Romantic Restaurants, Getaway Places in La Jolla

"Like no place else in the country, Balboa Park offers a magnificent combination of art, architecture, history and agriculture in one expansive park. Spanning approximately 1,200 acres, Balboa Park was once known as City Park and was founded more than 125 years ago. Today, the park is home to 15 museums, theaters, marvelous gardens, restaurants, shopping and the world-famous San Diego Zoo."

"Balboa Park is incredibly overdone, unless you are going to venture out some little bit. You will love spending your time walking around it's less popular locations. There are attractive gardens and lawns surrounding the park."

"With both a playground and splash pad (for free!) your littles will have a blast. Also, there are plenty of hiking trails, a beautiful view and a gazebo to host a picnic. A great find if you're looking for something new!"

"When the craving for comfort food strikes, there’s almost nothing better than a trip to Whisknladel. This decade-old stalwart elevates classics like buttermilk fried chicken with gourmet mac and cheese and a side of pancetta braised green beans, and a menu that sources almost entirely from local farms. Charred bone marrow gets cozy with lemon and capers, while local market fish takes a swim in lemon butter sauce and the pork chop basks in a peach vinaigrette."

"At Whisknladle, you know you’re getting three things: Decadent comfort eats, local ingredients, and a plate of food your body will thank you for. Chef Ryan Johnston believes in a simple culinary philosophy: Food does not need to be overpowered, overmixed, or over-presented. Food, in its optimal form, is a culmination of the ingredients inside."

"With a farm-to-table approach, Whisknladle succeeds in making simple food taste extraordinary. The menu changes with the season and is void of fuss. Everything is made from scratch, including the tonics and purees for the artisanal cocktails."

"The Cabrillo Bridge is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and Uptown San Diego. It's a great place to capture moody images at dawn. In general, Balboa Park is a great place to capture cool images."

"may remind you of Coney Island in New York, but it comes with a vibe that is ALL California!. Roller coasters, arcade games, carny food, and shopping for souvenirs to bring back home all add up to a day spent in paradise. The sun is always shining in Belmont Park and you will kick yourself if you miss out on this beachside theme park!"

"San Diego’s answer to the east coast’s Coney Island, Belmont Park is one of the main attractions at Mission Beach, which sits north of Ocean Beach. Get your stomach rollercoaster-ready or if you’re still feeling the heat of your Ocean Beach tacos, just take a nice long stroll along the Boardwalk."

"For some old-fashioned oceanfront fun, wrap up your San Diego Day at Belmont Park. It is like an old fashioned fair and arcade, plus is located directly on Mission Beach. It’s the perfect spot to catch an amazing sunset."

"Ranchos Cocina in North Park is known for its impressive selection of vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian options. Plus, the eatery makes its own sauces, rice, beans, and tortillas without any animal by-products. A playlist of music by the Gipsy Kings transports diners from Southern California to the hills of the region that inspired much of these dishes: Andalusia, Spain."

"While Ranchos Cocina isn’t an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, they serve a wide variety of plant-based Mexican dishes. You can order vegetable tostadas, tortillas, and tacos. In many cases, you can ask for the vegan version of their salads or their combination plates."

"If you’re looking for raw vegan food in San Diego, Peace Pies is one of the best raw food cafes in the city. All of their food is not only raw, but vegan, gluten-free, and soy free. Their location in Ocean Beach is the perfect casual vegan cafe to grab a healthy lunch at before checking out the hippie neighborhood that surrounds it."

"Peace Pies serves a range of raw, vegan, and gluten- and soy-free foods, including pies, pizzas, wraps, salads, and desserts. Committed to a zero-waste policy, they also compost their food scraps and use environmentally-friendly packaging. Peace Pies has locations in Ocean Beach and Encinitas."

"One of the few, if not only, purely raw vegan spots in San Diego. Owner and creator JP brings a menu that will have you drooling back for more. Every item is homemade with love, sourced from a local farm and crafted with delicious care."

"I got the half pitaya and acai, and the acai dominated the pitaya so I was not really able to try ..."

"Established in 2009, Evolution is San Diego’s original vegan fast food outlet and the vegetarian’s answer to the universal fast food burger joint, including the drive-thru window. Following the successful formula of meat-centric burger joints, the restaurant has a menu of burgers, tacos, and wraps, including the gluten-free Evo Burger with either a black bean or house-made tempeh patty stacked with fresh lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, tomato, and a creamy Thousand Island dressing. Pair burgers with a side of chili cheese fries and organic shakes or smoothies."

"Evolution is the vegetarian’s answer to the ubiquitous fast food burger joint, right down to the drive-thru window. Catering mostly to take-out, though with some modest patio seating, Evolution breaks from the standard black bean burger patty by crafting one from house-made tempeh. Either patty is available as a gluten-free Evo Burger, a heaping belly-filler topped with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing."

"In addition to a drive-thru option, this restaurant offers grab-and-go goodies, a selection of raw foods, fresh smoothies and shakes, and more. Delicious desserts include cakes and pastries that rotate seasonally, along with the unique offering of a vegan soft-serve. 2965 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 (6.3 miles away)https://www.evolutionfastfood.com/"

"The Asian Passage is south of Panda Canyon and is a simulation of a tropical Asian rain forest. This scenic passage includes grizzly bears, snow leopards, and sun bears. This spectacular area also features the Sun Bear Forest, which resembles a southeast Asian rain forest, and the Hawaiian Native Plant Garden."

"The Asian Passage area includes the Sun Bear Forest, Grizzly Bear exhibit, and more. It’s a fun area to explore, and isn’t quite as big as Africa Rocks."

"Elephant Odyssey is one of the most well known parts of the park. It’s a huge area that’s dedicated solely to several beautiful African and Asian elephants. The Elephants are free to roam among large areas, and it also includes the Elephant Care Center where you may see a zookeeper caring for one of them."

"The Elephant Odyssey is home to the African and Asian elephant habitat. This area includes the majestic elephants along with the Elephant Care Center and Fossil Portal. Guests can also see lions, jaguars, California condor, camels, and the Malayan tapir."