Novo Restaurant & Lounge is a global restaurant in Downtown, San Luis Obispo.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Tikka Masala Chicken, King Salmon
Must order: King salmon on the creekside deck, or the Tikka Masala Chicken.
Tip: Ask for the lower creekside terrace; it was voted Best Outdoor Dining in the 2026 New Times poll.
Address: 726 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Luna Red sets seafood paella, lamb lollipops and shared plates beside Mission San Luis Obispo, with a plaza patio that fills fast on Thursday market nights.
Signature: Seafood paella, Fish tacos
Order: The seafood paella, built for the table and priced accordingly.
Tip: Book the patio for Thursday evenings; the farmers' market runs one block away on Higuera Street.
Firestone Grill is San Luis Obispo's tri-tip sandwich benchmark, carving oak-grilled beef onto garlic rolls since 1995 for a queue that snakes out the door.
Signature: Tri-tip sandwich
Order: The tri-tip sandwich on a garlic-butter roll, with a side of fries.
Tip: The line moves faster than it looks; order at the counter and grab a patio table on Higuera Street.
Giuseppe's Cucina Rustica serves farm-driven Italian cooking in San Luis Obispo's 1876 Sinsheimer building, with produce grown on its own Edna Valley farm.
Signature: Cioppino, Wood-fired pizza
Order: The cioppino, loaded with Central Coast seafood.
Tip: Since 1988 the kitchen has grown heirloom produce on the family farm; ask which vegetables came in that morning.
Flour House bakes Pizza Napoletana and rolls fresh pasta in downtown San Luis Obispo, and 50 Top Pizza has ranked it among the top 50 pizzerias in the USA.
Signature: Pizza Napoletana, House-made pasta
Order: A blistered Neapolitan pizza from the copper-clad oven, then a house-made pasta.
Tip: Meter Monday puts a metre-long pizza on the table; bring three friends and split it.
Bear & The Wren fires sourdough-edged pizzas in the Creamery Marketplace, a rebuilt 1906 dairy plant on the quieter west end of Higuera in San Luis Obispo.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza
Order: A wood-fired pie and whatever local can or draught is on rotation.
Tip: The Creamery courtyard connects to Buen Dia Coffee and Nite Creamery, so dessert is a ten-step walk.
Izakaya Goshi has cut sushi in San Luis Obispo for decades from its Creamery room, and its Sushi Goshi counter at SLO Public Market flies in special fish.
Signature: Sushi, Sashimi
Order: The nigiri selection; the fish case moves quickly on weekend nights.
Tip: Lunch runs 11:30-13:30 only; arrive before noon for a seat at the small bar.
Luna Red sets seafood paella, lamb lollipops and shared plates beside Mission San Luis Obispo, with a plaza patio that fills fast on Thursday market nights.
Signature: Seafood paella, Fish tacos
Order: The seafood paella, built for the table and priced accordingly.
Tip: Book the patio for Thursday evenings; the farmers' market runs one block away on Higuera Street.
Firestone Grill is San Luis Obispo's tri-tip sandwich benchmark, carving oak-grilled beef onto garlic rolls since 1995 for a queue that snakes out the door.
Signature: Tri-tip sandwich
Order: The tri-tip sandwich on a garlic-butter roll, with a side of fries.
Tip: The line moves faster than it looks; order at the counter and grab a patio table on Higuera Street.
Giuseppe's Cucina Rustica serves farm-driven Italian cooking in San Luis Obispo's 1876 Sinsheimer building, with produce grown on its own Edna Valley farm.
Signature: Cioppino, Wood-fired pizza
Order: The cioppino, loaded with Central Coast seafood.
Tip: Since 1988 the kitchen has grown heirloom produce on the family farm; ask which vegetables came in that morning.
Flour House bakes Pizza Napoletana and rolls fresh pasta in downtown San Luis Obispo, and 50 Top Pizza has ranked it among the top 50 pizzerias in the USA.
Signature: Pizza Napoletana, House-made pasta
Order: A blistered Neapolitan pizza from the copper-clad oven, then a house-made pasta.
Tip: Meter Monday puts a metre-long pizza on the table; bring three friends and split it.
Bear & The Wren fires sourdough-edged pizzas in the Creamery Marketplace, a rebuilt 1906 dairy plant on the quieter west end of Higuera in San Luis Obispo.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza
Order: A wood-fired pie and whatever local can or draught is on rotation.
Tip: The Creamery courtyard connects to Buen Dia Coffee and Nite Creamery, so dessert is a ten-step walk.
Izakaya Goshi has cut sushi in San Luis Obispo for decades from its Creamery room, and its Sushi Goshi counter at SLO Public Market flies in special fish.
Signature: Sushi, Sashimi
Order: The nigiri selection; the fish case moves quickly on weekend nights.
Tip: Lunch runs 11:30-13:30 only; arrive before noon for a seat at the small bar.
