A new Instagram-ready hotel, a slick cocktail bar and an Encinitas escape — all in one well-spent weekend
Words by SARAH KHAN
With its beautiful beaches and sublime weather year-round, laid-back San Diego has never really had to make much of an effort to woo its legion of die-hard fans — but lately, things have been heating up in a big way.
STAY
Check into the Instagrammable Pendry San Diego, whose six restaurants and bars add to the city’s culinary cachet, or the nautical-inspired Hotel Republic. For accommodations with a more storied past, Coronado’s iconic Hotel del Coronado (it recently celebrated its 130th year), offers a unique calendar of events every summer.
DINE
Make a reservation at the gilded multimillion-dollar steakhouse Born & Raised and don’t miss a drink at its rooftop cocktail bar. Graze on Wagyu steaks and elk sashimi at the sexy izakaya Cloak & Petal, where the bar is shaded by cherry blossom trees. And expect plenty of authenticity at Italian eatery Maestoso, helmed by Roman chef Marco Maestoso, or Top Chef alum Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins’ chic contemporary Mexican restaurant El Jardín.
PAMPER
Make your weekend a wellness escape with a trip to the holistic day spa Four Moons in Encinitas — treat yourself to massages and anti-aging facials, as well as color readings, or sessions with a master astrologer.
CAN’T MISS
Summer marks the return of two of the city’s most beloved institutions: San Diego Symphony’s Bayside Summer Nights series and Del Mar — the only seaside racetrack in the country — which hosts thoroughbred races, concerts, and beer and food festivals all summer long.
Feature image: The dining room at BORN & RAISED. Photo by Robert Benson.
