San Diego's best dinner specials, spa deals, staycations, shows, and more
This charming North Park favorite is offering a four-course Italian dinner special featuring grass fed filet mignon, seared ahi tuna, and free-range chicken.
Pricing: $65 per person
Location: 3391 30th St, North Park
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 281-2539
Feast on five courses at one of the city’s top restaurants, led by acclaimed Executive Chef Jeff Jackson. Wine pairings are available, and each couple will receive a sweet treat courtesy of the pastry chef. (No à la carte menu available.)
Pricing: $135 per person; $185 with wine pairings
Location: 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 777-6635
Rancho Bernardo Inn’s signature restaurant has a delicious four-course meal for you and your Valentine. Dessert options include a sweet red velvet cheesecake and long-stemmed, chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Pricing: $85/$120 with wine pairings per person
Location: 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo
Date: February 14
Phone: (844) 226-2044
Favorite after-hours joint Backyard Kitchen + Tap is offering a three-course dinner featuring chipotle-rubbed sirloin and brick jerk chicken.
Pricing: $49.95 per couple
Location: 832 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 859-2593
Take a seat overlooking Mission Bay while you dine on a three-course prix-fixe menu, including Roquefort crusted-filet mignon with truffle mashed potatoes or savory stuffed shells with spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, and vodka sauce. Live entertainment will hold court in the Shell and Ventana Rooms as well as in the Tangier Bar. (No à la carte menu available.)
Pricing: $95 per couple; $15 extra per person for wine pairings
Location: 998 West Mission Bay Drive, Mission Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 488-0551
Sip back and relax with your sweetheart during an all-inclusive Vino Valentino evening at one of San Diego’s best wineries.
Pricing: $160 per couple
Location: 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, Carmel Mountain Ranch
Date: February 11
Phone: (858) 487-1866
Embrace the romance of France with Bleu Boheme’s exclusive three-course Saint Valentin menu. Enjoy decadent dishes like crèpe au homard, lobster crèpe with mascarpone, and filet mignon Rossini.
Pricing: $75 per person
Location: 4090 Adams Avenue, Kensington
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 255-4167
The charming La Mesa outpost features a three-course romantic patio dinner that includes a variety of hearty dishes like a New York steak, red wine bucatini, or the “c’est la vegan” tofu.
Pricing: $49 per person
Location: 8384 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 337-3445
Love is in the air and under the stars at Campfire. They will be serving a family-style “Cupid’s Feast” with a variety of specials that everyone is bound to enjoy.
Pricing: $55 per person
Location: 2725 State Street, Carlsbad
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 637-5121
Express your love with heart-shaped lobster ravioli from this new restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter. Their four-course dinner along includes a Valentine’s Day cocktail.
Pricing: $70 per person
Location: 314 Fifth Avenue, Downtown
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 230-5475
Dine with the San Diego skyline as your backdrop while your taste buds feast on Chef Deborah Scott’s three-course modern Mexican dinner. Be sure to try Coasterra favorites, mussels al chorizo and the 8 oz. center cut filet mignon.
Pricing: $74.95 per person
Location: 880 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 814-1300
This equestrian-inspired two-story eatery has prepared a one-night-only, three-course menu. Try the Tuscan herb caroni fritti, bone-in rib eye, and burrata raviolo.
Pricing: à la carte
Location: 2730 Via de la Valle, Del Mar
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 704-4500
From a black and red farfalle to a sweet red velvet torta, Executive Chef Daniel Wolinsky makes organically red flavors the focal point of his festive three-course Valentine’s Day menu.
Pricing: à la carte
Location: 4055 Adams Avenue, Kensington
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 281-4014
Mediterranean flavors are the focal point of Cucina Urbana’s Italian three-course feast.
Pricing: à la carte
Location: 505 Laurel Strett, Bankers Hill
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 239-2222
From the 11th floor of Hotel La Jolla, indulge in Chef Ingrid Funes’ three-course culinary creations and receive a complimentary glass of bubbly.
Pricing: $55 per person
Location: 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 551-3620
Lucky us—Valentine’s Day falls on a Taco Tuesday this year. Eat and drink your heart out with $2 carne, chicken, and carnitas tacos and $5 Mexican beers, tequila shots, and margaritas.
Location: 527 5th Avenue, Gaslamp
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 232-8226
Fiore Steakhouse at Harrah’s Resort
Harrah’s Resort SoCal has prepared a three-course meal that starts with a glazed heirloom beet torte and ends with a white chocolate dome, made with luxardo cherry nirtro ice cream, molten dark chocolate, and topped with a gold leaf.
Pricing: $150 per couple
Location: 777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 751-3100
Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering
For you lovebirds that want to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the comfort of your own home, Giuseppe Fine Catering will serve you dreamy hors d’oeuvres, entrees, cocktails, and desserts for your perfect night in.
Location: your choice
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 581-2205
Dine on a three-course prix-fixe menu at The Grill with an option to include wine pairings. Guests can enjoy live acoustic jazz by guitarist Alex Guillen on the patio. (À la carte menu also available.)
Pricing: $60 per person; $80 with wine pairings
Location: 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 777-6641
Head to the heart of La Jolla Village for panoramic ocean views at The Hake. Chef Aarti Sanghavi’s globally inspired four-course menu features an abundance of fresh and flavorful seafood options. Be sure to save room for the chai spiced panna cotta.
Pricing: $75 per person
Location: 1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 454-1637
Dine on an à la carte dinner by the water at Hello Betty Fish House in Oceanside. Chef Jared Hills has prepared mouth-watering dishes like stone crab mac and cheese and ceviche de aguachiles.
Location: 211 Mission Avenue, Oceanside
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 722-1008
Cozy up around the fireplace at this Little Italy eatery and enjoy Chef Brian Malarkey’s three-course prix-fix menu. Top off the romantic night with tiramisu or pavlova prepared by Executive Pastry Chef Adrian Mendoza.
Pricing: $84.69
Location: 2210 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 955-8495
Soak up skyline views and a savory three-course dinner at this picture-perfect San Diego date-night spot. Wrap up the evening with a slice of red velvet cheesecake.
Pricing: $74.95 per person
Location: 880 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 298-6802
Executive Chef Anthony Sinsay and Sous-Chef Ashley Kato will prepare a three-course dinner at this eclectic East Village restaurant.
Pricing: $55 per person
Location: 616 J Street, East Village
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 531-8744
Little Italy’s beloved lively eatery, Juniper & Ivy, is hosting a one-night-only “Put a Fork in It” event, featuring a unique four-course menu in honor of Valentine’s Day.
Pricing: $95 per person
Location: 2228 Kettner Bouelvard, San Diego
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 269-9036
Lakehouse Hotel & Resort/Decoy Dockside Dining
Snuggle up on the Love Boat and enjoy a romantic ride on Lake San Marcos plus dinner at Decoy Dockside Dining. You’ll be treated to a three-course gourmet meal, a bottle of red, white, or sparkling wine.
Pricing: $300
Location: 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 653-3222
Roasted root vegetable braised short rib, house-made ricotta and winter squash ravioli, and seared diver scallops are just some of the highlights of Chef Tim Kolanko’s locavore-styled three-course menu.
Pricing: $65 per person
Location: 1015 Orange Avenue, Coronado
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 437-6087
All weekend long, The Melting Pot will be offering their special five-course prix-fixe fondue menu, along with complimentary champagne and a free gift bag for you and your Valentine.
Pricing: $69.95-$79.95 per person
Location: 8980 University Center Lane, La Jolla
Date: February 11–14
Phone: (858) 638-1700
Enjoy a romantic and cheesy evening in the heart of Little Italy. Monello’s dinner special lets you choose from either a risotto or spaghetti dish, both made in their 40 lb. cheese wheel.
Pricing: $40 per person
Location: 750 W Fir Street, Little Italy
Date: February 11, 12, and 14
Phone: (619) 501-0030
This trendy Ocean Beach hot spot will shutter after February 14 so enjoy one last meal with their three-course candlelit dinner including menu favorites, like short rib pappardelle and Atlantic salmon.
Pricing: $29.95 per person
Location: 4839 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 222-1700
The Catamaran Resort’s seafood-centric restaurant will be offering a three-course prix-fixe menu, with items like a grilled ribeye and California wild squid with Spanish rice. Plus, each couple will receive a rose upon arrival. (À la carte menu also available.)
Pricing: $80 per person; $15 extra per person for wine pairings
Location: 3999 Mission Boulevard, Mission Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 539-8666
All you need is love—and baked brie. Just off the shore, PB AleHouse is serving up a three-course dinner for two with options like puff pastry-wrapped baked brie. Throw back a couple of spiced hot chocolate shots for your third and final course to finish off the night with a little holiday cheers.
Pricing: $60 per couple
Location: 721 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 581-2337
Get the best of both worlds—tacos and chocolate, that is—at Puesto the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Nibble on tacos and pick up a box of handmade chocolate bonbons for your Valentine. Don’t miss the limited-edition rose horchata bonbon.
Pricing: $10 per box of 5
Location: 789 West Harbor Drive, Downtown; 1026 Wall Street, La Jolla
Date: February 7–14
Executive Chef Marcel Childress has created a three-course prix-fixe menu featuring dishes such as a roasted red bell pepper soup, miso glazed arctic char, and a chocolate s’mores cake. Champagne for two is included as well.
Pricing: $95 per couple
Location: 525 5th Ave, Downtown
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 232-1747
One of San Diego’s best-kept secrets is serving a specialty seafood three-course menu made with local ingredients. Toast before a beautiful bayfront backdrop with a complimentary glass of sparkling rosé.
Pricing: $65 per person
Location: 1 Market Place, Gaslamp
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 358-6740
A sweet and savory four-course dinner is prepared at this Imperial Beach oceanfront restaurant. Surprise your sweetheart with a dozen red roses for $49, rose petals on the table for $7, or a sentimental love note for $5 to add a little magic to the night.
Pricing: $59.95 per person
Location: 800 Seacoast Drive, Imperial Beach
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 631-4949
The four-course, movie-inspired menu features a Pretty Woman Strawberry Gazpacho amuse-bouche, a Notebook-esque BBQ Chicken, and a Casablanca in-house Ferrero-Rocher.
Pricing: $55 per person; $95 per couple
Location: 1435 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 461-0124
You and your loved one will swoon over an eight-course dinner amidst amazing bay front views at Paradise Point Resort & Spa’s seaside restaurant.
Pricing: $95 per person
Location: 1404 Vacation Road, Mission Bay
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 490-6363
Treat yourself and your sweetheart to this Hillcrest restaurant’s profiteroles dessert—a cream puff pastry tower filled with hints of apple and drizzled with sweet caramel sauce.
Location: 3752 Park Boulevard, Hillcrest
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 795-6901
Atop the heated Twenty/20 Terrace, revel in a three-course prix-fixe meal and coastal sunset view. Menu highlights include braised short rib with butter poached Maine lobster, cauliflower puree, and grilled opah and octopus.
Pricing: $65 per person
Location: 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 827-2500
Across three courses and live acoustics, this Gaslamp spot has created an evening for two. Dinner includes one shared appetizer, two entrees, one shared dessert, and a choice of a bottle of wine or champagne.
Pricing: $95 per couple
Location: 333 5th Avenue, Gaslamp
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 795-9463
Dine at this five-star, five-diamond restaurant at Rancho Valencia’s Resort & Spa for a night to remember. You’ll enjoy a three-course meal and smooth jazz from The Steph Johnson Trio to perfect the ambiance.
Pricing: $115; $170 with wine pairings per person
Location: 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Sante Fe
Date: February 14
Phone: (858) 759-6246
Nothing says “I love you” more than a cheese, chocolate, and champagne trio. Take your Valentine to Venissimo Cheese’s Chocolate and Bubbles hands-on class where you will learn how to perfectly pair the three together.
Pricing: $60 per person
Location: 2650 Via De La Valle, Del Mar
Date: February 13
Phone: (619) 358-9081
Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant
Poached lobster, lamb lettuce wraps, yellowfin tuna nori rolls, grilled beef tenderloin, and pan-seared sea bass are just some of the options that await you and your loved one at this Rancho Bernardo Inn restaurant.
Pricing: $65/$95 with wine pairings per person
Location: 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo
Date: February 14
Phone: (855) 421-0268
Indulge in a decadent five-course French dinner and wine pairing while Chantal Roche and her trio set the mood performing Edith Piaf love songs.
Pricing: $179 per person
Location: 1055 2nd Avenue, Downtown
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 238-1818
Give your Valentine some sugar with Le Parfait Paris’s chocolate strawberry macarons and litchi rose macaron hearts served all week long leading up to the holiday. Then, party like a Parisian on the evening of the 14th with live music, desserts, and rose champagne.
Pricing: $2.50 per macaron
Location: 555 G Street, San Diego
Date: February 7–14
Phone: (619) 245-4457
Coronado’s iconic ice cream parlor is going full-on festive serving red ice cream cupcakes, pink waffle cups, and Valentine’s Day strawberry sundaes.
Location: 1025 Orange Avenue, Coronado
Date: February 11–14
Phone: (619) 435-2422
Forget the flowers and surprise your Valentine in the sweetest way with Sprinkles XOX box. This dozen contains four different flavored cupcakes topped with XOX and heart sugar decorations.
Pricing: $45
Location: 8855 Villa La Jolla Drive, La Jolla
Date: February 1–14
Phone: (858) 457-3800
Delight in a healthier holiday treat with Café Gratitude’s $10 heart-shaped strawberry meringue dessert or their $5 libido-stimulating wellness shot offered all week leading up to Valentine’s Day.
Location: 1980 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy
Phone: (619) 736-5077
Listen to live music and enjoy tasty cocktails and appetizers at this downtown favorite. Hit up their happy hour from 3-7pm for $4 wells and $5 wines.
Location: 901 Fourth Avenue, Downtown
Date: every Tuesday
Phone: (619) 696-8888
Avoid the pressure of an elegant dinner and treat your Valentine to a casual coffee or mimosa. Fig Tree Café’s romance-themed February drink specials include a dark chocolate covered strawberry latte and a four-flavor floral mimosa flight.
Location: Multiple locations
Date: February 14
Julian Ciderworks Chocolate Pairing
Julian Ciderworks and Sweet Petite Confections have teamed up for a hard-cider and chocolate pairing extravaganza at the local confectionary in Linda Vista.
Pricing: $30 per person
Location: 3582 Mount Acadia Boulevard, Linda Vista
Date: February 10
Phone: (858) 688-0210
Thanks to the variety, Liberty Public Market makes for an ideal first date destination—stress-free and spontaneous. Sip on wine or craft beer from the market’s in-house bars while you roam around the thirty artisan tenants.
Location: 2820 Historic Decatur Road, Liberty Station
Phone: (619) 487-9346
This local hot spot is offering $2 off select beers all day long as well as other happy hour food and drink specials starting at 3 p.m.
Location: 6955 El Camino Real, Carlsbad
Date: February 14
Phone: (760) 431-2929
If your true love lies with Taco Tuesday, then head to Social Tap Eatery for $6 frozen margaritas, $3 Montejo pints, and $5 Peligroso Tequila shots. Plus, you’ll score a free pork, chicken, or veggie taco with any drink purchase.
Location: 815 J Street, East Village; 4800 Art Street, SDSU
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 501-1541; (619) 501-1541
Venissimo Cheese’s North Park shop will be hosting a Valentine’s Beer Bash where attendees will enjoy beer samples paired with a beautiful selection of cheeses.
Pricing: $30 per person
Location: 3007 University Avenue, North Park
Date: February 13
Phone: (619) 358-9081
Bonnie & Clyde outdoor screening at The Headquarters
Spend the evening under the stars watching the 1967 classic Bonnie & Clyde. Grab a comfy lawn chair for a night out.
Pricing: free admission
Location: 789 West Harbor Drive, Seaport Village
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 235-4013
Spend your evening being listening to live jazz from local talent David Patrone. While you listen, enjoy hand-selected cheeses served with warm baguettes, lavash, and crisp flatbreads at this 1910 landmark.
Pricing: starting at $49 per person; VIP starting at $69 per person
Location: The Abbey on Fifth Ave, 2825 5th Avenue
Date: February 11 & February 14
Phone: (619) 686-8715
Drift away in romantic melodies with a three-course dinner and cabaret show presented by the iconic Lamb’s Players Theater at The US Grant.
Pricing: $94 per person; $48 per person (sans dinner)
Location: 326 Broadway, Gaslamp
Date: February 11, 12, & 14
Phone: (619) 232-3121
Get a pre-Valentine’s Day glow with 10$ off any organic tan extending product at Blush Tan in La Jolla.
Location: 7450 Girard Avenue, La Jolla
Date: February 1–14
Phone: (858) 412-4029
Drink for a cause at Bub’s at the Ballpark in East Village where they will be hosting their Third Annual Doggie Brunch in benefit of Second Chance Dog Rescue. Sip on Bloody Marys and mimosas, win raffle prizes, purchase pet caricatures, and meet rescue dogs available for adoption.
Pricing: Free admission
Location: 715 J Street, East Village
Date: February 12
Phone: (619) 546-0815
Kindred spirits can head to Casa Artelexia’s piñata workshop for a fun and crafty Valentine’s activity. It’s BYOB so be sure to bring your favorite cerveza or vino.
Pricing: $20 per person
Location: 3803 Ray Street, North Park
Date: February 9
Phone: (619) 501-6381
Brides-to-be receive 10% off any gown at Elle Bridal February 14–18.
Pricing: Varies
Location: 1133 Columbia Street, Downtown
Phone: (619) 326-8034
Have a heart-to-heart during Sharp HealthCare’s free “Sweetheart CPR” class, pegged to American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. Anyone who attends the class, normally $50 per person, will receive a two-year American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR Course Completion Card, as well as a healthy gourmet dinner prepared by Sharp Grossmont Hospital Chef Michael Catalano.
Pricing: Free
Location: 8695 Spectrum Center Boulevard, Kearny Mesa
Date: February 11
Dine, drink, dance, and shop local vendors during this party at Moniker Warehouse. There will also be nail art and a floral hair bar.
Pricing: Varies
Location: Moniker Warehouse, 705 16th Street, East Village
Date: February 2
Gondola Company Valentino Cruise
Experience a romantic Venetian tradition right here in San Diego with a gondola ride through the canals and waterways of the Coronado Cays. Enhance your excursion with a professional musician on board for an additional $100.
Pricing: $165 – $195 for two
Location: 503 Grand Caribe Causeway, Coronado
Date: February 11–14
Phone: (619) 429 – 6317
Celebrate on the sea with a luxurious brunch or dinner cruise with chilled champagne and romantic views of San Diego Bay. Choose between Cupid’s VIP Dinner Cruise, the Romance Dinner Cruise with DJ, or the Weekend Champagne Brunch Cruise for a whimsical day full of love.
Pricing: $65–$175
Location: Departs from Grape Street Pier 1800 North Harbor Drive
Date: February 11, 12, & 14
Phone: (619) 686-8715
Bring your Valentine and a yoga mat to the Barre & Brews event in Barrio Logan. Attend The Dailey Method’s morning class hosted at Iron Fist and you’ll receive 20% off your entire bar tab at the brewery.
Location: 1985 National Avenue, Barrio Logan
Date: February 11
Phone: (619) 255-5818
Visit the stem bar at this North Park coffee-flower shop hybrid for their “Get Flowers Get Some” promotion offering 20% off orders placed by February 7 and 10% off orders placed up until February 14.
Location: 2335 University Avenue, North Park
Phone: (619) 535-0245
Book an after-hours Valentine’s Day-themed tour at the SDMA that explores Cupid’s role in Greek mythology, romantic tales from India, and much more. Afterward, head to the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden at Panama 66 where your picnic basket for two awaits.
Pricing: $95 members & $110 nonmembers per couple
Location: 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
Date: February 14
Phone: (619) 696-1966
Now open to the public, this restaurant at the Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara is offering culinary classes in February. The Tequila and Chocolate Pairing class invites guests to try anejos and reposados paired with chocolates and truffles for $35 per person, while the Foods of Love aphrodisiac-themed class teaches guests how to cook a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner for $45 per person.
Location: 7210 Blue Heron Place, Carlsbad
Date: February 7 & February 9
Phone: (760) 814-8677
Valentine’s Day 10K, 5K, & Fun Run
Get your heart racing early this Valentine’s Day at Tidelands Park in Coronado. Discounted tickets are available when you register with a partner.
Pricing: $28–$115
Location: Tidelands Park, Coronado
Date: February 12
Phone: (858) 268-1250
The Hidden Spa in Ocean Beach has created a replenishing and romantic Valentine’s Day package that includes full body couples massages, chocolate mint hand and foot sugar scrubs, and rose water scalp massages.
Pricing: $180–$240 per couple
Location: 4969 Santa Monica Avenue, Ocean Beach
Date: February 12–16
Phone: (619) 224-2160
At this seaside spa, enjoy the romantic journey for two package, which includes side-by-side couples massages, a revitalizing body scrub, and two glasses of bubbly.
Pricing: $550 per couple
Location: 1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado
Date: February 1–28
Phone: (619) 522-8100
This year Tower23 is offering a lovers’ getaway package filled with chocolate-dipped strawberries, red roses, and breakfast in bed. Upgrade your experience with their Sex on the Beach package featuring cocktails, couples massages, and more.
Pricing: starting at $459 a night
Location: 723 Felspar Street, Pacific Beach
Date: Through February 28
Phone: (858) 270-2323
February brings romantic spa deals at L’Auberge including couples massages, mood-enhancing treatments like the Lavender Fields Pedicure, and a dark chocolate-infused oil massage called the Chocolate Lover’s Delight.
Location: 1540 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar
Date: All of February
Phone: (858) 259-1515
San Diego Valentine’s Day Guide 2017
Explore restaurants, activities, and shops within this affluent North County community
The inland North County community of Rancho Santa Fe is often associated with wealth. It’s one of San Diego’s most expensive residential markets and is consistently ranked one of the highest-income zip codes in California and the U.S. Rancho Santa Fe is known for its large equestrian community including riding facilities and horse trails, as well as its country club lifestyle and associated golf courses.
At the center of this luxury master-planned community is a small, walkable downtown area referred to as the “village,” with The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe acting as both a landmark and social hub. Much of the community, including the historic Inn, was designed by acclaimed architect Lilian Rice, one of California’s earliest female architects. The Spanish Colonial-style architecture she brought to the village is still one of its defining characteristics today.
Whether you’re coming to Rancho Santa Fe for golf, horseback riding, or pampering at a resort spa, be sure to start with a short walk around the village to take in the neighborhood’s charm. Plan your next visit here with our neighborhood guide to the area’s best restaurants, things to do, and shopping.
Jump To: Restaurants | Things to Do | Shopping
Families congregate at The Pony Room for elevated California ranch-style cuisine. Lamb lollipops, carne asada tacos, burgers, and weekly dinner specials are offered here, alongside an extensive collection of wine and spirits (especially tequila) and sizeable kids menus. As the signature restaurant of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, this all-day eatery is a lively centerpiece of the local social scene.
5921 Valencia Circle
The piano bar at Mille Fleurs is the buzziest spot to be on Friday and Saturday nights in Rancho Santa Fe. French classics like escargot, lobster bisque, duck confit, and steak frites are the main dinner attractions at this local institution that has been around for more than 40 years. Spring for the four-course prix fixe menu before nabbing a coveted bar seat near the piano entertainer.
6009 Paseo Delicias
Nick & G’s is one of the most prominent restaurants in the village, with an outdoor patio that overlooks the main thoroughfare. Enjoy modern Italian food, steaks, and seafood dishes here, including homemade pasta, pizza, wagyu beef, and oysters. Be sure to check their live music schedule and events calendar for the latest happenings.
6106 Paseo Delicias
Named after renowned architect and planner Lilian Rice, Lilian’s is The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe’s flagship restaurant. Their upscale menus feature sustainable seafood, grass-fed meats, local produce, and even sushi rolls during dinner. Outdoor seating provides a bird’s-eye view of the village and an elegant backdrop for weekend brunch. Stop by Bing’s Bar (a nod to Bing Crosby) for craft cocktails, beer, wine, and light bites in a refined setting.
5951 Linea Del Cielo
Quaint cafe and bakery Thyme in the Ranch serves a small selection of breakfast and lunch items (don’t miss the tarragon chicken salad), but is perhaps best known for its pastries and baked goods. Cakes, pies, muffins, scones, and cookies fly off the shelves here, where locals come for special occasions, parties, and group catering orders.
16905 Avenida De Acacias
Located inside a historic building once home to Rancho Santa Fe’s original schoolhouse, Paseo RSF is one of the village’s newest dining options. The charming American bistro has pasta, salads, burgers, meat and seafood entrees, plus a thoughtfully selected California wine list and new sushi and omakase program. Kids and dogs are both welcome here.
6024 Paseo Delicias, Suite C
Grab a quick coffee to go from this walk-up window in the same shopping center as the post office. Cinnamon roll lattes, cold brew, spiced chai, smoothies, protein bowls, and more can be found at Rancho Roasters, where they brew beans from Dark Horse Coffee.
16950 Via De Santa Fe
Casual pizzeria and martini bar Goli is a popular spot for catching the latest sports games. Order one of their unique specialty pizzas like the Casbah with hummus and veggies, build your own pizza or burger, or go with one of their hearty wraps that’s made with an extra thin version of pizza dough.
18021 Calle Ambiente, Suite 403
Find generous portions of Mexican food at Cocina del Rancho, run by the same owners as Carlsbad’s Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana and Village Kabob. Get classic dishes like burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, plus their specialty items including pulpo, carne asada, and fajitas with lobster tail. Don’t skip the margaritas.
16089 San Dieguito Road
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
We found a handful of inspiring people who live in, and truly know, these 'hoods and asked them how they’d spend their time out and about
Growing up in Carlsbad, I never quite understood why people vacationed there. What, so you want to check out the field where I have soccer practice? Pay my orthodontist a visit? Carlsbad just felt like a town by the beach, no better or worse than any other in the country. It took going to college out of state for me to actually understand just how rare a place like Carlsbad is.
Thanksgiving break my freshman year, my first time coming home after three months in the Midwest, my shoulders dropped. I rolled down the windows and drove to lifeguard tower 37—the hangout magnet for Carlsbad’s youths (and, in the summer, tourists)—and the smells of the ocean woke me right up like smelling salts do. I finally got it.
Carlsbad isn’t just a stopover town on your way to something better. It is the destination. Travel + Leisure named Carlsbad one of the top 50 places around the world to travel in 2026. From the whole globe, the travel magazine picked my home. Sure, we’ve got the Flower Fields and Legoland—but now it’s the smaller ships and indier dreams that are giving it street-level character.
It’s not just Carlsbad, either. People have talked about the “North County bubble” for decades—a force field that prevents its residents from traveling south of the 56. It’s often used derogatorily, and it’s a fairly accurate burn.
For decades, living up in North County meant giving up on culture, or at least culture within close proximity. But now, the main expansion of San Diego culture is happening up north. Central San Diego restaurants have started taking notice and are expanding into the area—spurred no doubt by Oceanside’s food boom and the Jeune et Jolie–Campfire–Wildland–Lilo constellation in Carlsbad. City Heights burger joint Key & Cleaver opened a new spot in Oceanside; the owners of Parc Bistro-Brasserie in Bankers Hill opened Parc Lounge in Rancho Santa Fe. Possibly the strongest market indicator is that Sam Fox—one of the most successful restaurateurs west of the Rockies—has started focusing on North County for his concepts. In 2025, he opened both The Henry in Carlsbad and Culinary Dropout in Del Mar.
For the ultimate insider guide, we found a handful of inspiring people who live and create and truly know six North County neighborhoods—San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, Leucadia, Rancho Santa Fe, and Vista—and asked them how they’d spend a dream day out and about in their town.
San Marcos is in full renaissance mode. The biggest story is that the grand North City vision is starting to peek through the scaffolding. It’s essentially the North County Downtown that’s been written in the tea leaves and discussed whenever someone gets stuck in traffic at the 5/805 merge: a 200-acre, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use face-changer that’s slated for 2,600 homes, 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 250 hotel rooms, and about a million square feet of offices and labs. Its most recent manifestation is 222 North City—a 12-story residential tower with over 450 residences, rooftop garden, pool cabanas, art installations, and almost 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail (Necessity Coffee, Buona Forchetta, Draft Republic, Milonga Empanadas, and a grocery store anchor on its way).
Which means Restaurant Row is no longer burdened with being the primary caregiver for the hungry or the socially inclined. Patricia Prado-Olmos has watched the city morph during her nearly three-decade tenure at CSUSM, having spent the past six years as the school’s chief community engagement officer. She also just announced her forthcoming retirement at the end of the 2026–2027 school year, so she’ll have even more time to haunt local haunts.
Those in the know call the university “Cal State StairMaster” from the Sisyphean amount of stairs on the hillside campus. So, any day at or around CSUSM should start with a homestyle carbo-load (biscuits and gravy) from Mama Kat’s.
“There’s something about this breakfast spot that immediately puts me in a good mood,” she says. Mama Kat’s is also known for its pie (strawberry-rhubarb), which is breakfast if you change your perspective.
After a few hours on campus—with a break to pet the university’s official therapy goldendoodle, Frank, who helps ease finals tremors or apprehension of on-campus stairs—Prado-Olmos will wander into North City, just steps away. She says the almond croissant and coffee at Christophe Rull Patisserie rival Parisian cafés: “It feels like the kind of place you’d stumble across in a much bigger city.”
Rull, a Michelin-trained pastry chef who’s done stints on Netflix (Bake Squad) and Food Network (Super Mega Cakes, Halloween Wars), opened his patisserie last fall. The hype hasn’t cooled off yet: Get there early because the crowds do.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
Discover eateries, outings, and shops within this inland North County community
Just south of Lake Hodges near 4S Ranch and Poway, Rancho Bernardo is a suburban community that blends residential neighborhoods with industrial pockets, elevated by a decidedly diverse food scene.
Over 60 years ago, this North County neighborhood was once part of a family ranch. Since that time, big tech companies have taken up residence here, including Amazon, Sony Electronics, Oura Ring, HP, Teradata, and ASML. Rancho Bernardo Inn serves as a community hub, with locals frequently meeting at the hotel’s restaurants, golf course, and spa.
Whether it’s work or a round of golf that brings you to Rancho Bernardo, we’ve taken care of the agenda planning with our guide to the area’s best restaurants, activities, and shops.
Sample ingredients plucked straight from Rancho Bernardo Inn’s onsite garden and served at their signature restaurant Avant. One of the neighborhood’s most upscale dining options, they serve a French-inspired menu with nods to California, including many seafood options. Don’t miss their more casual sister restaurant Veranda for al fresco dining.
17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive
Wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas are standouts at The Kitchen, Bernardo Winery’s counter-service restaurant specializing in Sicilian flavors. Charcuterie boards and bruschetta make for great starters or snacks while wine tasting.
13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte
Fast-casual and family-owned eatery Bushfire Kitchen recently opened a location in Rancho Bernardo, serving sandwiches, bowls, salads, burgers, protein plates, and housemade empanadas. Bushfire prepares comfort food with healthy ingredients, and offers plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.
11962 Bernardo Plaza Drive, Suite 110
Some might call The Cork & Craft an overachiever. This gastropub has an in-house craft brewery and winery: Abnormal Beer and Wine. The more, the merrier. Their sushi menu is definitely worth exploring, but don’t miss other specialties like garlic noodles, chicken wings, and pork belly.
16990 Via Tazon
You don’t have to leave Rancho Bernardo to get a white tablecloth steakhouse experience. Carvers Steaks & Chops has prime rib (their best seller), filet, ribeye, porterhouse, New York strip, and other cuts, served alongside crab-stuffed mushrooms, wedge salad, French onion soup, potato skins, and other steakhouse specialties.
1940 Bernardo Plaza Drive
This no-frills Burmese restaurant is known for its traditional tea leaf salad that’s topped with sesame and sunflower seeds, garlic chips, peanuts, tomatoes, jalapeños, fried yellow beans, and fermented green tea leaf dressing. Tucked into a nondescript strip mall, Burma Place is a great takeout option when you want to eat garlic noodles, fried rice, chicken curry, and samosas from the comfort of your couch.
16719 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite A
Find authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Phở Ca Dao, including favorites like phở noodle soup, vermicelli noodles, broken rice dishes, and spring rolls. One of eight locations throughout San Diego, this family-owned chain uses robot servers for food delivery.
11808 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 100
It’s all about the sauce at fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant The Kebab Shop. Smothering your chicken shawarma, gyro, or falafels in garlic yogurt, cilantro jalapeno, fire chili, and dill yogurt sauce is practically a rite of passage. The hardest part is deciding whether to order a wrap, bowl, or salad.
11980 Bernardo Plaza Drive
Get a taste of South Asian flavors at Casa Lahori, a Pakistani restaurant noted for its grilled meat kabobs. Other best-selling dishes include beef nihari, chicken biryani, and shahi paneer— best enjoyed with naan bread.
11975 Bernardo Plaza Drive
Grill your own meat on the tabletop at Kangnam Korean BBQ, an interactive, all-you-can-eat experience that’s well-suited for large groups. Marinated beef bulgogi, grilled galbi short ribs, and spicy pork are served alongside traditional banchan dishes like kimchi, japchae glass noodles, and flavorful stews. Weekday lunch specials provide a nice discount on these filling meals.
11828 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 117–119
Dig in to your favorite curries and kebabs at Curry & More Indian Bistro. Most entrees are served with a choice of two side dishes, including basmati rice, potatoes with cumin, daal, naan, or mixed greens. Help offset the spice with one of their sweet mango or strawberry lassi drinks.
11808 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 123
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
Behind every beautiful space is a thoughtful process, and ASID San Diego is helping homeowners understand the value of professional design.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Follow ASID San Diego on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook for updates on upcoming events, or connect with the chapter directly at [email protected] or 619-548-8847.
From San Diego’s coastline to Los Angeles stadium and fan zones across the region, here’s how to experience soccer’s biggest event
When three nations and 16 cities come together to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scale stops feeling like a tournament and starts feeling like geography. A continent becomes the stage as borders soften into corridors. And Southern California—shaped by migration, sport, entertainment, and constant movement—sits inside that landscape with all eyes on it.
San Diego and Los Angeles have always felt connected. Hop on the Pacific Surfliner, and the trip unfolds in one continuous stretch of coastline, passing beach towns, neighborhoods, and city centers.
Traveling from San Diego, everything still feels slightly suspended as the Pacific Surfliner follows the coast north with ocean on one side and a slow suburban blur on the other. San Diego stays in exhale. Los Angeles is already building toward something louder.
This summer, Los Angeles will host eight matches of the FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium, including the US Men’s National Team opener on June 11, while the region stretches into 39 days of programming across stadiums, parks, transit hubs, beaches, and neighborhoods. Instead of one massive fan hub, Los Angeles is embracing a citywide celebration, with fan zones spread across its entirety.
But this pattern has been rehearsed here for decades. In 1994, Southern California became one of the defining stages of the World Cup, when matches at the Rose Bowl placed global attention on the region and turned local stadiums into international landmarks, confirming its ability to hold the world at scale.
What distinguishes Southern California is not just infrastructure, but cultural permeability. Fashion, music, film, art, and sport constantly overlap here, creating an environment where identity is flexible and always in motion. From the Venice boardwalk, where skate culture shaped modern street style, to global soccer stars rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebs, to authentic Spanish cuisine moving up and down the I-5 corridor, everything circulates.
The World Cup is not introducing anything new here, it’s showing up for the summer and showing out, revealing what this city has always known about itself. What follows is a look at the fan zones and how Los Angeles turns itself into a city-wide stage for the tournament, one neighborhood at a time.
As the heart of Los Angeles, Union Station is an official Fan Zone June 25-28 during the World Cup, but in practice it never really stops being one.
It is the city’s circulation point, its meeting ground, its pressure valve. Commuters, travelers, match-day crowds, and everyday Angelenos all move through the same space, and everything mixes, overlaps, and scales in real time. In a way, this is where the World Cup stops arriving in Los Angeles and starts moving through it.
The Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles makes that shift feel almost too easy. No stress or gridlock anxiety, just a straight line up the coastline with ocean on one side and everything slowly becoming more built on the other. It’s one of the rare ways into LA that doesn’t feel like arrival as friction. You can sit with a laptop, watch the Pacific drift past, grab coffee from the café car, and let the city come to you in pieces.
That’s the beauty of arriving at Union Station. Instead of feeling like you’re on the edge of the city, you’re immediately surrounded by it. And, inside, the station already reads like a World Cup nerve center: banners, movement, multilingual energy, the sense that something global is about to funnel through this exact point. The Heart of the City Fan Zone only sharpens that feeling, with simultaneous match screens, DJ sets, meet and greets, and immersive activations built around marquee games like USA vs. Türkiye.
From there, the city splits outward.
ROW DTLA feels like the first exhale after arrival. A converted industrial campus turned creative district where restaurants, retail, and open-air courtyards form a self-contained ecosystem. If you’re looking for the perfect first meal in LA, make it lunch at Pizzeria Bianco. The thin-crust pizza is reason enough to go, but the space leaves just as much of an impression.
What I liked most about ROW DTLA is how quickly it resets you after the train. One minute you are stepping off at Union Station, and the next you are in a space that feels like its own version of LA, a city inside a city with some of the most curated shopping I’ve ever seen.
Bodega hides itself behind a convenience-store front, a sneaker and streetwear space disguised as something ordinary, like LA refusing to make anything feel too obvious. The whole campus moves like that, part retail, part gallery, part neighborhood you are only temporarily inside.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
We rounded up the city’s best events, activities, and restaurants to celebrate Dad on June 21
Father’s Day is often the overlooked summer holiday that doesn’t quite get the extravagant brunch treatment or overflowing bouquets that Mother’s Day does. Sure, there’s the annual pair of socks, Padres hat you’re convinced he doesn’t already own, beer subscriptions, phone case doubling as a wallet, plus the classic “Best Dad” keepsakes. But this year, let’s flip the narrative with events, activities, and specials made with Dad in mind.
Whether he wants a quiet dinner, a big screen full of San Diego sports and wings, or a weekend that somehow includes NASCAR, a jazz festival, and a Broadway reimagining, there is something for every dad. Here’s your guide to a memorable Father’s Day in San Diego.
Jump To: Activities | Bars & Drinks | Dining Specials
Nothing says “Happy Father’s Day” like the sound of engines ripping across Naval Base Coronado. NASCAR is turning this into a historic race weekend that feels less like a casual outing and more like a full-scale San Diego moment people will be talking about long after June is over. This is the first time a NASCAR Cup Series race has ever taken place on an active military base, which instantly puts it in “you had to be there” territory.
It’s fast, loud, and very on-brand for a Father’s Day where Dad suddenly becomes an expert on tire strategy, pit stops, and track positions. The bar might be set unreasonably high for every Father’s Day that follows, but that’s a next-year problem, right?
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Dates: June 19–21 | Weekend Schedule
Address: Naval Base Coronado
At Humphreys, Father’s Day gets a little more sophisticated. Roger Friend and an all-star lineup of jazz musicians bring decades of international experience to the bay, where dads can lean into their musical side with head nods and shoe taps. It’s smooth, layered, and exactly the amount of jazz you didn’t realize your playlists were missing.
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Time: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: 241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego
Belmont Park is rolling out a Father’s Day lineup that basically turns Mission Beach into a living garage scene, with a free car show featuring everything from polished 1960s Camaros to classic Bel Airs and lowriders. If he has a ride of his own, vintage car owners can join the lineup for $35 per vehicle. After the chrome tour, it’s straight into a Mission Beach classic: boardwalk strolls, fish tacos on the sand, and rides at Belmont Park.
Price: Free to attend | Register vehicle here
Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Address: Belmont Park, 3146 Mission Boulevard, San Diego
I think it’s an unspoken rule that dads love Bob Dylan. Mine is already figuring out how he’s getting to San Diego for this. But this isn’t just a Father’s Day activity, it’s a cultural event that happens to land on Father’s Day weekend and immediately becomes the plan. Bob Dylan at The Rady Shell means you’ll be surrounded by city lights sparkling across the harbor, legacy music, and at least one moment where Dad leans over and whispers, “You know, this guy wrote everything.” And honestly? He’s not wrong.
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Address: 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego
The San Diego County Fair returns with fried everything, questionable decisions, rides that definitely looked safer in the 2000s, and Dad’s very confident plan to “just walk around for an hour” that somehow turns into an entire day. It’s also the biggest, longest-running community event in San Diego County, running Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, July 5, with a “Once Upon a Fair” theme. It basically becomes part of the Father’s Day season whether you planned it or not. So, consider this your annual reminder that “happily ever after” can, in fact, involve Cajun honey dogs, cinnamon rolls, a Ferris wheel you swore you wouldn’t go on, and Dad somehow knowing exactly which booth has the best Spam wonton tacos.
Price: Tickets available here: website
Date & Time: June 10 – July 5 (closed Mondays & Tuesdays) | 11 a.m.
Address: 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
Circadian Sleep Clinic Helps Reset the Body Clock
Nearly everyone experiences a sleepless night once in a while. But for those with a circadian sleep disorder, being well-rested can feel out of reach. A circadian sleep disorder occurs when a person’s internal clock doesn’t align with their desired or socially required sleep schedule. This can significantly impact quality of life, mental health and physical well-being. Scripps Circadian Sleep Disorders Clinic, launched in 2019, was the first of its kind in the state. Its specialists diagnose and treat conditions like delayed sleep phase disorder, shift work sleep disorder and non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. Many patients have spent years—or even decade —thinking there was no hope for their sleep behavior. A solution can be life-changing. Read more about the Scripps Circadian Sleep Disorders Clinic here.
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