10 of the Best San Diego Restaurants (2024)

San Diego is a beautiful city that lies right along the coastline of Southern California. While the city may be more known for its world-class zoo, mild climate all year round, and stunning beaches, its restaurants are not to be overlooked. To break down this city’s culinary scene, we’ve spent hours hunting down the 10 best San Diego restaurants to share with you – from local favorites to award-winning spots. Let’s dig in!

As soon as you sit down at one of San Diego’s many restaurants, you’ll discover for yourself that San Diego is so much more than just a city with eye-catching views and nice weather. Whether you’re planning a short business trip, family getaway, or you’re a local, our personal roundup of the top restaurants in San Diego can make your inner foodie smile. Here’s our roundup of the city’s 10 best eateries.

1. Casa Lahori

Let’s start the list strong with Casa Lahori, a San Diego-based restaurant that offers Pakistani cuisine. According to Casa Lahori’s website, they take pride in crafting a menu that showcases an array of flavorful Pakistani dishes, such as chicken biryani and a hot and spicy samosa plate. The menu also features a wide selection of vegetarian options, and all the meat served is halal and locally sourced and from a verified meat supplier. And if you’re hoping to cater a small or large local event, Casa Lahori offers restaurant catering

A satisfied Google reviewer even claims San Diego was missing good Pakistani food and Casa Lahori has filled that gap. And it seems that many others agree, because the restaurant has racked up a 4.6-star-rating on Google from over four hundred reviews. In short, it’s no surprise that Casa Lahori has earned a spot on our list of best restaurants in San Diego.

2. The Winery Restaurant La Jolla

San Diego has easily become a top wine destination for tourists and locals alike, so it was a no-brainer to include The Winery Restaurant La Jolla in our list of top restaurants in San Diego. The restaurant is known for its Californian regional cuisine offerings and rotating weekly selection of 450 wines.

While the wine selection is quite excellent, so is the team at The Winery Restaurant La Jolla. The team at The Winery, which includes JC Clow, William Lewis, and Chef Yvon Gotez, earned the title of “Restaurateurs of the Year” and “Restaurant of the Year” multiple times. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Chef Yvon has also won an AAA Five Diamond Award.

Enough about the wine and the team behind The Winery La Jolla, let’s talk about the food! If you’re a sucker for a delicious prime rib, you’re in luck because The Winery’s restaurant specialty is only $59 on Sundays! The meal features a 14 ounce prime rib with your choice of soup or caesar salad, creamy mashed potatoes, and fresh garden vegetables – a perfect pairing for your choice of vino

3. Mia Trattoria

Sergio Torrisi, the owner of the Italian restaurant Mia Trattoria, is truly living his dreams after opening the restaurant in 2017 with the goal of bringing a taste of Rome to Bankers Hill in San Diego. As the restaurant’s website mentions, Torrisi and his family have over two decades of restaurant experience operating two well-known restaurants in Rome, Italy.

So if you’re eager to have a taste of Rome, Italy right here in San Diego and support a family owned and operated business, Mia Trattoria is the place to go. You’ll find authentic pasta dishes, saffron risotto, grilled octopus, and much more for both lunch and dinner.

4. Azuki Sushi

Has Japan been the bucket list destination on your list? Well, luckily you can enjoy a taste of Japan, right here in San Diego! Azuki Sushi is a quaint and modern Japanese restaurant offering exceptional quality fish straight from either Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market or local suppliers, ensuring only the freshest and most sustainable ingredients are being served. You can choose from the restaurant’s raw bar, chef selection nigiri and sashimi, specialty rolls, and even Miyazaki A5 wagyu beef.

Given how expensive it is to fly to Japan in this economy, dining at Azuki Sushi can be a great alternative, especially if you’re a San Diego local. However, don’t just take our word for it on why this is one of the best restaurants in Little Italy San Diego – you can see for yourself by reading through the hundreds of positive reviews left by past customers on Google. And if you can’t visit the physical restaurant location to dine-in? You can check out Azuki Sushi’s website and order from a selection of delicious Japanese eats for pick-up.

5. Ironside Fish and Oyster

With San Diego located along the Pacific coastline, you’d certainly expect a seafood restaurant to be on our list of one of the best restaurants in San Diego. And you’d be absolutely right! The seafood spot we’d like to highlight as one of the best places to eat in San Diego is Ironside Fish and Oyster, which is highly recommended by locals and tourists alike, with an outstanding 4.5 stars on Google and over 4,200 reviews. The customers’ positive sentiments are echoed on other review sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp, which easily makes it one of the 10 best restaurants in Little Italy San Diego.

As for what you can expect from dining at Ironside Fish and Oyster, this renovated warehouse turned restaurant space offers various seafood dishes on its menu, including fish n’ chips, lobster rolls, shrimps, octopus, and the list goes on. Drop in Monday to Friday between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to enjoy happy hour and snatch as many of those $1 oysters as you can!

6. Valle

Valle is a one-Michelin star awarded Mexican restaurant located right on the coastline of Oceanside, making it one of the best restaurants in San Diego with a view. The restaurant received its Michelin star for its tasting menu, which pays homage to Californian produce and boasts an extensive wine list. The tasting menu is priced at $185, plus an additional $150 for a Mexican wine pairing, or an additional $210 for a global wine pairing.

To take dining at this stunning restaurant to the next level, you can choose to enjoy an exclusive Chef Table Experience with Valle’s Chef Roberto. However, it’s important to note that if you’re looking to indulge in this experience, it is only available Tuesday to Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Impeccable food and service at one of the best San Diego restaurants with a view? You can’t beat that!

7. Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub

Co-founded over a decade ago by Davin and Jessica Waite, Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub is a sushi lover’s paradise with an impressive restaurant social media following of over 40,000 followers.

The restaurant’s website describes it as “a space for culinary exploration and collaboration,” and a perfect example of this is showcased on its menu, which highlights unique aging techniques and unexpected dishes like aged toro with shio koji orange juice. Chef Davin was recently featured by Chef Works in its Finishing Touch series, where he talks about using every piece of the fish and respecting all ingredients.

Whether you choose to indulge in Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub’s $80 omakase offering or its a la carte menu, you’re in for a treat. There are also plenty of plant-based options on the menu, including a plant-based version of its omakase that can be requested by guests. One thing’s for sure is there’s no shortage of delicious and high-quality sushi!

8. Fortunate Son

Fortunate Son is a cozy Chinese restaurant with rave reviews about its restaurant patio dining, food, and service, which makes it well-deserving of a spot in our best places to eat in San Diego list.

The San Diego reader also notes that it’s worth a visit to Fortunate Son to take in the restaurant’s stunning decor. The restaurant’s commitment to transforming both its indoor and outdoor space makes guests feel like they’ve been transported to China, despite the venue’s location in the heart of California.

Now, let’s talk about the food. One of the highly recommended dishes among customers is the honey walnut shrimp, which consists of crispy tempura shrimp, a milk and orange glaze, and a candied walnut crumble on top. Don’t forget to try one of Fortunate Son’s in-house specials, like its chongqing crispy tofu or cucumber salad!

Fortunate Son is only open for dinner between 5:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday. Our pro tip is to book a reservation well in advance, due to the restaurant’s popularity and notoriously long waits. So will you be fortunate enough to snag a table at Fortunate Son?

9. Nolita Hall

Speaking of a restaurant with a stunning interior, another place we’d like to call out as one of our picks of the best San Diego restaurants is Nolita Hall. This Italian restaurant was awarded an Orchid award for its stunning interior, as the venue features a u-shaped bar and 60 foot skylight. Nolita Hall. The restaurant is a bit of a media darling, which features including one of Axios San Diego’s “new favorite summer drinks,” one of the 10 best restaurants in Little Italy by LaJolla.com, and a feature in Eater San Diego for being one of the most fabulous restaurants with private dining rooms in San Diego.

You can enjoy the stunning space this restaurant has to offer while diving into its extensive Italian-American menu and trying one of the crisp wood-fire pizzas! Did we mention it has massive projectors and screens for top-notch entertainment viewing? Visit Nolita Hall and see for yourself if it lives up to the hype.

10. Neighborhood

Looking for one of the best restaurants in Downtown San Diego, with top-notch vibes and unique twists on some of your favorite comfort food? Neighborhood is San Diego’s local gastropub located in the East Village that serves everything from a classic mac and cheese to elevated charred bone marrow. The restaurant also serves its infamous caviar bumps for $20, where you’re served white sturgeon caviar, bump-style. Enjoy it with a beer shot for an extra $3 or half a mezcal for an additional $8.

Speaking of alcohol, hidden inside Neighborhood is a bar called Youngblood, which serves some of the finest cocktails not only in San Diego, but also in North America. In fact, it’s ranked no.49 on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars.

And if our recommendation to visit Neighbourhood as one of the best restaurants in Downtown San Diego isn’t enough, check out the thousands of glowing four star reviews left by satisfied guests across many major customer review sites.

Which of the best San Diego restaurants are you heading off to first? Let us know or shoot us a message if you think your San Diego restaurant should be featured.

10 of the Best San Diego Restaurants (1)

by Megan Lee

Megan is the Content Marketing Specialist at TouchBistro, where she uses her passion for food to write about the restaurant industry. She’s a big “foodie” at heart, and you can always find her enjoying a delicious meal at a restaurant with friends and family, or cooking one up at home. She also loves relaxing with a good book and making progress at the gym.

10 of the Best San Diego Restaurants (2024)

FAQs

What restaurants do celebrities go to in San Diego? ›

Top 10 Best Celebrity Sighting Restaurants Near San Diego, California
  • All "Celebrity Sighting Restaurants" results in San Diego, California - August 2024. Showing 1-60 of 97.
  • C Level. 4.3 (4.8k reviews) ...
  • Werewolf. 4.5 (5.5k reviews) ...
  • ALTITUDE Sky Lounge. 4.0 (1.7k reviews) ...
  • insideOUT. ...
  • The Lion's Share. ...
  • Coasterra. ...
  • Born & Raised.

Do any San Diego restaurants have a Michelin star? ›

Not only does San Diego County boast 5 MICHELIN Star restaurants, but it is also home to 10 Bib Gourmand restaurants, bringing exceptional dining at a lower price point to America's Finest City.

What is popular to eat in San Diego? ›

What to eat in San Diego: 12 must-try local delights
  • Fish tacos. Fittingly for a port city, high on any list of the best food in San Diego is its seafood. ...
  • 2. California-style pizza. ...
  • Baja-style oysters. ...
  • Guacamole. ...
  • 5. California burritos. ...
  • Carne asada fries. ...
  • Ceviche. ...
  • Surf 'n turf.
Sep 24, 2023

What is the #1 best restaurant in the US? ›

Le Bernardin Named Best Restaurant In The U.S. For Seventh Consecutive Year.

Can you see celebrities in San Diego? ›

Little Italy hotspot Barbusa is often credited with putting the historic San Diego neighborhood on the map. A night at Barbusa guarantees celebrity sightings like Conan O'Brien, Jack Harlow, Aaron Paul and “Bachelor” nation favorite Hannah Godwin.

Where do celebrities hang out in CA? ›

Where to Spot a Celebrity in Los Angeles
  • Palm trees, endless summers, and forever beach days aside, many people flock to Los Angeles with the hope of spotting someone famous. ...
  • Runyon Canyon. ...
  • Academy Museum. ...
  • Musso & Frank Grill. ...
  • Hollywood Roosevelt. ...
  • Beauty & Essex. ...
  • TCL Chinese Theatres. ...
  • Dan Tana's.

Which Gordon Ramsay restaurant has the most Michelin stars? ›

To date, Gordon Ramsay holds a total of 8 Michelin stars across the restaurants worldwide, including the flagship, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which has held three Michelin stars for more than 22 years. Michelin Guide newcomer, Restaurant 1890 was awarded its first star in February 2024.

Did Hatchet Hall lose its Michelin star? ›

Reception. Hatchet Hall was awarded one Michelin star in 2022, but lost the status in 2023.

How much does it cost to eat at Addison? ›

Our ten-course tasting menu evolves with the seasons and is available for $375 a person. We recommend wine pairings to enhance, and offer an extensive wine list showcasing top California vintages and newly discovered selections from around the globe.

What is San Diego's signature dish? ›

Even though nobody really knows where San Diego's most popular food, tacos came from, the origin is thought to be the Valley of Mexico where 16th-century people ate tortillas and fish. Some of San Diego's best tacos include regular slinging rolled tacos, Baja-fried fish tacos with birria and nose-to-tail lamb barbacoa.

What is most famous in San Diego? ›

What is San Diego Known For?
  • San Diego Padres.
  • Gaslamp Quarter.
  • San Diego beaches.
  • Old Town San Diego.
  • Balboa Park.
  • San Diego Zoo.
  • San Diego breweries.
  • And more!

What is the most popular part of San Diego? ›

A historic district popular with visitors, the Gaslamp Quarter is home to a number of top attractions like the Balboa Theatre, the Davis-Horton House, the New Children's Museum, and the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum. This is also a great place to stay in San Diego for tourists.

What is the only 7 star restaurant in the world? ›

Restaurants & Bars at the Burj Al Arab. Inspired by global fusion, the Burj Al Arab takes you on the most extraordinary, culinary journey across award-winning, mouth-watering cuisines.

What is the meanest restaurant in USA? ›

Dick's Last Resort is a bar and restaurant chain in the United States known for its intentional employment of an obnoxious staff who "purposely provide bad service". The chain was founded in Dallas, Texas in 1985 by Richard "Dick" Chase and currently operates thirteen locations across the United States.

Who is the number 1 chef in America? ›

Thomas Keller is an American chef who has been awarded titles like best chef in America and California multiple times. His restaurants hold seven Michelin stars. He worked his way from kitchen apprentice to very successful and famous chef over many years.

Where do celebrities stay in San Diego? ›

The red roof of this historic San Diego hotel has become one of the city's icons. The roster of Hollywood celebrities, U.S. Presidents, and other dignitaries who have stayed at the Hotel del Coronado since its opening in 1888 is nothing short of impressive.

What clubs do celebrities go to in San Diego? ›

Top 10 Best Celebrity Hangouts Near San Diego, California
  • C Level. 4.3 (4.8k reviews) 5.0 mi. 880 Hbr Is Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. ...
  • Raised By Wolves. 4.3 (1.9k reviews) 6.5 mi. 4301 La Jolla Village Dr, Ste 2030 San Diego, CA 92122. ...
  • The Secret Garden. 5.0 (2 reviews) 2.5 mi. 4677 30th St, San Diego, CA 92116. ...
  • Duke's La Jolla.

What celebrities have restaurants in California? ›

California celebrities whose restaurants were snubbed by the list include "Breaking Bad" star Dean Norris' Temecula eatery The Swing Inn Cafe, Robert De Niro's Nobu Malibu, Jessica Biel's Au Fudge in West Hollywood, Sammy Hagar's Red Rocker Bar & Grill in Roseville, and Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers with locations in ...

Where do celebrities vacation in California? ›

At the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard lies Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel at the heart of Beverly Hills. Since its inception in 1928, the hotel has been the favoured destination for high-profile Hollywood celebrities, including Elvis Presley, Warren Beatty, and Steve McQueen.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 6486

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.