The L Bar

L.O.V.E the pool. Bar menu and service are good, but it’s the pool loungers, sunshine and people watching that make this place the place to be. For $ 15 you get a day pass for the pool (towels not included) and 15% off at the bar (food and drinks). For those who are hard core, they also have 6-​mo and annual memberships. I love their seasoned fries and tarot tots for snacking. The beet salad is delish. Prices are average and the food it yummy.
I like to use the WiFi and write off my day pass as a work expense. Outlets are few and far between, but you can find them by entrances to the hotel rooms surrounding the pool.
The atmosphere is casual and very friendly. Kids are welcome as are pets (though you may need to be a proper hues of the hotel to bring your pooch). Everytime I come to San Diego, I must spend at least a few afternoons lazing by the pool at the Layfette Hotel.

The bar itself is just ok but the reason why most people go, I’m sure, is because of the pool. It’s pretty large and I’m sure it definitely gets packed around the summer time. I went when an event was taking place with a fashion show so it was a lot more low key and only a few people were brave enough to get into the pool. The drinks weren’t too highly priced but could have used a little more alcohol in them.
If your looking for a fun, crazy place to party during the summer or a Saturday night, I’m sure this is a place you wont want to pass up.

5 years ago this place was an awesome secret. Now… now it’s just crowded.

Fantastic drinks and good food, what more do you want to know?

Sunday rooftop pool party downtown:
Spray tan
An hour on hair and makeup
Tiny leopard print bikini
Strappy platformed sandals
Deprive self of food the day before
Wait in long line
$ 15 drinks
Great people-​watching
L Bar pool:
Roll out of bed
Faded comfy bikini
Flip Flops and bright beach towel
Eat a sandwich and chips poolside
Wade in long pool
$ 8 drinks
Great people-​watching
It’s $ 5 to use the pool for non-​hotel guests. When we were there, they played fun 80s music and we drank mimosas, margaritas and mojitos. We snagged a couple of chaises and relaxed and gossiped for hours. The jacuzzi area is pretty cute, but the tub itself is a bit discolored. Some of the hotel rooms have double doors opening directly to the pool area. My friend commented that this would be a great spot for a bachelorette party… pool, dinner at Red Fox, and dive bar hopping… all while staying at the hotel. On any warm day… a great way to spend the afternoon.
Unilocal has listed this bar as «closed». Luckily that is wrong… they are way open!

An interesting place.
It has the usual oddity of a hotel bar, but mixed with a unique other worldly David-​Lynch kinda feel … but not quite as cool.
The bar itself seems to seemlessly flow out from the lobby. Nice for the drinkers, probably not that great for guests.
The tender was … well … a bit out there. He seemed to be overwhelmed if someone (anyone) actually placed an order, but he also diffused his inability to multi-​task quirky humor and an endearing tweekerness.
The drinks were poured strong, and the scene was beautifully odd, though not something I would seek out on a regular basis.
Strangeness abounds, and in some way that is wonderful.
Does need some work, but not a bad place for a drink, all in all.

A bit of a sin that I hadn’t made it here sooner, since I live pretty much right across the street.
This past Saturday was a bright, sunny, breezy day. Perfect for a day at the pool. My BF’s birthday was a few days prior, so we spread the word to some peeps that we’d be spending Saturday afternoon chillin’ by the poolside.
For whatever reason, it was not that busy on Saturday. The bartender told us that due to the season winding down and it being so slow, the $ 5 fee usually charged was waived for the day. I didn’t catch his name but he was really friendly and cool to talk to. As was the pool server. Drinks were excellent, by the way. Service was maybe a tiny bit on the slow side, but I’m not about to complain. I was there to have fun with friends and go swimming! For me, the drinking was a mere afterthought. If you’re stressing about how quickly you get your drinks at a pool bar on a gorgeous afternoon, you are quite possibly more stressed out than even a relaxing poolside afternoon can help you with.
After we spent a little while at the bar, twe hen claimed some space by the pool. The pool is huge and the water temperature was great. Also full of some of those floaty, styrofoam-​ish noodles and some beachballs. The rest of the visitors at the pool were very chill. Nice mix of everyone — random people from the neighborhood, vacationers, hipsters, hottie gay boys… it was great! Apparently there were 3 birthdays being celebrated there, so we all sang 3 rounds of «Happy Birthday» — and also sang along and clapped our hands to the 80s songs playing over the PA. It was such a weird, sort of resort-​ish vibe, but really a lot of fun.
I grew up having a pool in my backyard. But I hadn’t been in a pool for a long time, so it was great to just float around and catch some sun. So relaxing.
One thing we did notice, though, was that one woman had a kid with her, and every time the kid had to pee, she would take him to the jacuzzi. EW. Kinda gross and shady when your room is about the same distance away from where you were sitting, lady! You couldn’t just take your kid back to your room and to the bathroom THERE? Or even the bathroom in the lobby?
Reminds me of those old signs: «Welcome to our OOL. Notice there’s no P in it. Please keep it that way.»
All in all, though, an excellent way to spend a day, that’s for sure. Not sure how late in the season they keep the pool open, but hopefully I’ve got a few more sunny afternoons to spend!

If Intervention at the Hard Rock and Livewire in North Park got together and had an illegitimate kid, it would look like the Lafayette pool.
As in, awesome concept and fairly priced drinks and WOULD be totally awesome if it weren’t for the fact that everyone looks at me like I personally killed Farrah Fawcett. My apologies for wearing a bathing suit that doesn’t look like my grandmother wore it in the late 30’s. It’s Roxy and it’s ridiculously bright and I love it, so take your pasty skin and shove it cause you know I look adorable.
But seriously, if this place got a little clientèle face lift I would LOVE IT.

Booked a hotel room for the night, for a birthday party. The L Bar is quite nice actually. The pool tables were empty for us all night, and the bartender was nice.
We took over the patio and was allowed to stay until past midnight, when the kind security guard asked us to keep it down, whom we later invited to join us.
Headed over to the red fox after, and then came back in the morning for a swim.

Some friends of mine rave about the pool and hotel that this bar is located in and I dont want to be a hater but right now its kinda hard for me to not do some hating, but only on the L Bar.
This review is based soley on that experiance.
Stoli on the rocks shouldnt cost $ 9, with tip it comes to an even $ 10.
If you’re going to charge me that amount, at the very least, give me an 8 count pour, which equates to a 2 ounce pour. It was a 6 count, so 1 ½ ounce of vodka.
A plastic Dixie cup? C’mon…are you serious? I asked the bartender if thats how they normally serve drinks. I was curious because I saw rocks glasses all around the bar area.
She just mumbled something that I couldnt understand and I didnt bother to ask her to repeat herself.

What a classy place, and right on El Cajon Blvd. to boot! After enjoying fine wines and cheeses we (we being fellow sexy Unilocaler Brian T. and non Unilocalers will remain anonymous, they shall be known as Ginger and Big Pimpin’ Adalade or BPA for short) peddled down to the Lafayette Hotel for some refreshing beverages and a dip in the pool.
I am a very experienced towel changer, and I did the quick change at the bar patio no problem. Ginger was not quite as savvy, and gave some random Irish folks a flash of the ‘ol ginger wazoo!
«Top ‘o the mornin’ to ya’!» one of the little leprechauns remarked.
Brian put us all to shame with his hipster perfect, heroin-​sheik physique. I put everyone to shame with my Magnum P.I. chest, and everyone marveled in all of it’s glory, except for BPA, who suggested that I «take some clippers to that shit.» Well she’s just hating cause she’s jealous.
We all jumped into the pool which was warmed up to perfect temperature, while BPA went to pick us up some $ 2 beers. ‘Que Cheap!’ We swam around and frolicked with the inflatable toys that were in the pool while BPA picked up on some random French Canadian chicks that were hanging out at the bar. The pool has algae on parts of the bottom… it makes it feel very tropical!
Then we made the mistake of entering the tub. I refrain from using the more common expression ‘hot tub’ because there was nothing hot about said tub. The jets did not work and the water was luke-​warm at best, and the worst thing was the water was really hazy, like there was tons of things other than pool water in there, that I don’t need to go into details about.
We got out, toweled off (complimentary towels!) got dressed, and drank some more beer as BPA sealed the deal with the sexy French Canadian girl. Damn Lesbians!

The Post-​Velodrome watering hole decision has regressed into quite the political quagmire as of late. A group of adult guys and gals all standing about straddling our steeds, one yelling Hamiltons, another yelling Bar Pink, another WhistleStop, and yet another Kadan. This would go on for what seemed like eons until our chads were so dimpled and hanging that we usually ended up losing our excitement, going home, and sleeping.
Chris and I put our mighty minds together and devised a plan. Vote for none of the above. Choosing a new spot altogether, we thought what perfect way to end a post-​bike races, post-​wine, post-​cheese, pre-​bed Humpday Jr. night then a drink and a swim at L Bar? It was a flawless strategy and bound to work or work.
We took the short ride from velodrome to L Bar, locked up our horseys and moseyed on in where we began disrobing and changing into our swimwear. One friend (ginger girl) was stripping naked and changing into her bikini a few feet away from a group of patrons on the sofa while Chris and Alada held towels up to give her some privacy. However, the towels were too short and apparently Leah was showing everyone in that sofa area her low-​contrast ginger vajayjay and pale ass. I only know this because she was tipped off to hve the towel held lower by said patrons on the aforementioned couch.
We dove into the large pool that was the prefect temperature and drank $ 2 beer. It felt right in all the right places. Damn am I gonna sleep well tonight, I thought.
Then we made the mistake at trying the hot tub aka the conception tub. It was just negative Unilocalage times ten to the seventeenth power. (Yes I just negative Unilocaled in scientific notation. what of it?). The water was cold. Honestly it was perhaps colder than the pool water. There were no bubbles. There were no jets. The water was so muddled with, err umm, haze that we could not see feet. There were no underage girls telling us about jumping horses in this hot tub. Also, I was in there for only a few minutes, trying to relax, parting my legs a bit, and I got pregnant. Not cool at all. What is even worse, I haven’t a clue who the daddy is.
Maybe, I call Miss Cleo?

Loved it!!! Great service. The wait staff was on the ball. This bar is in the Lafayette Hotel right outside of the pool. What a cute hotel. How have I never seen this place before. They had a cute cabana like area where they grilled up some food. I had a chicken sandwich and it was very tasty. They carry MGD 64 calorie beer so that made me a happy girl. Because as much as I would love to stick to Stella on tap, my drinking stamina is better off when I drink a very light beer. So happy dance for this cute place.

After coming home from Cardiff, i still wanted to drink and relax. This place is so close by I cannot believe I did not know about it. Thanks to Unilocal,I discovered it. So there is plenty of parking, pull up and walk in. I was all by myself, so I was hoping I could find the bar fast and easy. And walaah! Right when you walk in, theres the pool and bam the BAR!
Cool! I head up to the bar order my drink, Long Beach, I could not believe how much alcohol was in it. I don’t even think she added the cranberry juice! Not complaining, just amazed!
I see an open table outside in the patio, I head on over and take a seat. They had some music playing so that was cool. There was a few people out by the pool, everyone looked like they were having fun. I kicked off my shoes and relaxed as I enjoyed my drink. Not a single server asked me how I was doing or if I needed something else. My cousin joined me and we were waiting to be served… nothing. So we got up and went to the bar. I would love to get some service next time I come, was it because I had to sit down by the pool?
So, needless to say I was happy my cousin came because she had to drive me home! I don’t remember what happened after that second drink, must say they make some good beverages and put use to there alcohol!
So for that they get 4 stars, and I guess the ambiance too.

Right now the economy is in the shitter and there are tons of qualified, educated, intelligent people pounding the pavement in search of employment. To these people I say, get thee to The Lafayette.
Who cares about making rent when you can get yourself a prime piece of poolside real estate? A lounger is a perfectly valid sleeping apparatus, let me tell ya. Think boozing it up is too expensive when you’re jobless? Nonsense! The L Bar has plenty of delicious drink specials to choose from at only 5 bucks a pop. Sangria, Margaritas, Mojitos, oh my! And you can go ahead and cut that grocery bill right out of your budget. The food here is delish and affordable.
I would like to note that if you are gainfully employed, please kindly disregard this review. The Lafayette is no bueno on the weekends. Crowded, smoky, noisy, yuck. This place is only to be utilized during business hours, Monday — Friday.
However, if you are among my «alternatively employed» brethren, I raise my glass to you with a golden tanned arm. You hold your head high, cash that stimulus check, and pull up a lounger, my friend.

Edit:
I went here for the 3^rd time this past Sunday.
I had what can only be described as a nasty visit.
Service level dropped significantly.
The place was packed with tacky freeloaders.
People were smoking all over the place.
The water has changed from a nice clean blue to a hazy green.
Some jackass broke a light in the pool making it unswimmable for fear of electrocution.
This place sucks. I’m totally over it.
Maybe I’ll hit it up again in the fall when the jackasses don’t think to come here. Ick!
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Hell yeah and here’s why:
— Strong Bacardi and Diets
— Pina Colada’s by the pitcher
— Great music by the pool
— and a bartender who doesn’t care that I was standing in my bikini dripping pool water all over his rug.
This place would totally be a 5 star review if I could have found an open lounge chair.
This place is FUN and cheap with a laid back SD attitude — a little crowded by the pool but I understand why. Best of all I randomly showed up and was greeted by a mass of Unilocalers. Good times that rolled on into the evening…

Picture a world where you are unemployed, just got your economic stimulus check, the mercury just hit 85* and you have nothing better to do than find a local pool, grab some booze and enjoy some merriment with like minded, unemployed friends.
We took full advantage of the great weather that has come our way this week and decided to make the Lafayette our destination. Headed there around noon, grabbed a couple chairs on some prime real estate around the pool and sack back and enjoyed the day.
Advantages are that you don’t have to be a guest to come to the pool. Actually, I’m pretty sure over half the people there weren’t guests, but locals. They have a fully stalked bar and will bring you drinks poolside, along with food. The downside is that they are super slow, forget your order or get it wrong ¹⁄₃ of the time and it’s a bit pricey.
Regardless, I had no reservations about blowing a sixth of my stimulus check here yesterday. It was worth every penny and I will totally be going back there soon, very soon, like Monday.

Currently, it’s 89 degrees in my apartment. It’s 72 degrees outside. Imagine how *great* it felt to be here at around noon today when it was 94? I felt like the melty witch from the Wizard of Oz.
Fortunately, I am addicted to Unilocal (as well as red wine, but that’s another review) and recently learned that the La Fayette hotel pool is open to the public. I grabbed my towel, my bikini and my paperback novel and cruised on over today to check it out.
There are few things in the world better than sitting back, sipping a mojito, reading a great book and basking in the vitamin d — especially when there is a crisp cool pool to periodically dunk yourself in. The people were friendly, the bar guy was chipper and he generously fed me a toothpick full of pickled green beans for lunch.
Oh yeah — that’s why only 4 stars not five — right now the kitchen doesn’t open until 4.30 because they are minus a chef. I was *dying* of hunger and had to walk down the road for a sammich — a serious waste of valuable sunning time, let me tell you.
Next time I’ll just bring one with me. You gotta have something to soak up the mojitos, after all.

I’ve got a very special announcement… CANNONBALL!
Well, this is review #100! Wowzers, I can’t believe it! This whole Unilocal thing is kinda cool, huh?
Sooooo, I decided that for this monumental number, I’d pimp out one of my favorite places in town… the LaFayette Hotel.
It’s probably the most unassuming structure in San Diego. It’s one of those places that you’ve probably passed by 1 million times, but thought, «who the hell goes there?» Surrounded by tweakers and Oriental spas… it’s a wonder I even gave LaFayette a second look.
I learned about 2 years ago, when my buddy was managing the bar, that their pool is open to ANYONE, 365 days a year! Seriously… on a hot ass day (like the ones we experienced this weekend), you can just roll right in and take a dip. No questions asked! And, it’s not like you’re diving into some kiddie pool, it’s an Olympic sized GEM. The pool is huuuuuuuuge.
As I mentioned earlier in this review, they also have a bar right next to the pool! It’s like you’re on vacation! You can order your adult bev, then mosey on over to a poolside chair and enjoy the warm weather, a cold mojito and an absolutely refreshing swim! On the weekends, this place goes off. Residents from all over North Park have find out about this place… which makes the people watching priceless. I don’t think hipsters believe in swim trunks… since 95% of them just cut their old Deisel jeans at the knees and call them board shorts.
I have the luxury of living right across the street from LaFayette, so when it gets hot, you can most definitely find me and my sweet farmers tan lurking around the premises. They’ve also got free wifi, so you can sit poolside, get some work done, grab a drink and even order some burgers or hot dogs from the grill on the weekend!
With so much to offer, how can this NOT be my favorite hang in the 619?

So the postcards have informed me that San Diego is America’s Finest City and while I can’t 100% prove that that is a correct statement seeing as how I have only made it to about 128 cities in my lifetime, I will say that an afternoon at the L Bar whilst working on a laptop in front of a pool listening to Reggae play in the background is definitely making me a believer.
What a chill place to spend the hours. They’ve got free wifi, nice cocktails and a very cute and friendly marketing cat named Jason. The pool is pretty much open to the public, along with guests of the hotel and this is definitely one of those little special spots that if you work from home, you should definitely find a few hours a week to chill at. Trust me, you’ll be thanking me later.