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Forbidden Cove Speakeasy Tiki bar Convoy District - Forbidden Cove, San Diego, CA

Forbidden Cove

4.4
4.4
82 Reviews
$30 and under
Speakeasy

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 2 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Great for happy hour
  • Hot spot
Enter the Forbidden Cove by unlocking a hidden rum barrel door using your wooden idol key where an island Tiki inspired paradise serving handcrafted cocktails awaits you. Once inside, traverse the Infinity Mirror Bridge and be welcomed by the island's inhabitants to explore the mysteries, culinary pleasures and enchanted elixirs of the Forbidden Cove. Find this tropical escape by entering Kilowatt Brewing located in the Kearny Mesa and Convoy District neighborhoods and kindly asking for a Key to The Cove!

Reservations offer a 90-minute experience.

WALK-INS WELCOME - Reservations not available? We always set aside space to accommodate walk-ins, first come, first served. And before or after your experience at Forbidden Cove you're welcome to join us at Kilowatt Brewing for our award winning craft beers, hard seltzers, adult slushies, and a bite to eat!

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Speakeasy, Hawaiian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Area
    Kearny Mesa
  • Cross Street
    On Clairemont Mesa Blvd. near Convoy St.
  • Parking details
    Private Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 82 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Forbidden Cove promises a unique speakeasy experience with a hidden entrance, enchanting "tiki vibes," and "amazing drinks." Guests rave about the "friendly staff" and "great service." The ambiance is lively and perfect for dates or group outings. Though some found the food lacking, the "creative libations" and decor shine brightly.
82 Reviews
  1. Michelle

    San Diego2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I was at Forbidden Cove last night, and while the ambiance was perfect and the service was great, my experience was a bit mixed. The food was good overall, but the pulled pork sandwiches were on the dry side due to the lack of sauce. My biggest issue was with the seating arrangement. Despite having a reservation, my party was placed on a small bench instead of at a proper table. It felt cramped and awkward, making it difficult to enjoy our meal and conversation. Meanwhile, I noticed larger groups who walked in after us being seated more comfortably at tables. Because of this, we didn’t stay as long as we would have otherwise and ended up going somewhere else. While I appreciated the food and service, I’d think twice about returning unless they improve how they handle reservations and seating.

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  2. Suzanne

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 24 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really enjoyable! We had a heck of a time finding it - you have to enter a door to a place called "Kilowatt", and then ask the barkeep to give you a "tiki key". A few extra instructions on the website would be helpful. But the ambiance was great and the food and cocktails were excellent. We really liked the kahlua pork tacos. And the "Missionaries' Downfall" cocktail was the winner at our table!

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great spot, drinks and service! Well worth the trip to check it out. I'd highly recommend this spot to others.

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  4. joy VIP

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The minute we entered, the staff were so friendly and made sure we were ready to have fun ... and we sure had a blast! Such a fun ambience, friendly staff, delicious food and drinks were amazing!!!

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  5. Samantha

    San Diego4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    The entrance is what made this fun, but the overall experience was less than... The waitress included a 20% gratuity even though we weren't a table of 6. Didn't give us a receipt so we could then split it between our friends separately. When we asked if she could make a drink, she said she only had new bartenders and could not ask them to make a simple drink (it had 3 ingredients, and they had the ingredients listed in other drink options). The other drinks were ok, but not great. The food.... The chicharrónes and chocolate mousse was the best, but the nachos and the poke tapas was horrible... NO FLAVOR in the poke whatsoever. We even ordered the "spicy" poke and there was nothing spicy about it, I couldn't even taste any flavor on it. The place is not worth the hype. The entrance to the bar was the best part since it was hidden and required a totem to open the door. Other than that, save your time and hit up a better speakeasy.

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  6. ShannonP

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 21 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and drink were amazing. Small bar but I would definitely go back

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  7. Lizeth

    San Diego1 review

    1.0

    Dined on 15 March 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Really didn’t appreciate waiting for so long . Reservation should be respected. Didn’t get brought back until 9:30

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  8. Katie VIP

    Orange County16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an amazing experience. Kelly was our server and she was so attentive and fun’ we can’t wait to go again’

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  9. Li

    Palm Springs1 review

    2.0

    Dined on 9 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Neat spot. Good food and drinks, but do not book a “high top”, it was maybe the most awkward seating arrangement I’ve encountered.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 9 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome drinks! Awesome vibe! Really cool casual spot. Definitely worth checking out!

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FAQs

Forbidden Cove is rated 4.4 stars by 82 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for Forbidden Cove

7576 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    On Clairemont Mesa Blvd. near Convoy St.
  • Area
    Kearny Mesa
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Speakeasy, Hawaiian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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