Ready for a little thirst-quenching adventure? Fasten up your sneaker laces and head off on a La Jolla GPS-guided La Jolla walking tour, hitting some of the best happy hours on the tour route. There is an abundance of eateries, restaurants, and taverns where you can drop in. With the long days of summer, the happy hour options along the path of our La Jolla: The Riviera of California tour will add an exciting and romantic experience and will save some cash. Make as many bar stops as your heart desires, GPS knows where you are and will keep you on track. You tour freely – no tour guide needed!  Keep in mind that offers and hours are subject to change.

So, here we go – a short list of recommendations to imbibe a bit of the bubbly or whatever suits your fancy on the walking tour. (Without stops, the walking tour takes 60-75 minutes.) We start our La Jolla Happy Hour Bar Crawl at the beginning of our tour on Prospect Street at Eddie V’s restaurant. Then we’ll head south to the Scripps Gill Cultural Zone and make the turn towards the coast at the Contemporary Art Museum of San Diego then head north towards La Jolla Cove. So, let’s get going and see what the tour offers.

Eddie V’s

Noteworthy fact: When you walk through the front door and take a left and look out through the windows you will see a fantastic ocean view and if you then look to your left you will see a fireplace (see below) that has historical significance.
Time: Sunday through Thursday, 4 – 6:30 PM in the V Lounge
Specials:  Shareable teasers starting at $7, select hand-shaken cocktails and wines by the glass starting at $8 and specially priced oysters.
Reasons to Go: As you approach Eddie V’s from Prospect St you will see a sign in the grass that says, “Green Dragon Colony”. In the late 19th century, architect Irving Gill was commissioned to design and build a small community on this cliff-side lot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Gill completed the project in 1906 and the result was eleven small cottages called the Green Dragon Colony that was dedicated to the arts. The Colony was renowned for producing some of the finest artwork in the region and an old stone fireplace from one of the original cabins still survives inside the restaurant. To the right is a photo from the original construction.
Address: 1270 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037

Level 2 at George’s at the Cove

Noteworthy Fact: Located on the middle level of George’s at the Cove, George’s Level 2 has a balcony and indoor seating with the same casual menu as the Ocean Terrace and panoramic ocean views of La Jolla Cove.
Time: Monday – Friday, from 2 – 6:00 p.m.
Specials: Enjoy special prices on beer, wine and specialty cocktails.
Reasons to Go: Famous views and a great location in downtown La Jolla with scrumptious new American cuisine. Includes an outdoor roof terrace restaurant with an upbeat vibe.
Address: 1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037

Duke’s La Jolla 

Noteworthy fact: Named after Duke Paoa Kahanamoku of Honolulu, Hawaii, who at the age of 21, won his first Olympic gold medal, then went on to represent the United States in the Olympics for 20 years. He is remembered as a swimmer for his remarkable speed, grace in the water, good humor, and sportsmanship.
Time: Taco Tuesdays, 3 PM to close.  Also, Aloha Fridays, 2 – 6 PM.
Specials: Available in the Barefoot Bar – Taco Tuesdays – Special pricing includes – Pacifico for $5 and Duke’s Margarita for $8. Aloha Fridays – Live Island vibe entertainment and enjoy a Mai Tai for $10.
Reasons to Go: Great ocean views and a Hawaiian inspiration for their seafood. The Korean Sticky Ribs and the Poke Tacos are popular and indoor seating is available on cold, rainy days.
Address: 1216 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037

Jose’s Court Room

Noteworthy Fact: This Mexican Food restaurant’s roots trace back to 1929 when it was called the La Plaza Restaurant and El Toro Bar. It was located at the San Carlos Station of the San Diego Electric Railway which today is the location of the La Jolla United Methodist Church. Legend has it that the first Margarita cocktail ever made was introduced at that restaurant by the bartender Albert Hernandez Sr. in 1947.
Time: Happy Hour, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Also, Taco Tuesdays, 3 p.m. to close.
Specials: Happy Hour, includes $5 House Margaritas and 20% off all appetizers. Taco Tuesdays, include $5 House Margaritas and $3 street tacos.
Reasons to Go: Historic, casual and festive sports bar featuring Mexican food. Being the birthplace of the Margarita cocktail, Jose’s offers over 30 of the world’s finest tequilas.
Address: 1037 Prospect St. La Jolla, CA 92037

Bonus! Beeside Balcony

Noteworthy fact: So new, this oceanview restaurant is not specifically mentioned on the Walking Tour but is just up the escalator adjacent to Jose’s.  While the restaurant is new, Chef Owner, Christophe Cevasco is no stranger to the village as he was a managing partner at Eddie V’s for over ten years.
Time – 3 pm to 5 pm Monday – Thursday
Reasons to Go – Chef Christophe Cevasco is a third-generation chef of Spanish and Italian descent and brings a European charm to everything he does from the food he serves to the staff he hires.  Hailing from Paris, France, Christophe’s restaurant career began at 17 in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant in Pasadena when they first emigrated to the USA. Upon returning to Southern California in 2011, Christophe spent 8 years as the Managing Partner of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood in La Jolla. Here he deepened his knowledge of sourcing and cooking the freshest seafood available while delivering world-class service.

Today, Christophe returns to his roots in the kitchen as the Executive Chef and Owner of Beeside Balcony in first in old Del Mar and now in La Jolla Village. The quaint coastal vibe of La Jolla, combined with the attention to detail from Christophe’s fine dining background, infuses Beeside Balcony with an easy elegance that elevates any gathering and makes the perfect backdrop to showcase his Global Mediterranean menu.

This place feels like home.
Specials – As Beeside calls it, “Buzzy Hour” offers small plates and unique libations for about half price. Following Buzzy Hour live music is part of Beeside’s vibe.  Now for a secret!  Beeside has a speakeasy called, The Hive.” Learn more at their Instagram Page.
ADDRESS: 1025 PROSPECT STREET SUITE 250, LA JOLLA, CA 92037

Nine-Ten

Noteworthy Fact: Nine-Ten is located in the Grande Colonial Hotel, La Jolla’s oldest original hotel which was opened in 1913.  The La Jolla Drugstore was next door and was soon woven into its history by moving inside the Colonial’s main building. The drugstore became a prime location for locals to gather. Well-loved by the townspeople, a pharmacist in the drugstore was the father of Gregory Peck. Peck, who grew up in La Jolla, eventually left for Hollywood and became an Oscar-winning movie star.
Time: Though they don’t offer a standard happy hour, the bar serves food, Wednesday – Sunday: 11:30 am to 9 pm. Bar food service from their lunch menu is available from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from their dinner menu from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Reasons to Go: The Nine-Ten restaurant will tempt you with fresh, seasonal cuisine which is reflected in its recognition by ZAGAT with an extraordinary-to-perfection rating and numerous awards for everything from food to service and wines, including being recognized with the MICHELIN Guide 2022 distinction. Patrons can enjoy the best of the harvest from local artisan farmers, where produce is selected daily for the restaurant’s evolving California Cuisine.

Address: 910 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037

After you pass another historic site, the Brockton Villa restaurant you are nearing the end or our La Jolla: The Riviera of California tour. This restaurant served as La Jolla’s very first beach cottage and was built in 1894. You can head back up to Prospect Steet, where we started the tour at Eddie V’s. Cheers and enjoy falling in love with La Jolla!

To learn more about La Jolla, check out Tour Freely’s GPS-guided walking tour HERE. This tour, recently recognized with Badge of Excellence by Viator, is available on-demand for $9.99, by simply downloading the tour app.