Restaurants in Coronado

Kous Kous’s intense Moroccan flavors mingle with colorful, genuine décor to give patrons a dining experience that's as genuine as the athletic abilities of Bo Jackson. Served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the lunch menu boasts a spicied-up array of meaty and flesh-free appetizers, sandwiches, and a pared-down selection of tagines (slow-roasted Moroccan stews, $6–$10) and brochettes (grilled meat skewers, $7–$9). Rappel down the sheet-draped ceiling after 5 p.m. to enjoy the dinner menu, which features a stewy slew of main-course tagines, including veggie ($14), ground-beef-stuffed tomato and bell pepper ($17), and lamb shank ($20). Diners preferring their food served a la stick can opt for a brochette skewered with chicken ($16), beef ($21), or shrimp ($17). Each tender concoction is served with your choice of whole-wheat couscous with garbanzo beans or garlic-herb mashed potatoes and can be paired with a selection of Moroccan wines and beers, in addition to local San Diego brews.

San Diego locals Rick and Tiffany Trevino started Indigo Café in 2000 as a way to marry their two passions: Californian cuisine and the blues. Between blue walls covered in photos of blues and jazz musicians, they create their own mix of Cali-Cajun dishes such as bubba blue jambalaya and Cajun pesto pasta with Andouille sausage. Even their sandwiches bounce back and forth between Cajun and Californian flavors: shrimp po’ boys rest side by side with portabella mushroom sandwiches. Besides breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Indigo Café also cooks up catered meals and weekend brunch.

A façade of salmon and tawny stone ringed with palm trees beckons to passersby, hinting at the tropical dishes of shrimp, roast pork, and fried plantains contained inside. Like an edible cruise ship, the bill of fare takes diners on a culinary tour of the Caribbean, with dishes of slow-cooked shredded beef, saffron-tinged rice, marinated chicken, and sautéed fresh fish. A canopy of leafy palms surrounds private banquets or nightly dinner guests as they finish things off with a dessert of flan or guava empanadas. Next door, an international Latin marketplace invites patrons to create their own tropical feasts at home with hard-to-find grocery items from countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.

At the Zagat-rated 25 Forty Bistro, chef Mark Pelliccia composes dishes that blend classic and creative culinary approaches. Pelliccia draws from international travels and experience working in restaurants throughout Italy to inspire his work. While the menu changes seasonally, featured dishes have included braised pork belly with sweet potato salad, a duck and white bean casserole, and oven-roasted lamb with tarragon fennel. Different events and specials liven up the week, from a prix-fixe three-course menu on Wednesday to Tuesday’s free buffet access with purchase of a glass of wine.

Diners relax with glasses of wine and cups of coffee in 25 Forty’s bright clean space, punctuated by line work of Asia and a chalkboard menu of specials. Crisp heather-violet tablecloths dangle from each table, flanked by modern chairs with geometric cutouts in the back. The bistro is open all day Tuesday-Sunday, and rests its burners every Monday.

After graduating from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in London with a Grand Diplôme, Colin MacLaggan honed his skills in London, Colorado, and California. As Ave 5 Restaurant & Bar's executive chef, he applies his culinary training toward creating three-component dishes of modern American cuisine. His critically acclaimed menu rotates monthly in order to feature locally grown ingredients and meats that have been sustainably farmed and harvested. Craft beer and global wines complement MacLaggan's dishes, as do specialty cocktails, which barkeepers craft with housemade tonics, fruit-infused syrups, and glasses plucked from trees. Each feast commences in Ave 5's intimate atmosphere, which draws an artistic vibe from down-tempo lounge music as well as paintings, framed photos, and exposed brick.