Hillcrest
San Diego's LGBTQ+ heart, with a Sunday market, serious brunch, and plenty to do after dinner.
Start here
17 in total
Neighborhood DiningThe 8 Best Restaurants in Hillcrest, Ranked8
Breakfast, Bakeries & Sweets8 San Diego Brunch Spots You Can Plan Ahead8
Pizza, Burgers & SandwichesThe 12 Best Pizzas in San Diego, Ranked12
Things to DoThe 12 Best Vintage and Thrift Stores in San Diego12
Breakfast, Bakeries & SweetsThe 12 Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in San Diego, Ranked12
Arts & CultureThe 12 Best Bookstores and Record Stores in San Diego12
Every list that covers Hillcrest
Updated as places change
8 rankedNeighborhood DiningThe 8 Best Restaurants in Hillcrest, RankedUpdated Jul 22
8 rankedBreakfast, Bakeries & Sweets8 San Diego Brunch Spots You Can Plan AheadUpdated Jul 24
12 rankedPizza, Burgers & SandwichesThe 12 Best Pizzas in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 27
12 rankedThings to DoThe 12 Best Vintage and Thrift Stores in San DiegoUpdated Aug 2
12 rankedBreakfast, Bakeries & SweetsThe 12 Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 31
12 rankedArts & CultureThe 12 Best Bookstores and Record Stores in San DiegoUpdated Aug 2
13 rankedMarketsThe 13 Best Farmers Markets in San Diego, by Day of the WeekUpdated Aug 2
8 rankedSushi & JapaneseThe 8 Best Omakase in San Diego, RankedUpdated Aug 2
9 rankedThings to DoThe 9 Best Spas in San DiegoUpdated Aug 2
8 rankedCoffeeThe 8 Best Coffee Shops to Work FromUpdated Jul 27
10 rankedBars & NightlifeThe 10 Best Late-Night Eats in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 27
10 rankedMexicanThe 10 Best Margaritas in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 24
12 rankedMexicanThe 12 Best Mexican Restaurants in San DiegoUpdated Jul 24
10 rankedCheap EatsThe 10 Best All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 23
11 rankedGlobal KitchensThe 11 Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 23
12 rankedBreakfast, Bakeries & SweetsThe 12 Best Bakeries in San DiegoUpdated Jul 18
8 rankedSushi & JapaneseThe 8 Best Ramen in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 18
The neighborhood itself
27 verified places · 14 eat & drink and 3 things-to-do listsHillcrest's identity comes first: Pride Plaza and its rainbow flag mark San Diego's LGBTQ+ heart. For a simple Sunday, start at the farmers market, choose brunch at Great Maple or Snooze, then walk toward Balboa Park's west side or take the Vermont Street bridge toward University Heights. At night, Trust can be dinner, while Urban MO's, Gossip Grill, Rich's, and The Loft give you four very different ways to continue. Pick the part of the neighborhood that fits your day; there is no prize for doing all of it.
If you only do 5 things
Know before you go
Parking: metered and scarce — budget ten minutes, or arrive before 9am
Farmers market: moved to University Ave between Herbert & Park during Promenade construction — still Sundays 9–2
The neighborhood: San Diego's LGBTQ+ heart since the '70s — the rainbow crosswalks are the address, not decoration
Where they are — 27 verified places
The index
Ranked places pulled from all 17 listsA doughnut is where brunch starts at Great Maple, Hillcrest's pick for a big group, on Washington Street.
Woke up craving pancakes with nothing booked? Snooze's Hillcrest location on Fifth Avenue runs a remote waitlist, so you can join the line from home, finish you…
Trust's dining room on Park Boulevard is concrete and steel, and the Michelin Guide describes it as warmed by the glow of the wood-fired grill.
Cocina de Barrio is the best brunch in Hillcrest, and the plate that makes the case is the enmoladas.
Three floors. That's the number to know about Better Buzz Coffee in Hillcrest, where the University Avenue shop spreads its seating across three levels.