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San Diego is an up-and-coming culinary destination, thanks to its stunning Pacific Ocean setting, proximity to Mexico, diverse population, and the area’s extraordinary farming community. Increasingly the city’s veteran top chefs are being joined by a new generation of talented chefs and restaurateurs who are adding stylish restaurants with innovative food and drink programs to the dining scene at a record pace. Yes, visitors still are drawn to the San Diego Zoo and miles of beaches, but now they come for memorable dining experiences as well.
The city’s culinary scene got a significant boost when San Diego emerged as one of the world’s top craft beer destinations, with artisan breweries and gastropubs now in almost every neighborhood. San Diego also was on the cutting edge of the farm-to-table, Slow Food movement. Local sourcing is possible for everything from seafood to just-picked produce from a host of nationally recognized producers like Chino Farms and Carlsbad Aquafarm. The city’s ethnically diverse neighborhoods with their modest eateries offering affordable authentic international cuisines add spice to the dining mix.
San Diego’s distinct neighborhoods have their own dining personalities with friendly restaurants and bistros catering to every craving in this sun-blessed city. The trendy Gaslamp Quarter delights visitors looking for a broad range of innovative and international dining and nightlife, while bustling Little Italy offers a mix of affordable Italian fare and posh new eateries. Modern restaurants and cafés thrive in East Village, amid the luxury condos near PETCO Park.
The Uptown neighborhoods centered on Hillcrest—an urbane district with San Francisco flavor—are a mix of bars and independent restaurants, many of which specialize in ethnic cuisine. North Park, in particular, has a happening restaurant and craft beer scene, with just about every kind of cuisine you can think of, and laid-back prices to boot. And scenic La Jolla offers some of the best fine dining in the city with dramatic water views as an added bonus.
Located in the Casa del Balboa building near the San Diego History Center, this café is a convenient stop for a quick breakfast or lunch, or a midday coffee break. The café offers a good selection of pastries, paninis, soups, and salads, and a few indoor tables in case you find yourself there on the odd rainy day.
Ride over to Cafe Moto for delicious lattes, cortados, cappuccinos, and other third-wave coffee favorites made with fair trade beans. You can try their coffee at numerous eateries around town, but there's nothing like a fresh cup roasted just steps away from where it's served. Motorcycle riders can also expect premium parking, with a few two-wheeled-only spots right out front.
This long-standing North Park coffee roaster and café expands its evening offerings to include local beer, wine, and Italian-style cocktails.
Although the panoramic ocean view is the star attraction at this rooftop restaurant next to Belmont Park, the tasty sushi and share plates are a pleasant surprise for such a touristy locale. Lunch and dinner service bookend a popular afternoon happy hour.
Carnitas Snack Shack got a start farther inland in North Park, but eventually brought their signature pork tacos westward to provide a side of bayfront views with their modern Mexican cuisine. Indulge in some carnitas tacos, a BLT, or the "Triple Threat" pork sandwich at the Embarcadero outpost of this popular swine-heavy dining spot.
French-meets-Southern Californian cuisine at this charming historic Victorian home in the heart of Coronado. A favorite of locals and guests at the nearby Hotel del Coronado, the romantic bistro offers French favorites like escargot and steak frites as well as California standbys like spicy tuna tostadas.
Ciccia Ostera feels as cozy as nonna's house, but with Michelin-recognized Milanese favorites, like the inexplicable, but wonderfully decadent mushroom flan; the crisply fresh and lightly dressed tricolore salad; an array of homemade pastas; a buttery and crisp veal Milanese; and plenty of Italian reds and whites to wash it all down. Those with Celiac or gluten sensitivities need not despair—there's an entire menu of gluten-free options. Save room for dessert, the panna cotta is divine, and the ricotta cake with an apricot-habanero spread coated with pomegranate seeds provides the perfect balance of sweetness and spice.
A classic diner with bar seating in a circle, Clayton's is a great lunch or breakfast spot with a menu that ranges from classic American fare to Mexican dishes like the popular breakfast burrito. Just don't forget dessert!
More than simply a sushi restaurant, Cloak and Petal offers up "Japanese tapas," with a menu of small bites that range from fresh sashimi to kalbi short ribs. Even more stunning is the visual appeal, including two giant cherry blossom trees behind the bar.
The exterior of Communal Coffee reads "Coffee + Flowers," and though that's not the name of the café, it's also not inaccurate—you actually can pick up a bouquet while you're there. But while there's plenty to keep patrons occupied—including a curated selection of housewares, books, and chocolates—the main attraction is still the fresh-brewed coffee and flaky, buttery pastries.
The scent of fresh-baked bread whets the appetite of Liberty Station bakery and café customers seeking rustic scones or raisin brioche cinnamon rolls for breakfast, or one of the hearty lunch sandwiches like almost-grilled cheese with melted Brie and Gorgonzola on warm rosemary-and-olive oil bread. All can be enjoyed inside or on the sunny patio with hot or cold drinks including the homemade lemonade. The bakery turns out 21 different loaves; among them are the popular Pt. Loma sourdough, Gruyère and chive, rosemary and olive oil, and the Pane Cioccolata with Belgium and Swiss chocolate (only available weekends). Box lunches with a sandwich, chips, and cookie, perfect for picnics or other outings, are $15 to $20 each.
Chef and owner Accursio Lota showcases his Sicilian heritage with freshly prepared pastas made in-house daily with plenty of wine, conversation, and community to go along with the meal. Gluten-free pastas are also available, and save room for a slice of tiramisu alla nocciola (if you can). Use the free parking lot behind the restaurant.
Perfect for beer lovers with kids, this popular, laid-back Coronado brewpub offers a menu that features large portions of basic bar food like burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and salads. Enjoy a brew at a pair of sidewalk terraces or belly up to the bar for a pour of the Weekend Vibes IPA or Salty Crew blonde ale.
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.
The redesigned Little Italy restaurant-bar oozes slightly surreal cool. Crammed bookshelves line the walls, banquettes and mirrors are scrawled with sayings, and taxidermy appears in odd settings like a lion preying on a hog above the bar. The management’s no-fear mindset extends to the menu—ketchup and vodka have been outlawed here—but young fans and neighborhood residents who gather here after work find plenty to savor. Dinner features gastropub fare like Korean barbecue wings, thick burgers, homemade corn dogs, and wood-fired dishes that include bone marrow, roasted carrots, and oysters. Save energy for the potent rum drinks at False Idol, the in-house tiki bar accessible only through the walk-in cooler.
Enjoy views of the Bea Evenson Fountain from the patio of this quick-lunch option outside the Fleet Science Center. The menu offers everything from flatbreads, sandwiches, and wraps to slushies, specialty coffees, and soft-serve ice cream.
San Diego's best cookies come in crowd-pleasing flavors, such as birthday cake, red velvet, and lemon bar. There are also craft sodas, Cravory flavored milks, edible cookie dough, ice cream, and cold brew to round out your snack. You'll find the cookies at various farmers' markets throughout the city.
Attached to La Jolla’s popular Paradisaea restaurant, this daytime café has fresh donuts that will proudly leave chocolate on your teeth, frosting on your lips, and sprinkles on your lap. They are that good, and even more so when paired with artisan coffees, rare teas, and other breakfast items that counter the sweet with savory. When Dodo rolls out seasonal donuts, grab them before they exit the menu; almond cherry, eggnog cream, and other short-lived holiday flavors are worth snagging while you can.
Patrons can have expansive seaside views and choose from over 68 craft beer selections, too, at this spacious Belmont Park bar and restaurant. The relaxed, boardwalk atmosphere—and giant wall-sized television screen—makes it a perfect spot for lounging after riding some waves at Mission Beach, or to cool down after soaking in some sun.
Since 1994, this family-owned restaurant has been serving fans of traditional northern Chinese food who drive hours to sample dumplings made by hand every morning with fresh dough and filling; top sellers include the signature xiao long bao, the pork pot sticker, and the deep-fried beef curry. After dumplings, move on to house specialties like sea bass with black bean sauce and salt-and-pepper calamari. This former hole-in-the-wall moved next door, virtually taking over the strip mall with seating for over 300 people, and adding a full Shanghai Saloon with 30 beers on tap and over 60 types of whiskey. Among rare Japanese whiskeys is their own private Maker's Mark label.
Not a typical San Diego taco shop, this Mexican eatery is upstairs in a shopping complex in the middle of a tequila museum with some 2,000 bottles dating from the 1930s. The owners are equally serious about food, calling their cuisine Hispanic-Mexican Gastronomy, which means meat and fish dishes with lots of unusual spicy chilies, herbs, spices, and moles.
For street food with style, pop into Falafel Heights for a made-from-scratch falafel wrap or chicken shawarma bowl, made Palestinian-style for easy snacking. Be sure to get a few dips on the side for an extra kick.
Don't let the name sway you—Pablo Becker's temple to fresh seafood may very well serve the best fish tacos in town (and that's saying something in San Diego). There's usually a line before the doors even open, and the kitchen almost always sells out by midafternoon on weekends. It's a small menu of locally caught seafood, such as Baja shrimp, swordfish, and white fish, but everything is painstakingly prepared at the highest level with the best ingredients, so try a little of everything before the last order is gone for the day.
Nestled in a quieter, less-touristy section of Pacific Beach, The Fishery is a local favorite for high-end, sustainable seafood. With a fish market incorporated into the restaurant's design, the freshness of their ingredients is proudly on display, and the extensive menu offers poke, sushi rolls, and other raw bar favorites alongside excellently cooked preparations of spot prawns, crusted halibut, lobster, and seasonal whole fish. The grand seafood tower is sure to make an impression. An engaging wine list and cocktail selection round out the exceptional offerings.
Housed inside a converted Ford dealership that dates back to the '40s, Fort Oak is a haven for sophisticated carnivores and pescatarians alike. Chef Brad Wise's menu leans heavily on wood-fired fish, like the whole branzino, as well as aged steaks, heritage pork, and an impressive raw bar selection. Fort Oak leans into the building's unique history, with remnants of the former car dealer and garage touched up on the outside wall, but inside is a chic and modern bistro with a sleek, u-shaped bar at the center where patrons can sample their menu of cocktails named for vintage cars.
A youthful crowd gathers here for authentic Italian ice cream, espresso, and a second-floor view of the Downtown skyline. The line moves quickly, and the best seats are outside to watch planes fly overhead into the nearby San Diego International Airport.
