Jeune & Jolie

Chef Eric Bost, who trained in Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Los Angeles, built the menu at this Carlsbad Village restaurant around a four-course tasting format that runs French technique through California ingredients. The room leans into a soft, pink palette: rose crushed-velvet booths, blush tile that continues up the open kitchen's ceiling, and even the grout between the wall tiles. Eater San Diego named it Restaurant of the Year in 2019, and the kitchen has held a Michelin star since 2021. Reservations fill up weeks out, and Live Fit Magazine called the patio's café lights and handwritten menus "effortlessly romantic."