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Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in San Diego

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OpenTable
Updated February 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems 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!


A photo of Rosina's Italian Restaurant restaurant
4.9
4.9 (1238)
$30 and under
Italian
Poway / Rancho Bernardo
About the restaurant

Rosina's Italian Restaurants is traditional, casual and family friendly. We prepare our pastas and sauces fresh daily. Rosina's is a great place for a business meeting in our larger additional dining room, special gathering date night, or family dinner.
Hand Made for 30 Years
We serve healthy, Mediterranean recipes the Italian way: homemade soups, fresh vegetables, classic Italian cuisine from the heart of Italy. Our family has prepared meals for San Diegans for almost 30 years.
Find out why your neighbors are calling both of Rosina's locations hidden gems, and make sure to try the nightly dinner specials!

Top review
Melvin
Dined on Feb 5, 2025
An overall excellent dining experience. I am a frequent diner at Rosina's and have never been disappointed with their food, service or ambience.
A photo of Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina restaurant
4.9
4.9 (556)
$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
Eunice
Dined on Feb 2, 2025
It was an amazing experience, our server was excellent and the dishes were delicious. I will recommend this place to my friends and family.
A photo of Harney Sushi Poway restaurant
4.9
4.9 (53)
$30 and under
Sushi
Poway / Rancho Bernardo
About the restaurant
Experience the taste of high quality sushi with a trendy Neo-Asian inspired décor. Harney stands as the top sushi bar and dining destination in San Diego. It's as fresh and innovative as you desire. Here, the spirit of experimentation mingles with joyful revelry, where top-notch dining expertise meets vibrant charm and flair. Our establishment features a private VIP area and an array of over 30 specialty rolls crafted and named by devoted fans. It's a symphony for your taste buds, nourishment for your soul. Since 2001, we take pride in presenting our award-winning, sustainable sushi cuisine rooted in Southern California.
Top review
MarkVIP
Dined 7 days ago
Maybe ordered the wrong rolls. Staff was great. Would try again
A photo of Isola La Jolla restaurant
4.8
4.8 (795)
$30 and under
Italian
La Jolla
About the restaurant
My Nonna's name was Isola, a wonderful cook who gave me a passion for food and fresh, simple ingredients.

I have vivid memories of my grandmother turning plain bread into amazing desserts, simple apples into incredible fritters sprinkled with a little sugar and honey, and even treating my sunburns with olive oil. Thirty years later, I still savor every meal and moment.

Isola is proud to serve the finest local ingredients, dalla vite, from the vine. I hope you enjoy every bite, plucked from my family tree for your table. Buon appetito!

Top review
Giovanna
Dined 1 day ago
Absolutely enjoyed every minute of our dining experience. Everyone was nice, knowledgable, friendly and professional. We were given time to enjoy starting with drinks, our appetizers were fresh, full of flavor and will definitely have them on our next visit. Our main courses were full of flavor, the pizza was delicious, some of the best that I have had in a long time. The pasta was fresh with generous portion ( enough to bring home for lunch). Everything was well presented and full of flavor. Ended the evening with coffee and dessert, left fully satiated and looking forward to our next visit.
A photo of Cocina de Barrio restaurant
4.8
4.8 (427)
$30 and under
Mexican
Hillcrest
About the restaurant
*Brunch hours are on a walk-in basis only.
Thank you for your cooperation & support during this time!

Cocina de Barrio by Chef Jose J. Flores

Bienvenidos a Cocina de Barrio, the newest modern-urban Mexican restaurant located in Hillcrest, San Diego! We are proud to feature the culinary richness of Oaxaca as well as other Mexican regions. Stop by and enjoy our bar stocked with plenty tequila and mezcal selections, MUCHA cerveza, and wines sourced from Valle Guadalupe.

Don't forget to join us during our daily brunch (where we add a Mexican kick) and our happy hour every Tuesday-Friday from 3-5pm! Stay Chido!

Top review
Jesse
Dined on Jan 19, 2025
Great food and great service! My kids are picky and even liked the food.
A photo of Lemon Grove Bistro restaurant
4.8
4.8 (93)
$30 and under
American
Lemon Grove
About the restaurant
In addition to offering comforting American favorites, our menu provides a selection of flavors inspired by our chef’s culinary experiences, ranging from classic Spanish fare to Italian favorites. Our menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest ingredients and provide an exciting dining experience throughout the year.

The Lemon Grove Bistro is in a historic mission-style building in the heart of Lemon Grove. Since 1912, it’s been a place where locals meet and build connections, whether they were picking up their mail at the Sonka General Store in 1944 or ordering custom cakes at the Grove Pastry Shop in 2012.

Come for the food. Stay to experience the inviting ambiance of the historic building and its new garden. Let’s build community--together.

Top review
MilindaVIP
Dined on Jan 23, 2025
From the moment we got there the service was great. The food was awesome and it was nice and quiet. We were a group of 10 and our server took care of us in a great way we never needed anything. He was right there.
A photo of Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1349)
$31 to $50
Seafood
Del Mar
About the restaurant
***AQUA MARE CUCINA ITALIANA ***

Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana by Villa Capri in Del Mar offers a menu inspired by responsibly sourced local food. It's a place to enjoy fresh, delicious plates and relax watching our beautiful view of the lagoon and the ocean. In addition to fresh fish and seafood, Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana in Del Mar serves fresh homemade pasta, risotto, chicken, steak and vegetarian options. It is open for dinner Monday through Sunday from 4pm to 9pm, and for lunch Sunday from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana in Del Mar also has a large bar area with HD TVs, a Private Room and Private Patios that can be booked for banquets and private events

Top review
Susan
Dined 7 days ago
This restaurant is the old Villa Capri which was in Carmel Valley for many many years. The new location is pretty and in a great location. The food was just as amazing as I remember it to be - there is no better Chicken Marsala anywhere! Service was delightful as well! We will be back!
Discover more
A photo of Isola Little Italy restaurant
4.7
4.7 (763)
$30 and under
Italian
Little Italy
About the restaurant
My Nonna's name was Isola, a wonderful cook who gave me a passion for food and fresh, simple ingredients.

I have vivid memories of my grandmother turning plain bread into amazing desserts, simple apples into incredible fritters sprinkled with a little sugar and honey, and even treating my sunburns with olive oil. Thirty years later, I still savor every meal and moment.

Isola is proud to serve the finest local ingredients, dalla vite, from the vine. I hope you enjoy every bite, plucked from my family tree for your table. Buon appetito!

Top review
Janet
Dined 2 days ago
I love this place, I come here every time I visit my daughter.
A photo of Sorrento Ristorante restaurant
4.7
4.7 (29)
$31 to $50
Italian
Little Italy
About the restaurant
Sorrento Ristorante offers traditional Italian cuisines in its warm and hospitable ambiance. The restaurant is decorated with simplicity. Washed in decent shades of brown, it has a decorate ceiling. Tiny bulbs hang from the ceiling to create a romantic environment. Large pillars in the dining room are decorated with fresh flower arrangements and glasswork. The restaurant has a native Italian staff. It has a beautiful outdoor patio, serving the warmth of San Diego nights. Sorrento Ristorante is popular for its variety of authentic Italian dips and sauces. Guests can customize their meals by pairing up the sauces with their main meals. Pesto sauce makes a nice combination with all pastas. Chocolate mousse is served with chopped dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate cream topping. The lightly tossed bleu cheese is prepared in the craft kitchen. The bar at Sorrento Ristorante serves Italian wines and beer.
Top review
Lisa
Dined on Feb 3, 2025
Great food. The service was excellent. They even surprised our table with a free bread pudding dessert, which was delicious! I will return next time I'm in San Diego!
A photo of Scuderie Italia restaurant
4.7
4.7 (357)
$30 and under
Italian
Pacific Beach
About the restaurant
Scuderie (scoo-de-ree-ye) is often referred to, in Italy, as a racing team garage. In the spirit of teamwork we welcome you to Scuderie Italia, our luxurious home providing you with impeccable service and simple, comforting Italian food and pizza.
Our true Napoletana pizza is proudly made by our vibrant pizzaiolo, Gimmy Piperku, who also heads the kitchen serving handmade pasta and other popular Italian dishes. Enjoy your meal on either one of our our covered patios or dine inside surrounded by beautiful photos of Italian engines and bright racing yellows. Nothing brings people together like good food and we have that for you and your crew!
Buon appetito~ Leonardo and Christine Landini

Top review
Chad
Dined on Jan 21, 2025
Great bruschettone. Would highly recommend that and the pizzas
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