Helping to kickstart the culinary evolution of Oceanside, Dija Mara has attracted the attention of the Michelin Guide, which honored it as a 2020 “new discovery”. The modern Indonesian restaurant conveys the complex flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine through its interpretation of some of the region’s signature dishes like beef short rib rendang and nasi goreng with chicken confit.

Another standout in Oceanside, this sushi spot showcases chef/owner Davin Waite’s unique skills with foraging and far-out flavor innovations. Though his approach is broad enough to include both traditional sushi and unconventional rolls paired with creative sauces, Waite is uncompromising in his care for ingredients.

Chic to the max, the second Carlsbad restaurant from the team behind Campfire applies a SoCal twist to modern French fare. An enviable open kitchen is its sparkling stage, turning out a sophisticated but not-at-all stuffy four-course menu from executive chef Eric Bost and chef de cuisine Jacob Ruck, Jeune et Jolie is one of a handful of local establishments to have received a 2021 Michelin star.

Chef/owner Carl Schroeder, whose extensive culinary experience includes working with famed chefs Michael Mina and Bradley Ogden, has kept his well-established restaurant open while remaining faithful to a hyper-seasonal cooking style inspired by local farms, including the nearby Alice Waters-endorsed Chino Farm. The restaurant offers a three-course tasting menu in the dining room while a la carte service is available in the bar and lounge.

San Diego’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Addison is guided by longtime executive chef/director William Bradley, whose team leads diners through elaborate nine-course chef’s tasting dinners of contemporary California cuisine that revolves around the seasons.

This three-floor stunner offers choose-your-own-adventure dining. Though its lower- level fine dining restaurant closed during the pandemic, George’s still offers top-notch views and dishes like local tuna crudo and roasted Jidori chicken at its rooftop terrace and craft cocktail-focused gastrobar. As San Diego’s top supporter of Chino Farms, its ingredients are impeccable, while executive chef/partner Trey Foshee is one of the city’s most admired chefs.

San Diego has several stellar hotel restaurants and this is one of them. The La Jolla spot, located in the Grande Colonial Hotel, is run by longtime executive chef, Jason Knibb, who is admired by the food-obsessed and other local chefs for his precise and never pretentious California cuisine. Check out his signature dish, the Jamaican jerk pork belly.

Japanese food is one of San Diego’s strong suits and this modest and unassuming Kearny Mesa spot is an under-the-radar industry favorite. Expertly-grilled yakitori is on the menu, along with a compelling selection of izakaya dishes, from takowasa (raw octopus with wasabi) to fried smelt.

Opened last fall in Kearny Mesa, this restaurant lent a big boost to San Diego’s Chinese restaurant landscape, which is improving by leaps and bounds. Providing fast, friendly service, it delivers a taste of Hong Kong to Convoy Street with standout Cantonese dishes like roast duck and pork, delicately-steamed seafood, and vibrant stir-fried vegetables.

When it set up shop in the quiet coastal community of Bird Rock in 2018, Wayfarer brought the beach its first real-deal bakery. Established by owner and master baker Crystal White, the takeout-only spot has become a destination for its flaky pastries sweetened with local produce and sturdy-crusted loaves made from heirloom grains.

For a city of its size, San Diego has too few restaurants dedicated to showcasing local seafood and the bounty of the West Coast. With chef Mike Reidy running this kitchen of this restaurant that’s also a seafood distributor and retail market, this family-run Pacific Beach institution does more than its share to balance the scales.  .

This neighborhood bistro, run by a veteran of the city’s best French restaurants, has charm for days. Its relaxed bar and comfortable dining room are a fine setting for French classics that include made-to-order, sky-high souffles.

Chef Priscilla Curiel’s Michelin-recognized taqueria has now settled in as the Old Town Urban Market’s anchor tenant. Though the move from San Ysidro has resulted in higher prices, the slow-simmered birria and roasted bone marrow still make for an unparalleled combo.

Well-crafted nigiri sushi is one of the attractions at this Michelin-starred Old Town restaurant, which tops many sushi aficionados’ lists for its adherence to traditional Japanese style and technique. The setting is spare; all of the fireworks are reserved for what’s on the plate.

Though it was initially built to honor some of the world’s great pizzerias, this North Park restaurant has earned respect for its own menu creations, from homemade bread and farmer’s market-sourced vegetable plates to its “Neo-Neapolitan” pies that ranges from creatively-topped weekly specials and classic pies.

Overseen by chef/co-owner Brad Wise, this stylish independent restaurant, an Eater Award -winner, has both sustained its success over the years and spawned a growing hospitality group. With a dinner menu highlighted by pasta and wood-grilled proteins, it also offers a can’t-miss brunch.

Still cool 15 years in, Starlite helped propel the local bar scene with its then-novel concept of great cocktails matched with great food and the sleek, stylish space is still one of San Diego’s best in the category.

This recently-refreshed Bankers Hill restaurant and wine shop has enjoyed enduring popularity due to its consistently-good contemporary Italian cuisine that includes pasta, pizzas, and starters like fried squash blossoms and seasonal starters.

The neighborhood favorite enhanced its offerings during the pandemic, adding lunch service, expanding its seasonal dinner menu, tacking on a full cocktail list, and opening an adjacent bakery. A longtime champion of the natural wine scene, it’s also the one of the best places in town to taste and buy local wine.

Ushering in the renaissance of celeb chef Brian Malarkey in 2016, Herb & Wood is still a stunning spot to see -and -be -seen in, but its California-meets-Mediterranean menu of grilled meats, pastas, and wood-fired pizza, as well as a standout brunch, keeps diners coming back.

An expansive rooftop patio is part of the draw at this bi-level restaurant that’s a fixture on the nightlife scene but was also recognized with Michelin Bib Gourmand status in 2021 for executive chef Brian Redzikowski’s consistently tasty and thoughtful food that inflected with Asian ingredients and techniques.

This Little Italy steakhouse has firmly established its classic status. Thrill to Caesar salads, omelets, and steak tartare made tableside followed by luxurious cuts of dry aged beef cut to order, prized Wagyu beef grilled on Japanese charcoal, and retro hits like Tournedos Rossini and steak Diane. 

Awarded Bib Gourmand status by the Michelin Guide, this popular brunch spot stands out by serving an internationally-inspired breakfast menu (think egg fried rice and breakfast carbonara) and commendable cocktails in a pink-hued, fantastical setting.

This South Park rebel makes its mark with the rarely-seen pairing of top-notch craft cocktails with a creative and comforting vegan menu. Add a dose of seriously eye-catching design and you’ve got a winner.

With outposts throughout San Diego, the flagship location of this friendly, family-owned Italian restaurant remains the most beloved. Regulars rave about the pizzas that emerge from its signature gold-tiled ovens as well as the pastas; both are also available gluten-free.

This enduring East Village steakhouse serves contemporary American cuisine from longtime chef Victor H. Jimenez. The best seat might be at the chef’s counter, where you can watch the kitchen while enjoying a multi-course meal.

Though it’s still one of the hottest reservations around, Callie has become an essential contributor to San Diego’s restaurant culture. Chef Travis Swikard’s compelling California-Mediterranean cuisine, punctuated by perfect pastas and peak seafood, lets local ingredients shine, making the East Village food scene a whole lot brighter.

The iconic Hotel del Coronado’s anchor restaurant is also a showcase for the region’s best seafood. Chef JoJo Ruiz (Lionfish, Ironside) has a long history of supporting local fishermen, whose fresh catch is cooked whole and served tableside just steps from the beach.