With the bountiful Pacific Ocean at its doorstep, San Diego doesn’t lack for incredible seafood options. With some of the best fish varieties available just a few miles out, the seafood in San Diego is certainly something to behold. From delicious crab and lobster to traditional salmon platters and even sushi, San Diego has a seafood choice for everyone. Keep reading to learn more about the best seafood in San Diego and where to find it.
The Fresh Difference
Obviously, you can go to just about any major city, no matter how far from the ocean, and order seafood. Unfortunately, that seafood is usually either frozen or is days old, depending on where it came from and how it was shipped. What truly makes San Diego’s seafood restaurants stand out is the freshness of the food. With the bounty of the Pacific at its fingertips, San Diego can offer something inland cities can’t: a seafood meal with fish that was caught within the last 24-48 hours.
We’ve all tasted frozen seafood. It simply doesn’t offer the same taste as a freshly-caught salmon platter. The flavors are fresh and perfectly preserved for a one-of-a-kind taste. Once you taste the difference that fresh seafood makes, you won’t want to go back to frozen varieties.
Serea Coastal Cuisine
Seated in the iconic Hotel Del Coronado, Serea offers comfort and elegance along with fresh seafood to treat your palette. Sourced regionally from the California coast and even the Baja Peninsula, the seafood is deliciously fresh and expertly prepared. Chef Jojo Ruiz ensures that the meals are prepped with flair and expertise, bringing you one of the best seafood experiences San Diego has to offer.
With a focus on sustainability, Serea’s menu is as environmentally-conscious as it is delicious. After all, without sustainable catching practices, seafood cannot thrive long into the future. Serea understands this concept better than most, and even focuses this approach on the various other meats offered on the menu.
The quality of ingredients makes all the difference in the Serea taste, and you’ll find no sub-par ingredients here. Everything on the menu is sustainably sourced, responsibly harvested, and prepared with care. Check out this San Diego seafood restaurant for a meal you won’t soon forget.
Mitch’s
If you’re looking for a waterfront dining experience with a wonderful view of the beautiful San Diego bay, look no further than Mitch’s. Combining locally caught, sustainable seafood options with craft beers and excellent service to go with the stunning view, Mitch’s offers an opportunity for fine dining in a casual environment next to the sea. Opened in 2008, Mitch’s has been serving the San Diego area for well over a decade now, and with such service and quality, the restaurant won’t be leaving anytime soon.
You’ll find everything from New England clam chowder to fish tacos to grilled fish and steamed crab legs on the menu. Even the beer at Mitch’s is sourced locally, so you’ll be getting the ultimate Californian dining and drinking experience. If you want a taste of California and the San Diego Bay, Mitch’s Seafood is the place to get it.
Ironside Fish and Oyster
Positioned inside a 1920s warehouse, this nautical-themed establishment will immerse you in your seafood experience entirely. From the custom-fabricated bar to the nautical decorations, this seafood destination offers some of the best food and drinks in the city. The highly-anticipated restaurant was opened in 2014, and for the last five years, has been setting the bar for San Diegan seafood.
The seating, the service, the food, and the ambiance are all top-notch at Ironside. You’ll never be left wanting here, as the sprawling menu includes everything from oysters and shrimp to freshly caught halibut and everything in between. Be aware that the menu changes daily, however, based on what’s available on both land and sea.
Bluewater Grill
In business for over twenty years, Bluewater Grill has been serving San Deigo’s seafood dining needs with style and class since its formation in 1996. Since then, the number of restaurants has grown, and Bluewater now has several locations. What makes Bluewater unique? To begin with, the restaurant operates its own swordfish harpoon boat; how many restaurants do you know of that catch their own fish?
Bluewater focuses on purchasing the rest of its seafood from local fishermen when the fish is in season. This is the best way to guarantee freshness, so you know whichever dish you choose, it will not only be delicious but locally sourced and as fresh as it gets. With over forty varieties of seafood available, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for and then some.
The restaurant even includes its own tapped beers. The High Spot Beer is brewed specifically for Bluewater by a local brewery, offering several varieties to fit different palettes. Visit Bluewater Grill today for excellent seafood and craft beer experience.
Seafood Aplenty
San Diego is home to many seafood restaurants, but the ones we’ve mentioned today are some of the best in the city as far as quality, taste, and sustainability go. We’re happy to see so many restaurants focusing on quality and sustainable seafood options, as we don’t want our seafood going anywhere! Enjoy fresh seared salmon or delicate oysters today at one of these awesome San Diego seafood restaurants.