Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in San Diego

121 restaurants available nearby

1. Cesarina

4.9

Exceptional(5443)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Ocean Beach

Booked 203 times today

Cesarina is a grandmother, a mother, a daughter—our personification of a nurturer who feeds and cares for her community. From meticulous attention to detail and fresh ingredients to the warm and inviting atmosphere, this restaurant is a celebration of the power of food and family.

2. Juniper & Ivy

4.6

Exceptional(7995)

Price: Expensive

• Unspecified • Little Italy

Booked 58 times today

Juniper & Ivy is a go-to place for special occasions. With its unique, creative, and delicious menu, it's a perfect spot for birthdays, anniversaries, and any other celebrations. The reviews are glowing with praises for the outstanding service, wonderful ambiance, and unforgettable dining experience. One reviewer even mentioned a special menu for their anniversary and a champagne toast. With its top-notch service, locally sourced food, and award-winning wine list, Juniper & Ivy makes any celebration truly memorable.

3. Mister A's

4.9

Exceptional(8615)

Price: Very Expensive

• Contemporary French / American • Downtown / Gaslamp

Booked 53 times today

Mister A's is the penthouse, fine-dining destination of San Diego, and has been for over 50 years. Located just a few minutes from downtown, you will take the elevator to the top floor and look back out over jetliners sweeping past at eye level, the San Diego skyline, bay and Pacific, while enjoying Modern American cuisine, hand-crafted cocktails, and one of Wine Spectator's top-rated wine lists in the country. The culinary staff hand-selects local farm produce and the highest quality ingredients in every category to offer you selections that are made from scratch in house for brunch, lunch, dinner.. or simply the finest rooftop drinks and appetizers in town.Please visit our website for specific dress code guidelines: https://www.asrestaurant.com/contact/(Guests not in dress code will be turned away)

4. Herb & Wood

4.7

Exceptional(6425)

Price: Expensive

• Californian • Little Italy

Booked 67 times today

A timeless, sought-after dining escape, celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey opened Herb & Wood to instant acclaim over four years ago. In that time, the restaurant has become an icon, a dining destination that has helped to propel San Diego's culinary reputation to new heights. By focusing on rustic, wood-fired dishes, Chef Malarkey's menu elevates humble ingredients such as carrots, beets, and chicken, incorporating Mediterranean flavors and a California ethos of seasonality and sustainability.

5. Madison

4.5

Awesome(2996)

Price: Expensive

• Mediterranean • University Heights

Booked 79 times today

With their stunning design, classic cocktails & highly acclaimed fare, Madison finds itself among San Diego's can't miss restaurants! Serving many of Michelin recognized Chef Mario Cassineri classic dishes, perfect for Date Night of celebrating with friends. ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʜᴏᴜʀ - ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴅᴀʏ 4-6ᴘᴍᴛᴜᴇꜱᴅᴀʏ - ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴊᴀᴢᴢ 7-9ᴘᴍᴡᴇᴅɴᴇꜱᴅᴀʏ - ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅᴏɢꜱᴛʜᴜʀꜱᴅᴀʏ - ᴅᴊ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏʟᴅ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ᴠɪɴʏʟꜰʀɪᴅᴀʏ & ꜱᴀᴛᴜʀᴅᴀʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ - ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴇɴᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴢʏ ʙʀᴜɴᴄʜ - ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴅᴊꜱꜱᴜɴᴅᴀʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ - ʟᴀᴛɪɴ ᴊᴀᴢᴢ 6-8ᴘᴍ

6. CUCINA urbana

4.7

Exceptional(7080)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Banker's Hill

Booked 60 times today

CUCINA urbana is an acclaimed Italian restaurant in San Diego. It's celebrated for its quality food, excellent service, and unique ambiance. Reviewers rave about the 'fantastic wine selection', 'creative chef', and 'fantastic service'. It's the go-to spot for many for special occasions, as one reviewer mentioned, 'Cucina Urbana continues to be our goto restaurant for special occasions'. The restaurant's warm and welcoming environment, coupled with its exquisite food and drinks, make it perfect for any special celebration.

A photo of Benihana - San Diego, CA restaurant

7. Benihana - San Diego, CA

4.1

Excellent(7309)

Price: Moderate

• Japanese • Mission Valley

Booked 107 times today

Welcome to Benihana, a dining experience unlike any other! Our guests are seated at communal tables in groups, where your personal chef will perform the ancient art of Teppanyaki. Watch as we slice and dice, preparing a meal that will dazzle your eyes as well taste buds, whether you choose mouth-watering steak, tender chicken or succulent seafood. You can also enjoy sushi prepared by a talented sushi chef and indulge in a specialty cocktail.

A photo of The Prado at Balboa Park restaurant

8. The Prado at Balboa Park

4.6

Exceptional(7841)

Price: Moderate

• Californian • Downtown / Gaslamp

Booked 70 times today

Located in San Diego's Balboa Park, in the Historic House of Hospitality, The Prado offers historic charm and California cuisine.

9. The Fishery

4.7

Exceptional(3045)

Price: Expensive

• Seafood • Pacific Beach

Booked 44 times today

BEHIND EVERY GREAT SEAFOOD RESTAURANT IS A WAREHOUSE STOCKED WITH FRESH SEAFOOD. The Fishery Restaurant & Market is located just a few blocks from the ocean in North Pacific Beach. The restaurant menu reflects ‘coastal cuisine’ with a simple yet serious focus on the best our coastal fisheries and local farms have to offer. The passion that drives Chef Mike Reidy is evidenced by flavors that can only be achieved using ingredients at their peak of seasonality and freshness. The Fishery was awarded the prestigious Award of Excellence for its Wine List from Wine Spectator in 2018- Present. Our wine list is inspired by the great wines of Europe and their American counterparts and we strive to showcase real, natural, food friendly-wines with a sense of place.The Fishery Market showcases fresh fish, prepared seafood, salads, sauces and marinades.

10. The Red Door

4.8

Exceptional(2967)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Mission Hills

Booked 21 times today

The Red Door San Diego is committed to offering our guests sustainable and responsibly sourced farm-to-fork dishes. We proudly serve contemporary Italian and modern European cuisine with the freshest locally grown and handcrafted products available. We also feature delicious and unique ingredients from around the world. Chef/Owner Luciano Cibelli shops daily, personally selecting every item we serve. He bakes fresh breads, rolls, desserts and all of the pasta in house (including a special Gluten Free Bucatini) and he develops his menus in rhythm with the seasonal San Diego harvest. Enjoy nightly special offerings or a house favorite, Beef Wellington. Join us for the highly rated cuisine and return for the charming ambiance and excellent service behind the Red Door.

‘About the restaurant’ descriptions have been generated using an artificial intelligence model comprised of OpenTable proprietary data that has not been independently verified by OpenTable. The content is presented as-is, for informational purposes only.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

S
Suzanne
Seattle / Eastern Washington •9 reviews
5.0
Dined today
Kevin, our server was superb! We loved sitting at the chef’s counter and getting an up-close look at the absolutely incredible preparations! This was one of the most unique taste experiences I have ever had. We had the whole duck and it was divine — really enough for 4 and we were only two.
More info
Juniper & IvyPrice: Expensive• undefined• Little Italy
•
4.6
M
Marissa
San Diego •1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
I got the pasta with vodka sauce, mini lobster and shrimp, It was absolutely delicious!! The ambiance was amazing and our waitress was great! They did take our food on the extra plate without asking first.. but other than that it was amazing!!
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CesarinaPrice: Moderate• Italian• Ocean Beach
•
4.9
A
Andy
San Francisco Bay Area •7 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
Wow this place was REALLY good. Highly recommend it. And one of the most knowledgeable waitresses I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Wish I could remember her name but she was fabulous.
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Herb & WoodPrice: Expensive• Californian• Little Italy
•
4.7
J
John
San Diego •5 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
Mr. A's treats you like you are the only one they are there to serve. Food and drink are exceptional, not to mention the sunset view and continuous airshow. Excellent for a special occasion. Israel our server is tops.
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Mister A'sPrice: Very Expensive• Contemporary French / American• Downtown / Gaslamp
•
4.9
C
Caitlinvip
San Diego •37 reviews
5.0
Dined on 9 Nov 2024
We celebrated a birthday here and we are glad we did! The ambiance, drinks, food, and service are always great at Madison. We brought in a cake for a birthday and the server put it in the fridge for us upon arrival and also put on the cake topper and candles before bringing it out to the table. Much appreciated and we will return!
More info
MadisonPrice: Expensive• Mediterranean• University Heights
•
4.5

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Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in San Diego

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121 restaurants available nearby

1. Cesarina

2. Juniper & Ivy

3. Mister A's

4. Herb & Wood

5. Madison

6. CUCINA urbana

7. Benihana - San Diego, CA

8. The Prado at Balboa Park

9. The Fishery

10. The Red Door

See what locals rave about

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