Hey (HAP)pers,
Welcome back to Hotel Espresso, my personal Hotels Above Par newsletter. I just spent the week in San Diego and am now writing this from my balcony at Colima 71 in Mexico City (I brought my Mom with me and we’re having a ball). On the former location, everyone keeps asking me for San Diego recommendations (friendly reminder: it's my hometown, and if you’ve been here for a while, you know people liking my travel recs is my love language). So I thought it would be fun to write a super guide and map to the city, from the beaches to urban districts to taquerias to where I ditched school in the name of superlative sandwiches. (Yes, I said beaches, but I want you to know San Diego is MUCH MORE than the beach these days). Anyway, this edit is a long one—but I love every one of these places with my whole heart. Without further ado, let's get into it.
Lastly, let me know in the comments if there are any San Diego recs you think I should add to this guide? I’m open to suggestions so we can make this the best SD destination guide ever. 💬
- Brandon Berkson, Founder of Hotels Above Par & Mexzine
Communion // This new Mission Hills rooftop serves great global small plates—but the real draw is sipping a cocktail while watching the skyline glow at twilight. You can even see Tijuana in the distance. It’s in this vertical garden of a mid-century building that kind of looks a bit Floridian from the outside. But I assure you, once you go inside and take the elevator to the top, it’s NOTHING like Ft Lauderdale. Take your next date here—you’ll get major points.
Liberty Station Public Market // What was once a historic naval training base has been brilliantly reimagined into a sprawling indoor-outdoor cultural playground. They have a food hall that satisfies a variety of cravings. Grab a coffee, an empanada, or a hot dog—they have it all. If you like reimagined spaces and urban planning, this place’s rebirth will be interesting for you to witness.
Extraordinary Desserts (Downtown) // A vibey dessert-centric restaurant offering exquisite cakes that are their own edible art pieces (and very delicious). Despite everyone and their best friend going on a GLP-1, I’m confident this place’s San Diego stardom will never die.
El Indio (Mission Hills) // If you need definitive proof that San Diego dominates the national Mexican food scene, this neighborhood legacy institution since 1940 is it. You can’t miss its iconic sign from the freeway as you venture north on Interstate 5. Carne Asada Burritos have been my go-to since childhood. I think if anything tastes like home in one bite, it’s that menu item.
Tacos El Gordo (Downtown, Gaslamp District) // Some of San Diego’s best tacos, ask anyone.
Leila (North Park) // CH Projects outdid themselves here—a transportive Middle Eastern dreamscape complete with an actual trickling stream and a ceiling rigged to mimic a starlit sky. On paper, this could’ve been tacky AF. Instead, it debuted as a masterclass in committing to a theme—and became an overnight success because of it, not in spite of it. The kebabs are fabulous.
Harney Sushi (Old Town) // Old Town is a missed opportunity of a historic neighborhood—this is where the Spanish first set up shop in modern-day California centuries ago, and yet it’s mostly a parade of tourist-trappy Mexican restaurants. This spot defies all of it. It’s dark inside, the lounge soundtrack runs high-energy, and the kitchen turns out pristine sashimi and creative rolls that lean more fusion-innovative than authentic Japanese. The Flaming Lip and the Rolls-Royce Rolla are musts. I’ve had it in my head since my first visit in 2009—I was fourteen, there with my family—that this was where hot, cool people went on dates with other hot, cool people. I can’t confirm that’s still true. I can confirm it’s vibey and delicious.
Stratford Court Cafe (Del Mar) // I’ve been coming here since before you were born—a charming cafe with a patio made for slow mornings. Very dog-friendly. Order an egg plate, sit outside, and understand why nobody in Del Mar is ever in a hurry.
Board & Brew (Del Mar) // I used to ditch 3rd period in high school to come here with my friends for lunch, which should tell you everything. Get the Chicken Club or the Turkado. This location is an institution (Yes, there are a bunch of other locations now across SoCal I’ve learned, but this was the OG)—grab your sandwich to go and walk it over to Seagrove Park, which fringes the beach and is surrounded by Del Mar’s quaint cottage-lined streets.
Blue Water Seafood (Mission Hills) // Fish sandwiches galore. So fresh, so tasty.
Moniker // Part sophisticated espresso counter, part meticulously styled boutique, Moniker General truly defines modern Southern California living. It’s the ideal spot to nurse a specialty latte while eyeing custom surfboards and indie home goods.
The Invigatorium // Located in San Diego’s Gaslamp District (an area I’m meh about), this spot feels akin to a science fiction movie. There are real-size dragons in there.
Solana Coffee at The Granger Hotel // This beautiful boutique hotel features an elegant espresso bar in its lobby. Work-from-hotel is my favorite office. Fun fact, it’s San Diego’s first Design Hotels member.
Starlite // This place is unassumingly right off the highway in Middletown, an insignificant area flattened to airport parking lots and a few diamond-in-the-rough gems such as this bar. You enter via an illuminated hexagonal entrance, which transports you into a dark, sunken geometric bar with a mirrored ceiling, then behind that, a space bedecked in a rocky, cavernous setting. They also have a sick disco cave. Might be San Diego’s most creative hospitality space—bold claim, I know.
Starlite Born & Raised // Okay, so the main dining room is huge—5,000 square feet, seats up to 250—and it’s all oversized camel leather booths with green Italian marble tables trimmed in brass. The parquet floors are inlaid with terrazzo, and the ceiling is walnut, veneered from a single tree grown in Northern California. The cocktail bar is wrapped in green marble. It’s a design masterpiece—bravo, Basil Studios, for this one. The second-floor, indoor-outdoor bar makes for the perfect setting come golden hour (the best time of day in San Diego, if you ask me).
Cloak & Petal // Sip Japanese whiskey beneath a massive, glowing canopy of faux cherry blossoms that dominates this striking Little Italy bar. The design pays homage to Tokyo’s underground street-art culture, giving the space a gritty yet polished edge.
Polite Provisions (North Park) // A moody, exceedingly hip, apothecary-style, retro-tinged bar that serves creative cocktails aplenty.
Ocean Beach // This hippy-dippy beach town deserves more attention (to be honest, its denizens are probably pissed I’m recommending it). It’s hyper-local in the best sense. Newport Avenue is the main drag—record stores, coffee shops, and vintage institutions worth an afternoon of aimless wandering.
La Jolla // So bougie, so head-to-toe gorgeous. Head to Prospect Street to shop at upscale boutiques, best done after brunch at The Cottage. Swing by Children’s Pool to see the seals lounging on the sand. I used to work at a kayak shop here—number one salesman for kayak tours, not to brag. George’s on the Cove is touristy, but the views of the Pacific Ocean are epic. La Jolla Cove offers hit-or-miss snorkeling. (Disclaimer: it’s nothing like The Great Barrier Reef or Hawaii, just setting your expectations.)
North Park // Hit up 30th Street and University Avenue, and its wealth of hipster enclaves. The Mission serves a killer brunch.
Coronado // Getting to this isle is half the event—the Coronado Bridge offers stunning views of Downtown’s skyline as you cross. You’ve heard of the Hotel del Coronado, of course. You don’t have to stay there, but you absolutely need to see it—it’s Victorian-era grandeur that’s been an architectural landmark since its inception in the 1800s. If you like wandering around like me, stroll Orange Avenue for its old-money mansions, nautical-styled shops, ice cream parlors, and varied restaurants. (For some reason, Coronado feels a bit more East Coast money to me? Just an observation!). The sand on the beach is pleasant, but not always the water—it can sometimes be a little too dirty to swim in due to its proximity to the Tijuana River Valley’s sewage outflow. The city is working on the issue, but the full progress isn’t there yet.
Little Italy // Hands down the trendiest area in the city, main thoroughfare India Street features a wealth of restaurants with patios that spill out into the street. Cafe culture here is alive and well in this district. Grab a decadent plate of handmade pasta at Bencotto, sip an espresso at Pappalego, and finish with a gourmet fruit popsicle from Holy Paleta. The Crack Shack and Underbelly are tasty, too. Landini’s serves superlative pizzas. Waterfront Park in the area serves as an urban respite right across from the marina.
Balboa Park // Enjoy an afternoon getting lost among botanical gardens, grand Spanish-Colonial architecture, dramatic reflection-pool vistas, and world-class museum facades—the Museum of Us is worth a pitstop. Built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, it’s an architectural marvel and one of my favorite places to simply walk. The zoo is here, too—yes, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, which I’ve visited exactly twice in my 31 years on this earth.
Balboa Park Cedros Design District (Solana Beach) // North County San Diego is where you should gravitate if you want laid-back, local-laden, surf-centric towns that feel straight out of a 1960s Beach Boys song. Even without knowing it was North County, you’ve probably heard of Carlsbad—home to an uber-popular outlet mall, Legoland, and its hallmark flower fields, which micro-influencers invade every spring when they’re in bloom. Just north of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club—known for its month-long summer county fair and horse racing—where Del Mar meets Solana Beach (again, I’m proudly from the former), sits a several-block, often-overlooked avenue that’s a goldmine for design people. The Cedros Design District is chock-full of upmarket galleries and furniture stores you simply won’t find elsewhere. Drop by Solo, an eclectic warehouse collective packed with art, literature, and home accents. Then there’s the Belly Up, where suburban parents in the area flock to for live music—think Train and Fleetwood Mac cover bands.
Encinitas // Roughly 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego (still North County), this Highway 101 classic coastal strip is vintage California. In Downtown Encinitas, everyone goes to D Street Bar or Shelter to drink. The Encinitas Cafe has tasty omelets and other Sunday breakfast delights—it’s a local watering hole that’s older than the Milky Way. Moonlight Beach is where I used to surf (I was very average—perhaps below). Hansen’s is the shop generations of groms—California’s term for the surf-obsessed—have been buying their uber-casual, flip-flop-equipped attire at for decades. And just south of town, post up at Swami’s: a scenic beach that doubles as the best seat in the house for watching surfers who are considerably better than I ever was.
Warwick’s (La Jolla) // Operating as the country’s oldest family-owned independent bookstore, this coastal landmark is a true literary sanctuary. The shelves are intentional, flanked by high-end stationery and an impressive lineup of visiting authors.
Verbatim Books (North Park) // This bookstore acts as the creative heartbeat of North Park’s indie community. Hipster vibes all around.
Flashbacks (Encinitas) // A high-energy vintage treasure chest overflowing with hand-selected retro apparel and statement pieces.
Grounded (Encinitas) // With its bright showroom filled with mid-century modern furniture and sustainable home goods, this is the ultimate stop for effortless Southern California style.
Pigment (North Park) // Plants, cards, and other quirky trappings. Plant moms and succulent dads will love this spot.
Windansea Beach // This La Jolla shoreline is perfect for a sunset swim.
Torrey Pines State Reserve & Torrey Pines State Beach // I grew up hiking these trails, which are between Del Mar and La Jolla. On a sunny weekend, follow the Guy Fleming Trail down to the beach, then get lunch at the Torrey Pines Lodge. If you’re lucky, when atop these cliffs looking at the Pacific, you might spot whales and dolphins.
The Lafayette (North Park) // The coolest hotel to ever land in San Diego, full stop. It’s a maximalist wonderland with six restaurants and bars. Think animal-printed fabrics in the lobby and a splashy swim club where guests can buy day passes. The Lou Lou Room, below the hotel, offers a shell-like stage, preserved from half a century ago, where you can witness live music.
La Valencia (La Jolla) // Having been there since 1926, it’s all pink and right in Downtown La Jolla. Five-star, for sure.
Rancho Valencia (Rancho Santa Fe) // An upscale hideaway with a great spa, a serious tennis center, and an old-money-frequenting restaurant, The Pony Room. It’s in a super-affluent rural neighborhood sporting mansion after mansion.
L’Auberge Del Mar (Del Mar) // Low-key upmarket, steps from the beach. It’s right in Downtown Del Mar, which is the coastal town’s main business district. The Del Mar Plaza is directly across the road—they have this sea-facing bar called Monarch that’s great for cocktails and people-watching following the horse races I talked about earlier (think cougars, tech executives, and socialites).
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