This year for my birthday Chris and I decided to escape Palm Springs in favor of San Diego.  We made a long weekend of the trip and had no plans other than relaxing.  So, how did we fill the day?  Check out our itinerary + favorites from the weekend!

Saturday

Check into the Kimpton Solamar in the East Village – Amazing location, walkable to 5th Street and we had a view of Petco Park.

Heels: Loeffler Randall // Sandals: Beek // Sneakers: Golden Goose (via Elizabeth & Prince) // Slides: Nine West (similar HEREHEREHERE) // Heels: Sam Edelman

Brunch at Cafe 21 – A must for me anytime we are downtown.  They do great farm to table brunch and the rose is always crisp!

Birthday shopping at Urban Outfitters – I really needed to replace my gold hoops and knew I would find some at Urban.

Rooftop Rose at Rustic Root – Super cute spot with crisp rose and great views of downtown.

Naps and a shower!

Pre Dinner Drinks at Tivoli – The oldest bar in San Diego (and pretty divey which I loved)

Oysters and more rose at Blue Point – We decided to do a bit of a progressive dinner and started with oysters at the bar and sparkling rose at Blue Point.  I’d love to go back for a full dinner, the ambiance was lovely!

Dinner at Cafe Sevilla – I mentioned wanting tapas so we made our way to Sevilla.  It was fun, lively and the food was so good!!!  We ordered a bunch of small plates to share plus a wine flight and it was perfect.

Late night sips at Pendry – Fun fact: I worked for Montage Hotels for 3 years when I was in my 20s so exploring the Pendry is always fun for me.  Pendry is the younger, slightly more hip sister of Montage, founded by Mike Fuerstman (his dad founded Montage).  I had more rose and Chris had an Old Fashioned.

Sunday

Breakfast and coffee at Broken Yolk – Super casual since we had big plans of watching playoff football most of the day!

Football & Bloodys at Bub’s – I had been to Bub’s a handful of times in the past and we could see it from our room so it was an easy choice to catch playoff football.  On Sunday they do a “Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar” which is so much fun!  You can pick your hot sauces, salts, and garnishes…I had a few!  We also shared some Buffalo Cauliflower and Animal Style tater tots (yes, they are as good as the sound!).

Drinks and Dinner at Kettner Exchange – I was really excited for this dinner as I had heard from so many people how good the restaurant was.  We had friends meeting us and arrived early enough for some drinks at the rooftop lounge before being seated.  Pro Tip: plan to eat in the lounge and be prepared for the vibe to start late.  Try the lamb noodles and pork belly buns.

Monday

Breakfast and coffee at Cafe 222 – This spot was super cute!  We sat outside and shared orange pecan pancakes (they were the size of my head!) and some eggs.  It is the cutest spot for a casual breakfast!

Check out and back to the desert!

XO, Niki