The Brigantine

On our list of the best restaurants with a view in San Diego.

Opened by the Morton family on Shelter Island in 1969 and grown since into two dozen restaurants across the county, Brigantine's Embarcadero location sits inside the glass-fronted building at Portside Pier, close enough to the Star of India that diners can nearly touch her hull, with the Midway and the active-duty carriers at North Island filling out the rest of the bay view. The kitchen built its reputation on West Coast seafood: clam chowder, grilled swordfish, a creme brûlée for dessert. Happy hour runs oysters on the half shell, calamari, and sliders of ahi tuna, Wagyu beef and pulled pork, paired with discounted drafts and house wine.