7 Best Restaurants in San Diego, California

The family behind Pali Wine Co. opened Cellar Hand in 2024 after completely renovating an Irish pub into a large, breezy, European-style eatery hyper-focused on using all local ingredients and California-made wine. Sourcing everything from around 20 farms and fishermen, the menu changes every week depending on the season and availability, but certain stars always shine on the menu, like ethically raised meat from Thompson Heritage Ranch and fresh wood-fired pita with a full spread of Mediterranean-inspired dips. They're even making their own conservas (tinned fish) for the adventurous eater to munch on with homemade "Ritz" crackers.

Old-school wood-fire techniques meet modern architecture in this busy bistro where comic book–style art covers the concrete walls and the bottle-lined bar beckons locals and visitors alike. Locally sourced ingredients and smoky, savory flavors feature in the well-balanced menu; be sure to save room for one of the inspired desserts. Brunch seekers would do well to start with a sticky bun—they're easily big enough to share and are limited per day.

Step inside this restaurant, part of a tropical-style hotel complex and concert venue on Shelter Island, and discover a dining room that’s contemporary in look and outlook with amazing vistas of bobbing sailboats, seabirds, and sunsets. Hotel guests, concertgoers, yachties, and a few locals enjoy the contemporary menu featuring classic American fare like crab cakes, macadamia-crusted halibut, and Angus beef filet. After sharing an in-house dessert, stop by the bar next door to work off the calories dancing to live music.

Reservations are needed during concert nights; check the website for schedule.

Two restaurants in one share this enviable spot on the shore of Harbor Island: the splurge-worthy Island Prime steak house and the relaxed C Level with a choice terrace. Both venues tempt with unrivaled views of Downtown San Diego's skyline. Island Prime's surf-and-turf dinner menu offers a trio of fillets topped with blue cheese, wild mushrooms, and Alaskan king crab. At C Level, sharable plates are often Asian fusion-inspired, like the ahi stack with mango salsa and taro chips, or comfort food like lobster and fontina BLT. Of the nearly dozen desserts, don't miss the potted brownie banana split: homemade peanut butter ice cream over a warm brownie with dulce de leche, fudge, and brûléed bananas.

Owner Michael Rosen’s addition to San Diego’s restaurant scene fills an open-beamed space with seating for 250 and an open stainless-steel dream kitchen where diners can watch the chef and team in action. Culinary director Jon Sloan and executive chef Jonathan Kinsella source local farm-fresh ingredients for their “left-coast cookery” with a molecular gastronomic twist and a bit of whimsy. The salmon tataki hand roll provides a burst of umami delight, while the carne cruda tart mixes California cuisine with Baja California flair. The comfort-food crowd might want to order from the “secret menu” with its “In & Haute” burger served with fries. Save room for dessert; the rotating ice cream and sorbet act as perfect palate cleansers. Restaurant valet parking is only $15.

It’s hard to dine closer to the Pacific than at this venerable La Jolla Shores mainstay whose two-story-tall windows capture beachgoers, kayakers, snorkelers, and swooping gulls; if the tide is high, waves race across the sand and crash against the glass. The Maine lobster bisque comes coated in Meyer lemon cream with a cheddar biscuit, while the bluefin tuna is dressed in a togarashi aioli. Select from sides including pan-seared wild mushrooms, truffle yuca fries, and fire-roasted tudela artichokes.

This trendy La Jolla restaurant “plays” tribute to the past with its location inside William Kesling’s historic piano showroom where live music still plays during cocktail hour. The casual yet refined menu features steelhead trout, pan-roasted chicken, and unconventional Caesar salads topped with jalapeño rings and Parmesan shavings; be sure to request a side of the creamy coconut rice pilaf. Its corner location offers patio seating as well as a mid-century-meets-tropical-style lounge with a magnificent mural by artist, Eva Struble, and a travertine bar where mixologists pour Oaxacan negronis and cocktails named after birds. Arrive by 5:30 to hear an hour set of live piano on Wednesday and Sunday and live saxophone on Thursday.