Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American 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!

Fort Oak

4.9

4.9 (433)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Mission Hills

About the restaurant

An ode to fire and sea, Fort Oak delivers the bold, wood-fired flavors that define Chef Brad Wise’s signature style. Centered around a live-fire hearth, the restaurant offers elevated yet approachable dishes alongside a refined seafood and raw bar. Smoke is the through line - simple, high-quality ingredients are transformed by flame into plates full of depth and character.

Dry-aged ribeyes, duck, and whole branzino showcase the hearth’s intensity, while freshly shucked oysters and seafood towers bring a raw, briny counterpoint. And while the meats and seafood command attention, the vegetables have earned a reputation of their own - charred, caramelized, and layered with surprising complexity. Some say they steal the show - but that’s up to you to decide.

Top review

Brian

Dined today

Absolutely wonderful food and service. One of the best meals of my life.

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Experience

Chef’s Counter Tasting Menu 6:30pm 5/29-7/5

Trust Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1187)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

North Park

About the restaurant

We’re a neighborhood restaurant, at our heart. A place for our community to gather, to celebrate, to raise yet another glass in a toast to good tidings. We believe in bold flavors, cooked simply over an open flame. We believe in seasonality, in forging relationships with local farmers, makers, and purveyors to bring you the bounty this fine city has to offer. We believe in the power of wine and cocktails to elevate your meal, to create an experience that, when paired with superior service, creates something completely unique, forging a bond of trust, one would say, between you and us. These four walls were meant for you. Welcome.

Top review

BethVIP

Dined 6 days ago

TRUST is a great place to dine for any meal. Their food is good and service is too. Great for brunch and dining outside. Parking is a bit complicated as they do not have a parking lot. There is a small pay by phone lot across the street and street parking.

Tavern

4.7

4.7 (782)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Coronado

About the restaurant

Open for Lunch and Dinner. Reservations for Lunch are not accepted, however we do accept walk-ins!

Top review

christinaVIP

Dined on May 27, 2025

The most amazing service and the food was tasty as well. Highly recommend.

NM Café at Neiman Marcus – San Diego

4.9

4.9 (352)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Mission Valley

About the restaurant

THE NM CAFE located in Neiman Marcus SAN DIEGO has been recently remodeled and is now open 7 days a week, 11 am- 4pm.

Laid-back luxe. Experience delightful dishes in a casual, contemporary atmosphere at THE NM CAFE® SAN DIEGO. Muted lighting and understated, modern decor create the perfect environment for a midday retreat. Whether dining with a group or simply ordering upscale take-out, expect delectable food and exceptional service that is synonymous with Neiman Marcus.

Let THE NM CAFE® host your next Baby or Bridal Shower. We pride ourselves on creating the perfect menu and ambience for your event in our chic and inviting atmosphere. Pamper the glowing bride- or mother-to-be in your life with the shower of her dreams or a lavish luncheon.

Top review

Donna

Dined 5 days ago

Great place to have lunch with friends. The restaurant is quiet so you can carry on a conversation without competing with the background noise. The food is exceptional and the wait staff is friendly, helpful, and accomodating. Feels like a special occasion every time I’ve dined there.

Kettner Exchange

4.7

4.7 (1481)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Kettner Exchange boasts two levels of indoor/outdoor drinking and dining and Little Italy’s only rooftop patio with spanning harbor views. We feature Progressive American cuisine from critically acclaimed Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski. In 2019, Kettner Exchange was named to Michelin Guide's prestigious Bib Gourmand list. Kettner Exchange has proudly maintained this award every year thereafter. Originally introduced in 1997, the Bib Gourmand category highlights restaurants that serve high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less.

Top review

Alli

Dined 2 days ago

Awesome experience with my mom and boyfriend for a special dinner. Service was spectacular! Food was a 10/10! Highly recommend!

Harlow's Lounge

4.7

4.7 (267)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Bonsall

About the restaurant

Harlow's Cocktail Lounge is a unique restaurant focused on traditional classics with modern reinvention. Through the use of specialized ingredients and techniques, international influence and attention to detail, Harlow's offers adventurous creations rooted in comforting familiarity. Our shareable menu and bar selections are crafted for our guests enjoy on any occasion or outing. Come enjoy the lounge, bar, restaurant and private dining areas with friends and family. Harlow's stage features weekly live music showcasing local talent. Call or visit harlowslounge.com for more details

Top review

Andrew

Dined 1 day ago

We have been to Harlow's many times and always loved it. This was our 14th wedding anniversary. Thank you!

Sbicca - Del Mar

4.6

4.6 (2553)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Del Mar

About the restaurant

We look forward to having you join us! San Diego's favorite "Neighborhood" restaurant. Located in beautiful, quaint Del Mar and winner of the "Gold Medallion Award" for Best Neighborhood Restaurant awarded by the San Diego Chapter of the California Restaurant Association. Dine up on the Ocean View deck and take in the blue pacific while enjoying our award winning cuisine or sit on our ocean view sidewalk cafe and sip on one of our Wine Spectator award winning wine list wines.

SPECIALS:
1/2 price on Wine Bottles Tuesdays & Thursdays
Happy Hour Daily 3-5pm (excluding holidays)

Please note we cannot guarantee seating requests, we will do our best to accommodate but it is not a guarantee for inside or outside

Top review

Michelle

Dined 6 days ago

Service was fantastic. The Host was attentive and knew just what to recommend. The food was only okay, not great, but the ambiance and service made it an above par restaurant with a special feel.

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Popular dish

Crispy Chicken Buns

Beaumont's

4.7

4.7 (933)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Established in the heart of La Jolla’s Bird Rock seaside community in 2005, Beaumont’s Neighborhood Eatery has been a central meeting spot for locals to gather for fabulous food, hand-made cocktails, and top-rated entertainment in a casual, yet contemporary atmosphere earning its title as the “heart and soul of Bird Rock”. Nightly happy hour and a fantastic dinner menu are just the beginning, because a full bar and live local music add to the great vibe. You’ll find Beaumont’s weekends a need to be at event for brunch!

Top review

Cory

Dined 7 days ago

My friends and I had an amazing evening at Beaumont‘S. I made the reservation on open table with a special request for a hightop table near the band. we were accommodated with the perfect table. The staff, service atmosphere and band were all amazing. A night to remember, and we will definitely be back. Highly recommend!

Coco Maya

4.6

4.6 (410)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of Little Italy and overlooking the Piazza della Famiglia, Coco Maya offers a contemporary twist on classic American dishes. Our diverse menu ranges from light coastal cuisine to robust, flavorful proteins cooked in a traditional Spanish-style coal-fired Josper oven. Additionally, we pay homage to our neighborhood's roots with several Italian-inspired entrees, featuring unique takes on flatbreads and pastas.

As part of the Grind & Prosper Hospitality Group, Coco Maya is an evolution of our original concept, Miss B’s Coconut Club in Mission Beach. Since our inception, we've continued to explore new flavors and culinary techniques while broadening our scope and enriching our cocktail program. Coco Maya boasts a diverse mezcal and tequila selection, alongside the delicious tropical and rum-based cocktails that have become synonymous with Miss B’s.

Open daily for brunch and dinner, with a weekday Happy Hour from 2-5 pm.

Top review

Keleigh

Dined on May 26, 2025

Amazing interior, well done on theme, excellent nice host, and amazing food. people were super nice and welcoming

Bouquet Restaurant + Bar at Ponte Vineyard Inn

4.5

4.5 (563)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Temecula

About the restaurant

Enjoy fresh, locally-sourced cuisine fine wines and refreshing cocktails at Bouquet Restaurant, located at our luxurious AAA Four-Diamond Inn. Dine out on the terrace surrounded by manicured Italian gardens with stunning views of the vineyard and our 1-acre pond.

Enjoy live music during brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-3pm!

Top review

RafaelVIP

Dined on May 26, 2025

Excellent experience. Would love to go back. They are great.

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