10 Bars In Bakersfield (CA) That Locals Love For Fun, Vibes, Music & More!
Bakersfield, a city in the State of California, has seemingly endless activities to do, but while life in Bakersfield can be quite active during the day, it certainly doesn’t slow down at night!
The nightlife in Bakersfield is incredibly varied, and if you don’t believe us, just look at all the bars! The city has a tiki cocktail bar that looks like a sunken ship on the inside, a cozy underground bar, another one that offers Latin dance lessons and parties, and even a wine bar where you can experience blind wine tastings.
The bars we have just mentioned are totally different from each other in every aspect, and those are just a few of the best ones!
Check out our favorite bars below and you will see what we mean when we talk about Bakersfield’s crazy variety – maybe you’ll even find your new favorite hangout spot!
CONTENTS:
- The Three Best Cocktail Bars
- The Two Best Bars For Dancing
- The Best Bar For Live Music
- The Two Best Bars For Food
- The Best Wine Bar
- The Best Dive Bar
The Three Best Cocktail Bars In Bakersfield
1. Tiki-Ko
Laid-back tiki bar that serves classic rum-based tiki drinks, puts together creative drink presentations, and features a unique ambiance.
This bar’s vibes are one-of-a-kind. Behind the helm on the door, you will find The Sinking Ship Room, where you can drink Jolly Roger style, surrounded by wooden walls, old lifebuoys, numerous vintage compasses, chilling skulls, and shipwreck treasures.
It doesn’t end there though—upstairs is a spacious lounge with a fun tiki ambiance decorated with colorful lamps, ship ropes, and eccentric totems.
The interiors are fascinating and well thought-out, but so are the cocktails! This bar crafts classic tiki drinks that are mostly rum-based and come with with citrus and fruity notes.
These kind of cocktails are hard to find anywhere else in Bakersfield, and so are the presentations—expect themed glasses, fresh garnishes, and colorful beverages!
Tiki-Ko is a drinking bar exclusively, so it does not have a kitchen. However, should you want to have lunch or dinner before enjoying some of the best drinks in town, you can visit one of the many restaurants located in this bar’s nearby surroundings, just two or three blocks away.
Hours of operation are from 5:30 pm to 11 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 1 am on Fridays, 5 pm to 1 am on Saturdays, and 5 pm to 10 pm on Sundays.
Address: 1919 K St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
2. Foxtail Lounge
Classy cocktail lounge that crafts original signature drinks with artistic presentations and excellent classic cocktails, while offering a creatively decorated venue with many seating options.
Foxtail Lounge’s signature cocktails are true works of art. Their presentations are uniquely elegant, with pastel colors, dried petals and fruit slices, nuts, and drawings on the foam. You can even order edible smoke bubbles with some drinks, which quite literally puts the cherry on top.
The cocktails taste just as refined as they look, as bartenders craft and curate them with fresh fruits, top-shelf spirits, and innovative elements.
Flor de Amor, Miami Nights, and Chocolatte Me Latte are local favorites, and we urge you to try them—they won’t disappoint!
Neither will the classic cocktails—despite the recipes being well-known and replicated in every bar, Foxtail Lounge leaves its stamp with sophisticated decorations and luxurious carved glasses.
The drinks are not the only artistic aspect of this bar, as the lounge itself has a creative ambiance, with eccentric wallpapers, sputnik chandeliers, and a living-room-like sofa layout, which gives the venue a more intimate feel and provides many seating options.
Keep in mind that this bar only accepts card payments, and also, as with Tiki-Ko, this bar does not own a kitchen. However, it is also surrounded by various restaurants that serve all kinds of food.
Hours of operation are from 5:30 pm to 11 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 1 am on Fridays, 2 pm to 1 am on Saturdays, and 6 pm to 11 pm on Sundays.
Address: 2030 Chester Ave Suite B, Bakersfield, CA 93301
3. The Botanist
Intimate bar that creates innovative signature cocktails with unconventional presentations, serves a wide range of quality meals, and offers outside seating in a heated garden.
This place is the newest of our our favorite bars, and locals have described it as “exactly what Bakersfield needed”.
The venue features a modern speakeasy vibe—the interiors are dark, vintage, and intimate, unlike anything else in the area.
Adding to the unique atmosphere, the Botanist provides various seating options, ranging from booths to bar stools to the tables in the outdoor garden, which is heated and just as beautiful as the indoor area.
Living up to its name, The Botanist presents its signature cocktails as Botanical Fundamentals in one of the most creative menus on this list. Many drinks have aromatics and rare ingredients—the Muerte cocktail, a favorite, includes charcoal syrup that dyes the drink black.
The 9:30 Tea Time is another frequently-ordered cocktail, and is a green tea and gin mix. Its presentation, involving a kettle and edible flower ice cubes, is fascinating.
As you can see, The Botanist’s cocktails are otherwordly, regarding both looks and flavor. And, as if that wasn’t enough, this bar also offers food.
You can choose from a wide range of small bites, such as warm brie and shrimp, salads, and main dishes, however the burgers are their most popular plate.
The lunch and dinner menu is vegan-friendly too, with varied, meal-sized, and delicious options that even the most devoted steak lover will enjoy.
The Botanist remains closed on Mondays but opens at 11 am every other day. Closing hours are at 11 pm Tuesday through Thursday, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 pm on Sundays.
Address: 930 18th St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
The Two Best Bars In Bakersfield For Dancing
1. Back Door Bar
Fun bar with a spacious dancefloor, stage, and pool tables that offers DJ performances, parties, live music, comedy shows, and daily happy hour deals that include most drinks.
Back Door Bar has everything to make your night a fun one.
Firstly, there’s the stage, where the bar hosts live music and stand-up comedy shows. The performances are by small, local artists and happen sporadically during the week. However, those don’t go on all night, as the late hours are usually reserved for parties when the focus shifts from the stage to the dance floor.
Various DJs set the mood for the night, playing tunes that customers always love. The repertoire varies according to the party’s theme, but if there isn’t one, the playlists usually include the hits of the moment, all-time favorites, and some nostalgic tunes as well.
There is something for every generation (of legal age) to dance to, which creates an inclusive and fun atmosphere.
This bar offers diverse drinking options to sip while dancing, watching live performances, or playing a pool game on the tables at the back. Bottled beers, mixed drinks, shots, and spirits are all included in the daily happy hour specials.
Back Door Bar opens at 9 pm every day, except on Sundays, when it remains closed. Closing hours are midnight on Mondays and 2 am the rest of the week.
Address: 1105 19th St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
2. The Hideout
One of the funnest bars in Bakersfield that hosts parties, Latin dance lessons at the weekends, and live music while serving bottled beer and mixed drinks at a lower price during happy hour.
During the week, The Hideout functions as a regular bar. Customers order their drinks, play pool, and enjoy a relaxed evening. However, Fridays and Saturdays at The Hideout become filled with parties and dancing!
Those in charge of the music are usually the DJs, but, more often than not, live bands and artists are the ones to set the tempo through their shows, which you have to get tickets for.
The Hideout offers another dancing activity in addition to the parties. During the weekends, this bar hosts Latin Fridays, which consist of cumbia, reggaeton, merengue, and Brazilian zouk—among many other rhythms—dance classes.
Those on the dancefloor learn the basics and have the time of their life moving their hips, while the ones seated enjoy the people-watching. The fun, joyful energy of the dances is contagious, so everyone has a good time!
The classes start at 9:30 and only last half an hour before moving on with the bar’s usual schedule—so make the most of them!
In case you get thirsty, the bar offers several specials throughout the night, which include mixed drinks, seltzers, and ice-cold bottled beer.
The Hideout opens at 3 pm every day. It closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: 4715 Coffee Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93308
The Best Bar For Live Music In Bakersfield
1. Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge
Welcoming dive bar that has live rock shows three times a week, karaoke sessions, pool tables, and friendly and efficient service.
This locally owned dive bar’s main attraction is its entertainment. Tuesday and Thursday karaoke nights and pool games are perfect examples of what Bellevedere Cocktail Lounge offers its customers to provide a fun, destressing night.
However, what people walk in for are the live Rock N’ Roll music shows—both aspirant and amateur rock bands play on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and showcase their talent.
The selection of artists and their performances are so good that one-time visitors often turn into regulars!
The service in this bar is as good as the music—bartenders are fast, efficient, and, most importantly, friendly.
They mix and stir classic drinks and open your favorite ice-cold beer bottle while making everybody feel at home. We can assure you they will be a great company if you visit alone!
You can listen to good music and join the welcoming crowd and staff daily from 10 am to 2 am.
Address: 3090 Brundage Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93304
The Two Best Bars In Bakersfield For Food
1. Pour House Bar and Grill
Many would call Pour House Bar and Grill a dive bar, as the interiors look like your typical hole-in-the-wall bar. With that in mind, it may come as a surprise that this bar offers varied restaurant-worthy meals and provides something of a fine dining experience.
The food menu features gourmet burgers, pasta, sandwiches, and more upscale plates such as New York Steak and seafood dishes.
The house favorites are the Cuban Sandwich and the Filet Wellington—cooked and seasoned to perfection, both meals leave customers satisfied every time. And with reason, as they are made with ingredients of unmatched quality and paired with delicious side dishes.
Ordering one of Pour House’s signature cocktails will make your plate taste even better. You can choose from slightly modified sangrias, manhattans, and martinis, among many others. The staff behind the bar are talented mixologists and will ensure that your cocktail is balanced and tasty.
Apart from excellent gastronomy, this bar provides entertainment during the weekend, ranging from live music to karaoke and open mic nights. Basically, Pour House has it all!
Hours of operation are from 11 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday.
Address: 4041 Fruitvale Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93308
2. Sandrini’s Public House
Cozy bar that serves homemade meals and pub food, wines, draft beers, spirits, and classic cocktails, while offering happy hour specials almost daily.
This small underground bar, with its low ceiling, brick walls, vintage lamps, robust pool tables, and shiny wooden bar, has a warm, intimate, pub-like atmosphere.
The homey vibe is also present in the food, with homemade recipes and simple presentations. Some popular dishes are the Cajun Mac & Cheese, brought to your table on a small pan, the Bourbon BBQ Bacon Burger, and the flatbreads.
The three of those, and most meals on the menu, have signature details and specific ingredients that take them to the next level flavorwise and set them apart from regular pub food.
Domestic and imported wine—red, white, sparkling—and beer—draft, sour, malty, and Belgian—are available to pair with your meal.
Sandrini’s also owns an impressive whiskey, bourbon, and other spirits selection displayed behind the bar, which the bartenders use to curate the cocktails like the Paloma and Barrel Aged Negroni.
Take advantage of the Tuesday-Friday happy hour, which lasts from 3 pm to 6 pm, to get the drinks (and some food specials) for a lower price.
Hours of operation are from 3 pm to 1:30 am Tuesday through Saturday, but keep in mind that the kitchen closes at 12:30 am.
Address: 1918 Eye St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
The Best Wine Bar In Bakersfield
1. Campo Bar and Bottle
Relaxed wine bar that sells local and international labels, offers traditional and blind tastings, and serves varied cheese boards and small bites to pair with the wine.
Campo is one of the few wine bars in Bakersfield, but that’s not why it is the best.
The shelves around the aesthetically pleasing lounge hold numerous wine varieties from around the world. This bar sells several Chilean and French wine exemplars, but there are many local wines from Californian vineyards too.
Campo’s traditional and blind tastings are fascinating processes, neatly organized with tags and assessed by expert bartenders—you will feel like an authentic sommelier!
The experience is highly enriching, as you will learn a few wine basics while connecting with foreign grape kinds, flavors, and smells.
However, if you are not interested in the tastings, you can choose any bottle you like and peacefully enjoy your glass.
This bar also offers cheese boards, homemade sourdough bread, nuts, and salami, among other small bites that perfectly complement any wine.
Hours of operation are from noon to 9 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from noon to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: 1824 G St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
The Best Dive Bar In Bakersfield
1. The Silver Fox Starlite Lounge
Fun bar with unique and eclectic decorations that offers mixed drinks, beer, bar food, outstanding service, varied music, and karaoke nights.
This bar has the most bizarre interiors on this list—striking paintings cover the whole bar (including the ceiling), colorful murals fill the few blank spaces left on the walls, and hand-painted phrases and expressions give the bar a witty touch.
The decorations are certainly eccentric but in the best way possible, as they add so much personality to the bar.
However, looks are not everything, and The Silver Fox Starlite Lounge has so much to offer. For example, its fast, efficient service and limited but excellent gastronomic offering.
Mixed drinks are usually standard-tasting, but this bar uses quality spirits that make them taste like cocktails. After 5 pm, you can add tacos to your order, which are delicious and spicy, like authentic Mexican tacos.
What about the music? It is as eclectic as the decor—the jukebox plays some retro tunes, as well as more modern hip-hop and pop hits. However, on some Saturdays, the music is entirely up to the customers, as the bar hosts karaoke nights!
This bar opens at 10 am daily and closes at 9 pm on Monday, 2 am Tuesday through Friday, and midnight on Saturdays. On Sundays, it is open 24 hours – a complete rarity amongst bars in Bakersfield!
Address: 702 18th St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
