Location: La Jolla
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San Diego, California Food Guide: 9 Contemporary food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in La Jolla
Best Contemporary restaurants nearby. Discover the best Contemporary food in La Jolla. View Menus, Photos and Reviews for Contemporary restaurants near you.. Topnotch golf courses, art galleries and seals share the dramatic oceanside landscape of La Jolla, an affluent community 15 minutes from downtown San Diego. Swimmers, snorkelers and kayakers dip into La Jolla Cove, where the protected waters shield an abundance of bright orange Garibaldi fish and sea caves indent the cliffs. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the family-friendly Birch Aquarium and the acclaimed La Jolla Playhouse deliver breaks from the sun.
Things to do in La Jolla
9. Hennessey's
Overall Ratings
4 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By lkph48
I ordered the Two Eggs (scrambled), bacon (crispy), home style potatoes and toast (rye bread). I really thought my breakfast was goodâ¦lots of scrambled eggsâ¦bacon just the way I like it..and the rye bread was perfect. I wasnât too crazy with the sauce on the potatoes but they were still good.Carol and Sue both ordered The Highlander â Home style potatoes topped with two eggs any style, ranchero sauce, melted jack and cheddar cheeses with smoked sausage, bacon, ham and choice of toast or tortilla.We went to Hennessey's because they gave us coupons in the Inn By The Sea welcome packets. We thank businesses who do that.
8. True Food Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 45 reviews
Reviewed By Hotelsnobb
This visit didn't disappoint. Love that their menu changes seasonally, but standards stay year round. A great selection of healthy vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free items on the menu. The Korean noodle bowl was super tasty...even my carnivore husband loved the vegan dish (he added shrimp). The butternut squash pizza (also vegan) was delicious.Nice atmosphere, great service and the best gluten free squash pie for dessert. Wish we had a True Food in Boston!
7. THE MED
Overall Ratings
4 based on 314 reviews
THE MED is the premiere dining destination of La Valencia Hotel with its commitment to innovative cuisine and uncompromising service. This inspired Great Room designed restaurant offers masterful seasonal seafood dishes that personify its rich Spanish inf
Reviewed By donaldh886
Having given our stay at the La Valencia resort 5 stars, I have decided to review the restaurant separately. We had breakfast in the resort the two days we stayed there. We wouldnât have gone back the second day, but it was pouring rain outside so we did not want to go out.Day one: Server Lisa was pleasant, but did not go out of her way with any kind of service, other than taking our order and dropping the check. I had to ask for extra cup of coffee as she walked by several times while my cup was empty. The bus person finally noticed and brought more coffee. Wife had Oatmeal which was hot and delicious. I ordered the Carne Asada Benedict. The flavor was delicious, but everything on the plate was cold, from the potatoes to all ingredients on the Benedict. Seemed like everything had come from the steam table. The salad on the plate makes no sense ( and the few people in the Dining Room did not eat theirs as well ). So overall, with only about 12 people in the DR at that time, food and service were not acceptable.Day Two: Edgar,our server, was excellent! He checked with us several times. Coffee was always refilled. I told him my food was cold the day beforehand, specifically the potatoes. I ordered Eggs with Sausage and Potatoes. Yes, the potatoes were HOT, but the sausages were cold, probably again directly from the steam table.Such a shame. again did not eat the side salad ( maybe if it had dressing on it), but I did not. Again, the very few persons we saw in the DR also did not eat it. Wife had blueberry pancakes, which looked great and were hot. My dismay is the menu specifically states âmaple syrupâ, but alas, it was the same high fructose corn syrup you would receive in a Dennyâs! What happened to truth in menu in California?No camomile tea available also. The last little bit, although maybe petty, was the USA Today at 8:30 in the morning, was from the day before. Hopefully, the resort will understand what a great outlet overlooking the ocean that they have here. You could be a truly fabulous Coastal resort, but truly missing the boat on F&B.I could not recommend persons staying at the resort, or locals, to have their breakfast here. It seems that no management checks on this outlet in the early morning hours. I could forgive if this restaurant was packed with a waiting line, but only serving a very few persons for the breakfast period it was not acceptable.Dear Donald,Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough review. We would like to sincerely apologize that you didn't experience the high levels of service and food & beverage presentation that we pride ourselves on. We have passed this feedback on to our team and will be sure to take this into account moving forward. We're happy you enjoyed your hotel stay, and we hope that, should you return, you will take the time to give us another chance to wow you in our restaurant. Kind Regards,Hotel Management
6. Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
4 based on 496 reviews
Reviewed By Graham J
We were staying just outside La Jolla, and found this by chance. It has its own micro-brewery and was relatively quite as early May.Our starter was a shared Hummus, and this is due to huge portions in the states.mains were a Cheddar burger and a Farmhouse burger. Both cooked to perfection, and generous portion of fries.#Drinks were two 9oz beers and a Mionetto Prosecco split.Total bill $60.68 plus service charge of 20%.Service was good and a good atmosphere, a good place for reasonable price eats.Graham, Thanks for making Karl Strauss apart of your road trip! We are so glad you had a good experience !Cheers!
5. Duke's La Jolla
Overall Ratings
4 based on 852 reviews
Duke's La Jolla is named in honor of native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic swimming and water polo medalist and the father of modern surfing. Overlooking the La Jolla Cove, Duke's serves genuine, friendly hospitality with contemporary interpretation
Reviewed By TF066
Duke's was excellent. Had the Shrimp and Pasta, which was delicious and large portion. Others had a decent burger, good fish tacos, and excellent ribs. However, the Coconut Shrimp were "not very coconut-y". The service and atmosphere were also very good.
Most Popular American food in La Jolla, San Diego, California
4. George's at the Cove
Overall Ratings
4 based on 3316 reviews
George's at the Cove is a renowned three-level dining destination located in the heart of La Jolla overlooking the Pacific Ocean and northern coastline. We offer three distinct restaurant and bar concepts â one fine dining and two casual â with stunning o
Reviewed By joeyrm7
Had lunch on the second level. Cirveche for my wife and a burger for me. Together with a glass of wine all was really good. Throw in the open air and great views and it makes for a great lunch. Only improvement they can make is to get the wind to change direction to lesson the smell from the sea lions and pelicans.
3. The Marine Room
Overall Ratings
4 based on 759 reviews
Embark on a culinary adventure featuring seafood creations made with globally-influenced flavors, and enjoy an elegant fine dining experience at our La Jolla restaurant on the surf. Take part in an over 75-year tradition and join fellow San Diegans, visit
Reviewed By Sergey S
View from the restaurant is unbeatable. Outstanding. Food mostly very good. Over-priced but very good. Service was definitely below average. For this price, we had to ask for waiter several times. We had to literally get up to call for waiter. Absolutely unacceptable for this price. We were celebrating wedding and it was especially annoying. Quality of service and wonderful view was absolutely over-shadowed by very non-attentive service.
2. The Promiscuous Fork
Overall Ratings
4 based on 136 reviews
Reviewed By Leesuzy71
Amazing restaurant...gorgeous food, great menu. I had the Mac n cheese with the short ribs (pictured), hubby had chicken tacos, eldest had ring of fire burger and youngest had a cheeseburger...all delicious. We also had a bottle of the local Chardonnay (also yum). Location and style is informal but also pretty cool. Will probably re-visit which is uncommon for us as we like to try out different places.
Where to eat Cafe food in La Jolla: The Best Restaurants and Bars
1. The Cottage La Jolla
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1503 reviews
The Cottage La Jolla has been serving delicious breakfast, brunch, and lunch to the citizens of La Jolla, CA for over twenty-five years. Our restaurant specializes in traditional American and Southern Californian cuisine, with a clean, Victorian-style int
Reviewed By Wheretogowhattodo
We had to wait for a table because this place is popular! It was well worth the wait. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious. Staff was attentive and quick. The only negative is that we wanted to sit on the patio instead we were seated upstairs next to the bathroom. Not exactly the view I would have liked to have had. At least there were plenty of windows to look out of.
