Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Wilma's Carousel Bar

4.9

4.9 (17)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Little Italy

About the restaurant

As one of only two carousel bars in the United States, Wilma’s Carousel Bar offers a truly unique experience.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this nostalgic retreat with Executive Corporate Chef Brian Redzikowski’s French-Creole inspired dishes and Beverage Director Eric Johnson’s a selection of cocktails including both innovative spins on traditional favorites and imaginative new concoctions.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 4 days ago

Absolutely loved everything about this restaurant! The food was great, the service even better, but of course the ambience was the best part. I could not recommend this place more!

Vinarius

4.9

4.9 (340)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Vinarius is an Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Little Italy San Diego. We offer an extensive wine list with wines coming from different regions of the world; the best meat and cheese board with Italian cured meats and different cheeses to pair with our wines. Our chef Alex makes homemade pasta enriched with our homemade sauces, entrees, pizza, different appetizers to choose from, and desserts that pair well with our port wines and after-dinner drinks. You definitely have to try our daily specials!
Our cozy full bar is also the perfect place to enjoy your drink and food while watching some sports!

Top review

Donald

Dined 4 days ago

Nice wine list to go with excellent food. Excellent service.

Jeune et Jolie

4.9

4.9 (3915)

$50 and over

Contemporary French

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

A culinary experience celebrating the moment, Jeune et Jolie reimagines French cuisine through the vibrant lens of our Southern California landscape with a 4-course menu offered at $120 per guest.

For those looking for a more casual evening, we feature "Le Menu du Bar”, an à la carte offering available for walk-in guests at our bar and lounge.

Top review

Frankvip

Dined 4 days ago

Extraordinary gastronomic experience in every way!! Not to be missed… we will be back!!!

Baci Restaurant - San Diego

4.9

4.9 (1853)

$31 to $50

Italian

Old Town

About the restaurant

Baci Ristorante offers diners a hint of old world Italian charm, with plush booths, white tablecloths, and gracious servers clad in tuxedos. While the decor is subtly modern, the menu is classic, celebrating Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. Specialties include classic pasta dishes, veal, and fresh seafood, with especially tempting daily specials offered by Executive Chef Domenico Alioto. In addition to the cuisine, the restaurant's charming and welcoming features--include an extensive wine list, elegant patio setting, and romantic main dining room--have made Baci a consistent favorite among locals for over 30 years.

Top review

Alan

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing meal! Will definitely be back to try many more of the offerings

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Popular dish

Parmigiana

Pali Wine Co. Little Italy Tasting Room

4.9

4.9 (136)

$30 and under

Wine Bar

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Pali Wine Co. is located in famous Little Italy, San Diego, steps from the main strip. The family-owned winery highlights the diversity and nuanced qualities of the California Central Coast wine-growing area. From our Pali Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays, to our Tower 15 bold, nuanced wines, and Neighborhood zippy, natural cuvées, our three wine labels are sure to please any pallet.

Stop in for a tasting flight where you can sample wines from our portfolio, step up to the bar for a customized guided tasting or grab a bottle to-go. Our menu features small and sharable plates with locally sourced ingredients ideal for sharing and sipping, including our best-selling burger, charcuterie boards, and seasonal specials.

Join our wine club to enjoy complimentary tastings, receive 20% off all wine, & more exciting benefits!

Weekly events include Comedy Night on Wednesdays, Trivia on Thursdays, as well as live music Friday and Saturday nights. Plus, happy hour deals weekdays 4-6pm!

Top review

Lyndsayvip

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

Service was poor at this location. Both servers had bad attitudes. Wine is great.

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Fine Wine & Good Times Happy Hour @ Pali Wine Co.

Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina

4.9

4.9 (527)

$30 and under

Italian

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

San Diego, meet Pinsa.
An ancient recipe comes back to life at Our Hillcrest Restaurant.
Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina is a full-service Italian restaurant and pizzeria bringing a modern touch to family recipes and an ancient style of pizza called, Pinsa.

Tavola Nostra, which means “our table”, is owned and operated by Jeff Oliveri – a first time restaurateur from a family of longtime restaurant owners who hopes to honor his familial heritage and tradition with his Italian dining concept that creates one of the best Hillcrest restaurants.

Top review

Elizabethvip

Dined 3 days ago

This is one of my favorite restaurants. The staff are all super friendly and attentive, and the food is fresh and delicious. I have a hard time with the menu because everything is so yummy. We always prefer to sit outside, because it's a little boisterous inside for our old ears, but that is just us. Their happy hour and wine tastings are fun with great nibbles. I try to come back as often as we can-which is pretty easy because the menu has so many great options. The Pinsas are a special treat too. I can't wait to come back.

Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel

4.9

4.9 (100)

$30 and under

International

Jacumba

About the restaurant

Nestled in bouldery mountains along historic Old Highway 80, in a magical high desert community lies the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel. The hotel has been designed with a sense of place, with natural materials, textures, & objects from ancient & primitive cultures from around the world. Our restaurant offers indoor dining under vintage ceramic lights and desert landscapes or our large outdoor shaded patios under a canopy of old-world lanterns and pine trees with a live music stage.

Our menu features an International High Desert menu that showcases the farms and ranches of Imperial Valley, the fresh seafood of Baja, and specialty regional purveyors. Make sure to save time to enjoy high desert elixirs, herbal tinctures, cold-pressed juices, tonics, and cocktails, handcrafted in our exotic desert hideaway bar.

Once you are here, nothing else matters.

Top review

TriciaN

Dined 4 days ago

Service was outstanding. The food was so good. We had the guacamole for an appetizer, very tasty.I had the short rib and it literally melted in my mouth. My friend had the Mole chicken and it was also amazing. After dinner we stayed and went in the hot springs pool. It was so relaxing.

Harmony Cuisine 2B1

4.9

4.9 (238)

$50 and over

Japanese

Kearny Mesa

About the restaurant

OpenTable Diners' Choice 2022 and 2023!
Come dine in our modern and relaxing atmosphere, where we serve traditional sushi and unique fusion dishes.
Enjoy particularly selected sakes, wines, and unique cocktails that pair exquisitely with our fine dishes.
In addition to traditional sushi, and hot and cold Japanese appetizers, our menu includes pastas, homemade desserts, and other regional fusion dishes to cater to a wide range of guests.
We are also proud to offer premium A5 Wagyu dishes.
Please let us serve you our traditional and creative dishes so that you can enjoy "To Become One (2B1)" with us in Harmony!

Top review

Karryn

Dined on Sep 10, 2024

Amazing experience - great place for a special occasion!

Mission Avenue

4.9

4.9 (47)

$30 and under

American

Oceanside

About the restaurant

We opened our doors in August 2014 with a vision of greatness: great drinks, food, and atmosphere, with a chill, unassuming vibe. A come-as-you-are locale, where everyone — from local to the traveler — is welcomed. Insider or outsider, there’s a seat at the bar just for you.

Located just blocks from the Oceanside Pier, join us in our industrial-chic lounge with two large garage doors which make you feel like you're dining outside, or on our heated and dog-friendly patio, from lunch to late night. Be sure to check our daily happy hours, midweek lunch specials and weekend brunch. Come see us. Pull up a seat and make yourself at home.

Top review

Andrew

Dined on Aug 14, 2024

There were six of us for dinner so there was a wide range of palates to please. We ordered appetizers, mains & desserts, along with beers & soft drinks. I checked loud because we sat outside during “rush hour”. Your experience at other times may be different. Our waiter was great. He took the time to explain the nuances of beers and dishes. The drinks & orders arrived quickly and efficiently. All six of us gave Mission Avenue not only a big thumbs up but also five stars. Go. Eat. Enjoy. Especially with friends!

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