{"id":274560,"date":"2026-04-18T19:24:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T19:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274560\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T19:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T19:24:10","slug":"the-best-new-restaurants-in-san-diego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274560\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best New Restaurants in San Diego"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhen John Resnick opened Campfire<\/a> on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren\u2019t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn\u2019t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining<\/a> room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, \u201cWhere did all these people come from?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s a moment he remembers vividly. \u201cI was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,\u201d Resnick says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California\u2014not just the San Francisco area\u2014Addison was the only one in San Diego<\/a> to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region\u2019s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America\u2019s most underrated dining destinations.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Campfire\u2019s<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCampfire\u2019s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entr\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGage Forster<\/p>\n

\n\tPerhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley\u2019s Addison<\/a>, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Berry<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tBerry beet tartlets at San Diego\u2019s three-star stalwart Addison.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEric Wolfinger<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cEarning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,\u201d says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick\u2019s four Carlsbad establishments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tResnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie<\/a>, which he led to a star in 2021. They\u2019ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland<\/a>. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo<\/a>, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimberly Motos<\/p>\n

\n\tAbout 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq<\/a>. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre<\/a>. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien<\/a>, lured by the ingredients they\u2019d get to serve. \u201cA major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,\u201d Arizmendi explains. \u201cSan Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Wildland\u2019s<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tWildland\u2019s spicy Italian sandwich.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGage Forster<\/p>\n

\n\tChef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region\u2019s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie<\/a> in 2021. There\u2019s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera\u2013inspired Fleurette<\/a> in La Jolla, where he\u2019s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego \u201cBouillabaisse\u201d with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what\u2019s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,\u201d he says. \u201cSimilar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTop: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.<\/p>\n

\tAuthors<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Jeremy<\/p>\n

\t\tJeremy Repanich<\/p>\n

Digital Director<\/p>\n

Jeremy Repanich is Robb Report’s digital director and culinary editor. He joined the magazine after stints at Good, Playboy, and multiple publications at Time Inc. His writing has also appeared in\u2026<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t
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