Diners' Choice: Great for outdoor dining restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are great for outdoor dining in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Pali Wine Co. Little Italy Tasting Room

4.9

4.9 (143)

$30 and under

Wine Bar

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Pali Wine Co. is located in famous Little Italy, San Diego, steps from the main strip. The family-owned winery highlights the diversity and nuanced qualities of the California Central Coast wine-growing area. From our Pali Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays, to our Tower 15 bold, nuanced wines, and Neighborhood zippy, natural cuvées, our three wine labels are sure to please any pallet.

Stop in for a tasting flight where you can sample wines from our portfolio, step up to the bar for a customized guided tasting or grab a bottle to-go. Our menu features small and sharable plates with locally sourced ingredients ideal for sharing and sipping, including our best-selling burger, charcuterie boards, and seasonal specials.

Join our wine club to enjoy complimentary tastings, receive 20% off all wine, & more exciting benefits!

Weekly events include Comedy Night on Wednesdays, Trivia on Thursdays, as well as live music Friday and Saturday nights. Plus, happy hour deals weekdays 4-6pm!

Top review

Kimberly

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

I love Pali! The wine is also so yummy and the flight is a great way to figure out what you want to drink or just try fun wines! The charcuterie board was really good too, a fun little appetizer. I’ve never had a bad experience here!

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Winter Wine Club Pick Up Party

Topsail at Portside Pier

4.9

4.9 (147)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Downtown

About the restaurant

San Diego's most iconic waterfront property features Topsail, a luxury lounge on the rooftop at Portside Pier! Indulge in fresh seafood, craft cocktails, and small plates while relaxing fireside above the water!

Top review

JillVIP

Dined on Nov 27, 2024

Popped in for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We sat outside with a great view and had the charcuterie board which did not disappoint.

Queenstown Bistro - UTC

4.8

4.8 (187)

$30 and under

New Zealand

University City/Golden Triangle

About the restaurant

We are the lil sis of Queenstown Public House located in the Little Italy district of San Diego. Slightly smaller, but with the same basic ingredients.

A beautiful, comfortable, unique, fun setting. A friendly, smiling, courteous staff we hope you get to know. Guests enjoying the moment, sharing a laugh, whom we hope we get to know. Freshly made dishes; locally sourced, passionately created, many unique…and all delicious. A beer list changing daily, proudly from our award winning local craft SD brewers, and a wine list chosen with care from select vineyards and varietals.

With a kiwi inspired lineage, and the spirit, love and good nature from the land of the Maori, we hope you will join us. And if we are so fortunate, then, we hope you will have a little too much of a good time, have a few too many laughs, stay a while, and return again soon to see us.

Top review

RebeccaVIP

Dined on Dec 20, 2024

Always a great experience at Queenstown! Great burgers, friendly service and a lovely indoor/outdoor environment, all in the middle of beautiful UTC. We look forward to next time!

Park 101

4.8

4.8 (50)

$31 to $50

American

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Park 101 is Carlsbad's unique answer to community dining, lounging and sipping in style in the heart of the Village. We've made sure that there's something for everyone at our 8000 sq. ft. multi-level, plaza-style complex. We are kid friendly and dog friendly, and are considered a significant focal point within one of the best communities that flank the Pacific.

We also cater and host private events at Park 101!

Top review

BrittanieVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Not an ideal table for kids. Mentioned reservation was for 70th birthday but they didn’t do anything.

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The Farmer and The Seahorse - La Jolla

4.8

4.8 (115)

$30 and under

American

Torrey Pines

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of Torrey Pines, Farmer & The Seahorse brings a casually sophisticated approach to farm-table dining. Chef Sam Deckman leverages local ingredients in his reimagining of American classics.

Top review

Leticia

Dined 3 days ago

Great food! Really enjoy the grounds and would definitely eat there again.

Gregorio's Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (363)

$31 to $50

Italian

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Located in downtown Carlsbad is our Italian kitchen, Gregorio’s. Formerly known as Spirito’s, we have been serving up delicious Italian food for almost 25 years. It was originally created by an East Coast couple as a way to share their family recipes. From the beginning we have had loyal clientele that continue to dine with us today. In fact, it was from being loyal customers that we decided to purchase the restaurant. We have always considered it to be our “kitchen away from home”. In 2004, Gregorio’s replaced the name but kept the family recipes we loved so much as guests and have added more of our own. Plus a much more extensive wine list & full bar! We want to encourage you to come, have a meal with us and experience our Italian kitchen. It is our hope that you will make it your own “kitchen away from home”. Our goals are simple

Top review

Leanne

Dined 3 days ago

Every dish we've tried is exceptional! Christian T. Is my favorite server.....I always am happy when we get him.

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Miss B's Coconut Club

4.7

4.7 (122)

$30 and under

Caribbean

Mission Beach

About the restaurant

What you’ll find here is classic, Caribbean-inspired American food with tiki flair. Cubano Roasted Pork, Jerk Chicken and Coconut Shrimp are in synch with the mambo rhythm of your appetite, and our house-ground burger is one like you won’t find anywhere in town. Jumbo Coconut Shrimp and a list of Street Cart items will have you coming back to try them all, whether you order something “to go” from our walk-up counter, stay to eat on our spacious outdoor patio, or take a seat inside.

Coconut Club’s décor evokes a celebration of Mission Beach’s nautical and maritime past, which takes form as an inspired interpretation of a 30’s-style sailor tiki club. Rum is the star here, and has a leading role in our creative list of grownup cocktails, which includes shareable, tiki-inspired punches and bowls to drum up conversations and generate a buzz. Coconut Club is also a purveyor of fuel that fires the craft beer frenzy, with 20 local and microbrew tap handles.

Top review

MikeVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Amazing food and service - amazing walk on the beach before or after! Had the chicken wrap and shrimp salad, both amazing dishes! Yep - Miss B!!!

Rancho Santa Fe Bistro

4.7

4.7 (338)

$30 and under

American

Rancho Santa Fe

About the restaurant

Welcome to The Rancho Santa Fe Bistro located in the heart of the beautiful downtown Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Our unique bistro offers an amazing menu and a superior wine selection for any lunch or dinner occasion. For lunch walk-ins are welcome.
Owner / Chef Mozy Jahanguiri, who has run restaurants in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Dallas, has opened The Rancho Santa Fe Bistro in the space formerly occupied by The Pantry on Paseo Delicias. Mozy has prepared a menu that offers a wide variety of healthy and stylish fresh grill and more offering a balanced approach to food and wine along with bistro favorites including Oysters Rockefeller, traditional escargots, baked brie with grapes and honey and more for starters. Entrees to satisfy any taste of carefully sourced meats, seafood and much more. Be sure to check out Bistro's beautiful wood wine cellar, housing an extensive collection that spans an impressive 100 years (1897-1997) at a variety of price points.

Top review

GinaVIP

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

Love love love this place . No better place in rsf and live been to them all.

The Landings

4.6

4.6 (291)

$30 and under

American

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

The Landings Gastropub is not your typical airport restaurant or bar. We pride ourselves on our focus on quality, service, creativity and atmosphere. Everything from our unique cocktails to our pub-inspired menu and carefully curated craft beer list are locally-sourced and of the highest quality. Both our dining room and large patio have a panoramic view of the Palomar Airport runway. Bring the family, enjoy a cocktail and watch the planes come and go.

We accept reservations for groups up to 8 people. Please call for larger parties.

Please note: For Friday and Saturday concert nights, we enforce a $30/person minimum to cover the cost of the bands.

Top review

Andrea

Dined 4 days ago

Jukebox, the band, was great. Very engaging and great dance Music. Drea (Andrea) was wonderful. Very efficient and kind. Thank you.

Coya Peruvian Secret

4.4

4.4 (655)

$30 and under

Peruvian

Del Mar

About the restaurant

Located next to Del Mar beach on 11th street, Coya Peruvian Secret Restaurant offers award winning gourmet Peruvian- Cali fusion Peruvian cuisine in charming cottage house under a tree. All seats are outside tucked in greenery so its in all casual seating. Voted best Seafood by locals and best Latin American in SD we are primally seafood place but we also proudly serve great meat choices, like our surf and turf with Rib Eye, traditional Lomo with Filet mignon, lamb stew with New Zealand lamb, excellent short rib with sweet potatoes and Peruvian half roasted chicken. If you seeking cozy color full vibe full of magic for a date or family reunion we are perfect choice. You will astonish your party with unforgettable flavors. Take them of a gourmet trip to Peru and back tonight.

Top review

Ann

Dined 4 days ago

We had a wonderful family dinner here. The food was delicious and our server was attentive and friendly. So glad we visited again!

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