Food + Drink • San Diego

The Freshest Seafood in San Diego

Travelers come to San Diego mostly for the weather — and the water. Our coastal location offers major culinary benefits, too. Besides awesome taco shops, San Diegans love their seafood. Whether it's ordered raw, grilled, or cooked at home, here are your best bets for the city's freshest seafood.

A Plate Of Food On A Table

Photo courtesy of @cevichehouse

The Freshest Crudo

Ceviche House is located in Old Town and is known for its Latin-inspired, raw fish dishes marinated in citrus juice. They make all of their dishes to order. The Yellowtail Tiradito is a beautiful and refreshing local favorite.

It's Raw Poke Shop is located in Ocean Beach, which is a laid-back hippie town full of good vibes. This family-owned place is a cash-only authentic Hawaiian poke shop that serves raw, chopped fresh fish marinated in aloha flavors. The Kimchi Ahi is a fan favorite, with spicy Asian flavor.

Mitch's Seafood has a lot of options (mostly all local) and they're all great. Situated on the bay in Point Loma, they're right next to the water and the fresh catches. Their Ceviche and Fresh Fish Crudo change regularly, depending on what's fresh, but locals also love their Fish Tacos and Crab Poutine.

The Freshest Oysters

TJ Oyster Bar is a local favorite with multiple locations in South County San Diego. While they're known for their oysters, you wouldn't go wrong with their Aguachile. It's a cold dish of shrimp marinated in a spicy citrus sauce. They also have a smoked tuna taco that tastes just like a meaty steak taco.

Ironside Fish & Oyster is one of the projects from local restaurant authority CH Holdings. This nondescript place is in the culinary hot spot that is Little Italy. Their Ironside platters are served chilled on ice and are a must-order. They also have a fresh lobster roll and chowder fries that are big crowd favorites.

A Man Holding A Fish On A Boat

Crown Landing Chef Anthony Lupian (@chef_anthony_lupian) with a fresh catch from Catalina Offshore Products

The Freshest Markets

Point Loma Seafood restaurant and market has been providing some of the freshest seafood in town for over 100 years old. Their fish shop is full service and they offer custom filleting and smoking. Between October and March, they sell locally caught California Spiny Lobster.

Another local fish supplier, Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. They offer a custom fresh fish dish where you choose the flavors and preparation of your selected fish. Or you can order sushi-grade fish to prepare and eat at home.

The Seafood Nutrition and Education Center houses Catalina Offshore Products' super fresh seafood from legendary fishmonger Tommy Gomes. You can stop by their fish market and retail shop to sample sashimi grade fish. Their California Gold uni is world-famous and was highlighted by Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern. Catalina Offshore Products is one of our local partners, so you can try the freshest local seafood right here in our flagship restaurant Crown Landing.

Okay, so I may have (definitely) missed a few places as there's just too many to name! For example, Wrench & Rodent and a bunch of other sushi places are renowned for their fresh seafood... but that's another blog!