Haberdasher is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked behind an unmarked door on South First Street downtown. The drinks lean classic — Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, French 75s — but the bar takes seasonal ingredients seriously and the menu rotates regularly. The room is dark, the booths are deep, and conversations stay civilised.
The bar opened in 2010 and was one of the early signs that downtown San Jose's nightlife had grown up. Reservations are useful on Friday and Saturday evenings; the rest of the week it is easy to walk in. A good first stop before dinner or a concert at the City National Civic.