Best Place Where to Eat in San Diego California

Everyone may find something to enjoy in America's Finest City, which offers everything from quaint bistros in Little Italy to secluded retreats and eating by the ocean. San Diegans are eager to sample the newest trends, including a showy Italian newcomer in the Gaslamp Quarter, a new vegetarian restaurant in La Jolla, and neighborhoods like Mission Valley that are emerging as culinary powerhouses. Remember that even though most pandemic laws have been eliminated (we can only hope! ), the restaurant business is still dealing with related personnel shortages and supply chain problems. All the more incentive to tip your staff generously and to behave nicely when dining out. Whatever your cravings are, San Diego's restaurants are prepared to deliver the best of what our city has to offer.

And even though, in the opinion of this former New Yorker, we still don't have the best bagels, pizza, or pastrami, we do have some worthy competition in the form of four Michelin-starred restaurants, incredible independents, a thriving craft-beer scene, and, of course, some of the best taco shops in the country. Being so close to the border, Mexican food is obviously a must-try local delicacy in San Diego. Here are my recommendations for the must-try restaurants in San Diego that even compare to my absolute faves from back in New York City, whether you're looking for a quick nibble or a meal to celebrate a big event. Our picks for the sexiest, tastiest, and freshest spots in town are listed below:

LAVO

By occupying the location where Searsucker once stood, Tao Group Hospitality, which manages an incredible variety of lovely restaurants and nightlife venues around the world, delivers LAVO to the Gaslamp Quarter in grand style. Along with the fifteen-foot ceilings, open kitchen, and long, three-sided bar that is ideal for watching the game or having drinks with your friends, there is lots of warm, honey-colored wood and aesthetically pleasing lighting. A surprising amount of traditional Italian-American dishes, including Chicken Parmigiana and Penne Alla Vodka, can be found on Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella's menu, along with four sizable steaks and a rack of lamb. The Meatball, a one-pound orb of luscious, garlicky ground Wagyu over tangy marinara and presented Instagram-style in a cast iron pan, comes somewhere between the appetizers and salads. The 20 Layer Chocolate Cake is a devil's food cake and peanut butter mascarpone tower that is almost too beautiful to eat, but we have trust that you'll find a way to finish your dinner with it.

Rudy's Tacos

Every San Diegan has a favorite neighborhood taco joint, and mine is Rudy's Tacos in a strip mall in Solana Beach with a Mercado. When they come to visit, my kids always request it as their first meal. The food is great, fresh, and family-owned, and the atmosphere is relaxed and real. Without trying one of San Diego's fish tacos, you can't leave the city. Although I prefer the "mega nachos," which are topped with shredded chicken, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, any of the burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or tacos are good choices. It's Mexican soul cuisine to me.

Lapper Kitchen + Tap

At Lapper Kitchen + Tap, the last component of Town and Country Resort's multi-million dollar makeover, it's always summer. Thelma, a neon tribute to Thelma Payne, an Olympic diver who won a bronze medal, keeps an eye on the lovely swimming pool from the airy, informal café. In the 1920s, Jantzen swimsuit advertisements featured Thelma's flawless physique. Comfort food classics including Surf and Turf Nachos, Baja Fish Tacos, Snap-O-Razzo® Beef Hot Dogs, and Fish and Chips are all featured on Chef Ernesto Hernandez's menu. Drink a Stone Thelma Blond Ale, a unique brew created particularly for Lapper, or one of the many refreshing cocktails or mocktails available at the complete bar.

Liberty Station

Liberty Station, San Diego's first public market, is a gourmet's paradise and is located on the grounds of the former Naval Training Center. It has more than 30 eateries. The large food hall is perfect for gatherings where no one can decide what to eat because it offers lots of indoor and outdoor seating. My husband and I are frequently seen buying lobster rolls from Wicked Maine Lobster and ahi poke bowls from Local Greens USA, respectively. We never leave Le Parfait Paris without almond croissants or pain au chocolat. frequently both.

Wormwood

University Heights is getting a brand-new dining and drinking experience thanks to San Diego's first absinthe bar. Shareable entrees and small plates with French influences are updated for contemporary tastes and feature opulent dishes like Confit de Canard over Parisian gnocchi, banana vinegar beurre blanc, parsnips, and peanuts. Other delectable options include Siberian Sturgeon Caviar served with a sea urchin custard and eggplant crème fraîche. The cocktail menu offers a variety of non-absinthe drinks as well as more than 30 absinthes that are sourced from distilleries in New York, Louisiana, Europe, and other places. You can enjoy them in the classic Parisian style of the early 20th century by having them served from slow-drip fountains with a cube of sugar, or you can select from a menu of cocktails that feature both classic absinthe drinks and newly reimagined versions of old favorites. Wormwood hopes to provide a resource for learning about this enigmatic, frequently misunderstood spirit, much as its sibling eatery Tahona Bar.

Addison

The first and only two-Michelin starred restaurant in San Diego showcases Southern California cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients and a wide selection of wines to complement each course. The nine-course tasting menu created by Chef William Bradley, which is seasonal, is a feast for the senses and a wise investment because of the sheer number of outstanding items it offers. Guests staying at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar can comfortably retire to bed after a delicious lunch because Addison is close by.

Wolfie’s Carousel Bar

With dishes like Oysters Rockefeller made with Comté, shallots, spinach, and persillade, Wagyu Tartare with gremolata, quail yolk, and brioche toast points, and Steak Frites with an eight-ounce grilled Australian Wagyu New York strip, au Poivre sauce, and Pommes Frites, Wolfie's Carousel Bar offers stylish interpretations of the classics. Every 14 minutes, a stunning 24-seat carousel-shaped bar that gently turns and gives you a 360-degree panorama of the space is used by the beverage program to offer NOLA signature drinks like the French 75, Sazerac, and Belle Fille.

Black Radish

Formerly Tobacco Rhoda's, this meticulously renovated structure is now home to an elegant, laid-back restaurant with a fresh menu that combines the greatest elements of Southern California cuisine with current French techniques. You can mix and combine the courses on the menu, or you can opt for the four-course prix fixe option. Outstanding entrees include dishes like Riesling Braised Rabbit over saffron pearl couscous and roasted carrots or Wagyu Picanha and baby potatoes covered in a spicy herb bèarnaise sauce. Standout beginnings include Butter Poached King Crab with saffron aioli. The menu is rounded out by a dozen cocktails, beer, and wine by the glass, and a small bar menu offers snacks such as Rillette de Poulet and Kumamoto Oysters.

The Waverly

With Turkish Poached Eggs or Funfetti Pancakes, get your morning off to a great start with a Kingston King, a cold brew infused with Caffe Lolita, Jamaican rum, and mole bitters. If you prefer to drink in the afternoons, try a Sunny Day Old Fashioned with grilled selva shrimp or a double-double burger. The beautiful Roasted Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps and Spring Vegetable "Cronut" on the evening menu go nicely with a smokey Bodega Boy (mezcal, toasted rice, coconut, lime, and mango) or luscious Dark Horse (tequila Blanco, aloe, dry vermouth, salted orgeat, lime, cucumber, and activated charcoal).

Callie

Greek for "the most beautiful," Callie is senior chef Travis Swikard's endearing tribute to the Mediterranean coast. It offers delectable grilled fare like harissa-seasoned lamb chops and Aleppo chicken as well as sharing dips and spreads. The Mediterranean Feast is a five-course, family-style meal with an optional wine pairing. Let them customize your experience. Save room for dessert as well, especially the Eureka lemon Pavlova that is topped with pistachio halva and embellished with rose meringue kisses and honey-whipped labneh. Callie features an impressive craft cocktail menu, with Espresso Self (vodka, espresso, Nola coffee liqueur, vanilla bean, pistachio, and cardamom) serving as their take on the well-known Espresso Martini. The global wine list at Callie offers reds, whites, roses, skin-contact, and dessert options by the glass.