Restaurants near Balboa Park, San Diego

248 restaurants available nearby

A photo of The Prado at Balboa Park restaurant

1. The Prado at Balboa Park

4.6

Exceptional(7933)

Price: Moderate

• Californian • Downtown

Booked 47 times today

Located in San Diego's Balboa Park, in the Historic House of Hospitality, The Prado offers historic charm and California cuisine.

A photo of ARTIFACT at Mingei restaurant

2. ARTIFACT at Mingei

4.8

Exceptional(867)

Price: Expensive

• International • Downtown

Booked 15 times today

ARTIFACT is a full-service restaurant featuring craft cooking inspired by ancient methods, spices and botanicals located inside the beautiful Mingei Museum at Balboa Park . Offering indoor, outdoor courtyard, and bar seating for lunch Tuesday-Saturday.Crafted by Tim Kolanko, Executive Chef, Urban Kitchen Group, and Tony Coito, ARTIFACT’s Chef de Cuisine, will be a nod to Mingei’s changing international exhibitions in an environment filled with functional, innovative art and design by Jennifer Luce, Founder and Principal of LUCE et studio, who led the design and renovation project. ARTIFACT and CRAFT CAFE at Mingei-the latest additions to restaurateur Tracy Borkum and Executive Chef Tim Kolanko’s CUCINA family of restaurants. An Urban Kitchen Group Concept. CUCINA urbana, enoteca, sorella, UKG Catering, Urban Kitchen at The Ready Shell at Jacobs ParkFollow the journey on social media @Dine.Mingei

3. insideOUT

4.8

Exceptional(2369)

Price: Expensive

• Californian • Hillcrest

Booked 149 times today

insideOUT is Hillcrest's elevated restaurant and lounge, and San Diego's only urban oasis! We are an 18+ venue.Reservations for our upcoming "Sweetheart Experience" are now open! The Experience will be February 5th - 16th!Our menu is curated by Executive Chef Johnny Duran and is updated seasonally to reflect his creative approach to California-Mediterranean inspired fare, using the freshest ingredients provided by our local purveyors.Aside from our impeccable hospitality, insideOUT is known for their over-the-top seasonal experiences. We also provide customized private event planning with venue buyout options. More information can be found on our website.

4. Mister A's

4.9

Exceptional(8718)

Price: Very Expensive

• Contemporary French / American • Downtown

Booked 99 times today

Mister A's is the penthouse, fine-dining destination of San Diego, and has been for over 50 years. Located just a few minutes from downtown, you will take the elevator to the top floor and look back out over jetliners sweeping past at eye level, the San Diego skyline, bay and Pacific, while enjoying Modern American cuisine, hand-crafted cocktails, and one of Wine Spectator's top-rated wine lists in the country. The culinary staff hand-selects local farm produce and the highest quality ingredients in every category to offer you selections that are made from scratch in house for brunch, lunch, dinner.. or simply the finest rooftop drinks and appetizers in town.Please visit our website for specific dress code guidelines: https://www.asrestaurant.com/contact/(Guests not in dress code will be turned away)

5. Seneca

4.7

Exceptional(4259)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • Downtown

Booked 166 times today

Roman trattorias are a timeless expression of simplicity. Immune to the lure of gastronomic experimentation and ego. In Rome, no chef can cook better than the mothers and grandmothers before them. Our goal is to merge the dogmatic approach of Roman cooking with the amazing abundance of ingredients available to us in San Diego. A True Roman Holiday In SD. A 4% surcharge is added to all guest checks.

6. Juniper & Ivy

4.7

Exceptional(8078)

Price: Expensive

• Unspecified • Little Italy

Booked 108 times today

Nationally-acclaimed Juniper and Ivy-consistently ranked "Best of the Best" by San Diego Magazine, and recognized as a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment-is a foodie paradise on the edge of San Diego's Little Italy. The kitchen delivers a constantly rotating, chef-driven menu that uses hand-selected, seasonal ingredients crafted with precision, passion, and creativity. Founded by Owner Michael Rosen, Juniper's kitchen is backed by a supergroup of culinary minds that produce one of the most refined yet imaginative menus in town, paired with an award-winning wine list from the city's top sommeliers.

A photo of Albert's Restaurant - San Diego Zoo restaurant

7. Albert's Restaurant - San Diego Zoo

4.6

Exceptional(2714)

Price: Expensive

• International • North Park

Booked 23 times today

Located in the heart of the San Diego Zoo, Albert’s offers full-service dining where you can enjoy deck seating with the ambiance of a tropical waterfall. Patio seating not guaranteed!The menu features a variety of unique dishes including seafood specialties, a variety of entrees, salads, sandwiches, and children’s options. Join us for Weekend Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.Valid San Diego Zoo Membership or admission ticket is required to dine in Alberts Restaurant.18% Gratuity charge to be added to checks for parties of 7 or more. Due to spacing restrictions, we cannot accommodate strollers inside the restaurant or on our patio, stroller parking is located right outside of Albert's Restaurant.

8. MOTHERSHIP

4.8

Exceptional(352)

Price: Moderate

• Tapas / Small Plates • North Park

Booked 44 times today

Tropical space adventure in South Park! Exotic cocktails. Interplanetary fusion small plates. Named Best Bars In America by Esquire Magazine. Reservations offer 90-minute experience like no other, venturing towards the outer limits of the tropical flavor galaxy! WALK INS WELCOME - Walk-in tables are available daily. Early arrival is encouraged and there is a paging system in the event of a waitlist.

9. Herb & Wood

4.6

Exceptional(6504)

Price: Expensive

• Californian • Little Italy

Booked 113 times today

A timeless, sought-after dining escape, celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey opened Herb & Wood to instant acclaim over four years ago. In that time, the restaurant has become an icon, a dining destination that has helped to propel San Diego's culinary reputation to new heights. By focusing on rustic, wood-fired dishes, Chef Malarkey's menu elevates humble ingredients such as carrots, beets, and chicken, incorporating Mediterranean flavors and a California ethos of seasonality and sustainability.

10. CUCINA urbana

4.8

Exceptional(7121)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Banker's Hill

Booked 58 times today

We are a wine shop inside of a restaurant | Dining and design form the perfect union at San Diego's highly acclaimed CUCINA urbana, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, located in the heart of Bankers Hill since 2009. The restaurant boasts comfort and familiarity, welcoming diners to a country farmhouse with the added whimsy of a contemporary art installation.CUCINA urbana is the originator of the CUCINA retail wine program where each dedicated shop allows guests to hand select wines at a retail price, either to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee or for purchase to-go. The wine list is comprised of many familiar labels as well as rare and small-batch gems, with an emphasis on Italian varietals.

Dining near Balboa Park, San Diego at a glance

Updated on 16/1/2025

Charade

View restaurant

Discover local gems

Exceptional reviews

Search top-rated restaurants

Italian

Search Italian restaurants

Average bill amount

€25 and under

Search in this price range

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

J
Jack
San Diego •6 reviews
5.0
Dined today
The service was excellent- always around, never bothersome. The food was outstanding- quality wise as well as the menu choices. For me it’s the best night time view in the city! It’s a wonderful location for special occasions!
More info
Mister A'sPrice: Very Expensive• Contemporary French / American• Downtown
•
4.9
B
BarbaraVIP
San Diego •112 reviews
5.0
Dined today
We had filet mignon & shrimp with vegetables & potato for $25.00 per person. Delicious unbelievably deal
More info
The Prado at Balboa ParkPrice: Moderate• Californian• Downtown
•
4.6
M
Morgan
Key West / Florida Keys •1 review
4.0
Dined 1 day ago
Awesome. I bet themed events are 10/10. One of the better eating experiences in town.
More info
insideOUTPrice: Expensive• Californian• Hillcrest
•
4.8
E
Elizabeth
San Diego •3 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary at Seneca and it was amazing. Obviously the view was spectacular but the drinks were also delicious and my spaghetti carbonara was one of the best I’ve had. Our waiter also gifted us with some champagne to celebrate our anniversary. 10/10 we will be back
More info
SenecaPrice: Expensive• Italian• Downtown
•
4.7
A
AllisonVIP
San Francisco Bay Area •4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 8 Jan 2025
Four picky gals had many questions. All were handled well and cheerfully. Then came delicious non alcoholic drinks, well worth 9 bucks, and interesting and tasty food.
More info
ARTIFACT at MingeiPrice: Expensive• International• Downtown
•
4.8

Restaurants near Balboa Park, San Diego

Price

Cuisine

Top Rated

Dining Options

Seating options

Award-winning

Accessibility

248 restaurants available nearby

1. The Prado at Balboa Park

2. ARTIFACT at Mingei

3. insideOUT

4. Mister A's

5. Seneca

6. Juniper & Ivy

7. Albert's Restaurant - San Diego Zoo

8. MOTHERSHIP

9. Herb & Wood

10. CUCINA urbana

Dining near Balboa Park, San Diego at a glance

Charade

Italian

See what locals rave about

Explore OpenTable