Our Favorite Places to Eat & Drink

Downtown & Little Italy

  • Herb & Wood - One of our favorite spots downtown. Excellent food and cocktails

  • Animae - Upscale Asian fusion + Japanese Wagyu

  • Crack Shack - Fried chicken + lawn games

  • Salt & Straw - Ice cream

  • Civico 1845 - Italian

  • Kettner Exchange - Good food, fun bar

  • Born & Raised - Upscale steak house in Little Italy

  • Seneca Trattoria - Bayfront Italian

  • Barbusa - Fun Italian, a little more of a party as the night goes on

  • Cloak and Petal - Sushi

  • Underbelly - Ramen

  • Puesto - Upscale Mexican (multiple locations)

Pacific Beach

  • Palmy’s - Chill outdoor cafe for breakfast and lunch

  • Oscar’s Mexican Seafood - Best fish tacos (multiple locations)

  • The Fishery - Upscale seafood

  • Java Earth Cafe - Caffeine!

  • Second Nature - Healthy, casual restaurant

  • Leilani’s - Hawaiian food, breakfast & lunch

  • La Clochette - Great breakfast and brunch

  • Mad Beet - Smoothies

  • Yipao Coffee - Best drip coffee in the neighborhood

  • Costa Brava - Spanish tapas

  • Captain’s Quarters - Nautical themed cocktail bar

  • The Hideaway - Vibey bar + yummy food

  • Ambrogio15 - Sit down coal-fired pizza joint

  • Rigoberto’s Tacos - Open all the time. Good breakfast burritos to-go

  • La Perla Cocina #2 - One of our go-to tacos spots

  • Moonshine Beach - Bar, home of the haircut shot

  • Waterbar - Restaurant & bar overlooking the beach

  • Miss B’s Coconut Club - Mission Beach spot for cocktails + Caribbean food

  • The Silver Fox - Dive bar with leopard print carpet + pool tables

Bird Rock

  • Wheat & Water - Casual and yummy; where we had our first date ❤️

  • Bird Rock Coffee - Caffeine! Multiple locations

  • Wayfarer Bakery - BEST almond croissants in the entire world. Tip: Grab your coffee at Bird Rock first, then stand in line for the bakery

  • Hermosa Surf - Surf shop that happens to serve the best açai bowls in town

  • Paradisaea - Upscale, delish

La Jolla

  • El Pescador - Casual seafood spot

  • Catania - Italian with a nice outdoor patio

  • Marisi - Upscale Italian

  • Trilogy Sanctuary - Delish vegan on the roof of a yoga studio

  • Parakeet Cafe - Cute, healthy brunch spot

  • Harry’s Coffee Shop - Diner, get the oatmeal pancakes

  • Chin’s Szechwan - Chinese

Point Loma

  • Mitch’s - Our favorite casual seafood spot; overlooks the harbor

  • Cesarina - Fun Italian, great outdoor patio

Ocean Beach

  • La Doña - Yummy sit-down Mexican

  • Wonderland Ocean Pub - Low-key spot overlooking the beach, great at sunset

  • Bluewater Seafood - Relaxed seafood spot. Order at the counter and eat on the deck overlooking the beach

  • The Joint - Sushi and tapas

North Park, South Park, & Nearby

  • Coming soon….

THINGS TO DO!

THINGS TO DO!

San Diego is at its absolute best in September. We call it local summer — the summer crowds have largely left and we get perfect, sunny days all to ourselves.

Below are some recommendations to help you make the most of your time here!

Go to the beach!

Some of our favorites:

  • Windansea (pictured above)

  • Pacific Beach

  • Del Mar

  • Ocean Beach

  • Mission Beach

Hike Down to Blacks Beach

Navigate to the Torrey Pines Gliderport and walk down the wooden steps to Blacks Beach, an iconic San Diego surf beach. If you turn left at the bottom of the stairs, you can walk south along the beach towards La Jolla. If you turn right at the bottom of the stairs, you’ll be at the nude beach. Choose your own adventure.

Torrey Pines Hiking Trails

There are a number of hiking trails through the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve that overlook the ocean and vary in length and difficulty.

Golf at Torrey Pines

Torrey Pines is gorgeous municipal course that overlooks the Pacific. We recommend booking tee times early.

Snorkel with Leopard Sharks

They don’t bite! Snorkel with leopard sharks at La Jolla shores. There are various companies you can rent snorkel gear from or plan a snorkeling tour with.

Visit the San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world!

Take a yoga or workout class

Our favorite yoga studios:

  • Reach Yoga

  • Yoga Box

  • Corepower

  • Riff’s in Bird Rock

Our favorite workout classes:

  • Movement Warehouse

  • Renegade

  • Revel Fit Club

Kayak Through Sea Caves

Book a kayak rental or tour to explore the sea caves in La Jolla.

Walk the boardwalk

Take a walk down the boardwalk in Pacific Beach to Mission Beach, or vice versa. There are a lot of places to eat, drink, and shop right off the boardwalk.