Rare Society

Rare Society trades on Park Boulevard at the edge of University Heights and is chef Brad Wise's homage to the mid-century Las Vegas steakhouse — red leather, wood-fired dry-aged beef, martinis on a cart. It has since grown into a small chain with rooms in Solana Beach, Santa Barbara and further afield; this is the original San Diego location.

What makes it usable for a non-drinker is that the Spirit Free heading sits on the cocktail card among the classics rather than at the back with the sodas, and three of its four entries are built drinks rather than bottles poured out. Fountain of Youth, at fourteen dollars, uses a salted raspberry and chamomile sparkling with grapefruit and soda — tart and low in sugar, which is unusual in this category. Fool's Gold at fifteen is the one to order if you miss the bitterness of a proper aperitivo: a non-alcoholic Italian aperitif with lemon and a miso-ginger syrup, served over a single large cube, with enough salt and umami to stand next to a steak. Staycation at fourteen is the tiki-leaning option, built on a white cane spirit alternative with pineapple, lime, orgeat, cranberry and mint.

The fourth line is Best Day Brewing's kölsch at eight dollars, from the Californian non-alcoholic brewery whose beers turn up across this city's better lists.

The room is a steakhouse first and the wine and whiskey lists are long, so this is a venue for a mixed table rather than a destination for people who do not drink. Service runs from five every night, until nine early in the week and ten on Friday and Saturday. The group prints the same spirit-free section across its locations, so what is pouring here should also be available at the Solana Beach room, and the built drinks rotate with the seasonal card while the Best Day line tends to stay.

A note on which room you are booking. Rare Society now has locations in Solana Beach, Santa Barbara, San Clemente, Las Vegas and Washington state as well as this one, and the group's website presents them together, so a search can easily land you on the wrong city's page or phone number. This listing is the University Heights room on Park Boulevard. The wood-fired grill is the centre of the kitchen, the beef is dry-aged in house, and the vegetables cooked over the same fire are the part regulars talk about. Book ahead at weekends; the dining room fills early and the bar is small.