San Diego Visitors Guide - Fall 2018/Winter 2019

San Diego
History
Center

Through
January 2020,
the San Diego
History Center
Archives will
present LGBTQ+
San Diego:
Stories of
Struggles and
Triumphs. The
moving tribute
to the city’s
queer community
explores themes
of identity,
overcoming
persecution,
the families
we choose,
the power of
community
and the people
who’ve helped
make it what
it is today.

SANDIEGOHISTORY.ORG

LGBT

ALTHOUGH THE HILLCREST NEIGHBORHOOD, FILLED WITH LIVELY BARS, EXCEPTIONAL SHOPPING AND SOME OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN TOWN, IS TRADITIONALLY CONSIDERED THE HUB OF SAN DIEGO’S LGBT SCENE, THERE’S FUN TO BE HAD ALL OVER TOWN

EAT

Hillcrest is home to a robust and growing international food scene. Seriously, you could eat your way around the world without ever leaving the neighborhood. Francophiles should hit Au Revoir French Bistro or La Bonne Table; Bombay is the place to go for upscale Indian fare, and Taste of the Himalayas focuses on subcontinental eats. For Japanese, try RB Sushi, Rakitori or Ramen Izakaya Ouan; for Vietnamese, head to Saigon on Fifth or Pho Fifth Avenue. In the mood for Mexican? Check out La Fuente, Ortega’s, or La Vecinidad. Khyber Pass serves Afghan cuisine, Kous Kous is Moroccan, and Espettos dishes out Brazilian skewers. Arrivederci and Maestoso serve Italian cuisine and Amarin Thai, Taste of Thai and Lotus Thai all serve—you guessed it— delicious Thai food. Aladdin serves Middle Eastern fare, Micho’z Fresh Lebanese Grill serves Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine, and Taste of Denmark focuses on the Scandinavian country’s favorites.

STAY

The cozy Hillcrest House Bed and Breakfast is perfect for a romantic getaway. The historic Lafayette Hotel in North Park exudes Old Hollywood glam. Lounge by any of the three sparkling pools (one adults-only) at the 439-room Loews Coronado Bay Resort before getting pampered at the spa or working up a sweat in a group exercise class. Minutes from Hillcrest, downtown and Balboa Park, Inn at the Park offers oversized suites and a rooftop sun deck. Soak up the vintage vibes at The Pearl Hotel and check out what’s playing poolside at their “dive-in theater” or dine at the much-buzzed-about Charles + Dinorah.

PLAY

Drop by Martinis Above Fourth for one of their namesake cocktails (there are over 100 to choose from) and a cabaret show. There’s no place else like InsideOUT, a chic indoor/outdoor craft cocktail spot nestled amid a ring of live/work towers. Pick up a pint at Hillcrest Brewing Company, the first openly gay-owned brewery in the world; or put on a show at low-key Redwing Bar & Grill in North Park: There’s karaoke every night. Check out women’s bar Gossip Grill, then party the night away at The Rail, Flicks, or Rich’s. Catch a show at Diversionary Theatre, a cozy venue, which has been telling complex LGBT stories for over three decades. Watch glamorous drag queens lip sync and dance their hearts out during nightly dinner shows and Sunday brunch at Lips or join RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Chad Michaels for the weekly Dreamgirls Revue at Urban Mo’s.