5 Can’t-Miss San Diego Neighborhoods for Foodies

Locals call 30th Street in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood “the best street in the world for craft beer.” More than a dozen restaurants and bars along the street serve local craft brews, including beer-havens such as Waypoint Public, Toronado San Diego and Ritual Tavern. Breweries such as Mike Hess Brewing, Modern Times Beer and Thorn Street Brewery are just around the corner.

Once home to San Diego's flourishing tuna fishing industry and generations of Italian families who made their living on the sea, Little Italy in downtown San Diego is a quaint and lively neighborhood filled with patio cafes, restaurants (including new spots from star chefs Javier Plascencia and Richard Blais), pubs, art galleries and boutique shops. The neighborhood is also home to one of the city’s best farmers markets, the weekly Little Italy Mercato.

Originally a refuge for Mexican residents fleeing their country’s revolution in the early 20th century, Barrio Logan today is the epicenter of San Diego’s Hispanic community. Locals know San Diego’s freshest handmade tortillas come from Las Cuatro Milpas. Residents also pack Panchitas Bakery for fresh-baked Mexican pastries such as pumpkin empanadas and bolillos stuffed with jalapeno and cheese.

Dining diversity is the hallmark of San Diego’s Convoy District. For fine Indian cuisine, check out Ashoka the Great. Quick, traditional Filipino food can be found at Manila Fast Food and Desserts. Convoy Drive itself features a strong collection of Chinese, Japanese and Korean establishments. Each fall, the neighborhood hosts the San Diego Night Market, when dozens of local vendors serve up a variety of Asian dishes.

The revitalization of this warehouse district in downtown San Diego began in 2004 with the opening of Petco Park, the San Diego Padres’ baseball stadium. A second growth spurt came with the opening of the new San Diego Public Library in 2014. Today, visitors to East Village can enjoy some of San Diego’s most buzzed-about new restaurants, such as the rustic-chic Italian spot Bottega Americano and the retro-cool coffee bar Halcyon. The East Village is also a top spot to explore San Diego’s craft cocktail culture, with bars such as Noble Experiment (a speakeasy “hidden” behind a secret door), tropical-themed Fairweather and the nearby Old Harbor Distillery.