Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable
Updated February 05, 2025
Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies 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!
About the restaurant
Noble Experiment is a small, intimate cocktail bar located behind a secret door inside of Neighborhood restaurant at 777 G St. San Diego, CA 92101. Reservations for 4 or less are accepted as early as two weeks in advance. Large party reservations can be made through our reservations team at info@nobleexperimentsd.com. Walk-ins are welcome based upon availability. Top review
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Ajua
Dined on Feb 6, 2025
About the restaurant
The Plot is a haven for culinary enthusiasts, where creative chefs transform locally sourced ingredients into stunningly plant-forward dishes. Indulge in a full-service dining experience in the evenings and for brunch, or opt for a casual lunch on weekdays. Enjoy our beautiful dining room or immerse yourself amongst the plants in our bountiful patio gardens. The Plot team is led by Jessica and Davin Waite, who have been at the forefront of San Diego's culinary scene for over a decade, gaining a loyal following for their inventive and sustainable approach to seafood and plant-based dishes, gaining the attention of critics and culinary innovators far and wide.Top review
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Kelly
Dined 2 days ago
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About the restaurant
Please call for reservations of 7+ (760) 453-2738 Founded in 2013 by Davin and Jessica Waite, Wrench & Rodent is a space for culinary exploration and collaboration. This cozy, eclectic restaurant quickly became a destination for those who appreciated Chef Davin’s creative approach to celebrating local and responsibly sourced fish and produce.
In addition to a set sushi menu, Wrench offers an omakase as well as a list of specials that change daily. The team is committed to reducing waste and enhancing flavor by elevating all cuts of fish and veggies, as well as featuring a diverse range of species. Many menu items are simple, fresh and creative, with a lesser-known fish species complimented by ingredients from the backyard garden. Byproduct utilization drives the menu as well, and recent explorations with aging techniques have led to a dry aged fish program. Plant-forward preparations are also celebrated, and a vegan omakase is available upon request.
Top review
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Blake
Dined 7 days ago
About the restaurant
ARTIFACT is a full-service restaurant featuring craft cooking inspired by ancient methods, spices and botanicals located inside the beautiful Mingei Museum at Balboa Park . Offering indoor, outdoor courtyard, and bar seating for lunch Tuesday-Saturday.Crafted by Tim Kolanko, Executive Chef, Urban Kitchen Group, and Tony Coito, ARTIFACT’s Chef de Cuisine, will be a nod to Mingei’s changing international exhibitions in an environment filled with functional, innovative art and design by Jennifer Luce, Founder and Principal of LUCE et studio, who led the design and renovation project.
ARTIFACT and CRAFT CAFE at Mingei-the latest additions to restaurateur Tracy Borkum and Executive Chef Tim Kolanko’s CUCINA family of restaurants. An Urban Kitchen Group Concept. CUCINA urbana, enoteca, sorella, UKG Catering, Urban Kitchen at The Ready Shell at Jacobs Park
Follow the journey on social media @Dine.Mingei
Top review
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Heather
Dined 2 days ago
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About the restaurant
WALK-IN'S ONLY FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH.WALK-IN'S AND RESERVATIONS FOR DINNER.
Wildland is an all-day restaurant, bar and bakery inspired by the natural landscape and vibrant community of North County, celebrating the creative culture of California by bringing bold ideas to timeless traditions.
Night or day, this is a place for the every day.
We open daily at 8am, with counter service up until 4:00pm, inviting you all to come in and join us on a first-come, first-serve basis for breakfast and lunch.
Reservations are available every evening, and walk in guests are always welcome.
Private Dining Room reservations are available for parties of 12-18 guests.
Top review
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OpenTable Diner
Dined 3 days ago
About the restaurant
Tropical space adventure in South Park! Exotic cocktails. Interplanetary fusion small plates. Named Best Bars In America by Esquire Magazine. Reservations offer 90-minute experience like no other, venturing towards the outer limits of the tropical flavor galaxy!
WALK INS WELCOME - Walk-in tables are available daily. Early arrival is encouraged and there is a paging system in the event of a waitlist.
Top review
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LaurenVIP
Dined 1 day ago
About the restaurant
At The Space Pad expect to find cocktails with flavored smoke bubbles floating on top of your drink, cocktails that look like a lava lamp in your hand, change color as you drink, fruit suspensions, and spherified cocktails that you actually eat rather than drink, similar to giant boba pods each individually filled with cocktail ingredients that bursts with flavor and booze when you bite into it.Reservations offer a 90-minute experience. WALK-INS WELCOME - Reservations not available? We always set aside space to accommodate walk-ins, first come, first served. And before or after your experience at The Space Pad you're welcome to join us at Kilowatt Brewing for our award winning craft beers, hard seltzers, adult slushies, and a bite to eat!
Top review
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AngeliqueVIP
Dined 3 days ago
About the restaurant
California’s best sushi in a laid back, casual atmosphere with Hawaiian vibes.You will get the freshest, finest, and the best quality sushi at Kai Ola. We serve fresh, unique (as well as traditional) sushi and we take pride in how it tastes. Our chefs prepare top quality creations and we take pride in our work.
Kai Ola is not about the scene. While locals and visitors alike love to dine with us, this is not a fine dining experience. This is about the fish. Sandals, board shorts, and bathing suits are welcome.
Kai Ola has the true Aloha! spirit in everything we do. Please come join us for the best fish and sushi creations you have yet to taste.
Top review
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JennVIP
Dined 1 day ago
About the restaurant
Come enjoy a dining experience where the long traditions of Chinese cuisine seamlessly integrate with the vibrant, farm-fresh ingredients of Southern California. At 24 Suns, we pay homage to the subtleties of nature, capturing the essence of each micro-season in our ever-evolving menus.Join us in Oceanside for fine Chinese cuisine, thoughtful craft cocktails, natural wine, and warm neighborhood hospitality. It’s more than a meal—it’s a tribute to the dynamic rhythms of land and season. Cheers!
Top review
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JenniferVIP
Dined on Feb 2, 2025
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About the restaurant
With only four tables back in 1989 "Don Simon" and his family; Jazmin his wife, and their three children; Charles, Simon and Gabriel opened the first Fisher's in Mexico City. With only 12 items on its menu, Fisher's became a destination in the northern area of Mexico City.Since its founding in 1989, Grupo Fisher's has developed seven brands in more than 30 locations, one of them in Madrid Spain. Al of them family style restaurants with the freshest and most innovative way to prepare sea food products. Grupo Fisher's has become the most successful sea food restaurant chain in Mexico with more than 2500 associates and capable of hosting more than 200,000 guests per month.
We are pleased to welcome you to the second international location of Grupo Fisher's right here in San Diego's Little Italy.
Top review
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ElizabethVIP
Dined on Dec 7, 2024
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