123 Best Restaurants in San Diego, California

Between music by Pavarotti, the checkered tablecloths, and the sight of homemade pasta and free-flowing vino, you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to Italy. At this cozy La Jolla Shores eatery, northern and southwestern Italian flavors have fused into culinary magic—homemade bread, sauces, gnocchi, and pasta like pappardelle with braised lamb and linguine with mussels—since 2004. The breaded veal and lobster ravioli are both exceptional and pork osso buco in port wine sauce is a popular main course that can be enjoyed alfresco on warm summer nights on the dog-friendly patio. Despite its size, the tiramisu with espresso-dipped ladyfingers goes down way too easily.

Also known as the Fish Shop, this is a favorite among locals. Peruse the customizable menu that lets diners select a type of fish, marinade, and preparation style (grilled or fried, and taco, sandwich, salad, or plate) that suits their tastes. You can dine on the heated patio, order your food to go, or buy the daily catch to cook at home.

Adding a dose of hip to Balboa Park, this gastropub, located adjacent to the San Diego Museum of Art's sculpture garden, offers a stylish pit stop pretheater or between museum-hopping. The menu features grab-and-go options as well as dine-in upscale pub fare and craft brews, with several vegan options and a weekend brunch. Panama 66 does not take reservations.

Behind the dripping ferns and inside the eye-catching Millennial pink building wrapping around the corner of Goldfinch and Washington is Paradis, an all-day café and Spanish pintxo bar serving coffee, pastries, brunch, and tapas. Classic California dishes like avocado toast and acai bowls are available, as well as more European-inspired goodies like crispy patatas and Calabrian dates. Ritual Coffee provides the beans and the baristas can whip up anything from flat whites to cappuccinos, macchiatos, and more. Seating is available inside or in the enclosed courtyard, which also leads to the rooftop restaurant-with-a-view, Communion. 

This much-praised, popular Vietnamese restaurant offers over 200 dishes so that choosing a meal here can be difficult. Waiters steer diners to familiar tasty offerings like traditional pho, kung pao chicken, garlic-butter fried chicken wings, and fresh pork or shrimp spring rolls. For the adventurous, more exotic options abound, like the broken rice dishes, and bo luc lac, sizzling cubes of beef served with a chunk of butter melting on top. Families can build-their-own spring rolls with the oven-roasted whole catfish served with vegetables, dipping sauces, and rice paper. The large, relatively spare dining room gets packed, especially on weekends, but service is usually prompt, if sometimes curt, typical of almost all Convoy Street dining spots.

Fresh homemade pasta served as the diner wants it is the mantra at this cozy Italian restaurant. Opt for indoor seating, which offers a charming, old-world feel, with warm lighting, wood beam ceilings, and exposed brick.

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.

Rows of picnic tables, surfboard decor, and beer-brewing on-site have made this funky, friendly brewpub a block from the beach a locals’ favorite. The nearly 40 brews on tap include a namesake pour and other craft beers that have made San Diego a beer-drinkers destination. Between sips, nosh on munchies like garlic beer buddies, seasoned bits of pizza crust. Surfers, families, and others with big appetites order one of 16 signature pizzas slathered with toppings, available whole or by the slice until 3 pm and after 9 pm. Got a sweet tooth? Try a stout or porter float.

When fishing boats unload their catch on-site, a seafood restaurant and market earns the right to boast that they offer “the freshest thing in town.” In the late 1950s, mostly sportfishermen came here, but word got out about the just-caught fried fish on San Francisco–style sourdough bread, and now locals and visitors come to enjoy bay views, sunshine, and a greatly expanded menu of seafood dishes. An efficient crew takes orders for food and drinks at the counter, keeping the wait down even on the busiest days. In addition to sandwiches, favorites include fish tacos, seafood cocktails, sushi, salads, and fried platters of fish, shrimp, and scallops. This is San Diego's top seafood market for those who like to grab live crustaceans to prepare at home.

This lovely restaurant in the historic House of Hospitality makes contemporary fare, friendly service, and patio dining available to legions of museum- and theatergoers who come to Balboa Park. The bar is a fashionable destination for creative drinks and light nibbles, while the dining room's specialties range from fish tacos and paella to unusual surf-and-turf combos.

Parking in Balboa Park can be daunting; take advantage of the weekend valet parking at the entrance of the restaurant.

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.

This isn't your average taco shop. The Oaxacan-inspired menu by chef José Cepeda uses traditional ingredients and spins them on their heads to create dishes like the popular crab corn doughnut and crispy duck carnitas served with his famous black mole. The atmosphere is moody, the drinks are strong, and the guacamole is worth every penny.

Blink and you'll drive right by The Remy, a recommissioned steak house completely renovated in 2023. Once inside the lounge that sports a hipster-ish hunting lodge vibe, you can sidle up to the bar for a handcrafted cocktail or grab a table to enjoy a thick slice of perfectly prepared beef.

This casual eatery always commands a crowd, thanks to the explosively flavorful sliders they call "lil' masterpieces." Despite their small size, Rosemarie's sliders pack a punch, from the spicy Nashville hot chicken to the deliciously messy Little Munchies. They recommend two per person, but we won't judge if you order more.  Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5 pm, with specials on sliders, fries, beer, wine, and cocktails.

Credited with popularizing fish tacos in the United States, Ralph Rubio brought the Mexican staple to San Diego, opening his first restaurant in Pacific Beach where it still stands today. The original beer-battered fish tacos have fried pollock topped with white sauce, salsa, and cabbage atop a corn tortilla.

Outdoor tables on a narrow sidewalk and inexpensive prices make this a standout. The simple menu by Bangkok-born chef-owner Su-Mei Yu has noodle soups; stir-fried noodles with chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp; and a couple of uncommon Vietnamese and Thai-Indian noodle dishes bathed with aromatic sauces.

This casual indoor-outdoor eatery in La Jolla Shores has a sprawling outdoor patio perfect for leisurely lunches with friends and family. Surfers and well-heeled locals populate the 50-seat patio while enjoying made-to-order organic smoothies and fresh salads, as well as scrumptious breakfast and creative lunch entrées that include flatbreads, soups, sandwiches, and the popular cheeseburger and prime steak frites. The blueberry banana smoothie is addictive, while the tarragon chicken salad with lemon aioli, green apple, avocado, pistachios, and dried cranberries over mixed greens with a citrus vinaigrette is a tantalizing mix of flavors.

Bacon is king at this lively burger, beer, and sports bar in Liberty Station. Founder Scott Slater’s signature “designer” patty, half beef and half ground bacon, is topped with a fried egg and cheese, and sauced with chipotle adobo mayonnaise. Or design your own burger from a menu with over 30 toppings like bacon jalapeño jam. Even fries get a lift from bacon ketchup. While little ones munch sliders from the kids' menu, parents quaff one of the 100 craft and local beers on tap and join military from nearby bases and other sports fans following games on the room’s many flat-screen TVs. There's even a dog menu featuring the signature 50/50 patty or bacon strips for furry friends.

This three-story-tall restaurant and bar in Ocean Beach looks like a typical sports bar from the outside, but inside is the place to eat what many consider to be the best fish tacos in San Diego. Grab a seat at the bar and choose from an ever-changing array of fresh grilled fish from lobster to mahi-mahi. Visit on Tuesday for $4 tacos, Friday for $1 oysters, and Sunday for $10 bottles of bubbly.

Get bold Sichuan flavors with loads of chili peppers at this restaurant, where food is served family style, and “mild” is not an option. If you speak Mandarin, you're in luck, but if you don't, simply point at the menu with full color photos of every dish, including the top selections like deep-fried chicken cubes with hot pepper, or the fish fillet with chili. The duck with spicy sauce has a kick, as do most items on the massive 175-item menu. This authentic Chinese restaurant liberally uses both spicy chilis and Sichuan peppercorn-like peppers in their dishes, so get ready for a tingling, but pleasant numbing effect with every bite. Fortunately the menu is marked with chili pepper icons as warnings.

This 50,000-square-foot monument to beer and good food is a crowd-pleaser, especially for fans of San Diego’s nationally known craft beer scene. The global menu features dishes like the Bavarian pretzel and Brewmaster's Beef Dip that pair perfectly with on-tap and bottled beers from around the world and Stone’s famous IPAs. Dine indoors in high-ceiling rooms guarded by etched-metal gargoyles and lit by beer-bottle chandeliers. Or, relax outdoors where parents often unwind as their kids enjoy the patio. Before leaving, browse the company store for hip logo wear like hats and hoodies.

If the chef at this La Jolla bakery looks familiar, it's because she won Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship in 2015. Since that win, chef Maeve Rochford has made a name for herself as a celebrity chef and owner of Sugar and Scribe, offering baked goods like delicious scones as well as sit-down options (final seating 2 pm) like lobster Benedict, Irish sausage rolls, and irresistible blueberry pancakes with fresh-plucked berries, edible flowers, and vanilla whipped cream. For a La Jolla summer cool down, try the horchata latte.

With seven total locations in the city, Tajima has become a favorite source for ramen-hungry San Diegans. Climb into a cozy booth and order a Japanese craft beer or sake before diving into one of the five types of ramen—all of which come in hefty portions with affordable price tags—including an excellent vegan version with spinach noodles. Add-ins include accoutrements like kimchi, fried garlic, black garlic oil, and corn. Non-ramen options span sushi hand rolls, rice bowls, and Karaage, a Japanese-style fried chicken served with mayo.

Dine any time of day at this French-inspired café a block from San Diego Bay, as breakfast commences at 7 am with homemade granola, quiche, and just-baked coffee cakes and croissants. Sandwiches, salads, and soups round out the daytime menu, while dinner highlights include the catch of the day. Just be sure to save room for the Paris-pretty desserts.

Grab some noodles, sushi, or Japanese tea and treats at this pavilion located in the center of the park. The large outdoor patio is a great place to rest and recharge before seeking tranquility in the adjacent Japanese Friendship Garden.

It’s hard to top this longtime, nautical-styled Harbor Island restaurant’s views across San Diego Bay to the Downtown skyline and Coronado Bridge. An alfresco dining deck and a contemporary seafood-focused menu ensure the dining experience at this working lighthouse doesn't take a back seat to the scenery. Sample the iced shellfish platter before moving on to traditional lobster bouillabaisse and paella or grilled prawns with spicy grits. The family-owned institution also serves a popular Sunday brunch that stars crab legs, peel-and-eat shrimp, smoked salmon, and oysters along with mimosas. Prefer beer? Choose from a long list of on-tap and bottled craft brews.

Perched on a rooftop in La Jolla, this café features a mindful menu of bowls, tacos, and other creative entrées that are all 100% organic, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, seed-oil free, and soy-free. There's also a boutique with sustainable products and a yoga studio with aerial yoga, sound healing, and training workshops.

Two sons carry on the tradition of Italian home cooking begun by their father more than 60 years ago at this neighborhood favorite. House specialties like shrimp puttanesca, and bow-tie pasta tossed with prosciutto, peas, and mushrooms in a rose-tinted cream sauce reflect the family’s origins in Southern Italy. The well-priced selection of veal, chicken, and seafood dishes is excellent, but many regulars settle for the lavishly garnished antipasto salad and one of the tender-crusted signature pizzas.