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

4.8

4.8 (442)

$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

Nancy

Dined 3 days ago

Superb service, food, an amazing experience at the Chef’s Counter

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Experience

Dinner Reservations

Experience

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

Trust Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1208)

$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

ImanVIP

Dined 1 day ago

This was a fantastic dining experience. From the service and the ambiance to the food to the FOOD to the OMG delicious food. I would have liked for the portions to be a bit bigger but we really enjoyed our experience.

Tavern

4.7

4.7 (786)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Coronado

About the restaurant

Open for lunch and dinner everyday. Reservations are only accepted for large parties of six or more, but walk-ins are always welcome. For parties of twelve or more, or for private event inquiries, please contact us directly by phone (619) 437-0611 or email Brooke@coronadotavern.com.

Top review

HeleneVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Service was fantastic. Shout out to Shawn and the whole team

NM Café at Neiman Marcus – San Diego

4.9

4.9 (354)

$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

CarlaVIP

Dined on Jun 16, 2025

It is a special pleasure to celebrate a birthday a NM Cafe. Their Mandarin Chicken salad lunch is beyond wonderful and has many delicious accompaniments. I have been enjoying it for years… a special treat. They serve a luscious chicken consume first and their famous complimentary popovers are incredible. Booth seating is comfortable. NM cafe is the perfect spot to enjoy a extraordinary lunch.

Kettner Exchange

4.7

4.7 (1492)

$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

DanielVIP

Dined 1 day ago

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. We were up top on the roof at a large table. Music was bumping and service was friendly. Food outstanding. A bit pricey but overall great experience.

Harlow's Lounge

4.6

4.6 (270)

$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

KERRY

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

I love a restaurant/bar with a theme, and this one delivers. Food and service were also great. Will be back!

Sbicca - Del Mar

4.6

4.6 (2558)

$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

Sarah

Dined on Jun 18, 2025

Lovely dinner, table placement left something to be desired but would dine there again and again regardless.

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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 on Jun 7, 2025

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

4.5

4.5 (417)

$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

Aleeza

Dined 4 days ago

Love the aesthetic! Definitely a social-media worthy spot! Went for brunch and the food was yummy too.

Bouquet Restaurant + Bar at Ponte Vineyard Inn

4.4

4.4 (565)

$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

La WannaVIP

Dined on Jun 22, 2025

Excellent! Great culture, ambiance and staff. I loved the food as well as the experience. I’ll be back. : )

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