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 Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown to La Jolla and Coronado. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Fleurette
4.5(20)La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $$$$
ADDISON BY WILLIAM BRADLEY
4.5(18)$$$$
Jack & Giulio’s Italian Restaurant
4.5(17)Old Town · $$$
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse
4.5(15)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$$
Water Grill San Diego
4.5(15)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
La Dolce Vita Ristorante
4.5(15)La Jolla · $$$
Chez Loma
4.5(4)Coronado · $$$
JRDN
4.4(26)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$$
Crown Landing
4.4(22)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$$
Provisional Kitchen
4.4(22)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Bluewater Grill
4.4(21)Coronado · $$$
Rei Do Gado
4.4(18)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill Coronado
4.4(17)Coronado · $$$
Alexanders on 30th
4.4(9)North Park · $$$
STK San Diego
4.4(9)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$$
Il Fornaio Coronado
4.4(9)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$
ARTIFACT
4.4(9)Balboa Park · $$$
NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar
4.4(9)La Jolla · $$$
The Prado at Balboa Park
4.4(8)Balboa Park · $$$
The Marine Room
4.4(8)La Jolla · $$$$
Wildland
4.4(7)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$$$
George's at the Cove
4.4(5)La Jolla · $$$
Herb & Sea
4.3(24)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$$
Lumi by Akira Back
4.3(23)Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · $$$$
Showing 25–48 of 74 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Fleurette in La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines, rated 4.5 out of 5. ADDISON BY WILLIAM BRADLEY and Jack & Giulio’s Italian Restaurant round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown (6), La Jolla (4) and Coronado (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- 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.