plane
NightlifePaper Plane has been crafting artful cocktails since 2013, backed by one of the Bay Area’s largest, highly curated bottle collections. Let…
Paper Plane
NightlifeCafe Zoetrope
NightlifeNorth Beach classic Cafe Zoetrope brings a Roman trattoria vibe to the historic Sentinel Building, serving authentic Italian plates…
Cafe Zoetrope
NightlifeUnion Larder
NightlifeStylish setting for wine, cheese & charcuterie also offers beer & wine by the bottle.
Union Larder
NightlifeThe Valencia Room
Nightlife2-story Mission club with a bar downstairs & an upstairs space for dancing to DJ beats & live bands.
The Valencia Room
NightlifeThe Farmers Union
NightlifeComfy tavern with craft beers, large TVs & sustainable American eats in a historic brick building.
The Farmers Union
NightlifeAlchemist Bar & Lounge
NightlifeDim, trendy cocktail bar with steampunk decor prepares signature drinks with housemade ingredients.
Alchemist Bar & Lounge
NightlifeLittle Wine House
NightlifeCozy wine bar offering food, including Italian meatballs, in an intimate setting.
Little Wine House
NightlifeMillay Sake + Wine Bar
NightlifeCozy wine and sake bar with a selection of tinned fish and small bites, plus a wine club.
Millay Sake + Wine Bar
NightlifeOakland Yard Wine Shop
NightlifeWineshop with tastings and a wine club, plus knowledgeable staff.
Oakland Yard Wine Shop
NightlifeLaughing Monk Brewing and Gastropub
NightlifeBrewpub earning fans with its house-brewed beer, industrial-chic ambiance, pub fare & outdoor patio.
Laughing Monk Brewing and Gastropub
NightlifeGoodtime Bar
NightlifeLaid-back eatery, plus bar featuring natural wines as well as eats like oysters, arancini and pasta.
Goodtime Bar
NightlifeThe Detour
NightlifePlayful bar & arcade for a variety of drinks & vintage video-game machines in a neon-decked space.
The Detour
NightlifeBar Gemini
NightlifeStylish wine bar with a selection of natural wines, plus tinned fish, deviled eggs, and other snacks.
Bar Gemini
NightlifeFED
NightlifeFed is a downtown Stockton bar and lounge serving juicy burgers and bar bites alongside balanced cocktails, curated craft beer, and local…
FED
NightlifeLost and Found Cocktail Bar
NightlifeBold wallpaper & neon set the backdrop for cocktails & American snacks at this neighborhood lounge.
Lost and Found Cocktail Bar
NightlifeSaison Cellar & Wine Bar
NightlifeCasual spot featuring a lengthy wine list, plus appetizers, salads and oysters.
Saison Cellar & Wine Bar
NightlifeTempest Bar & Box Kitchen
NightlifePub grub, draft beer & cocktails are on tap at this low-key, brick-walled hangout.
Tempest Bar & Box Kitchen
NightlifeVintage Wine Bar
NightlifeEasygoing venue with indoor & outdoor seating plus seasonal Californian plates & ample wines.
Vintage Wine Bar
NightlifeIntimate theater is a permanent venue for magician & comedian Jay Alexander. Food & drinks served.
Cobb's Comedy Club
NightlifeLong-standing comedy club showcasing famous & up-and-coming comedians. Two-drink minimum.
Cobb's Comedy Club
NightlifeBlush! Wine Bar
NightlifeWines from around the world are paired with European dishes & tapas at this cozy, stylish bar.
Blush! Wine Bar
Nightlife20Twenty Restaurant & Bar
NightlifeCheese & small plates join 20 beers & wines on tap in a casual, wood-dominant space with a patio.
20Twenty Restaurant & Bar
NightlifeGolden Gate Tap Room
NightlifeSprawling spot with retro furnishings featuring 100+ beers, numerous TVs plus video & table games.
Golden Gate Tap Room
NightlifeStill O.G. & Alter Ego Cocktail Club
NightlifeCraft cocktail lounge and restaurant featuring seasonal dishes and a menu of creative cocktails.
Still O.G. & Alter Ego Cocktail Club
NightlifeBrooklyn West Winery
NightlifeComfortable tasting room offering pours of the house's own vintages & bottles to take home.
Brooklyn West Winery
NightlifeNatural, biodynamic and zero-zero pours are the whole point at The Punchdown, a Wine Bar + Bottle Shop in Oakland from folks obsessed with…
Southern Pacific Brewing
NightlifeMassive gastropub serving craft brews, creative cocktails & elevated pub grub for lunch & dinner.
Southern Pacific Brewing
NightlifeThe Brit - Sports Pub & Patio
NightlifeEnglish-pub setting for casual eating, trivia/karaoke nights, happy hours & regular DJ sets.
The Brit - Sports Pub & Patio
NightlifeBardo Lounge & Supper Club
NightlifeNeighborhood eatery with a mid-century theme, serving American staples, craft cocktails and beer.
Bardo Lounge & Supper Club
NightlifeScarlet Fox
NightlifeCasual bar for sipping wine by the glass, plus bottled brews to go.
Scarlet Fox
NightlifeHop & Vine
NightlifeIntimate, rustic-chic haunt offering wines from around the world, craft brews & select small plates.
Hop & Vine
NightlifeLucky Strike San Jose
NightlifeNeed an easy win this week? Lucky Strike San Jose has 59 high-tech lanes, an arcade that eats hours in the best way, online lane…
Lucky Strike San Jose
NightlifeHarry's Cocktail Lounge
NightlifeCozy bar offering cocktails, beer, and wine, plus live music.
Harry's Cocktail Lounge
NightlifeUnwine'd SF
NightlifeNeighborhood wine bar and restaurant serving small plates and hosting live music.
Unwine'd SF
Nightlife7th West
NightlifeFunky spot offering an eclectic mashup of an arcade, bar, dance club, and restaurant.
7th West
NightlifeAncora Vino by Enoteca La Storia
NightlifeStylish traditional venue preparing classic Italian food & pairing it with mainly Italian wines.
Ancora Vino by Enoteca La Storia
NightlifeThe Caravan Lounge
NightlifeThe Caravan Lounge keeps downtown San Jose noisy in the best way with up-and-coming bands, karaoke, comedy, burlesque, and DJ nights. This…
The Caravan Lounge
NightlifeThe Flying Pig
NightlifeMission spot serving beer & American cafe fare, plus live music, comedy & trivia nights.
The Flying Pig
NightlifeRoaming Goat
NightlifeCozy wine bar offering a selection of Mediterranean-style bites and happy-hour specials.
Roaming Goat
NightlifeThe Double Standard
NightlifeA full bar & happy hour specials draw crowds to this low-key neighborhood lounge with a large patio.
The Double Standard
NightlifeThe Interval at Long Now
NightlifeCoffee shop, bar & event space boasting a modern setting complete with views & a librarylike vibe.
The Interval at Long Now
NightlifeDelta Bistro & Lounge
NightlifeLow-key hotel bistro & lounge serving American breakfast, lunch & dinner, plus cocktails.
Delta Bistro & Lounge
NightlifeDistrict
NightlifeCozy, bustling locale offering extensive wine & whiskey menus, plus charcuterie, pizza & tapas.
District
Nightlife20 Spot
NightlifeCozy spot in an old record store serves local brews, an extensive wine menu & modern American fare.
20 Spot
NightlifeStevie's Bar & Grill
NightlifeBilliards & TV sports are popular at this low-key watering hole with burgers & 30 beers on tap.
Stevie's Bar & Grill
NightlifeA16
NightlifeBustling Italian eatery dispensing Neapolitan pizza, housemade pasta & more from an open kitchen.
A16
NightlifeThe Boardroom
NightlifeClassic cocktails, inventive pub fare & weekly trivia nights lure locals to this basic sports bar.
The Boardroom
NightlifeBourbon & Branch
NightlifeReservations are required at this swanky, dimly lit unmarked bar known for handcrafted cocktails.
Bourbon & Branch
NightlifeMili Wine Bar
NightlifeWhen you want a low-key night that still feels a little special, Mili Wine Bar delivers with a dialed-in wine-by-the-glass lineup, cozy…
Mili Wine Bar
NightlifeEmporium Arcade Bar
NightlifePinball, pool & old-school arcade games, plus music, cocktails & craft beers, in hip, historic digs.
Emporium Arcade Bar
NightlifeLazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
NightlifeRelaxed, lodge-chic chain serving global comfort fare, including stir-fries, pot roast & pastas.
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
NightlifeGarlic Brothers Restaurant and Bar
NightlifeSkip the same-old weeknight and head to Garlic Brothers Restaurant and Bar for casual vibes on the banks of the California Delta,…
Garlic Brothers Restaurant and Bar
NightlifeBirba
NightlifeWine bar for European wines & small plates in a charming, narrow space with bar & patio seating.
Birba
NightlifeEl Chato
NightlifeSpanish wine bar and taberna offering a selection of pintxos and tapas, plus live music.
El Chato
NightlifeOrdinaire Wine Shop & Wine Bar
NightlifeCozy neighborhood bar known for its natural wine selection and tastings, plus outdoor seating and cheese plates.
Ordinaire Wine Shop & Wine Bar
NightlifeFirehouse No.1
NightlifeBuzzing gastropub for craft cocktails & elevated American comfort food with seasonal tendencies.
Firehouse No.1
NightlifeDuke of Edinburgh
NightlifeSlip into The Duke of Edinburgh this week for Beef Wellington that actually lives up to the hype, a pint of Guinness, and a room that feels…
Duke of Edinburgh
NightlifeDrake's Dealership
NightlifeTaproom of San Leandro brewery for house beer plus wood-fired pizza & more in former auto-shop digs.
Drake's Dealership
NightlifeThe Check-In Lounge
NightlifeNeighborhood wine and cocktail bar for conversation and nibbles, such as charcuterie, flatbread pizza, and vegan options.
The Check-In Lounge
NightlifeSnail Bar
NightlifeInformal establishment featuring small plates, charcuterie and natural wines, plus snails.
Snail Bar
NightlifeRampant Bottle & Bar
NightlifeChill, neighborhood spot with a cozy atmosphere, offering natural wines and charcuterie.
Rampant Bottle & Bar
NightlifeMad Oak Bar ‘N’ Yard
NightlifeHappening watering hole with a patio, plus beer on tap & rotating chefs dishing up cool snacks.
Mad Oak Bar ‘N’ Yard
NightlifeBay Grape
NightlifeHip wine shop and bar featuring small-batch wines from around the world, plus tastings and classes.
Bay Grape
NightlifeFiorella Clement
NightlifeChic, cozy bistro dishing up elevated Italian pastas & wood-fired pizzas, plus wine & craft beer.
Fiorella Clement
NightlifeThe Black Rabbit
NightlifeWhether you're plotting a low-key weeknight or corralling the crew, The Black Rabbit is a Miracle Mile gastropub turning out ridiculously…
The Black Rabbit
NightlifeSan Jose Improv
NightlifePart of a NYC comedy club chain started in the '60s, this spot hosts big-name & lesser-known comics.
San Jose Improv
NightlifePop's Bar
NightlifeRenovated local watering hole draws crowds with its wooden bar & Prohibition-themed memorabilia.
Pop's Bar
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