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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.
A golden-domed pizza oven, named Sofia after the owner’s daughter, delivers authentic Neapolitan-style pizza to fans who often line up for patio tables at this kid-friendly Italian restaurant in South Park. Pizzas make a meal or can be shared, but don’t miss the equally delicious appetizers, heaping salads, or fresh pastas, and be sure to save room for some dolci.
What do you get when you mix the magic of wood-fired steak with innovative Tuscan-inspired cuisine? You get this Italian chophouse experience from chef Brad Wise where each meal feels like a journey through the Italian countryside, but with five-star execution. Filet mignon carpaccio and charred lamb "lollipops" whet appetites before a parade of pastas—spicy rigatoni, tagliatelle carbonara, and more cater to any shape, any preference. Wood-fired delights follow, from marbled New York strips to lemon-zested swordfish and melt-in-your-mouth filet mignons. Equal attention is heaped on sides and desserts, from crispy pillows of fingerling potatoes to a perfectly balanced affogato. When in doubt, put yourself in the chef's hands for the four-person Tuscan experience, a prix-fixe selection of menu favorites.
A wall of Mason jars with pickled vegetables and brined olives transports you to an Italian market in Rome where the owner’s mother perfected generations of recipes that have made their way into this Point Loma eatery. Since its 2019 opening, customers have lined up for generous portions of homemade Italian staples including pasta, gnocchi, meatballs, sausage, bread, and decadent desserts. Choose your pasta shape, sauce, and topping, or simply lean on the advice of the knowledgeable waitstaff. The bone marrow and tagliata are cooked to perfection, and the spaghetti with mussels and clams will have you reenacting Lady and the Tramp. For the finale, get your camera ready for the table-side tiramisu drenched in espresso and topped with mascarpone fresco. The outdoor patio is inviting year-round, even in winter when heat lamps, wool blankets, and sheepskin rugs keep things cozy.
Thirtysomethings mingle with boomers in this convivial Bankers Hill dining room and bar, one of the most popular restaurants in town. The open kitchen turns out innovative Italian food with a California sensibility including a selection of small plates and family-style pasta dishes alongside traditional entrées. Popular dishes include the crowd-pleasing short-rib pappardelle, fried stuffed squash blossoms, creamy mascarpone polenta, and thin-crust pizzas. At the in-house wine shop, purchase reasonably priced bottles from California and Italy opened table-side for a $10 corkage fee.
The ultramodern Italian eatery gets cheers for its design and cuisine from hip Little Italy residents and visitors alike. Diners linger over drinks and homemade pasta at the friendly long bar and more intimate upstairs dining room. Small plates designed for sharing include fried risotto balls and meatballs with a spicy tomato dipping sauce, and the 60-pound Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel is a sight to behold. Pasta Your Way offers your choice between 9 pastas, 7 sauces, plus additions like sausage, shrimp, or mushrooms if desired. Traditional soups, salads, and meat and seafood dishes pair well with one of the many Italian wines available by glass or bottle. Parking can be challenging but the Little Italy valet service is available after 5 pm.
This long-standing North Park coffee roaster and café expands its evening offerings to include local beer, wine, and Italian-style cocktails.
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.
This diminutive addition to Little Italy was once a pet store and grooming shop, but the Buslacchi family swapped fur and feathers for fringe and a bit of a frou-frou feel. Come for a drink and appetizer of short rib arancini before heading next door to Barbusa for dinner, or stay and enjoy a plate of gnocchi with a Lala martini, a surprisingly spicy take on the classic cocktail.
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.
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.
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.
