Coastal Cuisine, Sunny Adventures, and Laidback Charm

More of Our Favorite San Diego Hotels

Photography courtesy of Malibu Farm

Malibu Farm in Seaport Village is buzzing morning, noon, and night. Brunch, served daily from 9am to 3pm, shows off the farm-to-table fare that SoCal does best: surfers’ rancheros with butternut squash and zucchini, a BLT kale salad with cherry tomatoes and spicy pepitas, and vegan coconut ceviche. Many tables in the barn-like space, with hay bales and a two-story ceiling, overlook San Diego Bay.

While exploring this scenic area hugging San Diego Bay, you’ll spy all sorts of vessels, from harbor boat tours and seasonal whale-watching excursions to active U.S. Navy ships and the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier now open to the public (midway.org). The neighboring Maritime Museum is also popular for delving deeper into local history (sdmaritime.org). There are paths in the Embarcadero for strolling and biking, art installations, and playgrounds and lawns for taking a breather.

Photography courtesy of GetYourGuide

Completed in 2004, the San Diego Padres’ home stadium is open and airy, incorporating a 100-year-old industrial brick building. Next to the Gaslamp in downtown’s East Village, Petco Park has views of the sea and city skyline. You can sample a variety of beloved San Diego restaurants that have stands right in the ballpark, from Puesto for modern Mexican to an outpost of Negihama Sushi.

Book a Petco Park stadium tour at GetYourGuide.com.

Mexican immigrants began living in Barrio Logan, southeast of downtown, in the early 1900s, and it remains a stronghold for Chicano art and culture. Chicano Park features murals by Mexican American artists on concrete pillars and walls beneath a series of freeway overpasses. Residents fought fiercely for this, following the construction of the I-5 freeway in the 1960s, which demolished homes and broke up neighborhoods. You can explore the park, and locally owned businesses, such as Mujeres Brew House (mbhsd.com) and Sew Loka, an edgy, upcycled clothing brand (sewloka.com).

Starlite has been San Diego’s sexy late-night cocktail den for two decades, but a change in ownership and renovations have given the space new energy (starlitesd.com). There’s still the hexagon-shaped dining room and sunken bar with a sparkly chandelier dangling from above. There’s also a jungle-like patio and a cavern-like dining area with mirrored tiles and a waterfall feature. Night owls can sip Starlite Mules and old fashioneds until 2am.

This Italian café and bakery with a fragrant garden is one of La Jolla’s best-kept secrets. The founder’s late grandmother, Lilliana, inspired the menu and the space. Diners can order Italian sandwiches, espresso, and pastries that honor her original recipes, such as pistachio-filled croissants and brioche buns with orange zest.

Ask any San Diegan and they’ll have an opinion about where to get the best fish taco. There are several contenders in La Jolla, including George’s at the Cove, a multi-level restaurant known for ocean views and fresh seafood (georgesatthecove.com). The best seat for lunch is on the top floor terrace. The fish tacos are filled with local rockfish, cabbage, pico de gallo and drizzled with chipotle aoli. Round out the meal with salmon tartare and George’s famous smoked chicken, broccoli, and black bean soup.

Many of San Diego’s best fish taco spots are more casual. The original location of the Tijuana-inspired Taco Stand is in La Jolla, on Pearl Street (letstaco.com). Diners can choose grilled mahi mahi or Baja-style fried fish (or both) and take it to go or sit on a shaded patio. Corn tortillas are always made fresh to order.

The rare Torrey Pine still thrives in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, as the trees actually prefer sandstone soil and foggy conditions (parks.ca.gov). The twisting, wind-sculpted pines add a unique beauty to the 1,750-acre preserve, with trails winding through deep ravines and coastal bluffs that overlook the ocean and Torrey Pines State Beach. Wildflowers bring a pop of color to the preserve in spring. One of Southern California’s last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges is also in the reserve, and the Underwater Ecological Reserve offshore is another protected area.

If you're feeling so inspired, you can easily carry on with more outdoor adventures, like exploring La Jolla's sea caves, kayaking, or even snorkeling among gentle leopard sharks during the summer and fall.

With modern farmhouse-style buildings, a koi pond, fire pits, and even a natural log play area for kids, the vibe at One Paseo in Carmel Valley is more appealing than the typical shopping mall (onepaseo.com). It also has a significant number of small businesses interspersed among retailers like Lululemon and Sephora. Look out for Pigment, the SoCal lifestyle and home décor shop was founded in San Diego; a locally owned boho clothing boutique, Van De Vort; and an outpost of Oregon’s Salt & Straw creative ice creamery.  

The nautical Whaling Bar first opened at La Valencia Hotel in 1949 and became a go-to for noted authors and Hollywood actors (lavalencia.com). The bar shuttered for 10 years but reopened with a sleek new design (Moroccan-inspired details, emerald green tufted booths, and brass pendant lights) in 2024. The 20-foot Wing Howard “The Whaler’s Last Stand” mural remains, as do classic cocktails like a Cognac and coffee liqueur concoction first introduced in 1965.

Great Maple takes the beloved diner tradition to the next level with French and Mexican influences (thegreatmaple.com). Start with freshly made pastries, like made-to-order maple bacon doughnuts, before moving on to chilaquiles with gourmet chorizo or brioche French toast with blueberries. Boozy brunchers are spoiled for choice with seven varieties of Bloody Marys, plus fresh fruit mimosas, from blood orange thyme to French sauternes and lemon sorbet.

Sleek and stylish, Artifact eclipses most museum restaurants. Ancient cooking methods inspire bright, flavorful dishes like shrimp mandu dumpling with ginger scallion oil and piri piri chicken with summer squash (urbankitchengroup.com). The Mingei International Museum, situated in a renovated 1915 Spanish Colonial building within Balboa Park, is dedicated to the art of the everyday, encompassing folk art and handicrafts.

Among Balboa Park’s many gardens, the Japanese Friendship Garden stands out as a manicured work of art well worth the entry fee (niwa.org). Black pine trees, azaleas, and ornamental wisteria and cherry blossom trees are arranged around waterfall-fed koi ponds, bonsai trees, and a 250-year-old bronze statue. The garden ties San Diego to its sister city of Yokohama, Japan.

In San Diego, it makes sense that the symphony’s permanent home is an outdoor venue on the bay. Performances take place at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park year-round, including an annual summer concert series (theshell.org). And it’s not just classical music – the shell-shaped venue hosts movies accompanied by a full orchestra playing the score and concerts by major recording artists. The venue partners with top chefs and restaurants to offer picnic boxes for pre-order.

As of fall 2025, a historic Navy building in Arts District Liberty Station has been reborn as a state-of-the-art venue for the Cygnet Theatre company (cygnettheatre.org). With a nearly 300-seat theater and a smaller studio, The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center puts on high-caliber productions, from A Christmas Carol to thought-provoking plays like The Lehman Trilogy. There are also art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques to scope out while in Liberty Station.