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pastry selection including croissants, danishes, and kouign-amann. — Pastry selection including croissants, danishes, and kouign-amann.

20 Breakfast Spots to Try Right Now in San Diego

Fuel up at these morning spots to kickstart your day.

by Helen I. Hwang and Candice Woo Updated Feb 22, 2024, 9:08am PST

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Pastry selection including croissants, danishes, and kouign-amann.

| Patisserie Melanie

by Helen I. Hwang and Candice Woo Updated Feb 22, 2024, 9:08am PST

When it comes to breakfast, San Diego is stocked with a slew of options to jumpstart your day, from savory egg dishes to sweet pastries and pancakes often inspired by global cuisines. From small-batch bakeries to diners with generous portions, there’s a wide variety of morning-focused restaurants to choose from.

Check out Eater’s guide to San Diego’s 20 essential breakfast places. Did we miss your favorite spot? Leave it in the comments or talk to the tipline.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Manna

The breezy Leucadia spot — Eater’s Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year for 2023 — is headed by chef Andrew Bachelier (Jeune et Jolie, Cucina Enoteca) whose compelling daytime menu of comforting dishes like savory porridge, Turkish poached eggs, and Spanish-style French toast. Pair your plates with a tasty tonic from beverage director Nick Sinutko.

Open in Google Maps

1076 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

Visit Website

The patio at Atelier Manna. — The patio at Atellier Manna.

Also featured in:

The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Diego

Claire's on Cedros

A breakfast destination in Solana Beach for many years, the charming cottage features a menu highlighted by favorites like green scramble with spinach and zucchini, seared salmon eggs Benedict, and lemon ricotta pancakes. If the line is a little long, stop into Claire’s Too, the adjacent coffee shop that stocks baked goods as well as grab-and-go breakfast items.

246 N Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Claire’s On Cedros (@clairesoncedrossb)

Thien Huong

With several branches in Vietnam, this chain’s outpost in Mira Mesa specializes in banh cuon, a popular breakfast dish of steamed rice rolls with savory fillings of ground pork or shrimp. Another hearty option is banh mi chao, or cast iron skillets holding Vietnamese steak and eggs or meatballs and pate with eggs, served with a fresh baguette. Vietnamese coffee is a must.

9349 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92126

Visit Website

Banh cuon.

Also featured in:

Where to Find Vibrant Vietnamese Food in San Diego

Gold Finch Modern Delicatessen

This modern Jewish delicatessen showcases Ashkenazi and Sephardic-style cooking. The latest offering from Tracy Borkum of Urban Kitchen Group (Cucina Urbana and Artifact at the Mingei Museum) features favorites like the loaded giant latke, challah French toast, or the flavorful matzo ball soup based on Borkum’s grandmother’s recipe.

Open in Google Maps

3040 Science Park Road, CA 92121

Visit Website

Loaded giant latke — Loaded giant latke.

Also featured in:

the kitchen @mcasd

Adjacent to the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, this is the perfect daytime spot to take in sweeping views of the Pacific. The Mediterranean eatery from Urban Kitchen Group serves up dishes like churro French toast, asparagus and mushroom omelets, and eggs Benedict with smoked salmon.

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700 Prospect Street, La Jolla, California 92037

Visit Website

Brunch dish at the kitchen @mcasd with egg in a bun and potatoes — Brunch dish at the kitchen @mcasd.

Harry's Coffee Shop

This nostalgic diner is La Jolla’s oldest family-owned restaurant, which has a newer offshoot in Del Mar. The famous B.W. Benny is a favorite, featuring a thin waffle embedded with bacon morsels and topped with more bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Try it with the horchata, made in-house daily.

Open in Google Maps

7545 Girard Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

B.W. Benny - waffle with bacon morsels, topped with bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce — B.W. Benny - waffle with bacon morsels, topped with bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce.

Dodo Bird Donuts

A breakfast outlet adjacent to Paradisaea in Bird Rock, this stylish spot serves artisanal seasonal doughnuts, along with fancy breakfast sandwiches like the Cubano with Hiliker’s eggs and prosciutto cotto.

369 Bird Rock Ave (La Jolla Blvd), San Diego, CA 92037

Visit Website

Seasonal donut.

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry

This Bird Rock destination bakery, run by Crystal White (Tartine), focuses on small batches of artisan bread and pastries. Working with ingredients from Chino Farms and other local purveyors, the menu changes regularly with the season. Almond croissants and chocolate cherry scones are must-tries.

5525 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Madi

Branching out from Madison on Park, Madi is its sister restaurant in Normal Heights with an emphasis on California-Mediterranean brunch every day of the week. Menu highlights include shareable waffle churro sticks, chilaquiles verdes, or blackberry goat cheese pancakes from a 60-year-old pancake recipe. Pair your breakfast with an orange pineapple kale mimosa for a boozy vitamin kick.

3737 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116

Visit Website

Waffle churro sticks with jalapeno-blackberry sauce and maple cream cheese — Waffle churro sticks with jalapeno-blackberry sauce and maple cream cheese.

Also featured in:

17 Spots for Virtuous Cuisine and Healthy Eats in San Diego

Nomad Donuts

This North Park staple puts uber-creative twists on its award-winning, hand-crafted doughnuts, which include vegan alternatives; the passion-lychee is a particular favorite. Its wood-fired Montreal-style bagels can be enjoyed on their own or as a sandwich; highlights from a recent menu update include the Queso Birria with braised beef shank on a sesame bagel and a Bali-spiced chicken sandwich recommended on a jalapeno bagel.

4504 30th St (Monroe Avenue), San Diego, CA 92116

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Patisserie Melanie

Led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Melanie Dunn, the artisanal bakery sits in the heart of North Park. The breakfast menu includes French dishes like quiche Lorraine, croissants, and kouign-amann, an addictively crispy caramelized pastry.

Open in Google Maps

3750 30th Street, CA 92104

Visit Website

Pastry selection of croissants, danishes, and kouign-amann.

Also featured in:

Hash House a Go Go

This perennial favorite is famous for its generous portions and creative combinations like the towering Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken that customers can order atop a stack of waffles or eggs Benedict. The BLT Bloody Mary is a giant cocktail garnished with heirloom tomato, lettuce, and crispy bacon, accompanied by white toast so that uou can make your own alcohol-infused BLT.

3628 5th Ave (btwn Brookes & Pennsylvania Ave), San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

BLT Bloody Mary — BLT Bloody Mary.

Also featured in:

10 Break Out Breakfast Spots That Are Making Mornings Fun Again

Little Lion Cafe

A cozy cottage near Sunset Cliffs houses a tiny breakfast restaurant with charm for days. Run by a trio of sisters who hail from the legendary culinary family behind the Belgian Lion, the petite cafe serves up comforting plates like salmon mousse toast and Belgian waffles.

1424 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107

Visit Website

Salmon mousse toast — Salmon mousse toast.

Also featured in:

Where to Eat in San Diego on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Morning Glory

This brunch restaurant and cocktail bar boasts steady lines and jaw-dropping decor designed for selfies. Here, the menu runs eclectic, from Morning Glory ginger fried rice and a lobster omelet to khachapuri, a Georgian dish topped with a cracked egg. A roaming cart conveying snack plates and extra tidbits is available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until noon.

Open in Google Maps

550 West Date Street, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Rikka Fika

The small-batch bakery that began as a pop-up in Miramar has settled in East Village in an expanding space with a calming Japanese-Swedish aesthetic, using a mix of natural blond wood and concrete. While the shokupan toast, or Japanese milk bread, program is on hold due to kitchen limitations, the black sesame morning roll is to die for. They’re also one of the few places in San Diego with canelés, a traditional French pastry with a custard center and caramelized crust.

Open in Google Maps

810 13th Street, San Diego, California 92101

Visit Website

Canelés, a traditional French pastry with a custard center and caramelized crust.

Asa Bakery

This Japanese cafe brings milk bread and Kissaten, or Japanese coffee culture, to East Village where the long lines are worth the wait for specialties like naruto (rolled croissants) and mentaiko (creamy fish roe baguettes). Be sure to try the Japanese tea from Shizuoka.

Open in Google Maps

634 14th Street, San Diego, California 92101

Visit Website

Cafe 222

Veteran restaurateur Terryl Gavre is the creative vision behind this foundational breakfast spot in the Marina District. The peanut butter and banana-stuffed French toast is a popular choice, or try the famous pumpkin waffles or 5-grain waffles stuffed with the café’s granola.

222 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Little Frenchie

The European-styled bistro in Coronado features bruleed French toast, smoked salmon tartine, and cronuts in seasonal flavors. To make breakfast more special at this Michelin-recognized restaurant, indulge in their Le Parisian hot chocolate made with Valrhona chocolate and Chantilly cream.

1166 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

Visit Website

2 seasonal cronuts — Seasonal cronuts at Little Frenchie.

Also featured in:

Mujer Divina

Owner Priscilla Curiel, the talent behind the Michelin-recognized Tuetano Tacqueria, runs this daytime eatery that spotlights burritos de hielera, which are often eaten as a quick morning meal. Filled with chicharron in salsa verde or machaca ranchera, the burritos pair well with a coffee drink made with beans from Ensenada. Look for a sister location to open soon in Chula Vista.

310 E 8th St (C Ave), National City, CA 91950

Visit Website

Breakfast burritos and salsa.

Also featured in:

Talavera Azul

The Curiel family, which owns this Chula Vista standout, also operates one of Tijuana’s beloved breakfast spots, La Espadaña. There are standard American breakfast options available but better bets are the best-selling chilaquiles, available in a variety of salsas, or machaca with eggs paired with a steaming mug of café de olla.

365 3rd Ave (btwn Madrona & Park Way), Chula Vista, CA 91910

Visit Website

Also featured in:

© 2024 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Manna

1076 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

The breezy Leucadia spot — Eater’s Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year for 2023 — is headed by chef Andrew Bachelier (Jeune et Jolie, Cucina Enoteca) whose compelling daytime menu of comforting dishes like savory porridge, Turkish poached eggs, and Spanish-style French toast. Pair your plates with a tasty tonic from beverage director Nick Sinutko.

Open in Google Maps

1076 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

Visit Website

The patio at Atelier Manna. — The patio at Atellier Manna.

Claire's on Cedros

246 N Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075

A breakfast destination in Solana Beach for many years, the charming cottage features a menu highlighted by favorites like green scramble with spinach and zucchini, seared salmon eggs Benedict, and lemon ricotta pancakes. If the line is a little long, stop into Claire’s Too, the adjacent coffee shop that stocks baked goods as well as grab-and-go breakfast items.

246 N Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Claire’s On Cedros (@clairesoncedrossb)

Thien Huong

9349 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92126

With several branches in Vietnam, this chain’s outpost in Mira Mesa specializes in banh cuon, a popular breakfast dish of steamed rice rolls with savory fillings of ground pork or shrimp. Another hearty option is banh mi chao, or cast iron skillets holding Vietnamese steak and eggs or meatballs and pate with eggs, served with a fresh baguette. Vietnamese coffee is a must.

9349 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92126

Visit Website

Banh cuon.

Gold Finch Modern Delicatessen

3040 Science Park Road, CA 92121

This modern Jewish delicatessen showcases Ashkenazi and Sephardic-style cooking. The latest offering from Tracy Borkum of Urban Kitchen Group (Cucina Urbana and Artifact at the Mingei Museum) features favorites like the loaded giant latke, challah French toast, or the flavorful matzo ball soup based on Borkum’s grandmother’s recipe.

Open in Google Maps

3040 Science Park Road, CA 92121

Visit Website

Loaded giant latke — Loaded giant latke.

the kitchen @mcasd

700 Prospect Street, La Jolla, California 92037

Adjacent to the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, this is the perfect daytime spot to take in sweeping views of the Pacific. The Mediterranean eatery from Urban Kitchen Group serves up dishes like churro French toast, asparagus and mushroom omelets, and eggs Benedict with smoked salmon.

Open in Google Maps

700 Prospect Street, La Jolla, California 92037

Visit Website

Brunch dish at the kitchen @mcasd with egg in a bun and potatoes — Brunch dish at the kitchen @mcasd.

Harry's Coffee Shop

7545 Girard Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

This nostalgic diner is La Jolla’s oldest family-owned restaurant, which has a newer offshoot in Del Mar. The famous B.W. Benny is a favorite, featuring a thin waffle embedded with bacon morsels and topped with more bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Try it with the horchata, made in-house daily.

Open in Google Maps

7545 Girard Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

B.W. Benny - waffle with bacon morsels, topped with bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce — B.W. Benny - waffle with bacon morsels, topped with bacon, ham, and two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce.

Dodo Bird Donuts

369 Bird Rock Ave (La Jolla Blvd), San Diego, CA 92037

A breakfast outlet adjacent to Paradisaea in Bird Rock, this stylish spot serves artisanal seasonal doughnuts, along with fancy breakfast sandwiches like the Cubano with Hiliker’s eggs and prosciutto cotto.

369 Bird Rock Ave (La Jolla Blvd), San Diego, CA 92037

Visit Website

Seasonal donut.

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry

5525 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

This Bird Rock destination bakery, run by Crystal White (Tartine), focuses on small batches of artisan bread and pastries. Working with ingredients from Chino Farms and other local purveyors, the menu changes regularly with the season. Almond croissants and chocolate cherry scones are must-tries.

5525 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Madi

3737 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116

Branching out from Madison on Park, Madi is its sister restaurant in Normal Heights with an emphasis on California-Mediterranean brunch every day of the week. Menu highlights include shareable waffle churro sticks, chilaquiles verdes, or blackberry goat cheese pancakes from a 60-year-old pancake recipe. Pair your breakfast with an orange pineapple kale mimosa for a boozy vitamin kick.

3737 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116

Visit Website

Waffle churro sticks with jalapeno-blackberry sauce and maple cream cheese — Waffle churro sticks with jalapeno-blackberry sauce and maple cream cheese.

Nomad Donuts

4504 30th St (Monroe Avenue), San Diego, CA 92116

This North Park staple puts uber-creative twists on its award-winning, hand-crafted doughnuts, which include vegan alternatives; the passion-lychee is a particular favorite. Its wood-fired Montreal-style bagels can be enjoyed on their own or as a sandwich; highlights from a recent menu update include the Queso Birria with braised beef shank on a sesame bagel and a Bali-spiced chicken sandwich recommended on a jalapeno bagel.

4504 30th St (Monroe Avenue), San Diego, CA 92116

Visit Website

Patisserie Melanie

3750 30th Street, CA 92104

Led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Melanie Dunn, the artisanal bakery sits in the heart of North Park. The breakfast menu includes French dishes like quiche Lorraine, croissants, and kouign-amann, an addictively crispy caramelized pastry.

Open in Google Maps

3750 30th Street, CA 92104

Visit Website

Pastry selection of croissants, danishes, and kouign-amann.

Hash House a Go Go

3628 5th Ave (btwn Brookes & Pennsylvania Ave), San Diego, CA 92103

This perennial favorite is famous for its generous portions and creative combinations like the towering Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken that customers can order atop a stack of waffles or eggs Benedict. The BLT Bloody Mary is a giant cocktail garnished with heirloom tomato, lettuce, and crispy bacon, accompanied by white toast so that uou can make your own alcohol-infused BLT.

3628 5th Ave (btwn Brookes & Pennsylvania Ave), San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

BLT Bloody Mary — BLT Bloody Mary.

Little Lion Cafe

1424 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107

A cozy cottage near Sunset Cliffs houses a tiny breakfast restaurant with charm for days. Run by a trio of sisters who hail from the legendary culinary family behind the Belgian Lion, the petite cafe serves up comforting plates like salmon mousse toast and Belgian waffles.

1424 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107

Visit Website

Salmon mousse toast — Salmon mousse toast.

Morning Glory

550 West Date Street, CA 92101

This brunch restaurant and cocktail bar boasts steady lines and jaw-dropping decor designed for selfies. Here, the menu runs eclectic, from Morning Glory ginger fried rice and a lobster omelet to khachapuri, a Georgian dish topped with a cracked egg. A roaming cart conveying snack plates and extra tidbits is available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until noon.

Open in Google Maps

550 West Date Street, CA 92101

Visit Website

Rikka Fika

810 13th Street, San Diego, California 92101

The small-batch bakery that began as a pop-up in Miramar has settled in East Village in an expanding space with a calming Japanese-Swedish aesthetic, using a mix of natural blond wood and concrete. While the shokupan toast, or Japanese milk bread, program is on hold due to kitchen limitations, the black sesame morning roll is to die for. They’re also one of the few places in San Diego with canelés, a traditional French pastry with a custard center and caramelized crust.

Open in Google Maps

810 13th Street, San Diego, California 92101

Visit Website

Canelés, a traditional French pastry with a custard center and caramelized crust.

Related Maps

Asa Bakery

634 14th Street, San Diego, California 92101

This Japanese cafe brings milk bread and Kissaten, or Japanese coffee culture, to East Village where the long lines are worth the wait for specialties like naruto (rolled croissants) and mentaiko (creamy fish roe baguettes). Be sure to try the Japanese tea from Shizuoka.

Open in Google Maps

634 14th Street, San Diego, California 92101

Visit Website

Cafe 222

222 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Veteran restaurateur Terryl Gavre is the creative vision behind this foundational breakfast spot in the Marina District. The peanut butter and banana-stuffed French toast is a popular choice, or try the famous pumpkin waffles or 5-grain waffles stuffed with the café’s granola.

222 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Little Frenchie

1166 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

The European-styled bistro in Coronado features bruleed French toast, smoked salmon tartine, and cronuts in seasonal flavors. To make breakfast more special at this Michelin-recognized restaurant, indulge in their Le Parisian hot chocolate made with Valrhona chocolate and Chantilly cream.

1166 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

Visit Website

2 seasonal cronuts — Seasonal cronuts at Little Frenchie.

Mujer Divina

310 E 8th St (C Ave), National City, CA 91950

Owner Priscilla Curiel, the talent behind the Michelin-recognized Tuetano Tacqueria, runs this daytime eatery that spotlights burritos de hielera, which are often eaten as a quick morning meal. Filled with chicharron in salsa verde or machaca ranchera, the burritos pair well with a coffee drink made with beans from Ensenada. Look for a sister location to open soon in Chula Vista.

310 E 8th St (C Ave), National City, CA 91950

Visit Website

Breakfast burritos and salsa.

Talavera Azul

365 3rd Ave (btwn Madrona & Park Way), Chula Vista, CA 91910

The Curiel family, which owns this Chula Vista standout, also operates one of Tijuana’s beloved breakfast spots, La Espadaña. There are standard American breakfast options available but better bets are the best-selling chilaquiles, available in a variety of salsas, or machaca with eggs paired with a steaming mug of café de olla.

365 3rd Ave (btwn Madrona & Park Way), Chula Vista, CA 91910

Visit Website

Related Maps