Cigar Lounges & Shops in San Diego

Updated August 2026 · 29 lounges and tobacconists · Compiled by Peter Stefanic, Certified Cigar Sommelier (IACS)

San Diego smokes outdoors, and the climate is the reason. Almost every lounge here has a patio, a courtyard or a stretch of pavement with heat lamps, and for most of the year that is where people sit. The city also holds California’s oldest tobacconist, trading in Old Town since 1868, and a run of cigar bars along Fourth and Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter that stay open past midnight.

The border matters too. Tijuana is twenty minutes away and sells Cuban cigars openly, which comes up constantly in conversation here — and which US law still does not permit you to bring back.

Every venue here is a cigar business first — a lounge, a cigar bar or a tobacconist with a real humidor. General smoke and vape shops are left out.

Featured listing — this space is available. A featured listing puts your lounge at the top of this page, above every other lounge in San Diego, and includes a photograph, a full description instead of a single line, a direct link to your website and Instagram, and placement above all standard listings. Email me at info@vdg-cigars.com

Table of Contents

The Gaslamp Quarter and downtown

Gran Havana Cigar & Hookah Lounge — Lounge + Shop

745 Fourth Ave · (619) 234-2826 Gaslamp · Coffee, espresso and gelato, no alcohol · Own house blends, very large humidor

Cuban Cigar Factory — Lounge + Shop

551 Fifth Ave · (619) 238-2496 Gaslamp · Beer and wine · Own house blend, street-side patio, open to 2 AM at weekends

Cesar’s Cigar and Spirits Lounge — Lounge + Shop

503 Fifth Ave · (619) 255-7974 Gaslamp · Full bar with a deep rum list · Indoor and outdoor seating, open to 2 AM Fri and Sat

The Tobacco Shoppe — Shop

541 Fourth Ave · (619) 729-5368 Gaslamp · Open to 3 AM at weekends · Owner-run

Blu Temple Cigar & Wine Company — Lounge + Shop

1786 National Ave · (619) 347-2570 Logan Heights · Wine tastings and charcuterie · Small, relaxed room

Old Town

Churchill Cigar Lounge — Lounge + Shop

2415 San Diego Ave #102 · (619) 546-7758 Old Town · Beer on tap and wine, heat lamps outside · Large patio, open to midnight at weekends

Racine & Laramie Tobacconist — Shop + Lounge

2737 San Diego Ave · (619) 291-7833 Old Town · California’s oldest tobacconist, trading since 1868 · Antique pipe collection, smoking room

The Art of Cigar — Lounge + Shop

2609 Congress St · (619) 782-9301 Old Town · Rolled on the premises, proprietary blends · Veteran-owned, no alcohol, closed Sundays

Hillcrest and Bankers Hill

Cigar Cave — Lounge + Shop

3858 Fifth Ave · (619) 260-8099 Hillcrest · Full bar and wine · Very large humidor, evenings only

Cigars On 5th — Lounge + Shop

3590 Fifth Ave · (619) 255-1817 Bankers Hill · Coffee roaster next door, beer and wine · Opens 7:30 AM, sidewalk seating

Point Loma and Sports Arena

Habanos Cigar Lounge — Lounge + Shop

4004 Sports Arena Blvd · (619) 269-4308 Sports Arena · Own house cigars · Separate smoking lounge, open seven days

Clairemont and Kearny Mesa

Excalibur Cigar & Scotch Lounge — Lounge + Shop

8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite O · (858) 277-1148 Clairemont Mesa · Full bar, beer on tap and a large spirits list · High-backed leather chairs, screens

Liberty Tobacco — Lounge + Shop

7341 Clairemont Mesa Blvd · (858) 292-1772 Clairemont Mesa · Exceptional pipe tobacco range · Pipe club meets Sundays and Tuesdays

Miramar and Del Mar

Royal Cigar Lounge & Wine Bar — Lounge + Shop

7094 Miramar Rd #113 · (858) 549-4422 Miramar · Bar with beer and wine · Very large humidor, ventilation is limited

Liberty Tobacco — Shop

2650 Via De La Valle C-230, Del Mar · (858) 523-9240 Del Mar · Second Liberty location · Strong limited and boutique selection

East County, Coronado and the South Bay

Hoffer’s Cigar Bar — Lounge + Shop

8282 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa · (760) 755-7004 Downtown La Mesa · Beer and wine, free popcorn · Live music Fridays, smoking patio

3N1 Sports Bar & Grill — Lounge + Shop

2330 Proctor Valley Rd #101, Chula Vista · (619) 207-0366 Eastlake · Full bar and kitchen · Well-ventilated cigar lounge, indoor and outdoor

CH Cigars & More — Shop

533 Telegraph Canyon Rd, Chula Vista · (619) 656-1114 Chula Vista · Walk-in humidor · Photography of stock is not permitted

Crown City Cigars and Fine Tobacco — Shop + Lounge

1136 Loma Ave #107, Coronado · (619) 675-0120 Coronado · Sidewalk seating on Orange Avenue · Open to 10 PM Thu to Sat

I Smoke Shop & Cigar Room — Shop + Lounge

10720 Woodside Ave, Santee · (619) 707-2012 Santee · Walk-in humidor, the best selection in East County · Open seven days

House of Cigars — Shop

2990 Jamacha Rd #104, El Cajon · (619) 670-0034 Rancho San Diego · Regular manufacturer events · Fair prices, open seven days

Alpine Tobacco Company — Lounge + Shop

2151 Alpine Blvd, Alpine · (619) 659-2832 Alpine · Local craft beer on tap and wine · Patio, owner-run, open seven days

North County

Lord Puffer Tobacconist — Lounge + Shop

1315 Las Villas Way, Escondido · (858) 800-2004 Escondido · One of the largest humidors in southern California · Own house brands, VIP lounge, porch

Cigar Grotto — Lounge + Shop

220 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside · (760) 722-1602 Downtown Oceanside · Owner-run, small lounge · Fair pricing, open seven days

Cigars Vera Cruz Lounge — Lounge + Shop

151 S Las Posas Rd Suite 174, San Marcos · (760) 798-7660 San Marcos · Welcoming to newcomers and to women · Comfortable chairs, closed Sundays

Leucadia Smoke and Cigar — Shop

905 Orpheus Ave, Encinitas · (760) 334-1802 Leucadia · Family owned, clean and well organised · Open seven days

Payne-Mason Cigars — Shop

5835 Avenida Encinas #124, Carlsbad · (760) 744-9007 Carlsbad · A cigar maker rather than a retailer · Event rolling and custom bands, weekdays only

Sam’s Cigar & Smoke Shop — Shop

800 Civic Center Dr, Vista · (760) 726-5749 Vista · Long-established, owner-run · Closed Sundays

Sapphire Bar & Lounge — Lounge + Shop

2328 S Escondido Blvd, Escondido · (760) 755-7004 South Escondido · Full kitchen and wine list · Cigars on the outdoor patio only

FAQ

Can you smoke cigars indoors in San Diego?

In some venues, but far less than the number of lounges suggests. California’s exemptions cover stand-alone retail tobacco shops and private smokers’ lounges, not bars and restaurants. What San Diego has instead is weather: most venues here put their seating outside, on a patio or a courtyard, and that is where you will usually end up. Several rooms are indoor-only smoking, several are outdoor-only, and it is worth checking which before you go.

Are cigars expensive in San Diego?

Yes, and customers mention it in reviews constantly. California’s tobacco excise is among the highest in the country, so the same cigar costs noticeably more here than in Texas or Florida. North County and East County shops tend to be a little cheaper than the Gaslamp, where you are also paying for the location.

How much should you tip at a San Diego cigar lounge?

Where there is bar service, tip as you would anywhere: fifteen to twenty per cent. At a shop counter, a few dollars if someone has walked you through the humidor and cut for you. In a room where you have taken a chair for the afternoon, buying a second cigar is what keeps you welcome.

Do you have to be 21 to enter a cigar lounge in California?

Yes. California set the tobacco purchase age at 21 and venues card at the door. Bring identification.

Before you go: opening hours, prices and policies change, and businesses close without notice. Check the venue’s own website or call ahead before travelling. Listings here are compiled from public business records and are provided for guidance only.

Own a lounge or shop around San Diego? If you are missing from this page, or a detail here is wrong, email me at info@vdg-cigars.com and I will fix it. Standard listings are free and always will be.

More cities: cigar lounges in the United States · cigar reviews

In Focus