Things to do in San Diego
Posted by John on February 8, 2025 (Updated February 15, 2025)
Visit ideas
- Tour of the San Diego Made Factory
- Cabrillo National Monument (hike or just look at the skyline)
- Sunset Cliffs stroll
- Walk La Jolla coastline from The Wedding Bowl to La Jolla Cove
- San Diego Zoo
- New Children's Museum
- Velodrome races in Balboa Park
- Chollas Creek Park
- Lake Murray Trails
- Mission Trails Regional Park
- Birch Aquarium
- Living Coast Discovery Center
- City Farmers Nursery
- Andersons to try: Sesame Place
- Legoland
- San Diego Botanical Gardens
Food and Drinks
Coffee
- Communal Coffee (North Park, South Park)
- Por Vida (Bario Logan)
- Moniker Coffee Studio (Liberty Station)
- Mostra Coffee (Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Poway)
- Hawthorn Coffee (North Park, not a roaster)
- Steel Mill Coffee (Oceanside)
- Dark Horse Coffee Roasters (Golden Hill, Normal Heights, La Mesa)
- Cafe Moto (Barrio Logan)
- Provecho
Bars and Breweries
- Panama 66 (Balboa Park, kids allowed)
- Blind Lady Ale House (Normal Heights, kids allowed)
- Noble Experiment (East Village, inside The Neighborhood, reservations required)
- False Idol (Little Italy, reservations recommended)
- Mothership (South Park, reservations recommended)
Food!
- Sushi Ota – Pacific Beach / Bay Park, sushi, $$$
- Juniper and Ivy — Little Italy, experimental American/Californian, $$$
- The Lion's Share – Downtown West, experimental American and cocktails, $$$
- Kingfisher – Golden Hill, Vietnamese and cocktails, $$$
- Ironside Fish and Oyster Little Italy, seafood, $$$
- Animae – Downtown West, Asian fusion steakhouse, $$$
- Soichi Sushi – University Heights, sushi, $$$$
- Tajima – Downtown & Normal Heights & Clairemont, Ramen, $
- Menya Ultra – Clairemont, Ramen, $
- Dija Mara – Oceanside, Indonesian, $$
- Yakitori Taisho – Clairemont, yakitori, $$
- Et Voila – Normal Heights, French, $$$
- The Rose – South Park, wine and tapas, $$$
- The Friendly – North Park, hamburgers, $
- Working Class – North Park, American bar food, $
- Cucina Urbana - Bankers Hill, Italian, $$
- Buona Forchetta – South Park & Liberty Station, Italian, $$
- Mission – North Park & East Village & Mission Beach, American breakfast, $$
- Snooze – Hillcrest, breakfast, $$
- Bahn Thai – University Heights, Thai, $
- Big Front Door – University Heights, sandwiches, $
- Board & Brew – numerous locations, sandwiches, $
- Giorgino's – Golden Hill, Philly cheesesteaks, $
- Crack Shack Little Italy & Carlsbad, chicken sandwiches, $$
- Las Cuatro Milpas – Barrio Logan, Mexican, $
- Ponce's – Kensington, Mexican, $$
Date Nights
- Escape Room (Red Door, Escape Game) -> Dinner at Tajima Ramen -> Drinks at False Idol
- Pre-drinks at Panama 66 -> Explore a museum (Mingei, Museum of Art, Natural History Museum) -> Dinner at Cucina Urbana -> Drinks at Mister A's
- Emo Nite at Soda Bar or The Casbah