7 Best Bars in Napa, Napa and Sonoma

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. The same owners run Chispa, a tequila-oriented bar a few blocks away.

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, and pork-belly lettuce cups. Other spirits are served, along with beer and wine.

Reimagined classics crafted with precision are this nautical-themed cocktail bar's stock-in-trade. Lit with restraint, it nimbly walks the line between kitsch and hip, with a long bar, elevated booths, high-tops, and a low-slung rear lounge area to suit your mood. The entertainment includes trivia nights and live music, including the occasional ukulele plucked with verve by the bar's puckish owner.

A bar, vinyl shop, and indie-music public radio station inside a century-old warehouse, Folklore draws Napans, visitors, and wine-industry and creative types. Before heading elsewhere for dinner, many early-evening patrons quaff expertly crafted cocktails while nibbling on bar snacks, tinned-fish boards, salads, or "in-between" fare like merguez hot dogs with kimchi and saffron aioli, but a goodly number stay put for slightly more substantial fare.

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.

The famed New York jazz room's intimate West Coast club hosts headliners such as Candy Duffer, Kim Waters, and Dinah Jane. 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.

The effusive subtropical decor of this Tiki bar flirts with excess, but the artistry of the murals, carvings, and furnishings elicits respect. Sensibly updated fruity drinks 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.