38 Best Restaurants in San Diego, California

Innovative restauranteur Tracy Borkum raised the bar of in-park dining with the unveiling of Artifact, located in the Mingei commons and courtyard. Taking culinary inspirations from around the globe, flavors and spices from Morocco to Peru are on display in lunch and dinner menus billed as "craft cooking inspired by ancient methods, spices and botanicals." Several vegan and gluten-free options are available. Breakfast and quick-serve options are available daily at the adjacent Craft Cafe.

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 tagliere cutting board is piled high with prosciutto, burrata, green olives, artichoke hearts, and marinated vegetables beckoning a dunk of focaccia with every bite, while the risotto 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. 

Design lovers will fall for celebrity chef Brian Malarkey's sprawling restaurant, a former art store that has been refashioned into four luxe spaces in one—an entryway lounge, outdoor lounge, fireplace-dotted patio, and the main dining room, which is flanked by beaded chandeliers, lush banquettes, and paintings in rich jewel tones. The menu is heavy on wood-roasted dishes, many of which are apt for sharing, like the roasted baby carrots or hiramasa with crispy quinoa. There are also larger options like an oxtail gnocchi and pizzas with toppings from mushrooms to bone marrow. 

Amid surf shacks and hippie beach bars, this restaurant perched on stunning Sunset Cliffs feels like a hidden European bistro. The sisters who run the show come from a long line of successful local restaurateurs and have brought their passed-down expertise to the thoughtful service and simple, healthy menu that features entrées like plant-based tacos, quinoa bowls, and the Bistro Burger with Hatch Chile cheddar on a brioche bun. The morning menu features chia seed puddings and baked eggs, which are a welcome contrast to the typical indulgent brunch fare.

Urbanites craving a hip casual setting and gourmet menu pack architectural salvage–styled Prep Kitchen Little Italy, tucked upstairs above a busy corner in this thriving neighborhood. With first-date cocktails, after-work brews, or birthday champagne, diners relish familiar choices like meatball sandwiches, chops, and pork belly with kimchi Brussels. Generously sized dishes like spicy Carlsbad mussels or fusilli Bolognese could serve as dinner for two. Farmers’ market flatbreads, changed daily, are made for sharing, too, while the hefty WNL Burger topped with bacon and egg is a staple lunch, brunch, and dinner. There are also locations in Del Mar and La Jolla.

One fan called it “a notch above amazing”—an accolade not expected for a Japanese eatery wedged in a strip mall in Pacific Beach. But it’s a destination for lovers of high-quality, superfresh raw fish from around San Diego and abroad; reservations strongly encouraged.

The front parking lot is very small, but there's additional parking behind the mall.

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.

Occupying a prime oceanfront lot just south of Crystal Pier, the views from the raised dining room are impressive. Throw in an excellent raw bar, a wide selection of shared plates, and a buzzy bar scene and you get Waterbar's "social seafood" concept.

Enthusiasts from around the world laud this combined wine shop, bar, and cozy California bistro. Available from lunch until 10 pm, the American bistro fare starts with baked Brie or chicken-liver mousse, moves on to savory short-rib sliders and seafood risotto, and ends with flourless chocolate marquise or goat’s milk cheesecake.

For more than 50 years, generations of San Diegans and visitors have enjoyed this Polynesian-theme icon with its stunning bay and city skyline views. The menu is a fusion of Hawaiian and Asian cuisines with standouts like the crispy ahi tuna, wok-fried bass, and pan-seared scallops with macadamia nut butter.

The ultramodern Italian eatery with young Milanese owners gets cheers for its design and cuisine from hip Little Italy residents and visitors alike. Diners linger over drinks and house-made pasta at the friendly long bar and more intimate upstairs dining room. Small plates designed for sharing include fried saffron risotto balls and meatballs with a spicy tomato dipping sauce. Pasta Your Way offers full and half-portion pastas with one of 10 sauces, plus chicken, shrimp, or meatballs 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.

Ocean Beach is a slightly eccentric beach town, not a place diners would expect to find this warm, romantic bistro that evokes a French farmhouse. The satisfying French-inspired menu of soups, woodstone-oven flatbreads, mussels, and other bistro classics is served in cozy dining rooms and a rustic outdoor patio. Go traditional with boeuf bourguignonne or chicken fricassee or spice it up with a flatbread topped with goat cheese, roasted beets, and curry onion jam.

A restaurant and gourmet market converge at this boisterous warehouse-like space that's outfitted in copper light fixtures, intricate tilework, and marble-topped tables. Dining here is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the stomach, with house-made pastas, freshly shaken cocktails, and Italian meats that double as decor thanks to the open-kitchen culinary stations. The menu is broken up into appetizers like smashed avocado bruschetta and can't-miss meatballs before moving on to pizzas, pastas, and more hearty fare like lamb osso buco or sea bass with toasted farro and chive oil. Postdinner, stop by the market for olive oils, sauces, cookbooks, and other treats.

One of the few restaurants with a view that's also worth eating at, Brockton Villa is tucked in an historic cottage on a hillside above La Jolla Cove. Food is served all day, but this dining spot excels at brunch and lunch when ocean views are best. Snag a seat by the fireplace and start the day with their famous soufflé-like orange-scented Coast Toast, breakfast tacos, or the popular blue crab–cake eggs Benedict. For lunch enjoy the curry chicken salad wrap, a lobster roll, or chopped Mediterranean salad. During the late-afternoon social hour, a bottle of wine and artisanal cheese board are only $30.

While 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.

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 boeuf bourguignon and moules marinière as well as California standbys like rockfish ceviche in tomatillo sauce.

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 mind-set 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, and wood-fire dishes that include bone marrow, roasted carrots, and rib eye. Save energy for the potent rum drinks at False Idol, the in-house tiki bar accessible only through the walk-in cooler.

With its innovative, affordable Italian food, polished service, bustling bar scene and olive tree–shaded patio, this Chicago transplant is right at home in Little Italy. Sip the Davanti Spritz (Aperol, prosecco, and soda) while nibbling on their famous cheesy focaccia sweetened with honey or antipasti cheeses, meats, and olives. Dine family-style, sharing slices of thin-crust pizza, plates of classic pastas like cacio e pepe, or a steaming bowl of mascarpone polenta topped with the ragu of the day. Desserts veer classic Italian, like tiramisu, cannolis, and a goat cheese cheesecake. There's a second location in Del Mar.

Big caloric portions and long lines are hallmarks of this Southern-accented comfort food destination where hungry regulars from near and far line up for an indulgent meal in the crowded (and sometimes noisy) dining room. Bring an appetite and a friend; sharing plates is a necessity here.

Hundreds of piranhas cover one wall of this soaring, nautically themed dining room dedicated to fresh seafood in all its guises. At the raw bar with its refrigerated metal top, a half dozen or more varieties of oysters are available for slurping, along with drinks from the booklet-size cocktail menu. Platters for sampling and sharing—a mix of oysters, shrimp, mussels, and lobster—can be ordered for up to eight people. For entrées, day-catch fish and lobsters just plucked from a tank can be savored grilled or à la plancha. Other specialties range from zesty mussels with bacon to a hefty lobster roll slathered with brown-butter mayo.

Tucked bay-side between Harbor and Shelter islands, Jimmy's (JFAT for short) draws hungry boaters and sea lovers with its marina views and elevated backyard-barbecue faves like the Cowboy burger with crispy onion rings and pecanwood bacon. The interior blends varnished wood with industrial-chic I beams and garage-style doors, plus there's a patio facing the water. Happy Hour 3–6 draws a crowd for $9 cocktails and $12 burgers. Bottles of the company’s zesty chipotle ketchup now can be purchased to take home.

This outcrop of the Brigantine chain brings a modern vibe to Shelter Island with a beer-friendly menu as impressive as the harbor view. For a true San Diego dining experience, try the California tuna bowls, surf n’ turf fondue, or chili-glazed salmon with kale hash. There are plenty of gluten-free and vegan dishes to boot, including seafood salad, steamed clams, and crispy buffalo cauliflower. Weekend brunch (10–3) and daily Happy Hour (3–6), pack the house. For grab n’ go, swing by the walk-up window offering the same menu.

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 through close, 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 and spicy dipping sauce are 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.

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. A friendly, 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 fresh fish to prepare at home.   

Located on the fringe of Little Italy’s bustling restaurant scene, this intimate Argentine steak house is named for a Buenos Aires waterfront neighborhood home to generations of Italian immigrants. The dimly lighted spot may not be as trendy as other dining spots here, but it's still a romantic and comfortable destination for visitors and neighborhood regulars. Patio seating is perfect for happy-hour munching on popular empanadas or tender marinated octopus in olive oil and garlic. The many steaks get a flavor boost from the tangy chimichurri sauce; other entrées include seafood, pasta, and the traditional Milanese, a breaded chicken cutlet.