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Best Restaurants for Spicy Food in University City/Golden Triangle

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268 restaurants available nearby

How are Featured results ranked

A photo of Javier's - La Jolla restaurant
Icon
1. Javier's - La Jolla
4.6
Exceptional(4517)
€€€€
• Mexican • La Jolla
Booked 146 times today
Amazing service outstanding, highly recommended High quality food
A photo of JOEY La Jolla restaurant
2. JOEY La Jolla
4.6
Exceptional(918)
€€€€
• American • San Diego
Booked 183 times today
The food and service are incredible. Excellent all the way around.
A photo of The Amalfi Llama Wood-Fire Italian Steakhouse - San Diego restaurant
3. The Amalfi Llama Wood-Fire Italian Steakhouse - San Diego
4.5
Awesome(945)
€€€€
• Steakhouse • University City/Golden Triangle
Booked 37 times today
The best Rack of Lamb in the west! I come just for that dish every couple of weeks. Yum!
A photo of Katsuya Ko restaurant
4. Katsuya Ko
4.1
Excellent(189)
€€€€
• Japanese • Torrey Pines
Booked 7 times today
This place opened about 7 months ago, and it right across from the new Chef Fei restaurant which had a long line and glad we had reservations here. From the moment we walked in, we felt very welcomed. Sebastian greeted us warmly, got us seated, and shared so many great recommendations from the menu. For some reason, I wasn’t able to check in on Yelp or upload photos, but that didn’t take away from the experience at all. The service and decor were impeccable from start to finish. Everything we ordered came out fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. We tried quite a few dishes, and my personal favorite was the baked snow crab wrapped in soy paper. We also had the Tomahawk short rib and Lobster Mentaiko pasta, both of which were incredibly impressive. We were a little surprised they didn’t have the miso black cod available, but to be fair, we did arrive about an hour before closing. Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience with great food, attentive service, excellent customer care, and beautiful decor. We’ll definitely be back!
A photo of Marisi restaurant
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5. Marisi
4.5
Awesome(1892)
€€€€
• Italian • La Jolla
Booked 69 times today
Excellent staff, excellent food, excellent service
A photo of Nick's Del Mar restaurant
6. Nick's Del Mar
4.7
Exceptional(1956)
€€€€
• American • Del Mar
Booked 62 times today
It’s a beautiful restaurant, excellent food and perfect service! Get the fried deviled eggs!
A photo of South of Nick's - Del Mar restaurant
7. South of Nick's - Del Mar
4.7
Exceptional(1171)
€€€€
• Mexican • Del Mar
Booked 54 times today
The food was excellent, and the service was impeccable.
A photo of Herb & Wood restaurant
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8. Herb & Wood
4.7
Exceptional(7511)
€€€€
• Californian • Little Italy
Booked 76 times today
Incredible food and experience we had. Pichanche steak was amazing
A photo of Dora Ristorante restaurant
9. Dora Ristorante
4.5
Awesome(422)
€€€€
• Italian • Torrey Pines
Booked 31 times today
Our server, Jaden was really terrific. Very attentive and helpful.
A photo of P.F. Chang's - La Jolla restaurant
10. P.F. Chang's - La Jolla
4.0
Excellent(419)
€€€€
• Chinese • La Jolla
Booked 4 times today
We met friends here and everyone’s food was delish!!! We shared and had a great time! The lemon drop martini was amazing as well!

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you
From verified diners like you
  • Mike
    San Francisco Bay Area •4 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 2 days ago
    I just had apps but three of them and they were so delicious especially the Bone Marrow
    More info
    Barbusa$$$$• Italian• Little Italy
    •
    4.6
  • HeatherGold
    San Diego •7 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 3 days ago
    This was our second time dining at Books & Records. The first time was on a busier week night and with the close tables and live music it had a liveliness to it but not super conducive for quiet conversation. This time we visited on a Sunday evening and it was quiet and we had great table conversation. Both times our food was excellent (we love the brussel sprouts and the chicken bao buns). This time we also got the tuna crudo and it was delicious. Service is attentive and our server was kind.
    More info
    Books + Records$$$$• American• Banker's Hill
    •
    4.6
  • KathleenGold
    San Diego •11 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 7 days ago
    We had a great meal as usual. Hayden was our server, he was very attentive, and personable. We will definitely be back.
    More info
    Herb & Sea$$$$• Seafood• Encinitas
    •
    4.6
  • Jose
    San Diego •29 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 7 days ago
    The food and drinks were delicious i would definitely come back!
    More info
    El Agave$$$$• Mexican• Old Town
    •
    4.4
  • Stratton
    New York City •5 reviews
    5.0
    Dined on 7 Feb 2026
    Great atmosphere and friendly service. More local place but we enjoyed it very much
    More info
    Miss B's Coconut Club$$$$• Caribbean• Mission Beach
    •
    4.5

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