Surrounded on three sides by ocean bluffs and beaches, this seaside village has long been inspiring artists, residents and travelers with its beauty. Here's our guide to San Diego's La Jolla.
Where To Eat
Photo courtesy of Marine Room
2000 Spindrift Dr, marineroom.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Voted one of the most scenic restaurants in America on OpenTable, this neighborhood staple offers a decadent menu and an unbeatable view of the ocean at high tide.
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, lodgetorreypines.com/ar-valentien
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Treat yourself to a hole-in-one meal at this beloved classic that offers an incredible seasonable menu and a charming view of Torrey Pines Golf Course.
1250 Prospect St, georgesatthecove.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Enjoy a stunning view of the Pacific along with a delicious meal from renowned chef Trey Foshee’s New American menu.
7837 Herschel Ave, herringbone-la-jolla.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: This unique La Jolla classic allows patrons to dine on line-caught seafood in a dining room decorated with 100-year-old olive trees.
1132 Prospect St., lavalencia.com/dining/mediterranean-room
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Relax amid the Mediterranean-inspired décor and treat yourself to breakfast, lunch, dinner or weekend brunch at this community favorite.
910 Prospect St, nine-ten.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Recognized by the California Michelin Guide, the casual elegance of Nine-Ten combined with its daily-created menu makes it one of the places to dine in La Jolla.
Where To Stay
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1132 Prospect St, lavalencia.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: This stunning neighborhood icon gives guests the chance to experience modern luxury in a historic over-90-year-old hotel. You’ll be tickled pink to stay here!
9700 N Torrey Pines Rd, estancialajolla.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Give yourself the gift of a getaway to La Jolla’s own secret garden. With 10 acres of vibrant gardens, a full-service spa and more, it’s easy to see why the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa was the 2020 Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Award winner.
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, lodgetorreypines.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Indulge in this AAA Five Diamond rated resort offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Where To Relax
9700 N Torrey Pines Rd, estancialajolla.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: One of the area's top-rated spas, this beloved neighborhood oasis offers patrons facials, massages and more.
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, lodgetorreypines.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Situated within walking distance of the beautiful Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, this spa offers guests the tranquility of nature along with a large variety of treatments based on native plantlife from the reserve.
7946 Ivanhoe Ave #202, covewellness.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: This highly regarded neighborhood specialty spa offers clients a chance to cleanse their minds and bodies with a unique combination of modern lymphatic services and traditional spa therapies.
Where To Shop
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4545 La Jolla Village Dr Ste E-25, westfield.com/utc
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Perfect for buying anything you need, the Westfield UTC mall has many stores, restaurants and an AMC movie theatre. Many different jewelry, clothing, shoes, toys, books and grocery stores are all available, with more shopping options for both adults and children located at the mall as well.
7750 Girard Ave, ascotshop.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: In addition to providing a vast variety of unique brands and clothing options such as sport shirts, dress shirts, print shirts, sweaters, jeans, shorts and shoes, this men’s store also prepares tailored clothing perfect for a fancy evening or event. The shop also sells men’s activewear and accessories such as belts and baseball caps.
7655 Girard Ave Ste A, lauragambucci.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: A women’s clothing store with fashionable and appealing dresses, skirts, shirts, shoes, accessories, jackets, jeans, shorts and many more items excellent for all styles, this fancy boutique has clothing items for every occasion.
For Pre-Dinner Drinks
8110 Camino Del Oro, theshoresrestaurant.com/menus/bar-cocktail-menu
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: The beautiful La Jolla Shores and Pacific Ocean serve as a magnificent view while you enjoy some delicious cocktails and drinks. Delivering an award-winning menu with fresh seafood and California coastal inspired bites, The Shores has an assortment of wines, craft drafts and beers for everyone’s taste.
1132 Prospect St, lavalencia.com/dining/la-sala
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Featuring signature cocktails, a curated wine program and flavorful snacks, La Sala offers an elegant and luxurious dining experience with a taste of Hollywood. The lobby is wonderfully decorated in the classic Hollywood style and includes many beverage options such as vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, bourbon and scotch.
Get Outside
2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, flytorrey.com
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: For a better view of La Jolla, the Gilderport is known to be the most historic aviation site in North America and the best location to receive flying lessons or to simply have fun paragliding and hang gliding. Offering tandem flights, remote control sailplanes and equipment, this destination is a must for those looking for an exciting adventure.
2261 Avenida De La Playa, everydaycalifornia.com/pages/adventure
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Exploring La Jolla’s waters by finding dolphins, sea lions and turtles, or surfing on the waves sounds like the perfect way to spend your day at the beach. Whether you’re interested in a sea cave kayak tour, surfing and SUP lessons, surf camps or snorkeling, Everyday California has everything you need for an amazing experience.
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12600 N Torrey Pines Rd, torreypine.org
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Nature lovers are welcome to hike and tour this beautiful coastal state park. Being 2,000-acres long, this park has many wonderful sights to see such as a lagoon with migratory birds, the rarest pine tree in the country (the Torrey Pine), scenic overlooks, wild flowers, cactuses, ferns and sandy beaches.
Neptune Place and Nautilus Street, californiabeaches.com/beach/windansea-beach
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: A relaxing spot to enjoy a warm day out in the sun, Windansea Beach is large and ideal for sunbathing and relaxing by the ocean. Scuba diving, surfing and visiting a historical landmark (a surf shack) are just some of the best activities to engage in while attending this must-see beach.
Cultural Experiences
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2300 Expedition Way, aquarium.ucsd.edu
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Marine habitats and their beauty never fails to amaze with animals such as sea turtles, blue penguins and other sea creatures. The aquarium hosts behind-the-scenes tours, live animal cams and educational programs for children to learn more about marine life and conservation.
7600 Fay Ave, theconrad.org
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Presenting classical, jazz, dance and global roots concerts, the events at La Jolla Music Society always offer the best entertainment and outstanding music. With 63 concerts, over 100 artists, 32 LJMS debuts and 100 educational events, the Music Society has many genres for all music lovers.
2910 La Jolla Village Dr, lajollaplayhouse.org
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: Offering many captivating plays, the Playhouse this season will be showing several shows such as As you like it by William Shakespeare, Fandango for Butterflies (And Coyotes) by Andrea Thome and other fantastic highlights. The Playhouse is also set to put on a festival and innovation night.
1100 Kettner Blvd, mcasd.org
Why it’s Essential to the Neighborhood: With many vibrant sculptures, paintings, photography, video and installation, this remarkable contemporary art museum's exhibitions include more than 4,700 works by promising artists, underrepresented artists and major figures in international contemporary art.
Hidden Gem
2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, sandiego.org/explore/things-to-do/beaches-bays/blacks-beach.aspx
Known for having great waves for surfing, this beach is famous among surfers who aren’t afraid of a little battle with the ocean. Being a nude beach, the area is a popular location for nudists to visit and enjoy popular activities such as sunbathing, swimming and playing volleyball.
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