Part of a popular Chinese food chain with several locations in the LA area and one in the Convoy District, this Shanghainese restaurant established an outpost at the Shoppes at Carlsbad. Favorite dishes include grilled pork buns, crispy fish fillets with seaweed, and beef fillets with spicy sauce. 

This ramen shop got its start in Nagoya, Japan, before branching out to East Village and then Carlsbad. Also known as umami ramen, the Nagoya-style tonkotsu ramen with shio broth, dried bamboo, and pork belly cha shu is a favorite while its sushi rolls feature real snow crab, not imitation crab sticks. Its owners, who also run Sushi Gaga, Asa Bakery, and Bar Kamon, are offering drinks like the Senzoku Driver, a vibrant mocktail.

One of the select handful of restaurants in San Diego to earn a Michelin star, this restaurant is a bonafide destination in Carlsbad. Helmed by executive chef Eric Bost, the modern and elegant French table showcases seafood and seasonal vegetable dishes through a Southern California lens. Choose from a four-course tasting menu served in the dining room or on the lovely patio or order a la carte plates at the bar, where you can also indulge in excellent cocktails or absinthe from a custom fountain. 

The family-friendly restaurant boosted the Carlsbad dining scene when it first opened in 2016, where it was recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019. Led by executive chef Eric Bost (Jeune et Jolie), the playful menu offers fire-forward dishes categorized in sections labeled Trailhead, Kindling, the Fire, and Trail’s End. Must-try dishes include quail with tamarind, Oaxacan-spiced chicken, and a deconstructed, make-your-own s’mores dessert.

Located between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue, this new coastal collective is comprised of a cluster of quaint cottages nestled around a communal, dog and kid-friendly outdoor space. Its variety of food and drinks includes outposts of Revolution Roasters coffee and Stella Jean’s Ice Cream as well as the Plot Express, a fast-casual offshoot of popular vegan spot, the Plot, serving an eclectic global menu made with produce from its own Oceanside garden. 

This Himalayan restaurant on Carlsbad Village Drive features flavorful dishes such as momos (dumplings), yak meat dishes, and Sherpa bread. Weekday lunch specials are well-priced plates featuring two dishes from a list that includes chicken tikka masala, saag aloo, and coconut curry served alongside rice, naan, and lentil soup. 

The fun-loving Asian fusion restaurant in the Village Faire Shopping Center features crowd-pleasing plates and a robust cocktail menu of drinks like the Holy Shishito (tequila, blistered shishito, Aperol mist). Menu highlights include wonton samosa, gochujang chicken sandwich, khao soi, and panang curry. 

Helmed by brothers Clinton and Louie Prager, this standout bakery produces its artisan bread at this Carlsbad hub, distributing its baked goods to outposts in Encinitas and Hillcrest as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores in the area. While their country and multigrain loaves are available daily, other specialties like bauernbrot and raisin walnut can be found on certain days. The Carlsbad location is the only place where customers can place online orders, which requires a three-day notice. Last year, they also started serving pizzas to be enjoyed in the outdoor seating area. 

Tip Top Meats was started by butcher “Big John” Haedrich back in 1967, and it runs the same way today that it did back then — there’s a shop full of German goodies, including chocolates, cheese, beer, wine, and pretzel rolls from the old country, and in the back, there’s a deli counter where you can get a steak, a schnitzel, a stroganoff, or a whole plate of European sausages for very reasonable prices. Sadly, their lease will end in September with no firm plans for the future of the beloved Carlsbad institution. 

Opened by East Coast transplants more than 12 years ago, this longstanding brunch restaurant operates until 2 p.m. daily. Must-have dishes include the mushroom and spinach hash, strawberry shortcake pancake, and lobster roll. Each month features new drinks like Mexican hot chocolate or raspberry white mocha. 

After a months-long closure due to a small kitchen fire, the steakhouse at the Park Hyatt Aviara has reopened with great fanfare with celebrity chef Richard Blais (California English) bringing on James Beard Award semifinalist Jonathan Bautista (Kingfisher, the Fishery) as its new executive chef. The menu will include much-missed favorites such as the beef rib chop “Storm Breaker Cut” and Epic Snack Tower, along with the iconic Smoking Ember cocktail. New additions include scallop crudo in a pineapple vinaigrette and squash blossom stuffed with pork, shrimp, and vermicelli. 

Carlsbad has a butcher shop courtesy of the Trust Restaurant Group that offers various cuts of meat and other prepared foods which are featured at the North Park outpost of Wise Ox and on the menus of its other establishments like Trust, Rare Society, and Fort Oak. This location has a large outdoor patio where diners can enjoy a dry-aged burger with beef fat fries, housemade chicharrones, or the smoked bologna sandwich, a staff favorite. And keep an eye out for butchery classes that may be hosted in the space.