AVANT

On our lists of the best special-occasion restaurants and restaurants with a view in San Diego.

Inside Rancho Bernardo Inn, AVANT serves New American dishes shaped by French technique, drawing much of its produce from the resort's own 3,000-square-foot garden. Chef de cuisine Sergio Jimenez, who has worked his way up from saute cook since 2014, puts dry-aged rib-eye, king kanpachi crudo and lamb lollipops on a menu that runs as a four-course dining room experience or a la carte at the bar. A covered terrace looks out over the golf course, anchored by a white brick fireplace, alongside the main dining room.