The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near The Brick Hotel
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Rank 1. Valle
Modern Mexican
Chef Roberto Alcocer's modern Mexican kitchen overlooks Oceanside Pier, its tasting menu balancing whimsy—corn chowder ice cream, mushroom tetelas—with genuine flavor. A fireplace warms the dining room, while wines from Valle de Guadalupe anchor an ambitious list.
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Rank 2. The Rooftop Bar
Mediterranean
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Rank 3. Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
Southern/Italian
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Rank 4. Dija Mara
Indonesian
An industrial Indonesian spot with garage-door entry and cheeky murals where serious cooking unfolds in dim light. The nasi goreng layers fried rice with shrimp, pork belly, chicken, and a sunny yolk; charred eggplant meets smoked tomato sambal and crispy shallots. Creative low-ABV cocktails built on house ferments pair neatly with the spice.
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Rank 5. Matsu
Modern Sushi
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Japanese Restaurant · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 6. Jeune et Jolie
Nouvelle French
The dining room glows in pale rose, light streaming through windows onto tables where Chef Eric Bost's nouvelle-French cooking unfolds with precision. Grilled leeks meet buttermilk and black truffle; roasted duck arrives with parsnips; the milk bread alone justifies the visit. A cocktail program of genuine craft steadies the elegant mood.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The New York Times 2025 · Fraise · The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S.
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Rank 7. Lilo
New American
Guests circulate through heated patio and intimate counter to watch Chef Eric Bost work with kinmedai, wagyu, and abalone in a sequence that builds from savory precision to a striking orgeat ice cream crowned with celery root and caviar. The meal unfolds as theater—composed, ambitious, and engineered to surprise.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Eric Bost
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Rank 8. Tanner’s Prime Burgers
American
A fine dining chef trades tablecloths for a counter, grinding single-source USDA prime into burgers built on brioche and dressed with caramelized onions or bacon. Fries arrive twice-fried in beef tallow, crackling at the edges; a vanilla tallow ice cream sandwich or Dutch chocolate shake seals the indulgence. This is unpretentious cooking with serious technique.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Pizza in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 10. 24 Suns
Noodles
Chef-owners Nic Webber and Jacob Jordan compose a seasonally restless noodle menu in a converted dive bar, where shrimp jiaozi in fermented bean butter and a butterscotch black sesame budino justify the casual fine-dining tightrope. The wine and sake list rewards ordering without restraint.
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Rank 11. Campfire
Contemporary
A midcentury Quonset hut houses a 12-foot wood-burning hearth that imparts smoke to everything from charred vegetables to grilled octopus, the kitchen's playful obsession with fire matched only by the patio's teepee and pile of props. The s'mores arrive with live coals for toasting house-made marshmallows, completing this glamping fantasy with a knowing wink rather than earnest reverence.
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Rank 16. Ponto Lago
Baja Mexican
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Rank 17. Addison
Contemporary
William Bradley's refined California cooking at Addison balances playful invention with technical precision, as seen in sesame rice crowned with caviar or chicken liver churros that feel both whimsical and elegant. Each course—from oysters with pickled strawberry to caviar-studded chawanmushi—demonstrates a kitchen in command of flavor, texture, and the pleasure of surprise.
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Rank 18. Atelier Manna
Californian
Andrew and Larah Bachelier's Encinitas brunch spot sits behind a covered patio furnished from reclaimed materials, where the kitchen moves through seasonal ingredients with quiet purpose. Halibut arrives with sudashi and coconut leche de tigre; pork is finished tableside with pomegranate jus. The nonalcoholic drinks are crafted with the same care lavished on the plates.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 19. Market Restaurant + Bar
International
The chef's seasonal cooking swings between continents—blue cheese soufflé one moment, miso-glazed cod the next—in a dark, elegant room that eschews pretense. Sushi anchors the menu, but the real draw is the restless creativity that justifies the tony Del Mar crowd.
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Rank 20. Mille Fleurs Restaurant
Californian French
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Rank 21. Leu Leu Leucadia
Global
- Artful Living 2025 · The Top 5 Most Stylish Restaurants in America
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 22. AVANT Restaurant
French New American
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Rank 23. Bump Coffee
South American
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Rank 24. A.R. Valentien
Contemporary
A wood-beamed dining room and terrace overlooking the 18th hole at Torrey Pines set a scene of California ease, where amber light filters through stained glass onto tables poised above the fairway. The kitchen mines the region's year-round harvest for dishes like Dungeness crab flan and brick chicken, each plate a small study in restraint and precision.
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Rank 25. Pho Truc Xanh
Noodles
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Rank 31. Amalfi Cucina Italiana
Coastal Italian
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Rank 32. Herb & Sea
Seafood
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Rank 33. Bump Coffee
South American
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Rank 35. Monstra Coffee
Filipino
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Rank 39. Monstra Coffee
Filipino
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Rank 42. Monstra Coffee
Filipino
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Rank 43. The Marine Room
Coastal Californian Seafood
- AAA Four Diamonds
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Waterfront Dining · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 44. Le Coq
French Steakhouse
- Sunset 2025 · Fabulous French · Where to Eat and Drink
- Eater Chef of the Year · Tara Monsod
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Chef · The Best Restaurants in San Diego · Tara Monsod
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Rank 45. NINE-TEN
Caribbean
A La Jolla dining room in a century-old hotel where sunglasses stay on through dinner and the chef's tasting menu arrives with a wink. Jamaican jerk pork belly and a citrus-forward dessert program anchor a menu that moves easily from poolside sandwiches to more considered evening plates.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Hotel Restaurant · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 48. George's at the Cove
Seafood
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Rank 49. Marisi
Italian
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Rank 50. Catania
Modern Italian
High on La Jolla's Plaza Center, Catania commands coastline views from a sun-soaked terrace dressed in Mediterranean tile and color. The kitchen riffs on tradition: wood-fired Neapolitan pizza shares the menu with orecchiette tangled in duck ragù, while a daily salad might pair ahi tuna crudo with poppy seeds and basil. Modern enough to surprise, rooted enough to satisfy.
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Rank 51. Heritage Barbecue
Texas Barbecue
Daniel Castillo's barbecue shop in San Juan Capistrano draws crowds at dawn for Texas-style smoke and ritual. Brisket arrives charred and lustrous; a bowl of brisket chili paired with cheddar-jalapeño biscuits follows. The devotion here runs deep, and deservedly so.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Daniel Castillo
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 52. Truly Pizza
Californian
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Rank 53. Raya
Pan-Latin
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Rank 54. Himitsu
Omakase Sushi
Eight counter seats at a intimate sushiya where chefs narrate each piece with evident pride in sourcing and technique. The serene dining room and gracious service make omakase here feel like a privileged conversation rather than a transaction.
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Rank 56. Bistro Du Marché
French
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Rank 58. Paradisaea
New American
A tropical reverie in La Jolla, complete with hibiscus-patterned chairs and a patio that catches the sun just right. The kitchen applies Asian and tropical touches to local ingredients—coconut shrimp kissed by robata heat, halibut fried golden and set against watermelon radish with green curry aioli. Tiki drinks anchor the bar, and everything tastes like vacation tastes on the best days.
- Esquire 2024 · The Pelican · The Best Martinis in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 60. The Realm of the 52 Remedies
Cocktail Bar
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- 50 Best 2026 · #93 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Bakery · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 62. Bourbon Steak Orange County
Steakhouse
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Rank 63. Shootz
Asian/Hawaiian
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Rank 64. Mayfield
Modern Mediterranean
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Rank 65. The Fishery
Seafood
A restored warehouse in Pacific Beach houses both a working seafood market and open kitchen, where the catch of the day becomes calamari with spicy aioli, rock crab fettuccine, or oysters that taste like they were pulled from the ocean minutes before service. The menu follows the market rather than the other way around, a discipline that keeps everything tasting of salt water and restraint.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Seafood · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 66. Kahani
Modern Indian
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Rank 68. Menya Ultra
Noodles
A ramen counter in a Clairemont strip mall that moves with purpose, serving a focused menu anchored by a rich, pork-forward tonkotsu miso and a Sichuan-inflected tantanmen spiked with ground meat and heat. The springy noodles and cured egg are the real story here.
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Ramen in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 69. La Perla Cocina Mexicana
Oaxacan Mexican
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Rank 70. Yiko Yiko
Chinese/Japanese
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Rank 71. Shan’xi Magic Kitchen
Northwest Chinese
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Chinese Restaurant · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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The Silver Fox Lounge is a subterranean dive in Pacific Beach where the day begins at dawn, the lighting stays dim, and nobody minds either. It's the kind of place where regulars have held the same stool for years, and that constancy is the whole point.
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Rank 73. Hidden Fish
Sushi
A ninety-minute omakase unfolds at this narrow counter where the pace is brisk but the eating unhurried. The chefs work with San Diego uni and imported Peruvian scallops alongside Japanese staples, each piece arriving on a chalkboard's rotating manifest. Reservations vanish weeks ahead, a small price for sushi this deliberate.
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Rank 76. Steamy Piggy
Contemporary Chinese
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Rank 78. DJK Korean BBQ
Korean
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Rank 79. Yakitori Tsuta
Japanese
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Rank 81. Ichifuji
Sushi
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Rank 82. Cesarina
Italian
At this trattoria, a visible pasta kitchen and tableside tiramisu theater set the stage for an evening of warm chaos and mismatched pottery. The menu lets you build your own combinations—fusilli with this sauce, tortelli with that—though servers gently steer you from disaster. The truffled gnocchi arrives in its own copper vessel, a small flourish that captures the place's unhurried generosity.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Pasta in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 84. OB Noodle House
Asian Fusion
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Rank 86. Selanne Steak Tavern
Steakhouse
A converted house on Pacific Coast Highway offers multiple dining rooms—Loft, Wine Library, Tavern, Terrace—each with its own rhythm, though the bar hums loudest. The beef arrives tender and marbled, finished with butter and expertise; seared mushrooms in Madeira reduction and creamy potatoes complete the picture. This is steakhouse comfort executed without apology.
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Rank 87. Marigold Bagels
NY-Style Bakery
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Rank 89. Azúcar
Cuban-French Bakery
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Rank 90. SOICHI
Sushi
Chef Soichi Kadoya works the counter with ease in this University Heights omakase spot, where casual conversation masks the precision underneath. Pike mackerel balanced with ginger, miso-marinated sea bass, and fatty tuna that melts confirm the seriousness of his craft.
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Rank 91. Wolf in the Woods
Global
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Date Spot in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 92. Sushi Tadokoro
Sushi
A modest strip-mall sushi counter where chef Takeaki Tadokoro and his young colleague work with genuine pleasure, sourcing British Columbia oysters and Hokkaido scallops with quiet precision. The omakase moves through sea urchin, ikura, goldeneye snapper with yuzu, and ponzu-marinated bluefin with the confidence of people who've thought about each bite. Approachable without pretense.
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Rank 93. Barrio Donas
Mexican-American Bakery
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Rank 94. Fort Oak
Steakhouse
A former car dealership in Mission Hills now gleams as a mid-century horseshoe bar framing Chef Brad Wise's shareable menu, where a wood-fired lamb merguez meets pistachio muhammara and heritage pork finds its match in flame-charred Brussels sprouts. The apple crisp arrives sizzling in cast iron—comfort food with the precision of a chef who knows exactly what fire should do.
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In a Laguna Beach shopping center, Chef Jordan Nakasone runs a quiet counter where tradition and invention coexist with ease. Nigiri spotlights pristine fish—yagara, nodoguro—while kitchen dishes like chawanmushi with black cod and miso butter show restraint and ambition. Service disappears into the background, leaving only the meal.
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Rank 96. Solare
Southern Italian
Warm wood and bright textiles set the scene at this rustic Italian spot near Liberty Public Market, where house-made pasta takes center stage—lasagna layered with veal and beef, spinach ravioli in sage brown butter—alongside blistered pizzas from a wood-fired oven and weekly fish preparations that anchor the seasonal menu.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Service · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Dominique Muñoz
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Cocktail Bar in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 98. Little Lion Cafe
French Coffee
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Bar Food · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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