Explore Bankers Hill

Uptown Cafes & More
A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

One of San Diego’s earliest upscale communities, Bankers Hill (as its name indicates) has been home to financiers and business wheeler-dealers. Just up the hill from Downtown (and close to Balboa Park), the neighborhood is graced with numerous 19th-century buildings designed by such local architectural luminaries as Irving Gill. Bankers Hill is also home to cafes, craft brewers and the same panoramic city views that its pioneering residents once enjoyed.

Mister A’s

A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

Mister A’s

Where: 2550 Fifth Ave. 12th Floor, San Diego, CA 92103

Arguably San Diego’s most famous legacy restaurant, Mister A's boasts spectacular views from its perch at the highest point of Bankers Hill. And the cuisine and cocktails are similarly elevated, with a modernized, California-centric menu under owner Ryan Thorsen.

Quigley Fine Wines

A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

Quigley Fine Wines

Where: 1551 Fourth Ave., Ste. 101, San Diego, CA 92101

Named the wine world’s best small family importer by Conde Nast Traveler, Quigley welcomes visitors to its two-level Bankers Hill tasting room. The place specializes in handcrafted wines with a focus on sustainability, and offers numerous exclusive international wines.

Books & Records

A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

Books & Records

Where: 2202 Fourth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101

Homey and music-filled, Books & Records is a neighborhood restaurant that might make you want to move right in. The Bankers Hill favorite blends gourmet dining with live jazz performed by accomplished local and visiting artists, making Books and Records a feast for the ears as well as the palate.

Seven Bridges

A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

Seven Bridges

One bonus of the geography in San Diego’s Bankers Hill neighborhood is the way narrow canyons lace through the community, giving rise to a series of pedestrian bridges that are a lot of fun to traverse. Check out the full Seven Bridges tour to experience Bankers Hill (and more) on foot.

Extraordinary Desserts

A beach scene with people by the ocean and houses on the cliffs, overlaid with the orange "San Diego" logo featuring a sun graphic.

Extraordinary Desserts

Where: 2870 Fourth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103

There are desserts, and then there are the irresistible confections conjured by owner/executive pastry chef Karen Krasne and her team at Extraordinary Desserts in Bankers Hill. The French-trained proprietor’s shop is a longtime neighborhood (and citywide) favorite for dazzling cakes and pastries, charcuterie, coffee and more.