If you’re looking for romantic dining vibes, San Diego has plenty of places with atmosphere to spare, from restaurants with dramatic oceanfront views to intimate, cozy bistros. Take your date on a culinary adventure guided by a Michelin-starred chef or set the mood with a specific cuisine. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, consider these 20 spots for your Valentine’s or Galentine’s night out.
Read More20 Romantic Restaurants in San Diego for Date Night
Celebrate Valentine’s Day or share a meal with a special someone
Jeune et Jolie
This chic and modern Carlsbad restaurant is home to Michelin-starred French cuisine with a Southern California twist. Expect a five-course prix fixe menu with cocktail and wine pairings, along with a newly launched spirit-free beverage pairing menu, on February 14.
Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters
This casual La Jolla restaurant will be offering its usual happy hour special (a free dozen oysters with every bottle of champagne purchased) all evening along. Along with oysters from the West Coast, East Coast, and Baja, other popular dishes include Snake River trout and house-made mushroom pappardelle.
VAGA Restaurant & Bar
Perched high with an oceanfront view, the Alila Marea Beach Resort restaurant lends a romantic feel. Their Valentine’s Day menu includes choices such as octopus, quail, and strawberry tonka torte. The menu costs $89 per person with an optional wine pairing for $70.
Herb & Sea
In the heart of Encinitas, Herb & Sea will be serving a four-course dinner, along with Parker house rolls. Options include bruleed triple cream with figs, lobster gnocchi, and chocolate lava cake. Available on February 14, the dinner menu costs $119 per adults with a $65 optional wine pairing.
Temaki Bar
The Encinitas sushi bar will offer a Cupid’s Catch Valentine’s Day special dinner. The eight-piece nigiri plate will include salmon, bluefin tuna with Hokkaido scallops, and a surf and turf set. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on February 14, the meal for two costs $60.
Lilian's
Lilian’s at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is a romantic setting for a special four-course dinner, featuring options like lamb tartare, Hokkaido scallops, and their signature dessert, Lilian’s Wonderland with chocolate truffles, meringue, and pistachio cake. The cost is $165 per person.
Glass Box
In North County’s Skydeck, head to the Glass Box for a five-course prix-fixe meal. Highlights include truffle king crab roll with caviar, lobster miso soup, and wagyu beef with pomegranate reduction. The cost is $85 per person.
A.R. Valentien
The dining standout at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, A.R. Valentien is known for its farm-to-table dishes. The romantic dining experience with views of Torrey Pines Golf Course will be available from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for $175 per person, or $250 per person with wine pairings.
Ambrogio by Acquerello
Michelin-starred chef Silvio Salmolraghi created a special 8-course tasting menu for Valentine’s Day with regular, vegetarian, or vegan options. Highlights include A5 Japanese wagyu, tagliolini, and cheesecake. The V-Day menus are available on February 13 and 14. The cost ranges from $179 to $199 per person and each guest will receive a complimentary box of truffle chocolates.
El Sueño
In Old Town, the Mexican restaurant will be offering a four-course dinner in addition to a limited a la carte menu with Huastecan dishes. Highlights include Baja bisque, stuffed lobster tail, and churro cheesecake. Dinner for two costs $119.
Wolf In The Woods
This cozy Mission Hills restaurant celebrates New Mexican cuisine, served tapas-style with cheeseboards and charcuterie boards. Bigger dishes on offer include braised pork shoulder and mini burgers and be sure to try their wide selection of New and Old World wines.
RustiCucina
This Sicilian restaurant will be offering Valentine’s meals all day long. The a la carte menu will be available as well as a prix-fixe menu. Highlights include braised beef, lobster lasagne, and tableside carbonara cheese wheel. The set menu starts at $59 per person.
Mister A's
Perched on the rooftop with 180-degree views of the city, this local icon will be serving a prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day. Chef Stephane Voitzwinkler is featuring a celebratory menu that starts with caviar and continues with choices like lobster bisque, a rib chop for two, and chocolate fondue. The cost is $165 per person with a $60 optional wine pairing.
ARTIFACT at Mingei
Anchoring the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, this Michelin-recognized restaurant is offering a three-course prix-fixe dinner. Highlights include the duck confit spring roll, West African spiced chicken, or barramundi. The cost is $68 per person.
Juniper & Ivy
The Little Italy restaurant is offering a four-course dinner that celebrates love, as well as friendship and family, that will be available on February 11, 13, and 14. Priced at $125 per person, highlights include tuna crudo, raviolo, and braised short ribs, and the restaurant can also arrange for a dozen roses or bonbons from chef Lindsay for the table.
Born and Raised
This retro-modern steakhouse features a delightful tableside cart service with dishes like Caesar salad made from scratch. The 40-square-foot dry-aging steak room and a rooftop bar with enviable views help set the mood for five-course prix-fixe dinner with duck terrine, filet carpaccio, and beef wellington. The meal costs $149 per person.
Seneca Trattoria
A Roman trattoria perched atop the InterContinental Hotel San Diego, Seneca also has a romantic rooftop fountain. Favorites include wood-fired prawns, house-made pastas, and pizza dough that’s undergone a 72-hour fermentation process.
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The Desmond Restaurant
Located at the Kimpton Alma San Diego hotel in the Gaslamp, Desmond’s interior features romantic lighting in a contemporary dining room. Chef Jason Neroni has created a prix-fixe dinner with dishes like a caviar service, porterhouse for two, and warm chocolate cake. The menu will be available from February 14 to 18, starting at $110 per person. An optional pasta course is available for an additional $15.
Kingfisher
Located in Golden Hill, this French-Vietnamese restaurant, helmed by chef David Sim, will be offering a family-style prix-fixe Valentine’s dinner. The cost is $150 per person with an optional wine pairing of $65. A limited a la carte menu will be available at the bar with a few walk-in seats available.
Animae
The art-deco dining room is a romantic backdrop for a four-course experience featuring items like mantao bread, Taiwanese fried chicken, and filet with an optional add-on lobster tail. The cost is $155 per person with an optional $85 wine pairing.