Pacific sunsets and coastal romance
Best date spots in San Diego
568 spots 4.4 avg
A.R. Valentien
5.0(26)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$$
Bobby Riggs
5.0(26)Encinitas / Del Mar · $
Sunset Park
5.0(19)Ocean Beach / Point Loma
The Marketplace
5.0(19)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $
Bar 1924
5.0(19)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Four Moons Spa
5.0(16)Encinitas / Del Mar
Guides to San Diego
One kind of night, with the rest of the evening planned around it.
Romantic restaurants
Low light, a good table, and nowhere to be afterwards.
Little Italy, slowly
Rooftop bars
Go up for sunset, come down for dinner.
A proper martini, with a view
Speakeasies
Dinner first, then the unmarked door.
No water, no date
Wine bars
A glass to start, a table around the corner.
Cheap dinner, two desserts
Cocktail bars
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
Live music venues
Eat early, catch the set, stay for one more.
Cozy restaurants
Small rooms, low light, and a nightcap nearby.
Special-occasion restaurants
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
Restaurants with a view
Dinner where the view does half the talking.
Dessert spots
Dinner nearby, then the good part.
Activities
Something to do first, then dinner to talk about it.
Arcades & games
Bowling, arcades and escape rooms, then dinner to settle the score.
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD)
5.0(16)La Jolla · $
Mujeres Brew Club
5.0(13)East Village / Barrio Logan
Harper’s Topiary Garden
5.0(12)Little Italy / Middletown · $
Same Same
5.0(10)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
Mantra Raja
5.0(10)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro
5.0(6)Ocean Beach / Point Loma · $$
Catania
4.9(26)La Jolla · $$$
The NAT
4.9(26)Balboa Park · $
Young Blood
4.9(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Quartyard
4.9(26)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown
The Smoking Goat Restaurant
4.9(25)South Park / Golden Hill · $$$
Allmine
4.9(25)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
Snooze
4.9(25)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Elvira
4.9(25)Ocean Beach / Point Loma · $$$
Farmer's Bottega
4.9(24)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
The Wine Pub & Restaurant
4.9(22)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
4.9(22)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $
Bosforo
4.9(21)North Park · $
Showing 1–24 of 568 spots
Know a spot in San Diego we're missing?
Planning a date night in San Diego
We track 568 date spots across San Diego — restaurants, bars, dessert, and things to do before and after. Browse them all above, pick one kind of night from the guides, or start from the part of town you want to be in.
Good to know
- What are the best date spots in San Diego?
- Our top picks right now are A.R. Valentien, Bobby Riggs and Sunset Park. The full list above ranks all 568, editors' picks first.
- What's the best neighborhood for a date night in San Diego?
- Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown, Little Italy / Middletown and Oceanside / Carlsbad have the most date spots, each with its own guide below.
- What kinds of date nights are there in San Diego?
- romantic restaurants (34), rooftop bars (22), speakeasies (20), wine bars (23), cocktail bars (58), live music venues (49), cozy restaurants (18), special-occasion restaurants (74), restaurants with a view (66), dessert spots (42), activities (131) and arcades & games (28) — each guide plans dinner and a last stop around its best spots.
- What's the most romantic place in San Diego?
- Start with A.R. Valentien, Sunset Park and The Marketplace.