A romantic night in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.1 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
Best romantic restaurants for a date in San Diego
Low light, a good table, and nowhere to be afterwards.
34 spots · Jump to the list
The restaurant is still the date most people start with, and the right one does most of the work: a room that's quiet enough to talk, light low enough to relax, a table you're not hurried off. Every restaurant here was chosen for that feeling rather than for the food alone — though the food is good. Book ahead for a weekend, ask for a corner or window table when you do, and leave the rest of the evening open.
This guide ranks 34 romantic restaurants in San Diego, from Encinitas / Del Mar to Pacific Beach / Mission Beach and Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
adventurous
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A romantic night in Encinitas / Del Mar →
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMSomething sweet
Versailles Cafe & Pastries
Dessert Shop
204 N El Camino Real Ste H, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA
Encinitas / Del Mar
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
A.R. Valentien
5.0(26)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$$
The Marketplace
5.0(19)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $
Luna Grill Encinitas
4.9(19)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
Babycakes
4.8(24)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $
Cicciotti's Trattoria Italiana
4.8(20)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
Lucy's Tavern
4.8(15)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$
La Dolce Vita Ristorante
4.8(15)La Jolla · $$$
Punta Mar
4.8(8)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
JRDN
4.7(26)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$$
The Marine Room
4.6(8)La Jolla · $$$$
Jeune & Jolie
4.6(7)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$$$
Terrace Café
4.6(5)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
Coco Maya
4.5(21)
Old Spaghetti Factory
4.5(11)$
Kindred Cocktail Bar
4.4(11)South Park / Golden Hill · $$
District 1 Pho
4.4(5)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $
Il Sogno Italiano
4.3(17)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Pacific Coast Grill
4.3(10)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas
4.2(22)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
ADDISON BY WILLIAM BRADLEY
4.2(18)$$$$
Crown Landing
4.1(22)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$$
Marisi
4.1(21)La Jolla
Moe's
4.1(16)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
Hooked on Sushi
4.1(15)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
Showing 1–24 of 34 spots
Good to know
- What's the best romantic restaurant in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is A.R. Valentien in La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines, rated 5.0 out of 5. The Marketplace and Luna Grill Encinitas round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best romantic restaurants?
- Encinitas / Del Mar (6), Pacific Beach / Mission Beach (4) and Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable romantic restaurants in San Diego?
- Yes — The Marketplace, Luna Grill Encinitas and Babycakes are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a romantic night: drinks first, then dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.