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The List · Rebuilt every week

The 50 best restaurants in San Diego.

Ranked from the full review record, not the marketing. Movement is against last week’s issue.

50ranked rooms
7.8top score
146K+reviews read
Weeklyrebuild cadence
By Mateo Alcaraz, Editor

San Diego does not agree on much, but its review record is clearer than its marketing. We scored every restaurant in the city on a single 10-point Insider Score built from the full body of its reviews, then corrected for what raw star averages miss: a 4.8 from forty reviews is not a 4.8 from four thousand. What survives that math is this list.

The famous addresses hold their spots only where they earn them. Just as often, the kitchens at the top sit in a strip-mall plaza or a quiet neighborhood corner, rooms that never bought a billboard. That is not a thumb on the scale. It is what the numbers said, and we let them say it. The full method is public: read exactly how the score is built.

The top ten

Issue № 137 · rebuilt Sun Aug 16, 2026

Steamy Piggy Point Loma№ 01

Steamy Piggy Point Loma

Chinese Central San Diego $$
8 wks on the List
7.8Excellent —
Haidilao Hotpot San Diego№ 02

Haidilao Hotpot San Diego

Hot Pot North San Diego $$$
8 wks on the List
7.7Excellent —
Eugenio Italian Ristorante№ 03

Eugenio Italian Ristorante

Italian San Marcos $$$
8 wks on the List
7.6Excellent —
Et Voilà French Bistro№ 04

Et Voilà French Bistro

French Mission Valley $$$
8 wks on the List
7.4Great —
Hidden Fish№ 05

Hidden Fish

Sushi Convoy District $$$$
8 wks on the List
7.3Great —
Market Restaurant & Bar№ 06

Market Restaurant & Bar

New American Del Mar $$$$
8 wks on the List
7.1Great —
Ken Sushi Workshop№ 07

Ken Sushi Workshop

Japanese North San Diego $$$$
8 wks on the List
7.1Great —
Sushi Tadokoro№ 08

Sushi Tadokoro

Sushi Old Town $$$$
8 wks on the List
7.1Great —
Din Tai Fung№ 09

Din Tai Fung

Taiwanese North San Diego $$$
8 wks on the List
7.1Great —
Sushi Ota№ 10

Sushi Ota

Sushi Central San Diego $$$
8 wks on the List
7.1Great —
ƒ

How the List is built

Every restaurant earns an Insider Score from 0 to 10, built from its full review record and weighted for review volume, recency, and our editors’ read. The List is rebuilt every week from the live review record; the movement column shows each room’s change against last week’s issue. Full methodology →

Rows 11–50

The rest of this week’s List. Movement vs. Issue № 136.

RankΔRoomCuisineNeighborhoodScoreWeeks
№ 11 — Steak 48 Del Mar Steakhouses Del Mar 7.0 8 wks № 12 — Water Grill Seafood Gaslamp Quarter 7.0 8 wks № 13 — Azuki Sushi Sushi Little Italy 7.0 8 wks № 14 — Himitsu Sushi La Jolla 7.0 8 wks № 15 — Animae Asian Fusion Downtown San Diego 6.9 8 wks № 16 — Tabu Shabu - Carlsbad Japanese Carlsbad 6.9 8 wks № 17 — Chef JUN - Point Loma Sushi Central San Diego 6.7 8 wks № 18 — Lucrezia La Jolla Italian North San Diego 6.7 8 wks № 19 — Manna Heaven BBQ Korean Convoy District 6.7 8 wks № 20 — Island Prime Seafood Central San Diego 6.6 8 wks WebIgniterNot ranking on Google? We'll show you why.Free quick SEO audit for local businesses.Get the free audit → № 21 — Buga Korean BBQ BBQ Central San Diego 6.6 8 wks № 22 — Little Sakana All You Can Eat Sushi Sushi North San Diego 6.6 8 wks № 23 — Cowboy Star Steakhouses Gaslamp Quarter 6.6 8 wks № 24 — Black&Blue Steakhouse Steakhouses Valley Center 6.5 8 wks № 25 — California Burritos Mexican Central San Diego 6.5 8 wks № 26 — Amalfi Cucina Italiana Italian San Marcos 6.5 8 wks № 27 — Seaside Market Grocery Cardiff 6.4 8 wks № 28 — Zama San Diego Latin American Gaslamp Quarter 6.4 8 wks № 29 — Addison New American North San Diego 6.4 8 wks № 30 — Liuyishou Hotpot Hot Pot Convoy District 6.4 8 wks The GuidesEvery guide, one index.Cuisines, occasions, neighborhoods, all ranked.Browse the guides → № 31 — Nick's Del Mar New American Del Mar 6.3 8 wks № 32 — Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood Steakhouses Gaslamp Quarter 6.3 8 wks № 33 — Crab Fever San Diego Cajun/Creole National City 6.1 8 wks № 34 — Asti Ristorante Italian Gaslamp Quarter 6.1 8 wks № 35 — The Fishery Seafood Markets Pacific Beach 6.1 8 wks № 36 — Crab Town Seafood Convoy District 6.1 8 wks № 37 — Huntress Steakhouses Gaslamp Quarter 6.1 8 wks № 38 — Parakeet Cafe - Little Italy Brunch Little Italy 6.0 8 wks № 39 — Pamplemousse Grille New American Solana Beach 6.0 8 wks № 40 — Mr Moto Pizza - Point Loma Pizza Point Loma 6.0 8 wks The Tip SheetFive rooms worth knowing, every Friday.The new opening, the sleeper, the one worth booking.Get the Tip Sheet → № 41 — Born & Raised Steakhouses Little Italy 5.9 8 wks № 42 — Craft & Commerce Gastropubs Little Italy 5.8 8 wks № 43 — Jake's New American Del Mar 5.8 8 wks № 44 — Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill Coronado Seafood Coronado 5.8 8 wks № 45 — Stake Chophouse & Bar Steakhouses Coronado 5.7 8 wks № 46 — Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa Resorts Rancho Santa Fe 5.7 8 wks № 47 — Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Liberty Station Poke Point Loma 5.7 8 wks № 48 — Mister A's New American Central San Diego 5.5 8 wks № 49 — Harumama Ramen + Sushi - Little Italy Ramen Little Italy 5.4 8 wks № 50 — Mille Fleurs French Rancho Santa Fe 5.4 8 wks

About this ranking

How is this ranking calculated?

Every restaurant earns an Insider Score from 0 to 10, built from its full review record and weighted for review volume, recency, and our editors' read. The same method is applied to every kitchen in San Diego.

How often is the list updated?

It is rebuilt every week from the current review record, so a room that slips or surges moves with the numbers.

Why do lesser-known restaurants rank so high?

Because the data puts them there. The score does not know where a restaurant sits. A neighborhood counter and a marquee dining room are measured exactly the same way.

Five rooms, every Friday.

The new opening, the sleeper the score just flagged, and the one room worth booking this week. Free.