High praise indeed, but also reason to book your table in advance. This classy restaurant in the heart of upscale La Jolla is jam-packed with locals more or less constantly. Though purists may argue the best tacos are always served from a hole in the wall walk-up, we reckon a fine dining restaurant can just as easily produce a winner – and George’s at the Cove is our evidence. Whatever you select, wash it down with a local San Diego craft beer, perhaps from AleSmith or a Green Flash. The lobster (also grilled, of course) is another top choice, while fried fish fans should go for the pollock. It also comes in a flour tortilla (though you can ask for corn), with cheese, red cabbage, salsa fresca and white sauce. Purists will only condone the latter, but we think the former is just as tasty, and at South Beach you really want to try the Mahi fish taco, which comes grilled. The taco selection here is divided into grilled and fried. From here you could just about lob a flip flop through the window of South Beach Bar and Grille, the perfect place to watch the sun slip into the Pacific. San Diego’s coastline is overdeveloped in parts, but Ocean Beach, just west of the city centre, has remained the classic Cali beach town, with its palm-lined avenues and long concrete pier (said to be the world’s longest, in fact). So, where does serve the best fish tacos in San Diego? Here’s our take: Ralph Rubio may have taken the fish taco he found south of the border in Mexico onwards across America (his Rubio’s restaurants are now found in five states), but San Diego remains its heartland, and by far the best place to try one for yourself. Things really ramp up on Taco Tuesday, when across the city tacos are on special offer and you won’t need more than a couple of dollars to join in. Locals discuss it in hushed, passionate tones, they argue with zeal over where has the best and they will even give up their precious beachside parking space to drive inland for lunch at a taco stand they swear is the best in town. Much can be done to the humble original to make it spectacular – the addition of salsa with just the right spice, the inclusion of cheese, the decision to add guacamole – and quite what should be included is the stuff of fierce debate. Does a corn tortilla covered in fried fish, cabbage, crema and pico de gallo sound unremarkable? Well, don’t let this simple recipe fool you.

Fried fish tacos near me