This San Diego bar has been named among the best in America by Esquire

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Another San Diego-area bar has earned national recognition as a must-visit drinking destination.

North Park’s listening bar on 30th Street, Part Time Lover, made it onto the 2024 edition of Esquire’s “Best Bars in America” list. It was the sole watering hole in San Diego and one of six in California to make it on the list.

Inspired by Japan’s listening bars, the lounge was commended for its “mid-century living room yet more luxe” ambiance by Esquire, between its swanky interior and mesmerizing mood music that stretches across an array of genres — from acid jazz to tropicalia.

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“Listening bars can sometimes come off as a bit precious when they’re found outside Japan,” Esquire’s lifestyle and culture director Kevin Sintumuang wrote. “Single malts and jazz on vinyl are cool but, you know, maybe too twee for every night. Part Time Lover celebrates the music-listening experience in a much more relaxed way.”

Opened in 2022 by Consortium Holdings, Part Time Lover has become a staple of North Park’s cocktail scene, known for its pairing of the listening bar with a record store guests can peruse — an homage to the lounge’s beloved dive bar predecessor, Bar Pink.

To bring the record store to life, the bar partnered with Folk Arts Rare Records, a long-standing San Diego vinyl and music retailer. Guests are able to peruse and purchase vinyl records from a selection curated by Folk Arts, spanning nearly every genre and decade.

The main attraction, however, is the bar’s Japanese American-style cocktail menu. Featuring an array of highball drinks, Esquire said guests are sure to “find a drink to match your mood.”

  • The interior of Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the "Best Bars in America" by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)
    The interior of Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the “Best Bars in America” by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)
  • The interior of the record store at Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the "Best Bars in America" by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)
    The interior of the record store at Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the “Best Bars in America” by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)
  • The exterior of Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the "Best Bars in America" by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)
    The exterior of Part Time Lover in North Park. Part Time Lover was named as one of the “Best Bars in America” by Esquire. (Photo by Arlene Ibarra/ Courtesy of Katalyst Public Relations)

“Beware, though — shopping after a few drinks will almost certainly lead you to take out that credit card for some rare Japanese pressings,” Sintumuang said of the record store-bar pairing. “But hey, you probably won’t regret the decision.”

The acknowledgement for Part Time Lover comes about two months after the historic Lafayette Hotel, which is also owned by Consortium Holdings and reopened last year following a major renovation, was named “Hotel of the Year” for 2024 by Esquire.

Part Time Lover is open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. at 3829 30th St.

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