Dora Ristorante

On our list of the best special-occasion restaurants in San Diego.

In La Jolla's Theatre District near the Playhouse, chef Accursio Lota built Dora Ristorante as a tribute to his grandmother Dora and the years he spent training in Michelin-starred kitchens in Italy and California before working as a sous chef under Bernard Guillas at The Marine Room. The kitchen makes its pastas by hand and builds dinner around Sicilian coastal cooking translated through Southern California produce and fish, with a house gelato program for dessert. A 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio and a private dining room sit off the main room, designed with nods to the neighboring theater scene.