San Diego is lucky to have amazing patios to eat and drink outside just about every day of the year, but we’re still thrilled to see the return of indoor dining – with safety precautions in place, of course – to San Diego’s restaurant scene! Here’s are some noteworthy reopenings – we’ll keep adding to the list as we hear of more.
Plan a date night and show them some love!
Jeune et Jolie
Jeune et Jolie’s “Starry Night” outdoor, tasting-menu-only dining experience is back after a brief hiatus! Enjoy 5-courses (with optional wine pairings) by Executive Chef Eric Bost beneath olive trees and twinkling stars on the improved “garden patio.” New design features include hand seeded concrete, clay tile from Italy, and built-in banquettes with pillows and cushions that complement the interior color palette. Plus a surround of built-in heaters and in-ground speakers, channeling the vibes from the reel to reel. The space is surrounded by 50-year-old olive trees, scattered plantings of rosemary, various grasses and lavender.
The Starry Night menu – through March 21st – includes Asperges (asparagus, egg yolk, nettle, radish, fines herbs), Saint Jacques (scallop, brussels sprouts, smoked eel, meyer lemon and buttered dashi), and Canard (aged duck, rhubarb, beets, shiso, black garlic).
Open Wednesday through Sunday evenings, from 5 to 10PM. Reservations are required and can be made via OpenTable.
Campfire
Campfire is all fired up! The live-fire, market-driven restaurant resumed seating indoors March 17th, in addition to outdoor seating that includes its heated parklet patio (for 18 guests) along buzzy State St. — complete with custom, covered tipi-like structure. Takeout is also available.
Open for dinner service seven days a week, from 5PM to 10PM.
HottMess Woodfired Pizza
Long-awaited HottMess Woodfired Pizza, the indoor counterpart to all-outdoor Sideyard BBQ at Barrio Logan’s 40,000 square-foot sustainability-focused Acre of Awesome, will open on Thursday, April 1st. The restaurant will serve Executive Chef Kenzo Inai’s (Home & Away, Rancho Bernardo Inn) family-style fare and wood-fired Neapolitan-style pies ($13-18) — with an unexpected twist, the proprietary dough recipe includes spent Thorn Brewing Co. grain, which imparts a different flavor profile depending on which beer it was derived from.
The menu will feature both traditional pies and those with more unexpected toppings, including Smoked Brisket Pizza (with chipotle, serrano chiles, mozzarella, red onions, green onions, cilantro and cotija cheese) and Imperfect Vegetarian Pesto Pizza (changes weekly, based on imperfect produce available, plus serrano cilantro pesto and mozzarella cheese). Plus appetizers and salads, including House Smoked Seasonal Fish Spread (with unagi sauce, tobiko and house fried chips) and Kenzo’s Award-Winning Kitchen Sink Chilli (a 2019 North Park Chili Cook-Off People’s Choice Winner, with cheddar cheese potato croquette, cheddar cheese and scallions).
Guests can opt to enjoy the menu indoors at HottMess Woodfired Pizza or outside at Sideyard BBQ by HottMess. Both restaurants serve counter service-style. HottMess Woodfired Pizza is open Thursday through Sunday, from 11AM to 10PM.
Carruth Cellars Urban Winery
San Diego’s largest urban winery will offer guests the option to sip their glass of double gold medal-winning 2017 Alexander Valley Syrah indoors, beginning March 17th, at all three tasting room locations (Little Italy, Solana Beach and Carlsbad). For those who prefer to be seated outdoors, seating is plentiful at the mostly outdoor Little Italy wine garden (reservation required), and on the lush, green outdoor patios at Solana Beach and Carlsbad.
All tasting room locations have debuted extended weekend hours.
Solana Beach, Carlsbad: 1 to 8PM, Sunday – Thursday / 1 – 9PM. Friday – Sunday
Little Italy: 3 to 9PM daily
Looking for a unique wine-tasting experience? Carruth has those, too!
Guests can now reserve a private, 90-minute sommelier-led tasting experience at the Solana Beach Urban Winery & Tasting Room. Enjoy a flight of five wines and a selection of cheeses, as your host explains the wines, history, and winemaking process. $55/person or $45/members. Details and booking, here.
Bordeaux Bash, celebrating all Bordeaux varietals, returns on Saturday May 22nd and Sunday, May 23rd.
Carruth Cellars’ recent events have sold out, increased indoor capacity allows the winery to safely make a greater number of tickets available to guests.
Carruth Cellars’ will also launch ‘van tours’ soon, taking guests down the coast (from Carlsbad) to visit each tasting room, with unique experiences at each location and concluding with wood-fired pizza at the Little Italy Wine Garden. Transportation, wine and food will be included, for up to eight guests.
Mister A’s
Mister A’s has resumed indoor dining, with extended outdoor patio seating available on the 12th-floor terrace to enjoy the iconic restaurant’s incomparable panoramic city views.
Tuesday through Sunday, doors open at 4PM with wine, beer and craft cocktails offered alongside a curated bar menu. Enjoy the culinary team’s fresh, seasonal preparations for dinner service beginning at 5PM.
Mille Fleurs
Spring is in the air and with it comes a bounty of fresh flavors at French-Californian brasserie, Mille Fleurs. Beginning today, Wednesday, March 17th, guests can enjoy dine-in service in the dining room or al fresco on the heated patio Tuesday – Sunday from 5:30PM to 8:30PM, with lunch on Friday from 11:30AM to 1:30PM, and Sunday brunch from 10:30AM to 1:15PM.
For those who prefer to continue to enjoy Mille Fleurs in the comfort and safety of their homes, the “Mille Fleurs at Home” program will remain in place during dinner service, Wednesday – Sunday, 4 – 7PM. The weekly “at Home’ takeout menu is online here.
For reservations, click here or call 858.756.3085.
Civico 1845 + Civico by the Park
Dario and Pietro Gallo, the Italian natives behind the Civico restaurants in Little Italy and now Bankers Hill, will resume indoor dining at both locations beginning March 17th, providing authentic Calabrian dishes with both traditional and vegan menu options. Takeout will continue to be available through CBTP only, with delivery via Uber Eats and Grub Hub.
Civico by the Park:
Option to also dine al fresco on the restaurant’s enclosed patio, just steps from Balboa Park.
Wed – Thurs: 4:30PM to 9PM
Fri – Sat: 4:30PM to 9:30PM
Sunday – 4:30PM to 9PM
Civico 1845:
Diners can continue to enjoy the restaurant’s new covered parklet (seats 20), plus tables in the adjacent Piazza Basilone— right in the heart of Little Italy. 7 days, 4pm – 9pm/Fri – Sat until 10PM.
Tajima
By March 22nd, all six Tajima locations will reopen for indoor dining, and just in time for Tajima Tuesday! Available every Tuesday, all day long, you can buy one, get one ½ off ramen, making Tajima the perfect spot for date night. Order any bowl on the menu, like the Spicy Sesame Ramen with spicy tonkotsu pork broth, egg noodles, ground pork, half a ramen egg, bean sprouts, fried garlic chips, baby bok choy, green onion, and sesame seeds, and your date gets theirs for half price. Enjoy with beer, wine, or sake!
La Taverna
Hillcrest’s newest spot for authentic Italian fare – La Taverna – has opened up for indoor dining for the first time, since they officially opened their doors in late January. Start with an order of Bruschetta Pomodoro, topped with tomato, feta cheese, and basil, then opt for a specialty pizza or build your own pasta dish, where you select the sauce, pasta, and any add-ons. La Taverna also offers dessert, including Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse Cake, to really kick you date night up a notch.
Fish Shop
Those looking for a casual, yet delicious spot for date night can now dine indoors at any of
Fish Shop’s three locations – Pacific Beach, Encinitas, or Point Loma. Fish Shop allows guests to select from favorites, or create their own dish by choosing your fish, marinade, and style. You can’t go wrong with a plate of Salmon or Diver Scallops, which comes served with your choice of two sides. Seasonal veggies, jasmine rice, and green salad are just a few options. Pair dinner with a glass or bottle of wine, or a draft or bottled local brew!
Duck Dive
Known for their beach bar vibe, Duck Dive in PB, also has quite a selection of flavorful dinner menu items, including the Grilled Chicken Chimichurri. Grilled chicken breast comes served with roasted poblano and cilantro rice, lemon-chimichurri sauce, grilled veggies, marinated cherry tomatoes, and a shaved fennel salad. And after dinner you can enjoy a stroll on the beach – what more could you ask for in a date night?!
See you there….and stay healthy, San Diego!
