If you haven’t been to Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA) lately, it might be time to reconsider. What started as a night at the historic cocktail bar Club 616 quickly turned into one of those evenings where you start wandering block after block saying, “Wait… this place is really cool.”

Club 616 anchored the evening. The nearly 100-year-old bar mixes beautiful cocktails with an unpretentious vibe, from jazz nights and trivia to spicy book clubs and a back patio serving $3 tacos.

The crowd was local, relaxed, and genuinely there to enjoy the experience rather than just photograph it.

Lead bartender Andrew Winters has been crafting cocktails for 30 years, and it shows. The Pisco Sour got immediate approval from our friend Patty from Peru, which feels like a pretty high bar to clear.

I loved the Vietnamese Shame Wheel with gin, Chartreuse, lemon, pandan, and ginger, while Jason immediately ordered a second Old Man & the Sea with bourbon, aged rum, Fernet, and cinnamon. Every drink felt balanced and creative without trying too hard.

Co-owners Mike Berault and Jason Lilly spent years restoring the space, carefully bringing the historic building back to life, not missing a single detail. Previously it was a dive bar, and not the cool kind.

That attention to detail shows up everywhere, from the vintage textures and lighting to the way the old and new blend together without feeling forced.

There’s history woven in too. During Prohibition, the building operated as The Harbor Grape Company and was widely believed to be a speakeasy.

Berault shared records showing a man named Charles E. Parsons was arrested five different times outside the building for drunkenness. Today, the bar pays tribute to him with a drink special featuring a Pfeiffer’s Famous Beer and a shot.

But the bigger takeaway is this: DTSA feels alive. Historic buildings sit next to coffee shops, cocktail bars, art spaces, colorful murals and rows of festive quinceañera dress stores.

Add in the Old Orange County Courthouse, California’s oldest courthouse still in use, and suddenly this becomes a full-day outing.

📍Club 616: 616 E 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701