Best Restaurants in Old Town San Diego
Old Town has long been one of San Diego's most recognizable neighborhoods, with classic Mexican restaurants, historic buildings, and crowds moving through the state park. In recent years, new concepts—including Trattoria Don Pietro—have added more variety to how and what you can eat here.
Classic Old Town icons
The neighborhood's best-known restaurants have earned that status over decades. Expect big plates, lively rooms, and the kind of experience that feels like a San Diego rite of passage for visitors and locals alike.
A new Italian angle: Trattoria Don Pietro
Don Pietro brings Sicilian and coastal Italian flavors to Old Town: spritzes, handmade pastas, pizza, and seafood, served in an open-air setting with fire pits and music. It's become a go-to option when people want to show off a different side of the neighborhood.
Make a loop out of it
One of the best ways to experience Old Town dining is to turn it into a walkable loop—start with a drink or appetizer in one spot, land at your main restaurant for dinner, then finish with dessert or a stroll through the park or Presidio above the neighborhood.
Use this guide as a framework, but don't be afraid to improvise. Old Town works best when you let the night wander a bit.