An Eater’s Guide to San Diego (2024)

The weather in perpetually sunny San Diego sometimes overshadows the food, but the spotlight on the local restaurant scene is growing brighter by the day. There is a refreshing diversity of cuisines now available and the city’s chefs are capitalizing on their unparalleled access to a treasure trove of seasonal produce and seafood. Pair that with an industry-leading craft beer and co*cktail scene and you’ve got a recipe for a good time. This guide is a primer to all things San Diego dining, from details on the area’s iconic dishes to a breakdown of crucial neighborhoods to know.

Welcome to the Land of Laid-Back Dining

San Diego’s near-constant temperate climate means year-round outdoor dining, with flip flops and board shorts representing the uniform of choice. Though the city’s general sensibilities lean casual, that doesn’t mean its restaurants don’t cook with serious intention. From kitchens that are steadfastly dedicated to the farm-to-table philosophy to those faithfully translating traditional Asian flavors — Japanese cuisine is particularly strong here — San Diego is much more than just sandy beaches and sunshine. And many local attractions are highlighted by worthy food: Take in a Padres game to sample some of the best ballpark eats in the country or day trip to Mexico to explore its culinary wonders.

And finally, the food scene at large is taking notice of San Diego: the 2023 Michelin Guide California includes the one Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie, Soichi Sushi, Sushi Tadokoro, and Valle as well as the three Michelin-starred Addison.

For a quick San Diego snapshot, savor local seafood at the Fishery followed by tacos at Tacos El Gordo, chase it with a pint of beer at Blind Lady Ale House or a margarita at Cantina Mayahuel, and cap things off with seasonal pie at Tribute Pizza and a final nightcap at Noble Experiment.

Eater has spent lots of time rounding up the best of the best in San Diego to make hunting for food streamlined and easy with special maps in categories that make the most sense to San Diegans. Even still, it’s a lot of information to sift through, so for those who are particularly hungry or short on time, Eater editors have collected the best of the best here, along with listing several food categories that shouldn’t be skipped in San Diego.

Hot Restaurants: The San Diego heatmap is designed to help make finding a new restaurant a little simpler. Updated monthly, the buzzy list includes Quixote, an Oaxacan hotspot, Marisi, a stylish hub for pasta and hearth cooking in La Jolla, and Bica, a charming neighborhood cafe .

Essential Restaurants: This guide is composed of 38 essential restaurants that help define San Diego and its cuisine. Updated quarterly, SoCal-Mediterranean standout Callie, seafood showcase Mabel’s Gone Fishing, modern Vietnamese stunner Kingfisher, and Atelier Manna, Eater’s 2023 Restaurant of the Year.

Hot Bars: San Diego’s co*cktail scene is progressive and diverse, ranging from hidden speakeasies to tropical tiki bar haunts. Updated monthly, the co*cktail heatmap includes the multiple bars within North Park’s renovated , If you’re looking for a dive bar, we’ve got you covered too.

Kimberly Motos

Tacos: Tacos are king in San Diego, with every local pledging allegiance to their favorite shop and style. The South Bay’s TJ Oyster Bar is a great spot for sampling Baja-style fish tacos, while Aqui es Texcoco specializes in lamb barbacoa.

Burgers: It’s nearly a requirement in San Diego that every dining establishment, from casual pubs to upscale restaurants, must have a burger. Luckily, many of them are worth ordering. Locals swear by the burgers at Rocky’s and Hodad’s.

Coffee: San Diego is all about beverage excellence, be that beer, co*cktails, or coffee, with new roasters and third-wave cafes opening regularly. James Coffee Co. and Lofty Coffee are just two area roasteries that operate their own cafe locations.

Kimberly Motos

Filipino food: Home to the second largest Filipino-American population in the nation, San Diego County offers casual cafeterias as well as traditional Filipino restaurants but more progressive takes on classic dishes can be found at Animae and White Rice Bodega.

Ramen: Japanese food is one of San Diego’s strong suits and the city’s ramen options are particularly notable. Though all styles are represented, classic tonkotsu reigns supreme; several shops even make their own noodles. Located within Mitsuwa Marketplace, Santouka and Menya Ultra Ramen are local favorites while Ramen Nagi at Westfield UTC is also attracting consistent crowds.

Outdoor Dining: The enviable weather means that patio dining is a year-round pastime and there’s no shortage of rooftop bars, beer gardens, or charming sidewalk cafes. Dine on farm-to-table cuisine overlooking the Torrey Pines Golf Course on the deck at A.R. Valentien or take in views of the city skyline and descending planes from the rooftop at Mister A’s.

San Diego has a range of key neighborhoods offering various dining styles and cuisines, from buzzy restaurants to cozy gems to low-key mom-and-pop shops. Get to know each locale’s culinary personality by spending a day or evening dining your way through its restaurants; this list highlights a few of the standout spots in each area.

Little Italy

With roots in San Diego’s original Italian community, this waterfront neighborhood has become the epicenter of buzzy restaurants in recent years. Its walkable streets offer everything from casual cafes to celebrity chef showcases.

Get a taste of the old country at Mona Lisa Italian Foods or Assenti’s Pasta, both of which have been fixtures in the area for decades, supplying handmade pasta, fresh sausages, and stacked sandwiches.

Though it still holds a fair number of Italian restaurants, the area has become the home to some of San Diego’s highest-profile restaurants including , Juniper and Ivy, Kettner Exchange, and Born and Raised.

Kearny Mesa

Haley Hill Photography

Anchored by Convoy Street, this compelling neighborhood is the de facto hub for Asian food in San Diego. A diverse crowd frequents its unpretentious restaurants featuring a wide array of regional cuisines, as well as boba tea and dessert shops.

Yakitori Taisho has become a treasured favorite of local chefs and fans of skewered meat. Artfully grilled at this jewel box-sized restaurant, the menu offers more than just basic skewer options, including every part of the chicken. Its restaurant relation, Yakitori Hino, is also a popular industry hangout for skewers.

Down the street, Menya Ultra Ramen is the gold standard, known for its bowls of well-balanced broth and springy noodles. Eater San Diego’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year, Menya is still drawing crowds to Kearny Mesa, where its Japanese ramen master oversees the daily production of small batches of noodles.

Finish off an evening in the neighborhood at Realm of the 52 Remedies, a hidden-entrance speakeasy that could double as a sexy set from Crazy Rich Asians with its glittering bar and lotus-shaped booths. Aside from a cinematic experience, the co*cktail lounge features drinks made with Japanese whisky and Chinese bai jiu and a bar food menu that’s worth making a meal from.

Barrio Logan

Art and food are the main attractions of this vibrant neighborhood close to downtown. Tour the fascinating murals of Chicano Park and browse the area’s boutiques and galleries while checking out one of its well-established Mexican restaurants.

Fish Guts sources local rockfish for a variety of classic and more creative fish tacos while the James Beard-nominated, Latinx-owned-and-operated Border X Brewing offers a taste of San Diego’s talents with craft beer inspired by traditional Mexican drinks like horchata and jamaica. Feeding the community since 1933, Las Cuatro Milpas is revered for its homemade tortillas and comforting bowls of rice and beans. And Hayes Burger is already among the city’s essential burger joints.

La Jolla

Haley Hill Photography

Often referred to as the “Jewel by the Sea,” the coastal community of La Jolla is known for its picturesque beaches and stately homes. Its main thoroughfare, Prospect Street, alternates with boutiques and ocean-view restaurants ranging from casual to high-end.

Visit George’s at the Cove, a multi-level dining complex, which includes a rooftop terrace cafe and a co*cktail bar lounge, or head to La Jolla Shores for Sandpiper’s fresh oysters and wood-grilled meats.

It would be a shame to visit La Jolla without eating some seafood. El Pescador is exceedingly popular with locals for its market, where cases are stocked with fresh catches from the waters of Baja and San Diego, and customers can find a straightforward menu of salads, sandwiches, and grilled fish plates.

Technically located in the adjacent neighborhood of Bird Rock, is a destination bakery and cafe that frequently sells out of its exemplary baked goods, from croissants and English muffins to loaves made with heirloom grains.

North County

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North County comprises a number of communities situated north of San Diego proper, including Carlsbad and Vista. Known for world-famous surf spots and pricey homes, this area may be in the suburbs, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on good food.

Market Restaurant + Bar is an upscale, farm-to-table temple presided over by chef Carl Schroeder — a Culinary Institute of America and Michael Mina alum — while chef Davin Waite is renowned for his unconventional but reverential take on sushi at Oceanside’s Wrench and Rodent. And in Carlsbad, chef Eric Bost leads the Michelin-starred, French-inflected Jeune et Jolie as well as the more casual Campfire. And don’t miss Atelier Manna, a dreamy daytime cafe in Leucadia.

San Diego Glossary of Terms

Baja-Style Fish Tacos

While you’ll find versions of fish tacos where the fish is simply grilled or sauteed, Baja-style reigns at most local restaurants. With roots in Ensenada, Mexico, this taco features beer-battered fried fish tucked into a corn tortilla and topped with shredded cabbage, salsa, and crema. Our fish taco map will help you find the best versions to sample.

California Burrito

Thought to have originated in San Diego, this taco shop staple is a carb-loaded behemoth stuffed with carne asada, French fries, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and sometimes guacamole. It rivals carne asada-topped fries — also a San Diego invention — as a favorite late-night fuel.Check out this list of standout California burritos to try.

Sea Urchin and Spot Prawns

These highly prized, locally harvested treasures of the sea can be found when in season at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market or the TunaVille Market and Grocery as well as on the menus of local restaurants and sushi bars.

Old Town

Typically known for its tourist traps doing an approximation of authentic Mexican food, the area does have a few bright spots including Tahona and its companion speakeasy Oculto 477.

Balboa Park

One of San Diego’s prized attractions for locals and tourists, filled with a world-class lineup of museums, is increasingly becoming a worthy dining destination. There’s the all-outdoor Panama 66, the Prado, and Artifact, a Michelin-recognized restaurant whose menu draws inspiration from the global collection at the Mingei International Museum.

Reservations to Make in Advance

Even on peak nights, you’ll usually be able to find somewhere to eat at the last minute since dining out in San Diego is a generally relaxed endeavor, but there are still some places where you’ll want to book as far in advance as possible. With space at a premium, sushi bars tend to fill up quickly, so at top spots like Soichi Sushi and Sushi Tadokoro, where sitting in front of a sushi master is the only way to go, make sure to reserve yourself a seat ahead of time. Reservations are also a must at high-profile chef showcases like Animae, home to James Beard Award finalist Tara Monsod.

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