Diners' Choice: Californian restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Californian cuisine in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

NINE-TEN

4.8

4.8 (3018)

$31 to $50

Californian

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Led by award-winning, nationally-recognized chef Jason Knibb, NINE-TEN offers the perfect combination of sophistication and casual elegance and an ideal location along lively Prospect Street in the Village of La Jolla. Recognized with MICHELIN distinction, NINE-TEN’s globally-inspired, locally-sourced cuisine features the best of the harvest from local artisans where products are selected daily for the restaurant’s seasonal menus. Dine indoors or al fresco on our sidewalk patio or back terrace with peek views of the Pacific Ocean. Heaters are available during cooler weather. Private dining rooms are also available for groups of 8 or more. Breakfast is served Monday through Friday, 7 am to 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday & Sunday, 7 am to 2 pm. and features $6 mimosas and $8 Bloody Marys. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11:30 am to 2 pm. And dinner service is available nightly, 5 pm to 9 pm. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Top review

ErinVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Exquisite food and presentation. The wait staff were very friendly and accommodating Just a delicious and delightful experience

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4.8

4.8 (646)

$50 and over

Californian

La Jolla

About the restaurant

A celebration of food, cocktails, art, and warm hospitality. Housed in the historic Piano Building, in the heart of the vibrant community of Bird Rock, Paradisaea is a destination restaurant and bar, that San Diegans frequent for crave-able, accessible fare, executed at the highest level.

Top review

PaulVIP

Dined on Jun 5, 2025

If you’re in San Diego, you MUST try this restaurant. Very creative food. Very attentive waitstaff. Definitely merits its Michelin star. Be mindful that they will add a 6% fee “to ensure competitive wages and benefits for our team”. They’ll remove it if asked.

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4.7

4.7 (6726)

$31 to $50

Californian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

A timeless, sought-after dining escape, celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey opened Herb & Wood to instant acclaim over four years ago. In that time, the restaurant has become an icon, a dining destination that has helped to propel San Diego's culinary reputation to new heights. By focusing on rustic, wood-fired dishes, Chef Malarkey's menu elevates humble ingredients such as carrots, beets, and chicken, incorporating Mediterranean flavors and a California ethos of seasonality and sustainability.

Top review

Helena

Dined 3 days ago

Herb & Wood in San Diego is an absolute gem—stylish, vibrant, and effortlessly cool. The décor is a perfect blend of modern elegance and artistic flair, setting the tone for an unforgettable dining experience. We enjoyed a fabulous happy hour that felt like a steal for such an upscale spot. Every bite was outstanding—from fresh oysters and melt-in-your-mouth hamachi to rich, flavorful oxtail pasta and a unique rabbit pasta that was perfectly done. The grand finale was a showstopping strawberry soufflé—light, luscious, and unforgettable.

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4.7

4.7 (1699)

$31 to $50

Californian

Downtown

About the restaurant

A remarkable epicurean experience awaits you at Grant Grill and Lounge. From the iconic, chic setting to our fresh California cuisine and innovative libations, Grant Grill and Lounge carries a tradition of excellence rich in history (since 1951) and history-in-the-making. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus highlight the best ingredients of the season with a fresh approach to classics. From the bar, proprietary beverage creations are offered alongside an impressive menu of wine, beer and cocktails.

Top review

Clau6iaVIP

Dined on Jun 6, 2025

Everything is bg is great and we fell at home all the time. Servers and waiters are First Class.

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Popular dish

Cobb Salad

La Gran Terraza - University of San Diego

4.7

4.7 (1147)

$30 and under

Californian

Mission Valley

About the restaurant

The Grand Dining Room is open for lunch Monday - Friday from 11:30am-1:30pm.

La Gran Terraza is a California bistro featuring farm-to-table lunch and dinner. The Grand Dining Room and terrace have fantastic views of Tecolote Canyon and Mission Bay. OTooles offers small bites, nightly happy hour, a cozy fireplace, local craft beers and an excellent wine list.
Visit our website for a calendar of special events.

Top review

Dined 5 days ago

Everything skillfully prepared and thoughtfully presented. Calm atmosphere, great for a conversation over lunch, in pleasant company. Thank you.

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Experience

Father's Day Brunch

World Famous

4.7

4.7 (1074)

$30 and under

Californian

Pacific Beach

About the restaurant

Specializing in surfside dining featuring Southern California Coastal cuisine, market fresh pacific seafood, hand carved prime rib, & grilled to order steaks. Menus are written daily and inspired by sustainable California harvests.

Top review

MarkVIP

Dined 3 days ago

World Famous was a wonderful discovery. The staff, food, and views were great.

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Popular dish

Lobster Bisque

Popular dish

World Famous Lobster Salad

Popular dish

Lobster Taco

The Whaling Bar

4.7

4.7 (130)

$31 to $50

Californian

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Rediscover The Whaling Bar in La Jolla, blending historic charm and modern luxury. Once beloved in the La Valencia hotel, it's back after ten years, mixing its rich legacy with today's elegance. Known for its cozy atmosphere and top-notch service, it's been updated for contemporary tastes without losing its heritage essence. Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski, with a background in America's top kitchens and Iron Chef America, leads the culinary journey, offering a menu that combines classic and innovative approaches. The Whaling Bar invites both old fans and new to enjoy luxury and become part of La Jolla's ongoing story.

Top review

Raymond

Dined 6 days ago

Lovely remodel , food was outstanding . Our waiter was a delight and treated us like royalty as we celebrated our wedding anniversary. ❤️ La Jolla❤️

Bronze Bird

4.6

4.6 (197)

$30 and under

Californian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Bronze Bird Food Wine & Spirits is a casual San Diego imbibery for the craft connoisseur, located in The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. Enjoy tasty takes on So Cal comfort fare with an impressive variety of shareable creations offered alongside entrée-driven dishes.

Top review

CarolynVIP

Dined on Jun 1, 2025

Our server, Javier, was excellent. He was prompt, efficient and helped us get to the theater in time. Very much appreciated!

insideOUT

4.8

4.8 (2605)

$31 to $50

Californian

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

insideOUT is Hillcrest's elevated restaurant and lounge, and San Diego's only urban oasis! We are an 18+ venue.

Reservations for our upcoming "Sweetheart Experience" are now open! The Experience will be February 5th - 16th!

Our menu is curated by Executive Chef Johnny Duran and is updated seasonally to reflect his creative approach to California-Mediterranean inspired fare, using the freshest ingredients provided by our local purveyors.

Aside from our impeccable hospitality, insideOUT is known for their over-the-top seasonal experiences. We also provide customized private event planning with venue buyout options. More information can be found on our website.

Top review

debra

Dined 3 days ago

Charles our server was outstanding and made Our Dining experience wonderful! What we were disappointed in was the lake of decorations. We had been there before, and it had been decorated with flowers all over and it was beautifully done. This was not so with this experience. This was an extreme disappointment because I had talked about it so much to this group of women who had never been there before.

Brockton Villa

4.7

4.7 (2842)

$30 and under

Californian

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Great Food * Epic SunsetsBrockton Villa is a beautiful historic home converted into a restaurant located directly across from the ocean. Our seaside location offers a spectacular view of the world-famous La Jolla Cove, and has become a favorite "show off" spot for locals and visitors alike. We are known for our breakfasts, including our famous Coast Toast. Our chef creates many other wonderful dishes seasonally for lunch and our dinner service.Our house is the perfect place for you to host your next party. Whether it be a wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, baptism, bridal shower, baby shower, or any special occasion.

Brockton Villa loves families! Please don't forget to include your little ones in your reservation count!

Top review

Jennifer

Dined 7 days ago

Always a great meal and exceptional view. Coast Toast is always delicious and the egg steamers.

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