7 Can’t-Miss San Diego Restaurant Week Deals To Take Advantage Of…But You Better Hurry!

San Diego Restaurant Week is clearly a delicious opportunity to explore San Diego’s finest eateries, old and new alike.

But there are over 150 restaurants participating – how in the world do you decide where to go first?!

Never fear!

We have you covered with 7 deals that are well worth the while for both your taste buds and your wallet.

1. Best Italian for a Dinner Date: Barbusa

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If you’re looking to put on your fancy-pants for a little date night with a healthy dose of ambiance, this is the perfect option.

Known for their contemporary spin on Sicilian fare, Barbusa is offering up some decidedly rich options for SDRW, like spaghettini with northern crab, osso bucco, short rib carpaccio, and a choice of dolci del giorno to finish everything off.

Their three course pairing can be enjoyed for $40/person.

2. Most Expansive Menu: Farmer’s Bottega

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This farm-to-table beauty is known for regularly letting seasonal ingredients take center stage, and their curated menu for restaurant week definitely follows suit.

Let’s start with dinner logistics: Guests can choose three courses for $40, and can add a wine pairing for $15- not too shabby!

Their starters are hearty, with options like housemade meatballs, burrata, hearts of artichoke, and some kale thrown in for good measure. Their entrees are simple, but thoughtful, featuring fennel sausage cavatelli with tomato chutney, herbed goat cheese, and wild arugula, a buffalo filet with swiss chard, herbed mashed potatoes, roasted Maui thyme, and a syrah reduction.

Suffice it to say, no baby-sized tasting portions here!

3. Best Seafood Deal for Lunch: Crudo

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While Crudo is an equally fresh option for dinner, their lunch deal for restaurant week is one not to be missed.

For $20 you get your choice of an appetizer, main, and dessert, featuring their salmon tartare, crab cake, golden beet carpaccio, and even their paella.

I’m not here to tell you how to live your life, but if I were, I’d tell you to go during happy hour, “treat yo-self” to a little late lunch beverage, and go after that paella and salmon tartare like nobody’s watching.

Additionally, dinner pairings are offered for $40/person.

4. Best Classic French Fare: Bleu Boheme

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There is something so seriously satisfying about French food, which is probably why all other cuisine is essentially derived from it. From steak frites, to cassoulet, to confit-anything, generally this is one food genre in which there is something for everyone in the masses.

Bleu Boheme is serving up the aforementioned classics and so much more on their dinner menu for SDRW.

For $40 guests can sample options like crab croquette, classic roasted mussels, beef bourguignon, and more. They even offer a smoked lemon cocktail with which to wash it all down.

Dare I say, oui. 😉

5. Best Value for Quality: Jayne’s Gastropub

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This place still feels like a somewhat well-kept secret for really delicious cocktails, charming ambiance (think London pub, plus low-key Secret Garden vibes), and some really comforting food.

The menu at Jaynes Gastropub for restaurant week is brimming with cozy options, as well as some lighter fare, if you’re into that.

With choices like their Washington sea scallops, bacon wrapped filet, pozole starter, and profiteroles to finish, there is no way you’ll walk away feeling like you didn’t just score a huge deal.

Additionally, they offer a $25 corkage fee, that is, if you can’t be swayed by one of their many libations.

6. Best Authentic Italian for Lunch: Monello

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Monello has become a serious mainstay for the freshest pasta in SD. That’s a lofty statement, but they pride themselves on their inventiveness of flavor, and overall craftsmanship. Every tuesday and saturday, they even serve their fresh pasta directly out of a wheel of pecorino romano cheese.

However, that’s a story for another time.

The task at hand right now is to shout from the rooftops that they are offering a $15 lunch pairing for restaurant week that is simply just too good to pass up.

Guests choose from either their caesar Monello, or zuppa del giorno, and then one of three main courses. Two of the three courses are pasta, and I can not stress this enough- this is for a reason!

Get the pasta (specifically the spaghetti ragu), and again, I urge you to go for that lunch glass of vino, and bask in a truly authentic experience.

7. Best Deal with Fun Ambiance: Rustic Root

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If you live in San Diego, you probably usually avoid certain high-traffic downtown areas when it comes to going out to dinner (cough, Gaslamp, cough). However, if you can suspend your own judgment for a brief moment, hop on down to Rustic Root for their dinner pairing, that will undoubtedly come with a side of amazing people watching.

They are offering three courses for $40, along with the option to add a wine pairing with each for $15.

On their menu for SDRW you’ll find homey dishes like a rustic shepherd’s pie with red wine braised lamb shoulder, and a gruyere mash, and clever interpretations like a potato chip crusted sea bass.

And truly, that people watching pretty much pays for the $15 wine pairing.