A great meal while you are on vacation can be a memorable experience. There are people who enjoy amazing views, fabulous museums and interesting historic objectives. And we meet just as many travelers who go back to a place just because they had a mind blowing culinary experience there. So we made a top of 6 best places to eat when you are in California useful for those of you who travel on a budget and for visitors who wish to have an exquisite, refined meal at a more expensive restaurant.

Where will you eat in California?

1. In-N-Out Burger  With amazing reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor and a tradition of more than 60 years, In-N-Out offers its visitor fresh, tasty, quality burgers. It all started in 1948, when Harry Snider introduced in California the first drive-thru hamburger stand. We’ve heard people who ate here hamburgers with grilled onion and extra lettuce saying that this is the place where they would have their last meal on Earth. Double hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hamburgers, shakes – they have it all. And you can find an In-N-Out almost everywhere you go, as they have 216 restaurants in California.   2. Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles Source Chicken and waffles? What combination is this you might wonder. An extravagant and very delicious one, we assure you. Founded in 1975, it became so well-known that “people don’t even question the strange combo anymore” (Los Angeles Times). Long Beach, Hollywood, Pasadena, Los Angeles and Inglewood – you can try this perfect match of ingredients in any of these cities.   3. Pedro’s Tacos Source “World’s Best Tacos since 1986” they say. And thousands of people agree each and every year. Although it has faithful clients who go there for years in a row, some of them are so in love with fish tacos that they didn’t even get to try anything else from the menu. Open for the first time in San Clemente, Pedro’s Tacos now has locations in Fallbrook and Oceanside. Bean and cheese burritos, quesadilla, shrimp tacos – everything here is extraordinary.   4. Osteria Mozza Source Fine Italian dining at a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars. First of all, we could say that you haven’t really eaten pasta until you tried it at Osteria Mozza. It is not a surprise as the restaurant is owned by two passionate and renowned chefs and an Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional (recognized by James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit). If you are in Los Angeles and wish to dine in a place where food, service and décor are perfect, we recommend you Osteria Mozza.   5. Manresa Source Inspired from European traditions and American cuisine, Chef-Proprietor David Kinch (who won Best Chef in America award) offers the best service and food to his clients. Experienced sommeliers pair the menu you choose with unique wines, in the magic ambiance created at the foothills of Santa Cruz Mountains (Los Gatos).   6. Kokkari Estiatorio Source The proud winner of the Traveler’s Choice award on Trip Advisor in 2012, Kokkari offers the best Greek food you can find outside Greece. Its visitor say that in ancient times, Gods used to eat the dishes you can nowadays find in Kokkari’s menu. The Mediterranean cuisine, the seafood, the traditional Aegean dishes and the design capturing the European old-world will make you come back as often as you can.     Have you been to eat in California and had a wonderful dining experience? Tell us about it!

1300 miles of beauty, there is no better place to visit for vacation!   1300 CALIFORNIA MILES from Brandon Lied on Vimeo.

The only place you can surf and snowboard in the same day...and still be wearing no shirt :)   Hypermountain /// California from HyperMountain on Vimeo.

San Diego Dreamin’

Experience San Diego and you will get to know California in a nutshell, as San Diego is the birthplace of the state. What’s fabulous about San Diego? America’s most amazing Zoo, USS Midway Museum where you can sit in the cockpit of a plane and talk to the veteran volunteers, beautiful beaches & romantic sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, mouthwatering seafood and Mexican cuisine and much more... See a list of the things you shouldn't miss when you go to San Diego.  

Point Loma: where you can get the best panoramic view of San Diego

…and watch a marvelous sunset over Pacific. You should take at least three hours for Point Loma, to enjoy the view of San Diego Bay, scout the small caves and enjoy the cool sea life – snails, crabs, fish, octopi mind their daily activities in tide pools. On your way to Point Loma, don’t forget about Cabrillo monument (honoring Cabrillo, discoverer of San Diego bay).  

USS Midway Museum: where you can fly like a pilot

… in a flight simulator, of course. After this cool, great experience you will get an idea about what pilots really do. You need at least four hours to enjoy this visit, as we know the real jets and airplanes you will walk into are quite impressive. After hearing real stories told by guides and volunteer veterans and seeing interesting exhibits and aircrafts from different years you’ll understand why Midway visit is a must.  

San Diego Zoo: because it is a Zoo like no other

Have you ever imagined that you can go o a safari in the middle of civilization? Well, at San Diego Zoo you can do it! You can meet and get a better understanding of giant pandas, koalas, cheetahs and other rare animals during a safari. Or you can opt for a classical visit at the Zoo, enjoy magic shows (like the Whale show) and discover a world-class botanical garden.  

Oscar’s Mexican Seafood: and you'll understand the full meaning of “scrumptious”

Whether you’re hungry or not, once you are there you’ll be craving for fresh seafood tacos, spicy shrimp tacos or the amazing octopus salad. When you are in La Jolla neighborhood, make sure you stop at 703 Turquoise St. and try a divine taco.  

Take a sunset cruise to seize the spirit of San Diego

San Diego’s strikingly beautiful skyline is best discovered while you sip a cocktail and listen to exquisite music. We recommend you to take an entertaining cruise, where dancing & dining add to breathtaking views of the city, taking close-up pictures of dolphins and sea-lions and, if you are brave enough, maybe even steering the boat!  

Useful tips:

- GoSanDiego Card gives you free admission to attractions, activities and tours and discounts to some restaurants. You can save up to 40% with this card.   - Don’t you just love those pictures with people standing on the edge of a “suspended” rock that looks like it will break? If you go to Potato Chip Rock and take a photo from the right angle you’ll have the memory of a lifetime. Looking like a chip (thus the name), the rock creates a spectacular optical illusion if photographed from a certain angle: you’ll be on top of the world, on a thin, suspended piece of rock that could break at any time.     Photo courtesy: swapnild, Jaganath Achari, Jan Wachtmeester

It may not be on top of the list for many travelers who prefer better known cities, but at a closer look California’s capital is definitely a fun, relaxing landmark on the map of holiday destinations. Sacramento offers attractions for everybody: families will be thrilled to meet cheetahs and jaguars at the Zoo, all visitors, regardless of their age, will feel the magic of the most creative chocolate shops, a train tour along the river is bound to become a lifetime memory and the culinary experience is absolutely unique in America’s ‘farm-to-fork capital’. Check out top 5 activities for the best vacation ever.    

California State Railroad Museum: travel in old times’ luxury & style

The museum draws 500.000 people every year. Need we say more? Maybe just a few words about the impressive old steam trains exhibited here, the dining carwhere railroad china are displayed and the Pullman style sleeping car. And the best part is you can actually visit the inside of several of them. After you visit the Museum, a ride in El Dorado will make your experience complete. The 1920s observation lounge car will take you in a luxurious and scenic ride along the Sacramento River.  

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory: step into Hansel and Gretel’s sweet cottage

           While it is famous for the great collection of old fashioned caramel apples, granny style we might add, the Chocolate Factory has a wide range of delightful sweets: truffles, chocolate coated fruits, fudge and so much more… Once you dip into this chocolate gold mine, you won’t know what to try first: Zebra Caramel Apples, Chocolate Pecan Fudge or maybe Dark Chocolate Covered Red Licorice? Don’t buy everything at once, just grab a snack each time you come to Old Sacramento.  

Old Sacramento: where it all began

It is a pleasure to walk on the picturesque waterfront, do some shopping at the quaint specialty stores and eat an ice cream while you enjoy the live music played during the weekends. If you are a history passionate, we recommend the interesting Old Sacramento Underground Tours. You will explore excavated foundations, learn that ‘the net of tunnels’ underneath the city is just a legend and how the city was elevated 10 feet in the late 1800’s.  

Crocker Art Museum: fall in love with Art at one of the first art museums in America

Some of the visitors enjoy the oil painting collection the most. Some say the African and Oceanic art collection is highly educative. Others are fascinated with the European art exhibits. But everybody agrees on one thing: the museum is the gem of Sacramento when it comes to art, history and culture.  

The Kitchen: is it a fabulous restaurant, a theater or a socializing place?

  The Kitchen is an interactive culinary experience, where you can choose from menus with fixed prices, set in ‘acts’ and using local and seasonal ingredients. Although the menus are predefined, modifications are made if you don’t want one dish or another. The show begins with the Chef presenting himself and the dishes. That is the precise moment when your mouth starts to water. Besides eating the best trout tartare and caviar paired fabulously by the restaurants sommeliers with great wines, you interact with your ‘neighbors’ in the restaurant’s patio. By the end of the evening you will have made new friends and tasted divine sushi and sashimi, creamed blueberry tart and many other culinary delights.    

It may not be on top of the list for many travelers who prefer better known cities, but at a closer look California’s capital is definitely a fun, relaxing landmark on the map of holiday destinations. Sacramento offers attractions for everybody: families will be thrilled to meet cheetahs and jaguars at the Zoo, all visitors, regardless of their age, will feel the magic of the most creative chocolate shops, a train tour along the river is bound to become a lifetime memory and the culinary experience is absolutely unique in America’s ‘farm-to-fork capital’. Check out top 5 activities for the best vacation ever.