George's at the Cove in La Jolla is George Hauer's three-level Prospect Street institution since 1984: George's Level2 fine dining upstairs, George's Ocean Terrace for casual ocean-view eats.
Signature dishes: Roasted duck, Local fish crudo, Smoked tomato soup
Must order: The smoked tomato soup with grilled cheese; the roasted duck on the Level2 menu.
Tip: Book Ocean Terrace at sunset for the casual ocean-view version; Level2 is the fine-dining tasting menu room.
Address: 1250 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037, San Diego
Mister A's in San Diego is the 12th-floor Bankers Hill rooftop room atop the Manchester Financial Building, with panoramic views of the bay, Balboa Park and Coronado.
Signature: Tableside Caesar, Dover sole, Tomahawk steak
Order: The Dover sole boned tableside; the Caesar for two with white anchovies.
Tip: Reserve a window booth at sunset; planes from the airport tip directly toward the room during the descent.
Trust Restaurant in San Diego is Brad Wise's Hillcrest neighborhood room since 2016, the small-plates wood-fire kitchen that anchors Wise's Trust Restaurant Group.
Signature: Wood-grilled octopus, Cauliflower steak, Whole roasted fish
Order: The wood-grilled octopus on a smear of harissa; the cauliflower steak as the vegetarian centrepiece.
Tip: Book counter seats for the open-fire kitchen view; the Group also runs Fort Oak and Rare Society if Trust is full.
Cesarina in San Diego is Cesarina Mezzoni's Point Loma trattoria on Voltaire Street, a glass-walled pastificio where you can watch hand-rolled eggless pasta being made through the window.
Signature: Handmade tagliatelle, Tortelli di zucca, Eggless pasta
Order: The tortelli di zucca with butter and sage; the tagliatelle al ragu finished tableside.
Tip: The eggless dough is unusual; ask for it explicitly if you want the canonical Cesarina experience.
Buona Forchetta in San Diego is Matteo Cattaneo's South Park pizzeria on 30th and Beech since 2011, the Naples-style wood-fire room that holds the Gambero Rosso Pizza Accreditation 2022.
Signature: Pizza margherita, Pizza Sofia, Burrata appetiser
Order: The pizza Sofia with prosciutto and burrata; the margherita is the test of the dough.
Tip: No reservations on the patio; arrive by 5:30pm or after 8:30pm to skip the worst of the line.
Soichi Sushi in San Diego is Soichi Kadoya's Michelin-starred (since 2022) omakase room in University Heights, an intimate counter with a six-piece omakase and a handful of a la carte plates.
Signature: Omakase, Local yellowtail sashimi, Hokkaido scallop
Order: The full omakase, sat at the counter; the local yellowtail is the room's recurring star.
Tip: Two omakase seatings nightly; book three weeks ahead on Tock for either.
Sushi Tadokoro in San Diego is Mitsui Tadokoro's Old Town omakase counter, the long-running Michelin Guide-listed Japanese kitchen with traditional Tokyo-style preparation.
Signature: Omakase, Toro sashimi, Tempura
Order: The omakase nigiri course; the toro sashimi with grated wasabi made tableside.
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended; the counter seats twelve and books out a week ahead.
