A big night out in La Jolla →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
< 0.1 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.1 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in San Diego
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
74 spots · Jump to the list
For the anniversary, the birthday, the proposal. Every restaurant here sits at the top of the price range and treats dinner as the whole event. Book well ahead, mention what you're celebrating when you do, and plan for a longer meal than usual.
This guide ranks 74 special-occasion restaurants in San Diego, from Coronado to La Jolla 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.
romantic
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 big night out in South Park / Golden Hill
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
7:00 PMThe big dinner
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
A.R. Valentien
5.0(26)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$$
Catania
4.9(26)La Jolla · $$$
The Smoking Goat Restaurant
4.9(25)South Park / Golden Hill · $$$
Animae
4.9(19)Little Italy / Middletown · $$$$
Parc Bistro-Brasserie
4.9(10)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
The Henry
4.9(8)Coronado · $$$
Dora Ristorante
4.9(7)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$
Vigilucci's Trattoria
4.8(24)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse
4.8(15)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$$
La Dolce Vita Ristorante
4.8(15)La Jolla · $$$
Alexanders on 30th
4.8(9)North Park · $$$
Il Fornaio Coronado
4.8(9)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar
4.8(9)La Jolla · $$$
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
4.8(5)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$$
George's at the Cove
4.8(5)La Jolla · $$$
Chez Loma
4.8(4)Coronado · $$$
JRDN
4.7(26)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$$
Romanissimo
4.7(22)Little Italy / Middletown · $$$
Bluewater Grill
4.7(21)Coronado · $$$
Mia Trattoria
4.7(17)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$$
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill Coronado
4.7(17)Coronado · $$$
Wildland
4.7(7)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$$$
Lilo
4.6(26)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$$$
Herb & Sea
4.6(24)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
Showing 1–24 of 74 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion 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. Catania and The Smoking Goat Restaurant round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Coronado (4), La Jolla (4) and Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Lilo, while Wildland takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a big night out: drinks first, then the big dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.