Best Food, Coffee, and Things To Do In San Diego
Written by Brenna
A winter or early spring getaway to San Diego has been a constant favorite of mine over the last five years. With nearly year-round sunshine, endless coastline, an airport right in the center of the city, and things to do for all ages, it’s pretty much the perfect weekend destination. Compared to other California cities, I’ve definitely found San Diego to have the most laid-back vibe. No one seems to be in a rush in this city, which while frustrating at times for travelers like us who love to be on-the-go, can be really quite refreshing.
Here are a few things you should know before your visit:
The star of the show in San Diego is really the coast. While downtown has a lot to offer, it doesn’t compare to the experience you’ll have along the beach. Try to stay somewhere within walking distance to the ocean, if possible.
If you do want to see a lot, you’ll want to rent a car. Uber will add up quickly, and public transit, while available, takes a pretty long time.
San Diego food and drinks are pretty expensive, but a great way to save money on food is to stick to all of the amazing taco or other Mexican food joints which you can find just about anywhere.
The guide will be in this order:
Attractions
Restaurants
Coffee
Bars/Breweries
Plan away, and be sure to head over to Instagram - @travelbybrenna to tell us about your trip!
Hotels
ANDAZ SAN DIEGO
If you’re headed to San Diego looking for nightlife and don’t mind a bit of noise, enjoy the spacious rooms, skyline views, and rooftop pool at the Andaz San Diego (Book on Expedia) in the Gaslamp Quarter. With their gorgeous rooftop restaurant and happy hour, it’s the perfect spot for a girls or guys weekend getaway if you love to go out!
Beach haven
If you're ok with no frills but looking for a clean, spacious room only a block from the most stunning vistas of Pacific Beach, check out Beach Haven (Book on Expedia) in Pacific Beach. This is by far our favorite neighborhood in San Diego, and given that we’re not alone in that sentiment, lodging can be pricey here. Beach Haven is affordable and in an absolutely perfect location. You can be at the neighborhood’s best restaurants or have your toes in the water within a 5 minute walk.
Attractions
LITTLE ITALY
Little Italy (open in Google Maps) is located in one of the nicest, most vibrant parts of downtown San Diego. It features endless options for a great Italian dinner, gelato shops and bakeries, and a thriving farmer’s market on Saturdays. The whole area surrounding Little Italy, specifically Kettner street, hosts a ton of quality restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. It’s basically your one-stop shop for a perfect afternoon or evening on the town.
OLD TOWN
This historic park, outdoor museum, and market is a wonderful place for a walk and a meal. Old Town (open in Google Maps) features historic buildings from the 1800’s and is meant to represent life in San Diego while the area was still under Mexican rule. It’s touristy, but pretty and there are plenty of photo spots and lively Mexican restaurants. While it might not be the most authentic Mexican food around, you’re guaranteed a good time with live music, big portions, and even bigger margaritas.
Coronado Beach
Coronado Island (open in Google Maps) is a pristine, upscale area only a 15-minute drive or ferry ride from downtown San Diego. Head over to Coronado beach and wander around the famous sprawling Hotel del Coronado, which has beautiful 19th century architecture, for a lovely afternoon in the sunshine. We grabbed a drink at one of the many beachside hotel bars and had a great time relaxing and taking pictures in the area.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park (open in Google Maps) is a massive park in the center of the city and has museums, restaurants, walking and hiking trails, and even holds the world famous San Diego zoo. Stop by the main square on El Prado road and enjoy the beautifully designed buildings, take pictures at the gorgeous conservatory and lily pond, and stop in to whatever museums pique your interest.
Pacific Beach Pier
One of the best showcases of the San Diego coastline is on Pacific Beach (open in Google Maps). You’ll find the most epic views from the walking/biking path along the ocean as well as the pier. We rented bikes for a few hours and had the greatest time riding the boardwalk all the way from Pacific Beach to Mission Beach and back. California living at its finest!
Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs (open in Google Maps) is a massively popular nature destination in San Diego for hikes, beach walks, and sunset picnics. While it is very crowded, the views are so vast that the amount of people doesn’t take away from the experience at all. We made sure to visit at sunset on a clear day and watched the skies and cliffs light up in vibrant orange then fade to pink. We only wished we had brought some drinks and a picnic! Traffic getting out of the area took a long time, so plan ahead for a 20-30 minute hold up when leaving.
2. Restaurants
Rooftop by STK
If you’re looking for fresh Californian cuisine and beautiful skyline views, then Rooftop by Stk (open in Google Maps) is your spot. This restaurant sits on top of the Andaz hotel in the Gaslamp (nightlife) district of the city and is the perfect place to start (or if you’re like us while traveling, end) a night out with some gorgeous sunset views. We went here for a sunset happy hour in the winter and had ceviche, crispy brussels sprouts, and some epic drinks like a smoked old fashioned and chai white Russian.
Eggies
A little takeout subset of the famous California-based Breakfast Republic chain, Eggies (open in Google Maps). At one of their three locations you can grab a delicious loaded breakfast sandwich to go to start your morning. We absolutely loved this concept and it was a perfect way to kick off a busy day of exploring!
Tuetano Taqueria
Tuetano Taqueria (open in Google Maps) is a new, vibrant, bustling counter-service taco joint in Old Town serving up incredible birria, bone marrow, and fish tacos. There’s a bar on-site and an easy online ordering system. We stopped by for lunch during our visit to Old Town and our only regret was that we weren’t hungry enough to order more.
Herb & Wood
Herb & Wood (open in Google Maps) serves up what feels like a typical, trendy, upscale brunch. This might not sound like a complement, but trust me it is because I love a typical, trendy, upscale brunch. You’ll find contemporary twists on classics like eggs benedict with prosciutto, burrata toast, or a gooey cinnamon roll absolutely loaded with piped cream cheese frosting.
Kettner Exchange
This huge downtown staple restaurant serves up Asian-fusion small plates in a modern space with open-air dining. We were glad we got a reservation at Kettner Exchange (open in Google Maps) as it looked like wait times were around an hour on a Saturday night. Prices are for the most part reasonable with some on the higher end (like for their famous caviar bao bun), and we loved the Sichuan lamb noodles and rice cakes.
Oscar’s Mexican Seafood
When we first tried to visit Oscar’s Mexican Seafood (open in Google Maps) on a holiday Monday afternoon, we were disappointed to wait 30 minutes in a line that did not move at all. We had to ditch the line and head to another spot. However, we came back for dinner the following day and there was no line at all. These were just the fabulous, fresh San Diego fish tacos and ceviche we were looking for! Truly nothing beats it, so definitely try to visit if you can!
Kono’s Cafe
Kono’s Cafe (open in Google Maps) is a classic Hawaiian themed diner with counter service and delicious, generously portioned, affordable breakfast burritos. Be sure to scope out their outdoor seating area with a view of the water to enjoy your breakfast with!
3. Coffee
Bird Rock
Bird Rock (open in Google Maps) is a long-standing third wave coffee shop that now has multiple locations throughout the city. We visited both the downtown and La Jolla locations and both served up the best espresso drinks in the city. I loved both the espresso tonic and their specialty lattes.
Holsem
This North Park shop has a beautiful modern design with marble countertops. I had a great matcha Holsem (open in Google Maps) and Haeden enjoyed his 3rd (or who am I kidding, probably his 4th) cortado of the day here while we sat in to take a break from the rain.
James Coffee Co.
James Coffee Co. (open in Google Maps) has a couple locations, we enjoyed stopping by the India Street location inside a small indoor market for some cortados.
Communal Coffee
Communal Coffee (open in Google Maps) is a gorgeous North Park cafe perfect for brunch before or after a stroll through Balboa Park. Catch some excellent toasts. pastries, and and a lovely flower-packed gift shop to sip your coffee in.
Genteel Coffee
Genteel Coffee (open in Google Maps) is a small coffee shop is located in an old church building and is renovated with a streamlined, airy, modern look. They have creative seasonal lattes and I really loved the Foxtrot latte which was flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, and orange.
4. Bars
North Park Beer company
As Seattle-ites, when it starts raining and we don’t know what to do, the natural choice is to head to a brewery. North Park Beer Company (open in Google Maps) was packed on a rainy weekend and featured some tasty IPA’s
Waterbar
Waterbar (open in Google Maps) is an upscale modern sports bar right along the Pacific Beach Pier, Waterbar is a great spot for some after dinner drinks. We were lucky enough to visit on Tequila Tuesday and I had a couple of delicious flavored tajin-rimmed spicy margaritas.