2 1/2 Stars

Café Chloe, located in the East Village of Downtown San Diego, offers a chic-elegant yet informal atmosphere. The menu is inspired by classic French cuisine with a modern touch, with dishes made of the finest local farm ingredients and fine meats. The restaurant offers a delicious brunch of French cuisine and original mimosas, happy hour half-priced drinks, and urban tea service featuring home-made champagne gravlax. The dinner menu includes a continental assortment of dinner plates like the signature Steak & Frites. Inspiration doesn’t stop at the menu but spills into the carefully selected domestic and international wines and imported champagnes …

Whether you want a wide assortment of small plates to share, farm-fresh salads, exotic entrées or unique pasta dishes, Romesco’s Bistro in Bonita has it covered, with a Baja-Mediterranean blanket that leaves you with a familiar, foodie feeling. Chef Javier Plasencias rolls out hot and cold tapas from octopus to Jamon Serrano (dry-cured Spanish Ham). He creates distinct dishes such as Beef Cheek Tacos and Crab Mac and Cheese, along with an assortment of fondues to extinguish any craving one might have. Plasencias’ Mediterranean techniques and recipes mix superbly with local Mexican flavors to complement the warm ambiance of this …

A melding of Latin and Mediterranean flavors along with the use of local ingredients inspires San Diego native Chef Matt Richman within the walls of Table 926. The place setting puts you in north Pacific Beach while walking inside the clean, soft neon-lit dining room. Some of the unique dishes that quickly go from table to tongue are the Oxtail Ragu with a Bucatini sauce with a lemon-mint ricotta or the Glazed Pork Cheeks with a guajillo-tamarind glaze, braised greens and polenta, while the Bistro Burger and the 14 oz. Grilled Ribeye might be more familiar flavors to a less …

For a classic seafood experience with a laid-back attitude, look no further then The Fish Market—San Diego’s premiere destination for seafood. Located on Shelter Island below the Top of the Market Restaurant, The Fish Market features options for several types of seafood faire, including seafood cocktails, oysters, fresh filets, and sushi. You can dine while overlooking the breathtaking San Diego bay for either lunch or dinner. Since 1989, The Fish Market has been enchanting and comforting their guests with premium seafood choices and a dazzling waterfront view.

A bustling lunch crowd advertises the popularity of Niban Japanese Restaurant in Kearny Mesa and an outdoor patio makes it an enticing opportunity to get outside for a lunch break. It’s not uncommon to see a line out the door , and the friendly and attentive staff consistently delivers food quickly to the table, no matter the size of the crowd. Menu items are reasonably priced and along with weekly changing specialty rolls like the Spicy Scallop Roll, which are available for $5. All food is freshly prepared and curries, noodle dishes, bento boxes, as well as teriyaki bowls, round …

Chicken lovers rejoice because Chick-A-Delli is here! Located just minutes from the I-15 and 163 Freeways on Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Chick-A-Delli has come up with almost every way to prepare chicken and put it on the menu. With dishes ranging from Chicken Parmesan, to Chicken Tenders, to a whole Roasted Chicken, this little eatery is bound to have something for every chicken lover. Chick-A-Delli uses quality, fresh chicken; never frozen. Not only is the chicken fresh, but so are all the accouterments, including sauces, bread crumbs, French fries, and lettuce. The owner, Joe, is as friendly as the food is …

Stout Public House is one of the finest Irish sports bars in downtown. Being a central hub for the community it is a popular spot to just hang out and watch people as they pass by. One can easily drop in for lunch with a full pint of Guinness and enjoy some time with friends or stop by after work for a drink and maybe a game or two, depending what is on T.V. The pub atmosphere is tight but not hectic and the staff is very friendly, along with plenty of lovely ladies to look at. Their happy hours …

Not only does Candelas on the Bay have a prime location with a beautiful view of Downtown San Diego, it has inventive Mexican cuisine that promises guests an interesting and special dining experience. One of the best parts of Candelas on the Bay is the exciting scene of Coronado beachgoers and the San Diego Bay that can be seen from every seat in the house. This restaurant is the sister restaurant of Candelas Downtown and carries over the same creative “Mexico City” style dishes created by Executive Chef Eduardo Baeza. This restaurant is brilliantly suited for those eager to test …

In India, Masala literally translates to “spice.” You’ll get that and much more at this Indian-inspired restaurant on Fifth Avenue. As you enter from the chaotic streets of downtown, you are instantly transported to a far away place. The space exudes warmth with its lighting, and delectable colors that mimic India’s traditional dishes such as Mango Chutney, Saffron Rice, and of course, Curry. On the menu is a Spicy Mango Salad which comes with perfectly sliced slivers of mango with greens, onions, tomatoes, and cucumber. You’ll also want to try their Masala Mix which marries the spices of India with …

Located on 5th Avenue in Downtown San Diego and open since 1991, Maloney’s Tavern is a great place to sit with a group of friends and kick back with a beer. The Tavern’s catch phrase, like the show Cheers, is ‘where everybody knows your name’. Their menu is simple American /goes well with your drink comfort food. They have a full bar and an outdoor patio. Maloney’s offers good food at reasonable prices and provides a friendly relaxing atmosphere. This Tavern also hosts revolving drink specials on Fridays and Saturdays, Weekend football specials, a Happy hour from 4-7pm, and a …

Located at the eastern tip of Shelter Island, with a boat dock stretching from the back door, it is no surprise water is the predominant theme at Bali Hai. Taking cues from Island cultures from Tahiti to Polynesia, the historic Tiki-themed restaurant invites diners to a sensual escape of island pleasures. The menu is filled with rich and exotic dishes including Lobster Wontons, Chicken of the Gods, and Kailua Pork Loin, and the bar offers—what else?—famously authentic Mai Tai’s. Sunday Champagne Brunch attracts such a large crowd that the dock out back is often packed while eager boaters dine inside.

Monsoon, an Indian cuisine focused restaurant in the heart of the Gaslamp District, is part of the Monsoon Group’s four main establishments that serves San Diegians a taste of the country, not just curry. The brother and sister tandem of Chefs Rakesh and Ashley Popat have a wide assortment of appetizers, entrees, Indian breads, curries, tandooris and vegetarian dishes on the menu to satisfy even the most critical Mumbai and Calcuttan food connoisseurs. The Lentis n’ Lamb and the Bangalore Masala bolster this bevy of long-time family recipes and round out this epicurean experience. Monsoon has an all-you-can eat daily …

Buca di Beppo is neighborhood restaurant where guests feast on family platters of real Italian specialties in a boisterous, celebratory environment that recalls the Italian-American supper clubs of the 1940s and '50s. It's the marriage of Italy's oldest cuisines and the bounty of America, rich in tradition yet alive with innovation.

A casual, beach-theme restaurant known for the Hooters Girls - the surfer girl next door. Hooters serves seafood, burgers, sandwiches and 'nearly world famous' chicken wings. Atmosphere: Hooters Girls; open kitchen with boisterous cooks; '50s and '60s rock and roll playing from the jukebox; and sports on television.