Kettner Exchange in San Diego is the Brian Malarkey-designed rooftop dining room on Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy, a tri-level space with a covered indoor-outdoor terrace.
Signature dishes: Crispy lamb shank, Tuna tartare, Korean BBQ ribs
Must order: The crispy lamb shank, on the menu since opening; the Korean BBQ ribs to share.
Tip: Brunch on the rooftop runs Saturday and Sunday; book the terrace, not the indoor dining room.
Address: 2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
Ironside Fish and Oyster in San Diego is Consortium Holdings' India Street raw bar in Little Italy, with a piranha-skull-clad back wall and an extensive Pacific and East Coast oyster list.
Signature: Oyster tower, Lobster roll, Whole grilled branzino
Order: The Connecticut-style lobster roll, hot with butter; the oyster tower to share.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar runs $2 oysters Mon-Fri 3pm-5pm; the back patio gets sun until 7pm.
Davanti Enoteca in San Diego is the Scott Harris Hospitality Italian trattoria on India Street, a Northern Italian wine-bar room with house-made pasta and the Genoese focaccia di Recco.
Signature: Burrata with honeycomb, Cacio e pepe, Focaccia di Recco
Order: The focaccia di Recco with stracchino cheese; the cacio e pepe is the canonical secondi.
Tip: Walk-ins are taken at the bar; book the patio for warmer nights and the Saturday Mercato crowd-watching.
Ironside Fish and Oyster in San Diego is Consortium Holdings' India Street raw bar in Little Italy, with a piranha-skull-clad back wall and an extensive Pacific and East Coast oyster list.
Signature: Oyster tower, Lobster roll, Whole grilled branzino
Order: The Connecticut-style lobster roll, hot with butter; the oyster tower to share.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar runs $2 oysters Mon-Fri 3pm-5pm; the back patio gets sun until 7pm.
Davanti Enoteca in San Diego is the Scott Harris Hospitality Italian trattoria on India Street, a Northern Italian wine-bar room with house-made pasta and the Genoese focaccia di Recco.
Signature: Burrata with honeycomb, Cacio e pepe, Focaccia di Recco
Order: The focaccia di Recco with stracchino cheese; the cacio e pepe is the canonical secondi.
Tip: Walk-ins are taken at the bar; book the patio for warmer nights and the Saturday Mercato crowd-watching.
The Marine Room in La Jolla is Bernard Guillas's coastal fine-dining room at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club since 1994, with waves breaking on the glass during high tide.
Signature: Crab cake, King-tide-table whitefish, Sunday Champagne brunch
Order: King-tide-table seating for the surf-on-the-window experience; the crab cake is the room's signature.
Tip: Check the king-tide calendar at marineroom.com for the dramatic high-tide nights; book the window six weeks ahead.
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: Roasted duck, Local fish crudo, Smoked tomato soup
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.
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.
