clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A rooftop bar.
The main bar.

Filed under:

A Wrap-Around Rooftop Bar Brings a Tropical Escape to the Heart of the Gaslamp

Techo Beso opens at the AC Hotel Gaslamp San Diego

A new hotspot has landed downtown, eight stories above 5th Avenue atop the AC Hotel Gaslamp San Diego, the 148-room Marriott property that just opened at the end of February at the former site of T.G.I. Friday’s and McFadden’s. Created and operated by the Briad Group, Techo Beso provides panoramic skyline views from its high perch, which spans 4,645 square feet and wraps around the entire rooftop of the hotel. The main bar space features a DJ booth, with entertainment offered Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as well as for Sunday day parties.

While the AC Hotel offers European-style breakfast and nighttime tapas downstairs, Techo Beso offers its guests a taste of Tulum; designer John M. Sofio of Built, Inc. spent time in the trendy Mexican city while putting together the bar, whose name translates to “rooftop kiss”.

Chef Jorge Martinez (El Chingon) is in charge of the menu of drink-friendly bites, ranging from rockfish ceviche and charred corn salad to chicken quesadillas and tacos filled with slow-roasted brisket, caramelized onions, and guajillo chiles. Martinez told Eater that he’s planning to add in some new dishes as well as launch a weekend brunch.

At the fully-stocked bar, which is equipped to handle most requests, a specialty cocktail menu featuring fresh homemade syrups like the Sand in My Boots with tequila, pineapple-tamarind syrup, and triple sec and the mezcal-centered Maya Blue, which is sweetened with blood orange syrup.

Though access to pool and lounge beds is currently limited to hotel guests, there are pool packages for locals coming soon. The poolside bar will be open to the public in the evenings.

The Briad Group is also working on another bar project for the hotel, a still-in-development speakeasy that will open sometime next year in an adjacent stand-alone storefront.

A DJ booth on a rooftop bar.
The DJ booth.
Umbrellas on a rooftop bar.
The corner of a bar.
A rooftop bar with lounge chairs.
A pool deck with lounge beds.
The pool deck.
Poolside lounge beds.
Poolside lounge beds.
A poolside bar.
The pool bar.
Furniture on a rooftop bar.
Another seating area.

Techo Beso, 743 5th Avenue. Wednesday and Thursday 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to 1 a.m.; Sunday noon to 8 p.m.; kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Techo Beso

743 Fifth Avenue, , CA 92101 Visit Website
San Diego Restaurant Openings

Southern Breakfast Classics and Fried Chicken Land in Normal Heights

Coming Attractions

Instagram-Favorite Boba Tea Shop Coming to Westfield UTC

Coming Attractions

Yintang Spicy Hot Pot Is Expanding to Mira Mesa

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Eater San Diego newsletter

The freshest news from the local food world