Forbidden Cove
24 July 2025
This is a genuine speakeasy — there's no way to find the bar or get in without a secret key from the bartender in the sister establishment downstairs. We had a nice visit here during San Diego Comic-Con. Be warned, though: the kitchen closes at 9pm (at least on Thursdays), something not noted on the website. We arrived at 9:15 for dinner, and at first were denied, but with some begging they reopened it to serve dinner for four of us. Nice decor, though it's a smaller place than it might look in the photos here.
Tiki Bar
Forbidden Cove
San Diego, California, United States
Opened October, 2019.
A tiki bar and speakeasy with a beer focus, Forbidden Cove belongs to its Kearny Mesa neighbor, Kilowatt Brewing.
The Kilowatt crew has opened Forbidden Cove inside their original Kearny Mesa brewery, accessible through a cloaked entrance. The space is a tiki-enthusiasts dream with a touch of psychedelic inspired neon and blacklight nuance that Kilowatt patrons have come to know and love. Being Forbidden Cove cannot serve distilled liquor, the menu is beer-based tiki drinks, as well as those made with Kilowatt Brewing’s hard seltzers and "undistilled spirits".
Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the Cove is only accessible if you make online reservations. Wait in the Kilowatt tasting room for an escort, who will guide you to the Cove via secret entrance.
The clock was ticking upon opening for this location as the landlord had already announced their intention to demolish the space in a year and a half, but then COVID happened, so the future remains uncertain...