Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit.

Baci Restaurant - San Diego

4.9

4.9 (1903)

$31 to $50

Italian

Old Town

About the restaurant

Baci Ristorante offers diners a hint of old world Italian charm, with plush booths, white tablecloths, and gracious servers clad in tuxedos. While the decor is subtly modern, the menu is classic, celebrating Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. Specialties include classic pasta dishes, veal, and fresh seafood, with especially tempting daily specials offered by Executive Chef Domenico Alioto. In addition to the cuisine, the restaurant's charming and welcoming features--include an extensive wine list, elegant patio setting, and romantic main dining room--have made Baci a consistent favorite among locals for over 30 years.

Top review

Mike

Dined on 18 Dec 2024

Great food and great service for a lunch date...will do it again

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Popular dish

Parmigiana

Lemon Grove Bistro

4.9

4.9 (87)

$30 and under

American

Lemon Grove

About the restaurant

In addition to offering comforting American favorites, our menu provides a selection of flavors inspired by our chef’s culinary experiences, ranging from classic Spanish fare to Italian favorites. Our menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest ingredients and provide an exciting dining experience throughout the year.

The Lemon Grove Bistro is in a historic mission-style building in the heart of Lemon Grove. Since 1912, it’s been a place where locals meet and build connections, whether they were picking up their mail at the Sonka General Store in 1944 or ordering custom cakes at the Grove Pastry Shop in 2012.

Come for the food. Stay to experience the inviting ambiance of the historic building and its new garden. Let’s build community--together.

Top review

TimVIP

Dined on 15 Dec 2024

One of my favorite places. This time we had the lasagna and the fisherman’s stew. Excellent, friendly service and wonderful food. I highly recommend you give them a try, you’ll be glad you did!

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Experience

Weekday Happy Hour

The WineSellar & Brasserie

5.0

5 (1003)

$31 to $50

French

Sorrento Mesa

About the restaurant

Established in 1988, The WineSellar & Brasserie is San Diego's premiere destination for fine wine and exquisitely crafted locally sourced, organic fare.

Consistently ranked among OpenTable's Top 10 local restaurants, The Brasserie has been honored with either Wine Spectator's "Grand Award" and "Best Of Award Of Excellence" every year since our inception.

With your meal, enjoy a bottle from the adjoining WineSellar boutique wine shop or choose a wine from our award-winning list. Either way, you’ll find an outstanding selection of unique small-production wines not found anywhere else. Not in the mood for wine? Choose from our rotating list of craft beers or seasonally available craft cocktails.

Top review

BillVIP

Dined 5 days ago

We’ve never had a bad meal or bad experience over the 24 years that we have been coming here. A delightful place with excellent food and an ambiance where you can actually have a quiet conversation.

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Experience

Bergstrom Wine and Truffle Dinner!

Experience

Eco Terreno Wine Dinner!

Jeune et Jolie

4.9

4.9 (4066)

$50 and over

Contemporary French

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

A culinary experience celebrating the moment, Jeune et Jolie reimagines French cuisine through the vibrant lens of our Southern California landscape with a 4-course menu offered at $120 per guest.

For those looking for a more casual evening, we feature "Le Menu du Bar”, an à la carte offering available for walk-in guests at our bar and lounge.

Top review

SandiVIP

Dined 1 day ago

We had a wonderful time! The service was incredible. The food was great from start to finish and the ambiance really tied it all together. Highly recommend.

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Experience

Jeune et Jolie New Year's Eve

Black and Blue Steakhouse and Lounge - Valley View Casino

4.8

4.8 (1774)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Valley Center

About the restaurant

Black&Blue is a contemporary American Steakhouse with Las Vegas flair, and a 21 and up dining experience. B&B was recently named San Diego’s “Most Romantic Steakhouse” by the San Diego Union Tribune, and most recently awarded as the Best Steak House Best Seafood by San Diego A-list! At B&B we offer the choicest meats, freshest seafood and most dazzling desserts to delight the mind and body that will transport our guests into a world of indulgence and taste. Unwind with conversation and creative cocktails in our Black&Blue Lounge. Then move into our main room where Chef Nicholas Burgess will impress you with his inventive dishes and innovative takes on classic favorites. The Manager, Chris Scala, will ensure you receive the ultimate in guest service in an atmosphere that’s friendly and fun. To fully enjoy the B&B dining experience, please be prepared to spend an hour and a half with us. Visit us at B&B for a dining experience you’ll never forget.

Top review

CHVIP

Dined 3 days ago

🎂🌺🙃💋our first visit Now we want to find more excuses to drive to San Diego! Chris, the manager stopped to chat and made us feel like family. Luciano, our waiter, treated us like royalty. We chose the prix fixe menu and were amazed. The filet was tasty and cooked perfectly. The wine sauce was delicious- as everything else we ordered. We even got to meet our chef Nick and couldn’t stop telling him how much we enjoyed everything. Please thank everyone again for us!

Vinarius

4.9

4.9 (378)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Vinarius is an Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Little Italy San Diego. We offer an extensive wine list with wines coming from different regions of the world; the best meat and cheese board with Italian cured meats and different cheeses to pair with our wines. Our chef Alex makes homemade pasta enriched with our homemade sauces, entrees, pizza, different appetizers to choose from, and desserts that pair well with our port wines and after-dinner drinks. You definitely have to try our daily specials!
Our cozy full bar is also the perfect place to enjoy your drink and food while watching some sports!

Top review

BrendanVIP

Dined 2 days ago

The four of us had a great dinner and chose a few of the tasty pastas and a pizza. We also had the frito misto to start and it was delicious. The service was friendly and attentive. Would return for another meal 100%.

Giardino Neighborhood Cucina

4.8

4.8 (1069)

$30 and under

Italian

Lemon Grove

About the restaurant

Located in the middle of Lemon Grove’s charming downtown area, Giardino is a welcoming and casual Italian inspired cucina where the neighborhood gathers for fresh and flavorful classic dishes found throughout Italy.

Giardino offers an Italian-inspired menu of seasonally-driven dishes that use timeless Italian techniques and fresh ingredients. Guests will find items such as fresh seafood, pastas, pizzas and salads, as well as a variety of elements made in-house.

Top review

Kade

Dined 1 day ago

Perfect for Christmas Eve! Highly recommend. Beautiful place, friendly staff and amazing food.

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4.9

4.9 (256)

$50 and over

Japanese

Kearny Mesa

About the restaurant

OpenTable Diners' Choice 2022, 2023 and 2024!
Come dine in our modern and relaxing atmosphere, where we serve traditional sushi and unique fusion dishes.
Enjoy particularly selected sakes, wines, and unique cocktails that pair exquisitely with our fine dishes.
In addition to traditional sushi, and hot and cold Japanese appetizers, our menu includes pastas, homemade desserts, and other regional fusion dishes to cater to a wide range of guests.
We are also proud to offer premium A5 Wagyu dishes.
Please let us serve you our traditional and creative dishes so that you can enjoy "To Become One (2B1)" with us in Harmony!

Top review

nobueVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Despite being significantly delayed due to car trouble, I was relieved to find that our seats were still secured. It had been a while since my last visit, and although the chef had changed, the quality of the sushi ingredients was excellent and delicious. I will definitely come again.

Bistro du Marché by Tapenade

4.9

4.9 (1464)

$31 to $50

French

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Named after La Jolla’s popular Open Aire Farmer’s Market, Bistro du Marché allows chef Diot to work closely with farmers to incorporate the finest local flavors into his dishes. Led by Cheffe Amélie Gadoum, Bistro du Marché incorporates quality ingredients and rigorous French technique. Signature dish includes Wild Mushroom Ravioli in Port wine Sauce. One of the specialties: Un Coq au Vin "Ivre de Bourgogne" Organic Chicken Braised in Red Wine Sauce, Yukon Gold Mashed Potato, Carrot, Mushrooms.

Bistro du Marché is based on the culinary concept of “bistronomie”, that emerged in Paris. Bistronomie, is a play on words on the concepts of “bistro” and “gastronomie”. It is a form of French cuisine that emphasizes the blending of haute gastronomic expertise, seasonality, and the traditional “cuisine de terroir” found in bistros across France. The youthfulness of the bistronomie movement has succeeded in reinvigorating French classic cuisine, and raised the bar of traditional French bistros.

Top review

Tim

Dined 5 days ago

This place was just right. My wife and I often split a salad and a meal. They did not even blink an eye. The salad and meal were both split in the kitchen and no one would know by looking at the served dishes that the meal was meant for one. We’ll be back.

Azuki Sushi Lounge

4.8

4.8 (293)

$50 and over

Sushi

Banker's Hill

About the restaurant

Azuki Sushi is in Banker’s Hill, centrally-located in the heart of San Diego. We are within walking distance of Balboa Park, The Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, and Hillcrest.

We have been providing a modern approach to the rich traditions of Japanese cooking for over 15 years. We pride ourselves in our charming and boutique setting. We offer a warm and inviting atmosphere for those wishing to indulge in our culinary delights.

As in Japan, the menu is based on the seasons, savoring the peak flavor of the ingredients. Our outstanding chefs deliver the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine, respecting the individual ingredients’ natural flavors.

Top review

Nohemi

Dined 4 days ago

This is our first time at Azuki’s since being gone from San Diego for a year and let me tell you it’s better than I remember! We had amazing appetizers, drinks, cuts and rolls but the best part was the interactions with our sushi chefs. They were all so sweet and worked so hard. Dais did amazing all night and prepared us delicious sashimi & nigiri. We loved talking to Dais and Robin; they really made the experience special and a 5/5 for us! Thank you so much for having us again last night. See you soon!

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