5 Best Restaurants in La Jolla, San Diego

The desserts are magnificent at this small, charming shop in operation for nearly 50 years, where dessertier Michele Coulon confects wonders, using organic produce and imported chocolate. Snack on cookies, cupcakes, brownies, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and mini-desserts, but this is not just a place for dessert: lunch is served 11:30–2 Tuesday through Saturday (the store is open 9 am to 3 pm), and the simple menu includes quiche and salads. Other irresistible treats found here are a chocolate lover's Torte Lion Belge, pear-frangipane tart, and Marjolaine Torte with layers of meringue, chocolate ganache, and buttercream.

A cozy beach cottage sets the stage for American comfort food with a California twist at this La Jolla staple, with sister locations in Encinitas and Del Mar. The restaurant serves lunch, but it’s the well-loved daily breakfast that has locals and visitors happily queuing—sometimes up to two hours on weekends. Egg dishes have unique fillings like soy chorizo and pork belly braised beef, and the sizable, shareable stuffed French toast is a can’t-miss. Post-surf or -hike, keep it healthy with the avocado smash and smoked salmon on rosemary bread. Lunch spans tuna melts and fish tacos, while the drink menu, with Bloody Marys and hard kombucha, will have you justifying, "it's five o'clock somewhere." It’s worth waiting for a patio seat that overlooks a charming stretch of downtown La Jolla. 

Blocks from the beach in La Jolla Shores, this comfortably modern dining room and shaded patio hits all the right notes—affordable, polished, and family-friendly. From lunch to closing, it bustles with regulars from the neighborhood and visitors from around the world who are guided through the extensive Italian menu by the professional staff, some of whom have worked here for over three decades. Warm bread with spicy dipping sauce is hard to resist, but save room for favorites like grilled romaine hearts wrapped in crisp prosciutto, saffron shrimp pappardelle, and veal scaloppine with mushroom risotto cakes. Kids love their special menu, while parents relish the value-packed wine list with excellent selections by the glass.

This 500-square-foot restaurant serves up heaping portions of tacos, burgers, bowls, and “sammiches” inspired by the owner’s international travels. American classics have an Asian twist, like the smoked pork belly street tacos with kimchi aioli and ginger slaw or the Cajun spice-dusted lamb lollipops with coconut-jalapeño rice. Don’t be surprised if the chef steps out of the glass-walled kitchen to ask how you liked the “Fork'n Burger” or the “Notorious P.I.G.” with a mountain of pork and smoked gouda. Between the postcard murals and Southeast Asia-meets-Hawaiian vibe, you might forget you’re in La Jolla.

Homemade crepes and fresh-brewed coffee come second to the artisanal ice cream made with just a handful of ingredients. Even vegans can get their scoop on, with flavors like strawberry shortcake, cookie dough, and chocolate made with cashew milk, cocoa butter, organic carob beans, and other natural goodness.