The Best French Food in San Diego
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The best French food in San Diego, according to the experts: AAA, the Michelin Guide, and San Diego Magazine have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Jeune et Jolie comes out on top.
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LUCIEN and Le Coq hold the next two places. AAA and San Diego Magazine show up on more of this list than any other guide.
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Rank 1. Jeune et Jolie
Californian French
The room is dressed in shades of rose and flooded with natural light, which sets the tone before you've looked at a single menu. This is a nouvelle French fine dining spot in Carlsbad, where the wide-open kitchen turns out a prix fixe that most regulars default to, though the bar suits a shorter visit. The cocktail program holds its own, and The New York Times flagged the desserts. It holds a Michelin star.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- San Diego Magazine San Diego Magazine: Top 5 Restaurants · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- San Diego Magazine Top 5 Restaurants · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 2. LUCIEN
French
A tasting menu restaurant tucked into the third floor of a La Jolla shopping plaza, which sounds unlikely until the food arrives. Chef Elijah Arizmendi trained in New York before coming home to cook California ingredients through French and Japanese lenses, earning a Michelin star in the process. The menu moves from intricate canapes through pristine local fish and poultry, with a live-fire hearth doing quiet work in the background.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 25 Best Restaurants In San Diego
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Rank 3. Le Coq
French Steakhouse
The awards
- Sunset Fabulous French · Where to Eat and Drink
- Eater Chef of the Year · Tara Monsod
- San Diego Magazine Best Chef · The Best Restaurants in San Diego · Tara Monsod
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Rank 4. Mister A's
Contemporary French
The awards
- AAA Four Diamonds
- San Diego Magazine Best Restaurant View: Urban · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 5. Mille Fleurs
French
The awards
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There's an enigmatic clock mounted across from the bar that has puzzled guests for decades, and the staff aren't telling. Dobson's is a French restaurant with old-school gravitas, the kind of place where business lunches stretch longer than planned and the mussel bisque is treated as a point of civic pride. Duck à l'orange and grilled lamb chops round out a menu that hasn't chased trends and seems quietly satisfied about it.
The awards
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Rank 6. The WineSellar & Brasserie
Contemporary French
The awards
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Rank 8. À L'ouest
Bistro
This is a loud French bistro in North Park that feels like it arrived on a flatbed from the Strip, minus the nightclub and the bottle-service tax. The steak is the move, and the pickle martini is a sentence you'll say out loud to your server. Bring friends who don't mind shouting across the table, then ask about the speakeasy upstairs, where a cognac and cold brew is the polite way to end the night.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 25 Best Restaurants In San Diego
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Rank 9. Bistro Du Marché
French
The awards
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Rank 9. Wormwood
French
The awards