Discover the Best New Restaurants in San Diego

Oaxacan cuisine and mezcals are the specialties of Tahona Bar, a new restaurant in San Diego’s Old Town. The restaurant’s relative newness (it opened in late 2018) along with its modern-leaning approach to authentic regional cuisine, somehow merge nicely with its Old Town surroundings. Chef Adrian Villareal Mora’s breakfast, happy hour and dinner menus showcase dishes originating in Oaxaca. Among them are a guacamole topped with chapulines (a spicy-tangy preparation of ground grasshoppers), aguachile, barbacoa and three house moles. Tahona’s tacos – market fish, shrimp and squash blossom – are always a hit, available individually and as a trio. Mezcal pairings are available, as is a mezcal tasting experience.

It’s celebrated as one of the best new restaurants in San Diego, but Cesarina’s early-2019 opening wasn’t technically its debut. The Italian trattoria started as a pop-up at local farmers markets, offering pasta and sauces made by hand by a trio from Naples and Rome. At the bricks-and-mortar restaurant, diners get a glimpse of the kitchen' pastificio, the non-stop hub at the heart of an operation dedicated to the art of fresh pasta-making from scratch. Cesarina’s identical lunch and dinner menus present a mix-and-match selection of 11 pastas, eight sauces and nine toppings. Among those are fresh burrata, octopus meatballs and cured pork cheek. Dozens more pasta dishes feature as well, along with salads and antipasti.

North Italia opened in Fashion Valley in the fall of 2018 and proved so popular that a second location has since launched in Carmel Valley. A substantial part of the modern Italian eatery’s success must be attributed to executive chef Rich Sweeney, a participant on TV’s Top Chef. His from-scratch menus highlight pastas made daily in house, plus pizzas and other produce-forward creations. Expect beloved classics like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan and arancini. There are also some original creations such as black Mediterranean mussels with spicy salumi, and a squid ink mafaldine with calamari and white shrimp. North Italia’s venue is a major part of its appeal as well. It’s sleek, modern, filled with light and boasts a spacious shaded patio.

The charming, Parisian-inspired bistro Little Frenchie opened in May 2019 in the heart of Coronado Island. Its menus – morning, all-day and happy hour – stick exclusively with classic French bistro cuisine. Expect escargots, French onion soup, steak frites and a salad Nicoise. However, many of chef Matt Sramek’s choice ingredients are homegrown, imparting a taste of California to an all-French menu. Consider the cheese plates, offered in American, French and chef’s selection versions, each a curated offering from Little Frenchie’s comprehensive collection of Californian and imported French cheeses. The wine list has a similar provenance, with Belgian and French beers as a fine alternative.

One of the best new restaurants in San Diego for upscale Mexican cuisine is Javier’s in La Jolla. It opened in January 2019 as the fifth in a popular regional chain. Javier’s menus feature old family recipes from diverse regions of Mexico, transformed into remarkable high cuisine with a contemporary touch and the highest quality ingredients. Seafood is 100-percent sustainable and in season, while the prime, corn-fed Angus beef used for Javier’s steaks comes from Nebraska. Some exemplary dishes include Angus short ribs braised in chile negro sauce, Michoacan-style pork carnitas and Dungeness crab enchiladas. Vegan and vegetarian items are available as well.

In late 2018, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse opened its latest new restaurant in San Diego. It claims astriking two-story space on the waterfront attached to the InterContinental Hotel downtown. The national chain of more than 50 award-winning steakhouses specializes in fresh seafood as well as hand-cut prime steaks. Along with classic American steakhouse fare are some globally inspired dishes. Examples include charred octopus with gigante beans, tomatoes and olives, and tuna tartare with sweet soy ponzu, avocado and wakame salad. Over a dozen steaks range from 8-ounce filets mignon to a 32-ounce 45-day dry-aged rib eye. Steak aficionados might also consider wagyu steaks from Australia, Japan and Texas.

September 2018 marked the opening of Blanco Tacos + Tequila in Fashion Valley. It immediately became a go-to spot for tacos (eight in all), burritos, fajitas, enchiladas and a killer guacamole topped with roasted poblano peppers, Anaheim chiles, caramelized onion and cotija cheese. Also popular are various Mexican pizzas, which include a short rib machaca version and another topped with smoked bacon, French fries and over-easy eggs. Hand-crafted cocktails, including a range of imaginative margaritas, are just as much a draw to the hip, modern, mural-adorned space. Don’t miss the blackberry clementine margarita made with white tequila and hibiscus sea salt.

A New Zealand brewpub in University Heights became one of the best new restaurants in San Diego when it opened in early 2019. Kairoa Brewing Company takes inspiration from its founders’ New Zealand homeland in its cuisine, brews, venue and vibe. New Zealand specialties share space on the menu with more familiar comfort food classics. The former include shrimp butties, pork sausage rolls , a kiwi burger topped with marinated beets, and smoked chook wings with a choice of seasonings. Other tempting options include lamb street tacos, octopus karaage and beer-battered fish and chips.

Suckerfree Southern Plate & Bar, a new arrival to the Gaslamp dining scene in 2018, brings the best of southern cuisine to San Diego. Its menus span the south, offering barbecue shrimp from New Orleans, BBQ spaghetti from Memphis, hot chicken gizzards from Tennessee and strip steak from Kansas City. Fried chicken is a signature, available in servings from two pieces to the whole bird. Rounding out the menu are snacks and shareables like hushpuppies, fried pickles and deviled eggs. The restaurant offers brunch on weekends, an a la carte selection of sweet and savory treats including griddled banana bread, brisket biscuit, smothered catfish and a waffle of the day.

Inside a quirky Craftsman cottage in Little Italy is Queenstown Public House, one of the best new restaurants in San Diego. It offers New Zealand pub fare, a type of cuisine that blends the casual and creative, and comfort food with exotic ingredients. Adding to its appeal are great craft beers and a dog-friendly patio. The dinner menu (lunch and brunch are available too) includes a dozen sandwiches and burgers and a family-style section. Entrees include a Wellington meatloaf, parlor pot pie and New Zealand cioppino. Reflecting some global flavors are the Bombay chicken sandwich, Ahi Nicoise salad and a wild boar burger with mozzarella, roasted peppers and pesto aioli.

Gravity Heights, a brewpub in Sorrento Mesa, takes its brews seriously but puts as much focus on top-quality cuisine. Prior to its early 2019 opening, the founders also invested substantially in its 12,000-square-foot venue. Most notably they added an enormous shady oak tree to the center of a beer garden. The outdoor space and light-filled dining room are both ideal settings in which to indulge in “elevated pub fare.” Burgers, wood-fired pizzas and munchies including bacon-wrapped dates, brisket-topped fries and duck liver bahn mi crostini make up Gravity Heights’ menu. Don’t miss chef Ryan’s signature fried chicken, which comes in classic and spicy Korean versions.

The upscale, oceanfront Seréa is one of the best new restaurants in San Diego, having opened in the summer of 2019. Yet its home, the iconic Hotel Del Coronado, claims a long and rich heritage dating to 1888. Seréa brings a contemporary dining concept to this historic venue. Executive chef Jojo Ruiz’s creates menus around local, sustainable seafood and whole fish. His elegant preparations showcase the beauty of these ingredients while revealing a Mediterranean coastal influence. Some highlights include halibut ceviche, char-grilled octopus, glazed California black cod and wood-grilled spot prawns. Non-seafood items like Spanish-style mixed mushrooms, wood-roasted cauliflower and grilled lamb ribs round out the offerings.