University City & UTC
Westfield UTC dining, Governor Drive pools, ice year-round.
Start here
7 in total
Neighborhood DiningThe 10 Best Restaurants in University City and UTC10
Bars & NightlifeThe 10 Best Cocktail Bars in San Diego10
Date NightThe 10 Best First-Date Bars in San Diego10
RestaurantsThe Best New Restaurants in San Diego Right Now10
RestaurantsAll 20 CH Projects Restaurants and Bars in San Diego, Ranked20
Things to DoThe 10 Best Rainy Day Activities in San Diego10
Every list that covers University City & UTC
Updated as places change- 10 rankedNeighborhood DiningThe 10 Best Restaurants in University City and UTCUpdated Aug 2
- 10 rankedBars & NightlifeThe 10 Best Cocktail Bars in San DiegoUpdated Aug 2
- 10 rankedDate NightThe 10 Best First-Date Bars in San DiegoUpdated Aug 2
- 10 current entriesRestaurantsThe Best New Restaurants in San Diego Right NowUpdated Aug 2
- 20 rankedRestaurantsAll 20 CH Projects Restaurants and Bars in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 23
- 10 rankedThings to DoThe 10 Best Rainy Day Activities in San DiegoUpdated Jul 22
8 rankedSushi & JapaneseThe 8 Best Ramen in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 18
The neighborhood itself
15 verified places · 6 eat & drink and 1 things-to-do listsUniversity City stretches from Westfield UTC on La Jolla Village Drive down to the block of Governor Drive with the pools on it. Up at the mall end you navigate by suite number, not street number. The payoff is a tray of xiao long bao on the upper level, chicken karaage at a ramen counter, a plate of gambas al ajillo, and short rib pho a plaza away on Towne Centre Drive.
Start with dinner. JOEY runs a kitchen to midnight, Haidilao turns a table into a two-hour project, and Din Tai Fung opens at 10 on weekends. Regents Road holds the other half of it: hummus with roasted mushrooms, shawarma, kebab fries and a large patio to eat them on.
There is a full sheet of ice inside the shopping center, which is the best thing to know about this neighborhood in August. Skates and a helmet come with admission. One block of Governor Drive holds a 12-lane tank, a pool kept near 85 degrees, and six lighted tennis courts that run to 10 on weekdays.
Come on a weekday evening, park once, and walk the rest of it.
If you only do 6 things
Know before you go
Parking: self-parking at Westfield UTC is free for the first hour, then $2 an hour to a $15 daily max; the ice rink, AMC and Seasons 52 all validate. Add 10 minutes to park and find the suite number
Transit: Blue Line trolley to UTC; Bus 30 carries on to La Jolla and Pacific Beach
Don’t miss: a hot pot table booked in advance — it is a two-hour evening by design
Where they are — 15 verified places
The index
Ranked places pulled from all 7 listsGo hungry enough for the bowl that refuses to play small.
Din Tai Fung is the UTC plan when the table wants dumplings and everybody is willing to share.
The bowl gets built to your spec — how the noodles come, how heavy the broth runs — and the kitchen makes that one instead of a house default.
Outcast Grill is the Regents Road wildcard that can carry you from weekend breakfast to an easy Mediterranean dinner.
Raised by Wolves gives a UTC cocktail night several delicious ways to commit.
When UTC needs a little Amalfi Coast energy, Lucrezia is the table to choose.
There is a full sheet of ice in University City, and on a wet Tuesday that is a genuinely funny place to spend two hours.