Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

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!

Wildland

5.0

5 (17)

$30 and under

Californian

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

WALK IN'S ONLY, NO RESERVATIONS!

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.

Private Dining Room reservations are available for parties of 12-18 guests.

Top review

HeloiseVIP

Dined on Dec 10, 2024

Beautiful restaurant with amazing food and great service! Highly recommended.

NM Café at Neiman Marcus – San Diego

5.0

5 (330)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Mission Valley

About the restaurant

THE NM CAFE located in Neiman Marcus SAN DIEGO has been recently remodeled and is now open 7 days a week, 11 am- 4pm.

Laid-back luxe. Experience delightful dishes in a casual, contemporary atmosphere at THE NM CAFE® SAN DIEGO. Muted lighting and understated, modern decor create the perfect environment for a midday retreat. Whether dining with a group or simply ordering upscale take-out, expect delectable food and exceptional service that is synonymous with Neiman Marcus.

Let THE NM CAFE® host your next Baby or Bridal Shower. We pride ourselves on creating the perfect menu and ambience for your event in our chic and inviting atmosphere. Pamper the glowing bride- or mother-to-be in your life with the shower of her dreams or a lavish luncheon.

Top review

LaurieVIP

Dined 2 days ago

I always love NM for a ladies' lunch. Service is impeccable. The warm broth and poppers we are welcomed with make a wonderful introduction to the restaurant. The ambiance is bland and the food menu somewhat limited. This has been a favorite of mine for many years.

The WineSellar & Brasserie

4.9

4.9 (1004)

$31 to $50

French

Sorrento Mesa

About the restaurant

Established in 1988, The WineSellar & Brasserie is San Diego's premiere destination for fine wine and exquisitely crafted locally sourced, organic fare.

Consistently ranked among OpenTable's Top 10 local restaurants, The Brasserie has been honored with either Wine Spectator's "Grand Award" and "Best Of Award Of Excellence" every year since our inception.

With your meal, enjoy a bottle from the adjoining WineSellar boutique wine shop or choose a wine from our award-winning list. Either way, you’ll find an outstanding selection of unique small-production wines not found anywhere else. Not in the mood for wine? Choose from our rotating list of craft beers or seasonally available craft cocktails.

Top review

Eric

Dined 5 days ago

Great spot for lunch. Outstanding food and service.

LIPS - San Diego

5.0

5 (68)

$31 to $50

American

North Park

About the restaurant

Lips has been San Diego's ULTIMATE in Drag Dining for 25 years! Dinner, Drinks & fabulous Drag Shows, as well as Brunch on Saturdays & Sundays. Enjoy a great meal & cocktails served up by over-the-top Drag Queens.

DIFFERENT SHOWS WEDNESDAY THRU SUNDAY. Wed: Bithcy Bingo; Thur: Dining with the Divas; Fri: Glitz & Glam Dinner; Sat: 2 Dragalicious Brunches & 2 Glitz & Glam Dinners; Sun: 2 Gospel Brunches & Sunday Nite Showstoppers. ***Prices- Wed/Thur/Sun Dinner: $35.95(shoe & 3-course dinner, drinks additional); Sat/Sun Brunch: $42.95(Show, meal & bottomless Mimosas/Champagne/Bloody Mary; Fri/Sat Nite: $49.95(show & 3-course dinner,drinks additional)

All shows subject to 7.75%sales tax & 20% suggested gratuity; $12 celebration package for Birthdays/Bachelorette/Anniversary/Promotion/Graduation. 16+ to enter; 21+ to Drink. GOVERNMENT ID REQUIRED-ALL IDS CHECKED AT THE DOOR

Top review

Rebecca

Dined 6 days ago

Such a fun evening. Mother, daughter date night. I’ll definitely return for another show.

Youngblood

4.9

4.9 (1066)

$50 and over

Speakeasy

Downtown

About the restaurant

A curated 90 minute, three course cocktail experience akin to none. $67 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are accepted as early as a month in advance for groups of 4 or less. Large party reservations can be made through our reservations team at info@neighborhoodsd.com

Come find us.

Top review

Dusti

Dined 6 days ago

Actually amazing- literally worth the hype. Quiet, quick turn on drinks and service, attentive staff. Great value - will be back!

Baci Restaurant - San Diego

4.9

4.9 (1907)

$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

PatrickVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Overall great experience. The service is exceptional. I chose the wild boar pasta, which perhaps wasn’t the best choice. I tried a few other dishes as well and they were delicious.

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Popular dish

Parmigiana

Tapas & Beers

4.9

4.9 (498)

$30 and under

French

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in Downtown San Diego's historic Spreckels building, Tapas & Beers is a French and Spanish Restaurant.

We offer a large selection of Tapas plates to share between friends & family
but also normal size dishes if you don't want to share !

Our beers on tap selection highlights breweries from San Diego County and our wine selection from all around the world will make any wine lover happy too !

Everything you will eat at Tapas & Beers will be made from scratch to order with fresh and mostly organic ingredients !

Discover why our place isso highly rated !

Cheers!

Top review

Jun

Dined on Jan 5, 2025

Very friendly and good food and drinks. Good selection of beer and wine as well.

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Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (325)

$31 to $50

Italian

Temecula

About the restaurant

Welcome to Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante!
Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante is the oldest family-owned restaurant in the Murrieta and Temecula area. Named BEST OF SOUTHLAND: ITALIAN RESTAURANT by LA TIMES 2022. The food is based on authentic family recipes brought by the owner's parents when they emigrated from Calabria, Italy in 1954, which led to them to following their passion and opening their first restaurant in 1963 in Anaheim, CA. Everything on the menu is homemade, from the sausage, ravioli and lasagna, to the crepes used to make their manicotti and cannelloni, ricotta gnocchi and over 50 traditional entrees from pasta, veal (vitello), chicken (pollo), seafood (pesce), antipasto, minestrone and other specialty dishes prepared by our experienced chefs.
Whether you are new to the area or your friends and family want to enjoy the best Italian dining experience, come enjoy our live entertainment and family atmosphere.

Top review

Linda

Dined 2 days ago

We had not been to Anthony's in several months due to difficulty with noise level during our last dining experience. We are so glad we went last night. Everything about the experience was positive, including the level of noise. While the restaurant was mostly full throughout our time there, we had no difficulty talking at a normal level with each other and hearing everything our server said. The atmosphere, as always, was muted lighting and romantic. The food was great. We started with escargots then on to wedge salads (nice variation on what is typically a predictable salad) then pastas - gnocchi for me, lasagna for my husband. Paired escargots with bubbly then nice wine with dinner. What truly made our evening was our outstanding server, Taylor. She had the best personality, good sense of humor but always professional, and made excellent recommendations. Can't wait to go back!

Dz Akins

4.8

4.8 (229)

$30 and under

Deli

College Area

About the restaurant

New York Style Deli located in your backyard, massive menu, and fast paced people watching environment.
Reminder of what once was "Real Deli's" in America still here in your San Diego. Full Deli counter, Bakery in house and all made from scratch with love. 102 Sandwiches to many to choose from, and some really BIG Salads for anyone's desire. Home Style Dinners like your grandmother used to make, and some extreme Eastern European dishes that with blow your mind. Sick? No problem, we have the best medicine, D.Z. Akin's Matzoh Ball Soup! We also have 6 other soups on a daily basis for those soup lovers!!!
We've been voted San Diego Best Deli countless years, and we're in the news and on the radio all the time.
We are right off the Highway 8 east for your convenience, now doing online ordering on OUR WEBSITE and DELIVERY through our delivery partners. Thank you for supporting family owned businesses!!!

Top review

Dined 3 days ago

Went there for lunch, party of four. Great pastrami dip, big salad, other had soup/mini sandwich combo. Everybody’s happy, would go back in a heartbeat, makes Milton’s look like a Waffle House!!

Jeune et Jolie

4.9

4.9 (4101)

$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

Steven

Dined 2 days ago

Food was very good and everything was very unique. Drinks were also amazing. Highly recommend.

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Experience

Jeune et Jolie Valentines Day

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