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Local Fish Tasting Menu at Herb & Sea.

20 San Diego Restaurants With Tempting Tasting Menus

Trusting your meal to the expertise of talented chefs can lead to thrilling food adventures

by Helen I. Hwang Updated Mar 20, 2024, 9:08am PDT

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Local Fish Tasting Menu at Herb & Sea.

| Kimberly Motos

by Helen I. Hwang Updated Mar 20, 2024, 9:08am PDT

In recent years, tasting menus have proliferated throughout San Diego’s food scene, either as a way to sample a restaurant’s best dishes or as the main centerpiece of the dining experience. Tasting menus give chefs more ways to exercise their creativity by changing things up with seasonal ingredients or playing with thematic elements while encouraging diners to put their trust in the kitchen.

With options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, this curated list features restaurants that revolve around a tasting menu format or regularly offer chef-curated menus. See our essential sushi map for standout omakase, or multi-course Japanese menus that include sushi and sashimi.

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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. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Valle

Chef Roberto Alcocer of Malva in Valle de Guadalupe transports his cuisine stateside, showcasing his approach to Baja and Californian ingredients at this Michelin-starred Oceanside restaurant. Tasting menus are available in the dining room, chef’s table, and bar area, with options of land and sea or vegetarian. The chef’s table seats customers in the bustling kitchen while the El Sillon bar experience is a four-course dinnner with wine or non-alcoholic pairing options.

Open in Google Maps

222 North Pacific Street, CA 92054

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Chocolate ice cream next to a flower-shaped chocolate dessert. — Chocolate ice cream next to a flower-shaped chocolate dessert at Valle.

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Matsu

The modern Japanese-influenced restaurant in Oceanside has been making a splash with its ten-course menu. Chef William Eick is focusing on different preparations of guinea fowl in March, but you’ll also find black cod, abalone, and sunflower on the tasting menu.

626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054

Visit Website

Omakase dish.

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Jeune et Jolie

The Michelin-starred nouvelle French restaurant features a nightly four-course tasting menu from chef Eric Bost with an optional, but recommended, wine pairing. Start the meal with a traditional spoon-and-sugar cube drip from the customized absinthe fountain. Dishes might be include elegant options like partridge with peas, kampachi and yuzu, or baba au rhum.

2659 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

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Part of the four-course tasting menu.

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Herb & Sea

Chef Aiden Owens brings seafood up from the legendary Tuna Dockside Market on the Embarcadero for the North County restaurant’s weekly local fish tasting dinner. Available on Sundays, the three-course tasting menu features plates like whitefish crudo and spider crab and saffron risotto for $55.

131 W D St, Encinitas, CA 92024

Visit Website

Crudo dish at Herb & Sea.

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MARKET Restaurant + Bar

This well-respected Del Mar restaurant’s exclusive dinner offering is a three-course menu designed by chef Carl Schroeder, priced at $79 per person with options that include duck confit, beef short ribs, and a rhubarb sundae. A la carte sushi is available in the bar seating area.

3702 Via De La Valle (at El Camino Real), Del Mar, CA 92014

Visit Website

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A post shared by Market Restaurant & Bar (@marketdelmar)

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Addison Restaurant

The region’s first and only three-star Michelin restaurant has a nine-course tasting menu that’s helped put San Diego on the fine-dining map. Chef William Bradley loves to change things up with season’s bounty; recent dishes include asparagus with carrots, crème fraiche, and caviar and a refreshing mangonada for the pre-dessert course.

5200 Grand Del Mar Way, CA 92130

Visit Website

One of nine courses on the tasting menu at Addison Restaurant.

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The WineSellar & Brasserie

This longstanding brasserie and wine shop in Sorrento Valley frequently hosts wine dinners with thoughtful three-course dinners plus dessert. Plates range from pork belly to salmon steak, ending with caramelized apple crepe and themes are driven by visiting vintners or pairings focused on regions like the Pacific Northwest or Bordeaux.

9550 Waples St (at Huennekens St), San Diego, CA 92121

Visit Website

Steak and veggies on a plate with wine in background. — Steak and vegetable dish.

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NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar

Chef Jason Knibb focuses on hyperlocal ingredients at his farm-to-table, Michelin-recognized restaurant. The six-course “Mercy of the Chef” tasting menu is available Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $120 per person and a $190 per person optional wine pairing.

910 Prospect Street, CA 92037

Visit Website

Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar — Dining area.

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Marisi

Chef Cameron Ingle (Bestia, Blue Hill at Stone Barns) has already been offering a semi-secret tasting option for guests alongside his la carte menu, but its formal launch will start at the beginning of April. A combination of Marisi’s popular hits paired with special dishes that haven’t yet made it on the main menu, the multi-course dinner is priced at $85 per person with an optional wine pairing for $45 per person.

1044 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Dining area with tables and chairs at Marisi — DIning area at Marisi.

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Ambrogio by Acquerello

The Michelin-recognized team offers two eight-course tasting menus on a nightly basis: a meat and seafood option and a vegetarian option. There will be some overlap, such as the raviolo aperto (pasta with artichokes served with 24-month-aged parmesan). The A5 Japanese wagyu appears on the regular menu while the emphasis on seasonal produce is showcased in the alternative menu. A weekday four-course dinner is offered from Thursday through Thursday for $99. In addition to a wine pairing, there’s also a non-alcoholic pairing consisting of a selection of juices and teas.

7556 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Branzino alla ligure.

Also featured in:

Oceana Coastal Kitchen

Wednesdays at the anchor restaurant for the Catamaran Resort feature a four-course tasting menu spotlighting fresh-caught seafood and produce from the Pacific Beach Farmer’s Market. An optional wine pairing is available for $30. The Mission Bay restaurant, helmed by the Fishery’s longtime chef Paul Arias, also hosts a multi-course dining series, partnering with a winery, brewery, or distillery like Cutwater, in its “Sip & Savor on the Bay” on select dates.

3999 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109

Visit Website

Dining area at Oceana Coastal Kitchen with tables and chairs overlooking the bay. — Dining area.

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Lou Lou's Club

Every Thursday night, the recently resurrected supper club hosts a four-course prix-fixe tasting menu accompanied by live music. The menu rotates monthly, with mains of poultry, seafood, and red meat as well as a vegetarian or vegan options. Wine, beer, and cocktails, such as the Caiparita and Painkiller, can be ordered separately.

Open in Google Maps

2225 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, California 92115

Visit Website

Stage area surrounded by dining tables at Lou Lou’s Club.

Cardellino

Chef Brad Wise offers a chophouse tasting menu called the “Tuscan Experience” in Mission Hills. The armchair food tour throughout the Italian region includes bistecca Fiorentina, a traditional Florentine steak, a specific cut from a particular breed of cattle, while the rest of the courses rotate but will likely include pasta and an Italian-inspired dessert, from spicy rigatoni to tiramisu cheesecake.

4033 Goldfinch St (Fort Stockton Drive), San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

Bistecca Fiorentina and pasta dish from the Tuscan Experience — Bistecca Fiorentina and pasta dish from the Tuscan Experience.

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Wine Vault & Bistro

This long-tenured restaurant and wine shop has always been centered around multi-course dinners matched with wine and often featuring the winemakers themselves to guide diners through the pairings. Based on seasonal ingredients, the dishes change often. Saturdays usually feature a chef’s five-course tasting menu with paired wines; make sure to make reservations as space is limited.

3731 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

Also featured in:

ARTIFACT at Mingei

Friday nights at the signature restaurant for the Mingei International Museum include a four-course tasting menu with rotating themes. Culinary director Tim Kolanko and chef Tony Coito have focused on Germany, India, and Piedmont in the past. Ancient methods, along with botanicals and spices, feature in all the dishes. Make sure to book ahead.

1439 El Prado, CA 92101

Visit Website

Array of dishes from ARTIFACT’s tasting menu.

Also featured in:

18 Picturesque San Diego Restaurants for Your Wedding Day

Two Ducks

Talented brothers Danny and Dante Romero (Addison, Wormwood) are hosting a multi-course tasting menu in the Lion’s Share’s upstairs special event space. Dishes focus on Mexican and Southern California cuisine, using classic French techniques. The limited-run dining series runs on Thursday and Friday evenings with 20 seats available.

629 Kettner Blvd (btwn G & W Harbor Dr), San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Two Ducks tasting menu dish.

Also featured in:

Callie

Eater’s 2022 chef of the year Travis Swikard (Daniel, Café Boulud) hosts a Mediterranean Feast for $75 per person, which can be modified for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan guests. The five-course family-style adventure encompasses some of the menu’s most popular dishes but might also include surprise specials inspired by his fishermen and farmers.

Open in Google Maps

1195 Island Avenue, CA 92101

Visit Website

A plate of pasta with bread and a glass of wine. — Burrata agnolini dish at Callie.

Also featured in:

Huntress

The Gaslamp restaurant is offering a daily five-course tasting menu with optional whiskey and wine pairings with dishes like lobster curry soup and A5 Satsuma Wagyu (with an option to dress the steak up with black truffle for $44) on the docket. Plans to create a nine-course tasting menu with innovative new dinnerware are being developed to launch in late spring/summer.

376 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Small dishes from the tasting menu.

Also featured in:

Lumi

Michelin-starred chef Akira Back recently expanded his weekend omakase to a daily seven-course tasting menu with a wide array of signature dishes. In addition to sushi samplings, popular entrees make appearances, including the dry-aged ribeye and Akira Back pizza with tuna and truffle oil. Add on a drink pairing for $55 to the $155 per person omakase.

366 5th Ave (J St), San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Akira Bach pizza — Akira Bach pizza.

Also featured in:

Stake Chophouse & Bar

The Stake Experience in Coronado walks guests through a five-course tasting menu with favorites and unique dishes mixed in for $225 per person. Guests will find seafood and steak plates featured in the food flight from chef Matt Sramek. Options to go vegetarian or vegan are available as well.

1309 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

Visit Website

Crudo dish at Herb & Sea.

Also featured in:

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Valle

222 North Pacific Street, CA 92054

Chef Roberto Alcocer of Malva in Valle de Guadalupe transports his cuisine stateside, showcasing his approach to Baja and Californian ingredients at this Michelin-starred Oceanside restaurant. Tasting menus are available in the dining room, chef’s table, and bar area, with options of land and sea or vegetarian. The chef’s table seats customers in the bustling kitchen while the El Sillon bar experience is a four-course dinnner with wine or non-alcoholic pairing options.

Open in Google Maps

222 North Pacific Street, CA 92054

Visit Website

Chocolate ice cream next to a flower-shaped chocolate dessert. — Chocolate ice cream next to a flower-shaped chocolate dessert at Valle.

Matsu

626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054

The modern Japanese-influenced restaurant in Oceanside has been making a splash with its ten-course menu. Chef William Eick is focusing on different preparations of guinea fowl in March, but you’ll also find black cod, abalone, and sunflower on the tasting menu.

626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054

Visit Website

Omakase dish.

Jeune et Jolie

2659 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

The Michelin-starred nouvelle French restaurant features a nightly four-course tasting menu from chef Eric Bost with an optional, but recommended, wine pairing. Start the meal with a traditional spoon-and-sugar cube drip from the customized absinthe fountain. Dishes might be include elegant options like partridge with peas, kampachi and yuzu, or baba au rhum.

2659 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Visit Website

Part of the four-course tasting menu.

Herb & Sea

131 W D St, Encinitas, CA 92024

Chef Aiden Owens brings seafood up from the legendary Tuna Dockside Market on the Embarcadero for the North County restaurant’s weekly local fish tasting dinner. Available on Sundays, the three-course tasting menu features plates like whitefish crudo and spider crab and saffron risotto for $55.

131 W D St, Encinitas, CA 92024

Visit Website

Crudo dish at Herb & Sea.

MARKET Restaurant + Bar

3702 Via De La Valle (at El Camino Real), Del Mar, CA 92014

This well-respected Del Mar restaurant’s exclusive dinner offering is a three-course menu designed by chef Carl Schroeder, priced at $79 per person with options that include duck confit, beef short ribs, and a rhubarb sundae. A la carte sushi is available in the bar seating area.

3702 Via De La Valle (at El Camino Real), Del Mar, CA 92014

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Market Restaurant & Bar (@marketdelmar)

Addison Restaurant

5200 Grand Del Mar Way, CA 92130

The region’s first and only three-star Michelin restaurant has a nine-course tasting menu that’s helped put San Diego on the fine-dining map. Chef William Bradley loves to change things up with season’s bounty; recent dishes include asparagus with carrots, crème fraiche, and caviar and a refreshing mangonada for the pre-dessert course.

5200 Grand Del Mar Way, CA 92130

Visit Website

One of nine courses on the tasting menu at Addison Restaurant.

The WineSellar & Brasserie

9550 Waples St (at Huennekens St), San Diego, CA 92121

This longstanding brasserie and wine shop in Sorrento Valley frequently hosts wine dinners with thoughtful three-course dinners plus dessert. Plates range from pork belly to salmon steak, ending with caramelized apple crepe and themes are driven by visiting vintners or pairings focused on regions like the Pacific Northwest or Bordeaux.

9550 Waples St (at Huennekens St), San Diego, CA 92121

Visit Website

Steak and veggies on a plate with wine in background. — Steak and vegetable dish.

NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar

910 Prospect Street, CA 92037

Chef Jason Knibb focuses on hyperlocal ingredients at his farm-to-table, Michelin-recognized restaurant. The six-course “Mercy of the Chef” tasting menu is available Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $120 per person and a $190 per person optional wine pairing.

910 Prospect Street, CA 92037

Visit Website

Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar — Dining area.

Marisi

1044 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037

Chef Cameron Ingle (Bestia, Blue Hill at Stone Barns) has already been offering a semi-secret tasting option for guests alongside his la carte menu, but its formal launch will start at the beginning of April. A combination of Marisi’s popular hits paired with special dishes that haven’t yet made it on the main menu, the multi-course dinner is priced at $85 per person with an optional wine pairing for $45 per person.

1044 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Dining area with tables and chairs at Marisi — DIning area at Marisi.

Ambrogio by Acquerello

7556 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

The Michelin-recognized team offers two eight-course tasting menus on a nightly basis: a meat and seafood option and a vegetarian option. There will be some overlap, such as the raviolo aperto (pasta with artichokes served with 24-month-aged parmesan). The A5 Japanese wagyu appears on the regular menu while the emphasis on seasonal produce is showcased in the alternative menu. A weekday four-course dinner is offered from Thursday through Thursday for $99. In addition to a wine pairing, there’s also a non-alcoholic pairing consisting of a selection of juices and teas.

7556 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Visit Website

Branzino alla ligure.

Oceana Coastal Kitchen

3999 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109

Wednesdays at the anchor restaurant for the Catamaran Resort feature a four-course tasting menu spotlighting fresh-caught seafood and produce from the Pacific Beach Farmer’s Market. An optional wine pairing is available for $30. The Mission Bay restaurant, helmed by the Fishery’s longtime chef Paul Arias, also hosts a multi-course dining series, partnering with a winery, brewery, or distillery like Cutwater, in its “Sip & Savor on the Bay” on select dates.

3999 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109

Visit Website

Dining area at Oceana Coastal Kitchen with tables and chairs overlooking the bay. — Dining area.

Lou Lou's Club

2225 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, California 92115

Every Thursday night, the recently resurrected supper club hosts a four-course prix-fixe tasting menu accompanied by live music. The menu rotates monthly, with mains of poultry, seafood, and red meat as well as a vegetarian or vegan options. Wine, beer, and cocktails, such as the Caiparita and Painkiller, can be ordered separately.

Open in Google Maps

2225 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, California 92115

Visit Website

Stage area surrounded by dining tables at Lou Lou’s Club.

Cardellino

4033 Goldfinch St (Fort Stockton Drive), San Diego, CA 92103

Chef Brad Wise offers a chophouse tasting menu called the “Tuscan Experience” in Mission Hills. The armchair food tour throughout the Italian region includes bistecca Fiorentina, a traditional Florentine steak, a specific cut from a particular breed of cattle, while the rest of the courses rotate but will likely include pasta and an Italian-inspired dessert, from spicy rigatoni to tiramisu cheesecake.

4033 Goldfinch St (Fort Stockton Drive), San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

Bistecca Fiorentina and pasta dish from the Tuscan Experience — Bistecca Fiorentina and pasta dish from the Tuscan Experience.

Wine Vault & Bistro

3731 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

This long-tenured restaurant and wine shop has always been centered around multi-course dinners matched with wine and often featuring the winemakers themselves to guide diners through the pairings. Based on seasonal ingredients, the dishes change often. Saturdays usually feature a chef’s five-course tasting menu with paired wines; make sure to make reservations as space is limited.

3731 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

ARTIFACT at Mingei

1439 El Prado, CA 92101

Friday nights at the signature restaurant for the Mingei International Museum include a four-course tasting menu with rotating themes. Culinary director Tim Kolanko and chef Tony Coito have focused on Germany, India, and Piedmont in the past. Ancient methods, along with botanicals and spices, feature in all the dishes. Make sure to book ahead.

1439 El Prado, CA 92101

Visit Website

Array of dishes from ARTIFACT’s tasting menu.

Related Maps

Two Ducks

629 Kettner Blvd (btwn G & W Harbor Dr), San Diego, CA 92101

Talented brothers Danny and Dante Romero (Addison, Wormwood) are hosting a multi-course tasting menu in the Lion’s Share’s upstairs special event space. Dishes focus on Mexican and Southern California cuisine, using classic French techniques. The limited-run dining series runs on Thursday and Friday evenings with 20 seats available.

629 Kettner Blvd (btwn G & W Harbor Dr), San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Two Ducks tasting menu dish.

Callie

1195 Island Avenue, CA 92101

Eater’s 2022 chef of the year Travis Swikard (Daniel, Café Boulud) hosts a Mediterranean Feast for $75 per person, which can be modified for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan guests. The five-course family-style adventure encompasses some of the menu’s most popular dishes but might also include surprise specials inspired by his fishermen and farmers.

Open in Google Maps

1195 Island Avenue, CA 92101

Visit Website

A plate of pasta with bread and a glass of wine. — Burrata agnolini dish at Callie.

Huntress

376 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

The Gaslamp restaurant is offering a daily five-course tasting menu with optional whiskey and wine pairings with dishes like lobster curry soup and A5 Satsuma Wagyu (with an option to dress the steak up with black truffle for $44) on the docket. Plans to create a nine-course tasting menu with innovative new dinnerware are being developed to launch in late spring/summer.

376 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Small dishes from the tasting menu.

Lumi

366 5th Ave (J St), San Diego, CA 92101

Michelin-starred chef Akira Back recently expanded his weekend omakase to a daily seven-course tasting menu with a wide array of signature dishes. In addition to sushi samplings, popular entrees make appearances, including the dry-aged ribeye and Akira Back pizza with tuna and truffle oil. Add on a drink pairing for $55 to the $155 per person omakase.

366 5th Ave (J St), San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Akira Bach pizza — Akira Bach pizza.

Stake Chophouse & Bar

1309 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

The Stake Experience in Coronado walks guests through a five-course tasting menu with favorites and unique dishes mixed in for $225 per person. Guests will find seafood and steak plates featured in the food flight from chef Matt Sramek. Options to go vegetarian or vegan are available as well.

1309 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118

Visit Website

Crudo dish at Herb & Sea.

Related Maps