The 5 best restaurants in San Diego

The best restaurants in San Diego serve up fresh seafood, authentic tacos, and juicy carnitas on the daily

1. Bistro 39

A hidden gem inside the Hilton Garden Inn San Diego-Del Mar, Bistro 39 Restaurant and Lounge blends savory California cuisine with a relaxed atmosphere. Their heated outdoor terrace welcomes you every night from 5pm-10pm. Besides creating unique flavors, Bistro 39 prides themselves on serving the freshest, high quality food by using only local companies from California farms that deliver to them every morning – and you can truly taste the difference.

2. Herb & Sea

Quite possibly the hottest reservation in Encinitas, Herb & Sea, the sister restaurant of Herb & Wood, serves modern seafood in a lively atmosphere. There's a good variety on the menu here, including raw bar plates, appetizers like shrimp toast, and irresistible entrees like whole branzino and wood-fired pork chop. Be sure to arrive early if you want to nab a seat at the bustling bar, or plan to make a reservation well in advance.

3. Juniper & Ivy

This lively, upscale restaurant is a standout among San Diego’s food and drink-obsessed Little Italy neighborhood. The airy dining room continues to be packed out by locals, thanks to chef Anthony Wells' continually shifting, inventive menu. We're talking delicious small plates and culinary-inspired cocktails. Recent standouts include a parsnip stroganoff, whole roasted duck and the Apple of my Rye cocktail. 

4. Callie

This modern, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant lives up to its Greek name, which translates to 'the most beautiful.' Chef Travis Swikard has serious street cred having cooked under French chef Daniel Boulud in New York City for years before returning to his SoCal hometown. At Callie, he sends out beautiful and thoughtfully-plated dishes like spot prawns al ajillo, aleppo chicken, and pappardelle with a spicy Korobuta sausage ragu. Starters like the hummus and avocado labneh pair well with any of their innovative cocktails. 

5. Marisi

Come to Marisi for the handmade pasta, and stay to soak in the gorgeous interiors and sexy ambiance. Grab a seat on the sunlit patio or head back to "The Lemon Room" to feel like you're on the Amalfi coast. While you could be perfectly content to just enjoy apps like the zucchini blossoms, focaccia, crudo, and carpaccio, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not continuing on to the spaghettoni with sea urchin, pappardelle with duck ragu, or cappelletti with black truffle. If you decide to keep going, you'll find dry-aged beef, line-caught fish, and more. Just don't skip the meyer lemon dessert or smooth sippers from Marisi's classic cocktail or Italian-leaning wine lists. 

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