Here's a look at new San Diego eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces for all types of summer entertaining and events. The new and renovated San Diego venues are available for corporate parties, fund-raisers, outdoor events, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, weddings, and more.
The event space Glampisphere in North Park encourages guests to dive into retro decor for social events or out-of-the-box meetings. Opened in June, the 2,000-square-foot venue includes Wi-Fi, 4K flatscreens, and full audio-video equipment, plus a waterfall, fire pits, and an elevated lounge area. The covered outdoor venue accommodates 60 seated guests or 80 standing.
Kona Kai Resort & Spa in Point Loma recently finished a $27 million renovation and expansion and now offers 56,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space for meetings and events. That includes 13,000 square feet of indoor space and 43,000 square feet of outdoor space, including a private beach. The largest indoor space is the Point Loma Ballroom, measuring nearly 9,200 square feet. It holds 500 classroom-style or 650 for banquets. A new venue as part of the expansion is the Marina View Lawn, a 2,550-square-foot terrace space. The property also boasts a private beach that is available for events.
The newest outdoor destination in San Diego’s Little Italy area, Piazza della Famiglia opened in March. The open-air venue features a thoroughfare laid with stone pavers, overhead market lighting with changeable lights, a three-tier fountain, and a piazza-wide sound system with mic jacks for speakers. The 7,182-square-foot space can hold 1,200 guests for reception-style events, or can seat 500.
Downtown San Diego’s Punch Bowl Social opened in June. The two-level venue is 23,000 square feet and holds 1,100 standing guests—800 on the first floor, 200 on the mezzanine, and 100 in a reception area called the Holiday Lounge. Entertainment includes bowling, arcade games, ping-pong, bocce, darts, foosball, and karaoke. Catering options include punch bowls and passed appetizers like fried chicken sliders and taco truck-style buffets.
Sip on locally brewed beer and soak in harbor views at Eppig Brewing in Point Loma. Opened in April, the 16-tap biergarten covers 2,000 square feet and features a wraparound harbor-front patio plus a shaded side patio. Capacity for the venue is 100 standing guests.
The Patio Group has expanded into Encinitas with the Patio on 101. The indoor-outdoor restaurant specializing in California cuisine opened in May and features two bars, a kids' play area, and a patio area for adults. The venue measures 7,000 square feet with a capacity for 240 standing guests.
Modern Italian cuisine is the specialty at Maestoso in Hillcrest. Opened in March, the restaurant’s signature look is an open kitchen with a wraparound chef’s counter showcasing chefs making pasta, desserts, and more. The space measures 2,000 square feet and includes a garden patio and outdoor space. It seats 84 guests.
Mission Bay’s Paradise Point Resort renovated its 462 bungalows and indoor-outdoor event space, unveiling the upgrades in April. The hotel features 80,000 square feet of meeting and event space including ballrooms, boardrooms, breakout rooms, and event lawns with water views. The largest space, the Paradise Ballroom, seats 1,000 theater-style or holds 1,100 for receptions.
Award-winning Bird Rock Coffee Roasters opened up a new location in Del Mar in April. The 1,000-square-foot shop with a capacity for 38 standing guests features an additional 1,000 square feet for 38 more guests on its patio, which showcases views of the Rancho Penasquitos Lagoon.
The adults-only Willows Hotel and Spa at the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine opened in January. The hotel features a 9,000-square-foot pool deck at the Allure Pool, which is available for buyouts for reception-style events of 150 guests. Overall, the resort's largest event space is the Oak Ballroom for 1,200 guests.
