23 Best Bars in Napa and Sonoma, California

Fans of this storefront bar pouring dozens of Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world call themselves "Bubbleheads," fitting given the bubbly atmosphere owner-impresario Erin Riley—aka the "Chief Bubblehead"—has created. The knowledgeable servers will help you choose the right glass from the well-curated selection and entertain you with bingo, trivia contests, and other diversions. On some nights, DJs and musicians perform.

The welcoming vibe of the largely under-30 crowd at this retro-hip but chill wine-and-beer bar is exceeded only by that of the charming hosts. Congeniality aside, the other draws here include the craft brews on tap, the change-of-pace selection of international wines (nothing from California), and the live-music, movie, and other event nights.

In Spanish, the name of this upscale watering hole means "spark"—it's also slang for "tipsy"—but by any translation it's a lively place to sip artisanal tequila in cocktails or on its own. The tequila-friendly menu plays the field with ceviche, raw oysters, caviar bumps, tacos, lumpia, and pork belly. Other spirits are also poured, along with beer and wine.

Ramshackle Ernie's shares a corrugated tin building with a frozen-in-time roadside garage, with part of the bar actually in the garage. Mounted stag heads and a toothy wild boar watch over this rural neighborhood hangout with a long narrow bar, a patio outside, and Pliny the Elder and another 20 or so brews on tap. Signs everywhere ban cell phone use, though patrons and even staffers occasionally flout them.

A GM involved with over-the-top Las Vegas Tiki establishments and a chef with a mission to promote authentic Hawaiian cuisine teamed up on this hypertropical bar. Saturated colors out of the Day-Glo school of lighting illuminate a decor heavy on bamboo, rattan, and intricate wood carvings. The rum-leading lineup includes updated takes on Trader Vic's mai tai and Don the Beachcomber's Zombie, along with newer cocktails with equal verve. All play well with the Asian-influenced bar bites.

Two cocktail all-stars and a chef with a fascination for international comfort food opened this bar where patrons wash down fish tacos, kimchi noodles, crispy pork spare ribs, and chicken tenders with craft cocktails that include the Phatty Margarita ("phattened" up with avocado and coconut oil). Good beer and wine list, too. Everything's best enjoyed out back on the patio.

The elevator at the back of The Matheson restaurant whisks patrons up to Roof 106, Healdsburg's hot spot for craft cocktails enjoyed with or without pizzas, small plates, and desserts. The vibe here is jolly and hip, with luxury patio furniture for lounging and fire pits and overhead heaters to keep the open-air space toasty when there's a chill. The rooftop's a fun stop for lunch, except on Monday and Tuesday when the bar opens at 5. Ask about the Best of Chef menu (two-person minimum) of the upstairs chef's favorite dishes.

Chat up the locals at this neighborhood hangout with a welcoming vibe and bartenders slinging the classics and craft cocktails, some of whose ingredients are grown out back. Noteworthy drinks include the bacon bourbon sour and the pickled martini made with Hanson's organic vodka. Music and comedy acts perform many nights.

The husband and wife behind this energetic garden-theme bar (its name is a play on "arboretum") aim to provide patrons with more than a place to throw a few back in a verdant indoor setting. It's a sit-down affair, with specialty cocktails, no two remotely alike, the focus. Some, like the San Remo, you may have heard of or tasted. The spicy concoction a bartender calls "carne asada in cocktail form" maybe not.

The famed New York jazz room's intimate West Coast club hosts national headliners such as Kenny Garrett, KT Tunstall, and Jody Watley. At Locals Night on many Wednesdays, homegrown talent performs. There's a full bar, and you can order a meal or small bites from the kitchen. The larger JaM Cellars Ballroom upstairs books similar artists.

Cadet plays things urban-style cool with a long bar, high-top tables, and a low-lit loungelike feel. California wines and beers predominate, but the lineup circles the globe. Artisanal tequilas in cocktails or on their own are the focus of Chispa, a bar the same owners opened a few blocks away on 1st Street.

Fruity and savory "farm-to-bar" cocktails, many powered by local artisanal spirits and organically farmed ingredients, are among the specialties of this bar on Healdsburg Plaza's northern periphery. The old-school-in-a-fresh-setting vibe suits the inventive libations, but the bartenders at this happening hangout fashion the classics with equal aplomb.

Mescal-powered craft cocktails, classic tequila margaritas, and artisanal bourbons are the mainstays of this serape-chic watering hole. A festive downtown spot to begin or end the evening or to park yourself while waiting for a table at nearby restaurants, El Barrio serves ceviche, guacamole, cheese dips, tacos, and other small bites.

Two doors down from Diavola Pizzeria (same ownership), this long, skinny bar in Geyserville's Odd Fellows Building wows locals and tourists with classic cocktails and a bar menu of international comfort food. Hardwood floors, exposed brick, taxidermied animals, and contemporary lighting set the mood at this cool spot.

Sahar Gharai's downtown wine bar highlights boutique producers worldwide. You can sip by the glass or order a themed flight, perhaps of whites and reds from Italy or comparing Sauvignon Blancs from France, New Zealand, and Mendocino. The kitchen turns out small bites, pizzas, soups, sandwiches, and desserts.

It's all about Belgian-style ales, "aggressively hopped California ales," and barrel-aged beers at this famous brewery's Santa Rosa pub. The lineup includes Pliny the Elder (and Younger, but only for a short period), Blind Pig IPA, Supplication sour (aged 12 months in used Pinot Noir barrels), and many more. A second, larger pub (more seats, more beers) operates out of RRBC's production facility in Windsor.

From the oval bar and walls the color of a fine Blanc de Blancs to retro chandeliers that mimic Champagne bubbles, everything about this sparkling-wine bar's frothy space screams "have a good time." That owner Jayme Powers and her posse are trained in the fine art of sabrage (opening a bottle of sparkling wine with a saber) only adds to the festivity. Sigh opens at noon, so it's a good daytime stop, too.

Calistoga's entrant in the dive-bar sweepstakes is on the demure side, but it's a good place to toss back a top-shelf cocktail or a local brew at well below resort prices and after other nightspots have thrown in the bar towel.

Head to the hotel's frozen-in-time wood-paneled watering hole for a blast of Glariffee, a cold and potent cousin to Irish coffee that a relation of Ernest Hemingway supposedly had a hand in creating. The only person who knows the recipe keeps it locked in a safe deposit box.

Though not the scene as its rooftop rival Roof 106, the fourth-story bar at the Harmon Guest House offers a more laid-back setting, arguably better views, and a seafood-oriented menu. The mostly small bites pair well with specialty cocktails like the signature The Rooftop (vodka, mixed berries, lemon, mint, and soda).

This high-ceilinged downtown wine bar occupies a stone-walled late-19th-century former bank. Lit by chandeliers and decked out in contemporary style, with plush sofas and chairs and Lucite stools at the bar, it's a classy lounge-like space to expand your enological horizons. Cheese, charcuterie, and caviar are served daily, with full meals an option except on Sunday and Monday.

West County natives who also own Bowman Cellars in Graton attract a craft-cocktail-loving crowd to this downtown Sebastopol watering hole also serving beers, ciders, and wines by the glass. The place, whose name and redbrick interior pay homage to "The Three Little Pigs," stays open a little later than most neighboring bars.

The effusive subtropical decor of this Tiki bar flirts with excess, but the artistry of the murals, carvings, and furnishings elicits respect. A noted mixologist's sensibly updated fruity drinks, adorned with orchids in lieu of umbrellas, are poured along with more straightforward cocktails and artisanal beers and wines. Hawaii-inflected dishes pair well with the libations, and a deck with Napa River views enhances the overall appeal. There's live music on some evenings.