Whether serving fanciful drinks or basic beers, the best bars in San Antonio have one thing in common: Each has a lived-in ease that makes it feel like a second home. These are the spots where locals go to kick up their heels without having to put their best foot forward.

The 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Award nominees for Bar of the Year embrace punk rock, country music, and Tejano, but all are soundtracked by rowdy conversations and giggles. You're even likely to see our judges — many of them past winners — joining in the din.

Be there when we unveil the Bar of the Year winner — along with winners in seven other categories — at the Tastemaker Awards on April 10 at Briscoe Museum. VIP and general admission tickets are still available for our can't-miss tasting event and awards party — get yours soon.

But first, join us in raising a glass to the 2025 San Antonio Bar of the Year nominees:

Blessed Bogside
San Antonio wallows in nostalgia, so when Francis Bogside moved from its original Southtown home, there was some concern it would lose its charm. Turns out that second acts are where most of the excitement happens. Now known as Blessed Bogside, the new locale's maximalist interior lifts up the former’s vampiric darkness, but the foundation remains. It’s still the place to get the city’s most well-crafted classic cocktails.

Bombay Bicycle Club
Who says that fern bars should be kept in the past? The original location of Bombay near Brackenridge Park oozes ‘70s nostalgia, from the vintage photos on the wall to the Victorian bric-a-brac hanging from the ceiling. The Hemisfair sequel takes the hodgepodge vibes into the contemporary age. Both are incredible spots for a margarita paired with bean and cheese nachos.

Chiflada's Cocktail Bar
This West Side hangout isn’t a shot bar, but it’s rare to find someone who won’t take part in the salud. Part of that is the price; part of it is puro Alamo City flavors like tamarindo and Piccadilly. More so, it’s that the spot gets into a groove every night where the happy chatter threatens to drown out the deejay.

El Honky Tonk
San Antonio has a link to country music that threads through George Strait, Steve Earle, and the Texas Tornados, but until recently, it hasn’t had a honky tonk downtown. This newcomer took care of that vexing problem with an atmosphere that’s part Texas roadhouse, part small-town dance hall. Urban cowboys will be glad that the drink menu is cosmopolitan. Try the Hank Williams with apricot liqueur, lime, and — what else? — Tennessee whiskey.

Elsewhere - Garden Bar & Kitchen
Walk right past those River Walk bars with bright logos and Day-Glo cocktails. Elsewhere brings the party without the sugar hangover. Take full advantage of it during the spring, when the plant life is the greenest and the (faux) flowers are in full bloom. When summer temps rage, switch from a Texas stout to a seltzer and sit as close as you can to a mister.

Holy Diver Tiki Lounge
While many of its contemporaries pour on special effects worthy of Industrial Light and Magic, this speakeasy-style attic bar keeps the atmosphere lo-fi, but the cocktails bring enough whiz-bang boom. Faithful classics meet curious originals and mocktails with actual depth. The Kava Bowl, meant for four guests, is full of thunder and lightning.

Gimme Gimme
Like the Ramones song it references, this Southtown bar does the most with three cords. The decor may be stripped down, but the stellar cocktails, conversational staff, and exceptional food amp up what could have been a run-of-the-mill dive. Grab one of the booths with some reformed punk rock friends and imagine how rad it would be if CBGB made it into adulthood.

Tony's Siesta
Sure, few local drinks are as welcome as a Tony’s fresca and the resident food trucks absolutely go off. True, the back patio is an essential perch to catch up on San Antonio chisme. But this near-downtown bar is at the top of its class for something else. Whether there for a pop-up market or a date, you're guaranteed to find a few friends in the mix. Call it a bar, but it’s also a community.-

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The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by The Yuengling Company, Jim Beam Black, H-E-B, PicMe Events, and more to be announced soon. A portion of the proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, Culinaria.