Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [277]
Return to beginning of chapter
DEL MAR
pop 4400
The ritziest of North County’s seaside suburbs, with a Tudor aesthetic that somehow doesn’t feel out of place, Del Mar boasts good (if pricey) restaurants, unique galleries, high-end boutiques and a horse-racing track, which is also the site of the annual county fair. Downtown Del Mar (sometimes called ‘the village’) extends for about a mile along Camino del Mar. At its hub, where 15th St crosses Camino del Mar, the tastefully designed Del Mar Plaza shopping center has restaurants, boutiques and upper-level terraces that look out to sea.
Sights & Activities
At the beach end of 15th St, Seagrove Park abuts the beach and overlooks the ocean. This little stretch of well-groomed beachfront lawn is a community hub and perfect for a picnic.
The Del Mar Racetrack & Fairgrounds (Map; 858-755-1141; www.delmarracing.com; admission from $5; season mid-Jul–early Sep) was founded in 1937 by a prestigious group including Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. The lush gardens and pink, Mediterranean-style architecture are a visual delight.
Brightly colored hot-air balloons are a trademark of the skies above Del Mar, on the northern fringe of the metropolitan area. For flights, contact California Dreamin’ ( 800-373-3359; www.californiadreamin.com; per person from $198), which also serves Temecula.
Sleeping
Rooms in Del Mar in summer aren’t cheap. For the best rates, stay a half-mile south of the town center at one of the first two properties listed here.
Clarion Del Mar (Map; 858-755-9765, 800-453-4411; www.delmarinn.com; 720 Camino Del Mar; r $135-190; wi-fi) This well-kept, 81-room hotel tries hard to please with very helpful staff, new pool, large-ish rooms (many with balconies, kitchens or bathroom vanities with granite countertops), Victorian-style furniture, and continental breakfast delivered to your room. There’s afternoon tea, too.
Best Western Stratford Inn (Map; 858-755-1501, 800-446-7229; www.pacificahost.com; 710 Camino Del Mar; r $150-244; wi-fi) The sprawling Stratford has large, handsome rooms, many with new carpeting and bathroom fixtures, lots of wood in its construction, a spa for foot and body treatments, laundry facilities and two pools. Some units have kitchenettes and distant ocean views.
L’Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa (Map; 858-259-1515, 800-553-1336; www.laubergedelmar.com; 1540 Camino Del Mar; r $350-540; wi-fi) Rebuilt in the 1990s on the grounds of the historic Hotel del Mar, where 1920s Hollywood celebrities once frolicked, L’Auberge continues a tradition of European-style elegance with luxurious linens, a spa and lovely grounds. It feels so intimate and the service is so individual, you’d never know there are 120 rooms.
Eating
Café Del Mar (Map; 858-481-1133; 1247 Camino Del Mar; mains lunch $8-13, dinner $9-21; ) Dine in the courtyard, beneath a coral tree, on main-sized salads (try the warm chicken salad with grilled onions and feta), pizza from the wood-fired oven, and classics like pan-seared scallops and steak-frites. Lots of veggie choices, too.
Bully’s (Map; 858-755-1660; 1404 Camino del Mar; mains $9-28; lunch & dinner) If you find Del Mar is just too…too, escape to this assiduously local steakhouse serving antibiotic- and hormone-free beef in a red-leatherette booth and stained-glass setting.
Americana Restaurant (Map; 858-794-6838; 1454 Camino del Mar; mains breakfast & lunch $7-12, dinner $15-26; breakfast & lunch daily, dinner Tue-Sat) This quietly chichi and much-loved local landmark serves a diverse lineup of regional American cuisine, including some dishes you may not have thought of: cheese grits to chicken Reubens, sesame salmon on succotash to seared duck breast with