CALIFORNIA
San Diego's Best Restaurants: 28 Amazing Spots for 2025
Matsu
By Mei Chen | Feb. 19, 2025
San Diego’s food scene is one of those things locals get evangelical about, like perfect surf breaks and the inferiority of L.A. burritos. It’s a city that takes tacos as seriously as it takes biotech, and yet it’s just as likely to impress with a perfectly executed omakase or a slice of pizza worthy of a New York transplant’s begrudging approval.
I’ve spent enough time eating my way through this town to know that for every overhyped tourist trap, there’s a spot turning out legitimately great food, the kind that makes you reroute your plans just to eat there again. Here then are the 28 best restaurants in San Diego right now.
1. Valle
222 N Pacific St | Website | Instagram
Located near the Oceanside Pier, Valle is Chef Roberto Alcocer's homage to Baja California's Guadalupe Valley. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2023, with a menu that features dishes like a fluffy tamal paired with earthy mole and bright herbs. The wine list is exclusively sourced from the region, enhancing the authentic experience.
2. Addison
5200 Grand Del Mar Way | Website | Instagram
Addison stands as Southern California's only three-star Michelin restaurant. Under the guidance of Chef William Bradley, the Carmel Valley restaurant offers a 10-course tasting menu that exemplifies California gastronomy. The ambiance is as refined as the cuisine, making it a pinnacle of fine dining in San Diego.
3. Matsu
626 S Tremont St | Website | Instagram
Tucked away in Oceanside, Matsu is the kind of place that makes you question all other sushi you've ever eaten. The 10-course tasting menu is a journey through flavors that'll make you forget you're not in Tokyo. At $185 a pop, it's not cheap, but neither is a plane ticket to Japan. They even offer a vegan option for $140, because apparently, plants can be fancy too. Open Thursday through Monday, it's the perfect excuse to call in sick on a Friday and pretend you're a food critic.
4. Callie
1195 Island Ave | Website | Instagram
East Village’s Callie is the kind of restaurant that makes you question why you don’t eat more saffron. Chef Travis Swikard spent over a decade in Daniel Boulud’s kitchen empire before bringing his Mediterranean sensibilities back home to San Diego, and it shows. The menu leans into big, sunny flavors—think kanpachi crudo kissed with fermented serrano chili and citrus. If you’re the type who judges a restaurant by its bread service (which, frankly, you should), the bubbly, blistered pita alone is worth the trip.
5. Nine-Ten
910 Prospect St | Website | Instagram
Nine-Ten has been quietly turning out some of San Diego’s best fine dining for years, though it still feels like it hasn’t quite gotten the hype it deserves. Inside La Jolla’s Grande Colonial Hotel, it’s the kind of place where you want to linger, preferably over a bottle of something well-aged and a plate of whatever chef Jason Knibb has decided to send out that night. The seasonal tasting menu is always a good bet, but if you’re ordering à la carte, don’t skip the wild king salmon—it arrives perfectly medium-rare, nestled against a tangle of heirloom tomatoes that actually taste like summer.
6. Dija Mara
232 S Coast Hwy | Website | Instagram
One of the best restaurants in Oceanside is a Balinese-inspired spot where the grilled roti is so good it should come with a warning label. The menu doesn’t play it safe: beef rendang is cooked down until the coconut milk forms a deeply caramelized crust, and the nasi goreng arrives topped with a perfectly runny egg, just begging to be mixed into the charred rice. If you want something lighter, there’s a citrusy sea bream ceviche that delivers just the right amount of makrut lime punch. Dija Mara’s laid-back surf-town vibe might lull you into thinking you’re just here for a casual meal, but the food is serious business.
7. Cucina Urbana
505 Laurel St | Website | Instagram
Cucina Urbana is where Italy meets California in a delicious culinary love child. With a wine shop boasting over 200 labels, you might forget there's food too. But don't, because their contemporary Italian dishes are worth remembering. Open daily with a happy hour that'll make you actually look forward to Mondays, it's no wonder they first snagged a Michelin Bib Gourmand way back in 2019. It's like the participation trophy of the culinary world, but way tastier.
8. Serea Coastal Cuisine
1500 Orange Ave | Website | Instagram
Perched in the Hotel del Coronado, Serea is all about sustainable seafood with a view. The charcoal grilled octopus might make you consider a life under the sea, while the crab cakes and caviar benedict at brunch is the bougie breakfast of champions. Just don't blame me when you can't fit into your swimsuit after. But hey, that's what cover-ups are for, right?
9. Wrench and Rodent
1815 S Coast Hwy | Website | Instagram
If the name doesn’t make you hesitate, then you’ll probably love this place. Wrench and Rodent is a scrappy little sushi bar in Oceanside where chef Davin Waite does whatever he wants—often with seafood scraps that other chefs wouldn’t touch. The result? Some of the most inventive, oddly compelling sushi in town, served in a spot that looks like it was decorated by an angsty teenager with a soft spot for Japanese punk rock.
10. Kingfisher
2469 Broadway | Website | Instagram
Golden Hill’s Kingfisher is sleek, stylish, and serving some of the most exciting Vietnamese food in the city. Lemongrass-marinated grilled pork chops come out smoky and impossibly juicy, turmeric-dill fish is bright and fragrant in all the right ways, and the cocktail list feels like it was designed by someone who actually enjoys drinking. It’s not trying to be traditional, but it’s also not trying too hard to be different—just a well-executed, thoughtful take on Vietnamese cuisine that happens to be one of the best meals in town.
11. Jeune et Jolie
2659 State St | Website | Instagram
If you’ve been to Carlsbad, you know it has all the excitement of a well-maintained cul-de-sac. But Jeune et Jolie, a one-Michelin-starred spot, is one reason to go. The restaurant delivers French food that feels fresh rather than fussy, with foie gras made for people who actually like foie gras and butter-soaked pastries that remind you why the French never gave up on carbs.
12. Cori Pastificio Trattoria
2977 Upas St | Website | Instagram
Cori Pastificio Trattoria makes pasta the way it was meant to be made—by hand, with heritage grains, and enough patience to make you rethink your grocery-store rigatoni. Chef Accursio Lota, a Sicilian with an obvious love for flour and water, keeps the menu tight, which means everything is done well. You’ll leave full, happy, and slightly annoyed that you ever settled for dried pasta.
13. Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way | Website | Instagram
San Diego’s pizza scene doesn’t get the same breathless coverage as the city’s taco game, but Tribute Pizza in North Park might just change that. It’s named for the owner’s habit of paying homage to his favorite pies—hence creations like the ‘Lady Diavola,’ a calabrese-and-pepperoni beauty that wouldn’t be out of place in Brooklyn. The crust has just the right amount of chew, the toppings are well-sourced, and the whole operation feels like it’s run by someone who actually gives a damn about doing pizza right. If you’re a purist, there’s an excellent margherita, but the move here is to trust the kitchen and order whatever special they’re pushing that night.
14. Morning Glory
550 W Date St | Website | Instagram
This is the breakfast place you come to when you want breakfast to be the highlight of your day. Morning Glory takes morning meals and turns them into something entirely new: soufflé pancakes that wobble like Jell-O, breakfast fried rice that’s better than most dinner entrees, all of it served in a pink neon dining room that looks like it was designed by someone who only works in pastels.
15. 3131
3131 University Ave | Website | Instagram
In the Gaslamp Quarter, 3131 is a sleek, confident restaurant that leans into well-executed, slightly indulgent fare—truffle mac and cheese, bourbon-glazed pork chops, the kind of dishes that feel like they belong in a dimly lit booth with a strong cocktail in hand. It’s modern without trying too hard, stylish but still comfortable. The menu changes enough to keep things interesting, but the through-line is always the same: bold flavors, good drinks, a place you want to take someone you actually like.
16. Trust Restaurant
3752 Park Blvd | Website | Instagram
The name sounds like something from a corporate team-building exercise, but you can have faith in the matchup of chef Brad Wise and pastry chef Jeremy Harville. A Hillcrest favorite, Trust lands with wood-fired everything, meaning your vegetables, seafood, and meats all get a good dose of smoke before they hit the table. The beef tartare is a must, unless you have strong feelings about eating raw things, in which case, maybe skip right ahead to whatever Harville is doing that night for dessert.
17. Mabel’s Gone Fishing
3770 30th St | Website | Instagram
If gin bars and Spanish seafood had a love child, it would be Mabel’s. This North Park spot is all about gin-based drinks and fish that doesn’t need much dressing up. The swordfish schnitzel is oddly perfect, and if you’re into raw stuff, the seafood towers here could double as centerpieces at an upscale wedding.
18. Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave | Website | Instagram
Sushi Tadokoro doesn’t mess around. This Old Town spot specializes in Edomae sushi, meaning the fish is aged, marinated, or otherwise tweaked for maximum flavor. Chef Takeaki Tadokoro serves it in a no-frills setting where the focus is on quality rather than theatrics, which is rare in a city where sushi spots are starting to resemble EDM festivals.
19. PHOnomenal
811 K Ave | Instagram
PHOnomenal in National City is generating serious buzz with its Cambodian-style pho. They're all about the beef ribs, slow-cooked in a broth that's both rich and subtly sweet. It's a family recipe three decades in the making. Pro-tip: get there early or risk missing out on the magic.
20. Wolf in the Woods
1920 Fort Stockton Dr | Website | Instagram
Wolf in the Woods is one of those places that feels effortlessly cool. Located in Mission Hills, this small but mighty restaurant serves tapas like boquerones and steak tartare and also larger dishes like hen of the woods mushrooms over creamy polenta. Oh, also there’s enough wine on their list to make you consider staying for another round. The intimate setting makes it feel like you’ve stumbled upon something special, which, in a way, you have.
21. Kindred
1503 30th St | Website | Instagram
South Park's metal-themed vegan paradise, Kindred, is proof that plants can rock hard. With an average cocktail price of $13, it's cheaper than therapy and probably more effective. Open daily, because plants don't take days off, and neither should you. Just don't blame me if you start headbanging to your salad.
22. Le Coq
7837 Herschel Ave | Website | Instagram
In La Jolla, Le Coq is a French steakhouse helmed by Chef Tara Monsod, a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist. The menu features dishes such as a tuna crudo and creamed spinach with an onion soubise, all served in a sophisticated atmosphere that pays homage to classic French dining.
23. Meet Dumpling
2907 Shelter Island Dr | Website | Instagram
Meet Dumpling proves that sometimes, all you need for a great meal is dough and something to put inside it. Meet Dumpling cranks out handmade dumplings with fillings that range from classic pork and chive to inventive creations that could probably stand alone as entrees. The open kitchen means you get to watch the magic happen, which is great, unless you’re the type who prefers to believe good dumplings just appear out of thin air.
24. La Fachada
20 25th St | Instagram
La Fachada is a no-frills taqueria that serves tacos the way they’re meant to be: meat sliced straight off the trompo, tortillas warm and pliant, salsas that actually require a little bravery. The al pastor is the move here, marinated in just enough spice to keep things interesting but not so much that it overshadows the char. Burritos are the size of your forearm and packed with enough carne asada to feed a small family. You’ll eat at a plastic table outside, probably under a string of Christmas lights that have been up since 2003, and you won’t care at all because the food is that good.
26. The Kitchen at MCASD
700 Prospect St | Website | Instagram
There’s something about eating inside a museum that makes you feel just a little more refined, like maybe, just maybe, you understand abstract expressionism after all. At The Kitchen, tucked inside the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla, you get a menu as meticulously composed as the paintings on the walls. Chef Tim Kolanko turns out hyper-seasonal dishes that read like a love letter to California produce—think halibut crudo with citrus and chile, or a ridiculously good mushroom risotto. Plus, the dining room’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer ocean views so dramatic they could probably land a solo exhibition.
27. Soichi
2121 Adams Ave | Website | Instagram
Soichi is an intimate Japanese restaurant where Chef Soichi Kadoya curates an omakase experience that has earned a Michelin star. The sushi here at this University Heights spot leans straightforward, impressive, and flaunts much skill, providing an authentic taste of Japan in the heart of San Diego.
28. Formoosa
4646 Convoy St | Website | Instagram
San Diego’s Taiwanese food scene isn’t exactly sprawling, but Formoosa makes the case that it should be. The beef noodle soup is the kind of thing you start thinking about halfway through your first bowl, wondering when you can justify coming back for another. The broth is rich but not overwhelming, the noodles just chewy enough to fight back a little. Gua bao come stuffed with a slab of pork belly that threatens to melt at the mere suggestion of a bite. It’s a cozy, casual spot where everything on the menu feels like a dish someone’s perfected over generations.
Mei Chen has worked for nearly a dozen start-ups in as many years, taking her to several California cities, from the Bay area to San Francisco. She can tell you the best Baja tacos just about anywhere. While she’s sure her current day job is permanent, she also has her eye on Carmel.
