The Best Rooftop Restaurants in San Diego, CA
There’s nothing like catching a SoCal breeze with some good food and cocktails on your table. With dreamlike year-round weather, San Diego is something of a “rooftop capital” when it comes to dining and drinking. Don’t stress if you’re running short on time to find a spot for a sky-high night out. These eight picks all make the cut in the search for the best rooftop in San Diego!
Rustic Root
535 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA
(619) 232-1747
Rustic Root is the spot to get your fix of American comfort food with classic dishes inspired by culinary trends from around the country. Start with a watermelon salad, heirloom tomato burrata, or firecracker shrimp before moving on to bone-in pork chop, rustic fried chicken, free-range half chicken, Louisiana shrimp and grits, wild boar bolognese, and more. The signature cocktails, classic and rustic twists, and nonalcoholic drinks will give you plenty of reasons to linger on the beautiful rooftop patio that is considered by many to be the best rooftop spot in all of San Diego! For a more laid-back experience, the dog-friendly ground-level patio is the perfect spot!
Seneca
Level 19 @ 901 Bayfront Court, San Diego, CA
(619) 877-8642
There simply is no roof to the elegance and ambiance you’ll find at Seneca. Plush outdoor booths, canopies, and incredible views of the city make this one of the fanciest spots in San Diego. If you’re all about maximizing views, time your dinner reservation to enjoy sunset views over the harbor from your rooftop table. The menu at Seneca is best described as being eclectic and refined. Some standouts include burrata with pickled beets, wood-fired meatball pizza, focaccia with prosciutto, truffle arancini, and spaghetti carbonara. Stay a little longer under the moonlight by ordering the tiramisu or butterscotch bread pudding from the dessert menu. Of course, regulars will tell you that the view sparkles even more when you pair your dinner with champagne.
Cannonball
3105 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego, CA
(858) 228-9304
Cannonball’s magnificent rooftop lounge is perfect for views, live music, and refreshing cocktails. You’ll see nothing but waves and palm trees lining your view when you settle into your seat at this highly rated restaurant. While the rooftop terrace showing off views of Mission Beach is reason enough to come, the secret of Cannonball is that it serves up some of the best sushi and cocktails in SoCal. The Midway Margarita, Cactus Cooler, and Sunset Collins are the sweet and fresh cocktails to start with if you’re looking for a party vibe. You’ll also find hard seltzers, wine, Japanese whiskey, and Mexican and Japanese lagers! The main menu is a sushi lover’s dream that is full of different combinations of sashimi, nigiri, sushi rolls, and appetizers.
Havana 1920
548 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA
(619) 369-1920
Imagine a restaurant inspired by Earnest Hemingway’s recollections of 1920s Cuba! From coffee to cocktails, everything about this treasure will transport you back in time to lively and hot Havana nights back when artists and poets really knew how to party! Some cocktail favorites to try include the Cuban Swizzle, Cuban Old Fashioned, Cuba Libre, and Havana 1920 Daiquiri. While there are plenty of meaty sandwiches and filling entrées on the menu, you can also have fun making a meal of the appetizers. Some favorites include fried green plantains, yuca fries, Cuban sandwiches, ham and cheese croquette, shredded beef in tomato, Cuban-style roasted pork, and Havana steak. While Havana 1920 doesn’t technically have a rooftop section, it does have an enclosed second story porch that lets you enjoy views of the city streets below while savoring your meal and vibing to live music!
ALTITUDE Sky Lounge
660 K Street, San Diego, CA
(619) 446-6086
This restaurant and bar located at Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is found 22 stories above the city’s historic Gaslamp District. While elite, the lounge is open to the public for free. It offers amazing panoramic views of the city in a sleek, modern setting. You won’t regret stopping in for beer, wine, or margaritas with some light bites before or during a night out.
Harbor & Sky Rooftop Bar and Lounge
900 Bayfront Court, San Diego, CA
(858) 633-5782
If you’re craving artisan food and skyline views, this little spot that’s perched above the city is perfect. The food and cocktails here all have an undeniably SoCal twist that keeps the vibe feeling light and fresh. The arugula and goat cheese flatbreads, shrimp ceviche tostadas, and artichoke chicken sliders all hit the spot. The classic cocktails and spritzes lean toward sparkly, fresh, and fruity.
The Nolen
453 6th Avenue, San Diego, CA
The Nolen is a rooftop bar and lounge that offers extraordinary views covering Petco Park to Coronado Bridge. Ride up 14 stories in an elevator to splash right into an unforgettable cocktail menu where classic and modern mix with perfection! While the food menu here isn’t huge, you’ll find some great picks to share with the table. The chili glazed meatballs, fava bean hummus tartine, beer-braised short rib sliders, burrata and roasted peach, and sticky Korean chicken bites are some of the top picks.
Mister A’s
2550 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA
The views from the rooftop balcony at Mister A’s extend to Point Loma, San Diego Bay, Balboa Park, and the San Diego Zoo. There’s nothing like dinner and drinks here at sunset! You can even see jets coming into the city. While it may seem impossible, the food at Mister A’s is even more impressive than the views. Prepare to get a taste of the finer things when you order the caviar tater tots, citrus salad, red-top pork belly, rack of lamb, potato-crusted sea bass, or prime beef. When you move to dessert, your server will ask you if you’d like to take advantage of dessert wine pairings. The noteworthy desserts at Mister A’s are the baked Alaska, passion fruit cream puff, cinnamon roll bread pudding, horchata rice pudding, and butterscotch budino.
For more recommendations on where to eat and drink in the city, check out our San Diego page, here!
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