2 Best Restaurants in San Diego, California

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.

The Henry

$$ | Coronado

A more recent addition to the landscape of Orange Avenue, The Henry brings a more modern and spacious dining option to the small-town feel of Coronado Island. Though part of a small chain, the restaurant's cuisine is eclectic and inspired, with a menu full of both contemporary American staples and more innovative fusion offerings, including Korean prime skirt steak and a seared tuna chopped salad with sesame ginger vinaigrette. Whatever you order, make sure to pair it with one of their signature cocktails.

Paradis

$ | Mission Hills

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.

San Diego

San Diego

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