Overview
Small but friendly local bar.
History
Under the sea, only dryer and more alcoholic
An anchor dangled overhead, and the banquettes, walls and ceiling were marine blue; the Village Voice said it was like being under the sea, only dryer and more alcoholic1.
The name came first: in the mid-nineties a regular named John drank at a bar called the Castro Lounge, which was unofficially known as Fish Bar2. When the owner put it on the market, John bought it and made the unofficial name official, and Fish Bar opened on January 1, 20002.
When we listed it, we called it small but friendly. By 2019 the Infatuation was calling it a cash-only dive on East 5th Street that you've probably walked by 100 times without noticing3.
Sources
Researched October 2026.