The Top 100 Restaurants Near Golden Door Spa
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Rank 1. Pho Truc Xanh
Noodles
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Rank 2. Amalfi Cucina Italiana
Coastal Italian
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Rank 4. 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 5. 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 6. AVANT Restaurant
French New American
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Rank 7. 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 9. Mille Fleurs Restaurant
Californian French
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Rank 10. 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 11. Ponto Lago
Baja Mexican
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Rank 12. 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 13. 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 15. 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 16. 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 17. 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 18. 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 19. 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 20. 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 23. Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
Southern/Italian
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Rank 25. Herb & Sea
Seafood
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Rank 30. 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 31. 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 32. 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 33. 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 35. George's at the Cove
Seafood
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Rank 36. Yiko Yiko
Chinese/Japanese
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Rank 37. 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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Rank 38. Marisi
Italian
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Rank 39. 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 40. Yakitori Tsuta
Japanese
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Rank 41. 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 42. DJK Korean BBQ
Korean
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Rank 43. Steamy Piggy
Contemporary Chinese
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Rank 45. Bistro Du Marché
French
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Rank 48. 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 49. 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 50. Ichifuji
Sushi
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Rank 51. La Perla Cocina Mexicana
Oaxacan Mexican
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Rank 52. Grand Ole BBQ
Central Texas Barbecue
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Barbecue · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best in City: El Cajon · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 53. Mal Al Sham
Syrian
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Rank 55. Tribute Pizza
Neo-Neapolitan Pizza
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #34 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- 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 56. Blind Lady Ale House
Beer Bar
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Rank 57. Bosforo
Modern Turkish
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Rank 58. Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant
Thai Vegetarian
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Rank 59. LEILA
Middle Eastern
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Top 5 Restaurants · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Design · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Middle Eastern Restaurant · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 60. Mabel’s Gone Fishing
Seafood
A dog's memory animates this seafood spot—its name, its warmth, its unstudied charm—where the kitchen treats local catch with California-Iberian clarity. The swordfish schnitzel, crispy and brined with salsa verde and tonnato, arrives alongside caper berries and fennel in a lesson on how restraint and brightness can be the same thing.
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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Rank 61. 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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Rank 62. 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 63. Alforon
Middle Eastern
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Rank 64. El Tianguis
Mexican
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Rank 65. Awash Ethiopian Restaurant
Authentic Ethiopian
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Rank 66. 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 68. Tacos El Panson
Mexican
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Rank 70. Great Maple
American
A retrofitted diner with contemporary ambitions, Great Maple serves Fruity Pebbles pancakes and maple-bacon donuts at brunch, then pivots to smoked brisket popovers and seasonal pies—Valencia orange cream with pistachio shortbread among them—when night falls. The room hums with the energy of a place that knows how to balance nostalgia with craft, though parking requires strategy.
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Rank 71. Casa Gabriela
Innovative Mexican
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Rank 72. 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 73. Siamo Napoli
Neapolitan Pizza
Concrete floors and exposed pipes frame Flavio Piromallo's North Park trattoria, where industrial cool shelters serious Southern Italian cooking. Neapolitan pizza and housemade pastas—notably ravioli con manzana—carry genuine flavor; an almond cake layered with espresso custard and dual chocolates closes things well. Dinner brings the room alive.
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- AAA Four Diamonds
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Restaurant View: Urban · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 75. Trust
American
Friends gather on the patio or in the concrete-and-steel dining room to share Chef Brad Wise's small plates: hush puppies with whipped honey butter and house-made ham, braised oxtail raviolini, milk and cookies pie with salted cookie dough ice cream. The wood-fired grill anchors both seasons, warming the industrial space when San Diego's weather shifts cool.
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Rank 76. OB Noodle House
Asian Fusion
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Rank 78. 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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Rank 79. Trattoria Cori Pastificio
Sicilian Italian
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Rank 80. Herb & Wood
Wood-fired New American
A converted warehouse with barrel-vaulted ceilings and eclectic art radiates unhurried Parisian warmth, its staff as genuinely invested as the crowd filling every corner. Wood-fired mushrooms and pizza sit beside venison over buttermilk polenta, each plate suggesting a kitchen unafraid of range.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Top 5 Restaurants · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 81. ARTIFACT at Mingei
International
Tucked beside the gift shop at Mingei, this modest dining room matches its museum's appetite for global craft, moving from yuzu-kissed rock shrimp gyoza to lamb kibbeh with equal conviction. The kitchen treats vegetables and desserts with the same care—cardamom tapioca with saffron granita is no decoration—and monthly cuisine-specific dinners suggest a place that takes its eclecticism seriously.
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Rank 83. Juniper & Ivy
California New American
A 1920s warehouse with redwood beams houses this San Diego kitchen, where a curved bar overlooks the sunken dining room and open flames. The menu moves fluidly through grilled swordfish with peanut crunch, bluefin crudo studded with pickled jalapeños, pastas finished with uni or charred squash—California ingredients filtered through Latin and Asian sensibilities, never precious.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Wine List in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Anthony Wells
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Rank 85. The Grant Grill
Pacific
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Rank 86. Cucina Urbana
California Italian
A convivial California-Italian kitchen where brick oven pizzas arrive with unexpected flourishes—pepperoni studded with Calabrian chili and honey, fresh pastas wound with eggplant and ricotta salata. The room fills with locals on weekday afternoons, buoyed by seasonal raw preparations and a wine program priced at retail with corkage.
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Rank 87. Animae
Filipino Steakhouse
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Tara Monsod
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Tara Monsod
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Tara Monsod
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Rank 88. Hawaiian Fresh Seafood at Liberty Station
Hawaiian Seafood
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Rank 89. Cowboy Star
Western
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Rank 90. Giardino
Italian
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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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Rank 92. The Crack Shack
American
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Rank 93. Little Lion Cafe
French Coffee
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Rank 94. Morning Glory
American
Morning Glory traffics in playful contrasts—plush booths and marble floors give way to skulls and dark touches, a champagne vending machine presides over the always-packed room. The soufflé pancakes are fluffy enough to justify an early arrival, and the dirty scallop slice, a golden potato cake drowning in sausage gravy, suggests the kitchen understands indulgence as philosophy.
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Rank 95. Mothership
Tropical
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Rank 97. Roma Norte
Mexico City
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best New Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 98. Kettner Exchange
Progressive New American
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Rank 99. Cloak & Petal
Japanese
In Little Italy's Japanese fine-dining space, old-school rap and graffiti art undercut the formality of sashimi and tableside Wagyu, while faux-cherry trees frame the bar. The envelope-pushing maki—particularly the Tokyo Gangster with shrimp, beef, and spicy black garlic—matter more than any pristine sashimi alone.
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Rank 100. Callie
Mediterranean
Chef Travis Swikard channels his Daniel Boulud training into sharply composed Mediterranean plates that pivot on California's vegetables and seafood, with spice as a quiet equalizer. The kampachi crudo with black lime and herbaceous heat, the carrot dish studded with cashew dukkah—these are meals that taste like argument and resolution at once.
- Wine Enthusiast 2024 · Forward 50 Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Top 5 Restaurants · The Best Restaurants in San Diego