Best Tattoo Shops In San Diego

“I can’t say enough great things about Isaac! I went to him for my nose piercing, and I’ll be honest—I was nervous about the pain. But Isaac walked me through everything, answered my questions, and kept me calm. When it came time for the piercing, it was so quick and smooth that I barely felt a thing! Honestly, it was painless and way easier than I expected.

Isaac has such a gentle, precise technique, and it shows—my piercing is healing beautifully. Beyond being incredibly skilled, he has a calm, positive energy that instantly puts you at ease. You can tell he genuinely cares about his clients and wants them to have the best experience.

If you’re even thinking about getting a piercing, Isaac is the one to see. I walked in nervous and walked out with a gorgeous piercing—and the confidence that I’ve found the only piercer I’ll ever go to again.“

“Visiting our daughter in San Diego and we both received the same tattoo! Love it ?“

“This place was truly amazing, I went in with a couple of my girlfriends. We all decided to get tattoos. I’ve always wanted the Prince symbol, and so I have it on my left leg. And then I love this place so much I went back two days later and got another tattoo on the another leg. The guys couldn’t have been nicer made me feel so comfortable. And they even had a big mama table for me to lay on. I’m always afraid I’m going to break a table. Of course I haven’t yet but they had one just for me anyways.“

“Adriana inked me up. She made my vision come to fruition. I got exactly what I wanted, where I wanted it. Don't be fooled by her young looks, she knows what she is doing. Thank you again Adriana
Nino“

“A couple of my friends and I got piercings on my bachelorette trip to San Diego last year. Danny was absolutely incredible - super kind, patient, clean, and detail oriented. He was actually getting ready to leave for the day but made the time to get us all pierced on the last day of our trip. He took his time and made sure everything was perfect. Couldn’t recommend a better piercer. My tragus has healed perfectly and I had no issues! :)“

“Zane was so dope!!! Such a great vibe and FAST. We went on a whim to get matching best friend tatts and his conversation and professionalism is off the charts. He was so meticulous, which is exactly what you want in a tattoo artist! 10/10 highly recommend“

“Julie was so great to work with! She helped bring my concept to life which I really appreciated being a collaborative effort. I absolutely loved the design for the fine line tattoo and seeing the final product was even better than I could have imagined. Thank you Julie!“

“I booked artists “Leo Cadenazzi” for an appointment on August 2nd, 2025 for a 5 inch wide by 7” negative space cross enshrouded by skulls and roses.
Leo specializes in this, and is one of the senior, highly desirable artists at this studio so it took me over a month to even get through the door.
His pricing was more than fair, borderline a bargain given his massive talent and renown.
The stencil he created was spot on with the references I sent him, and when I arrived at the shop he was smiling and ready to go.

His easygoing demeanor was affable, and his expert consultation on placement, especially after telling him the other pieces I would be getting in the same area was excellent and probably saved me a huge headache in the future.

The shop was clean, calm, and not totally covered in gore and nudity as is the norm for most tattoo parlors, which I appreciated.

Leo powered through close to 4 hours from start to finish and completed the piece with blazing speed and efficacy. Any novice or intermediate artist might have taken double the time.

The payment and waiver process was a breeze, and other artists there were professional and cordial.

I drove 45 minutes one way to get to Funhouse Tattoo in Pacific Beach, and waited a month to secure Leo’s services. Worth every penny and every second, couldn’t be happier.“

“Tommy, great work, services with a smile?

Ask for Tommy if you need a new piece!

Appreciate your artistic talent, years of work!

Don't wait, call on Tommy?“

“Have had nothing but great experiences at Sailors Grave. Tonight I saw Jadd for a tattoo I had half a concept for and needed Jadd to fill in the blanks. He did with no problem and brought my vision to life easily and was happy to go back and forth on details. I always have a great time in the shop , the guys are always fun and conversation is easy. Most importantly the tattoo work is always perfect. This is my go- to for tattoo work in SD. Thanks Jadd and Gary for running such a cool spot.“

“I walked in and Zhoey did my tattoo and did an amazing job. We are just visiting here, but would definitely come back for more!!“

“Super talented, professional, and chill to be around. He made sure I was comfortable the whole time, and the work came out clean. You can tell he really cares about the art — the linework, shading, and detail were all on point. Easily one of the best tattoo experiences I’ve had. If you’re thinking about booking with James, just do it — you won’t regret it.“

“My wife was getting a tattoo first and I ended up chatting more with Phangs. We spoke about a rough design and what I wanted. She came up with a design and colors that I fell in love with. I thought it was going to be a challenge since it was a coverup, but I trusted in her imagination and talent 100%. I LOVE how my tattoo turned out. Myself, wife, sister in law AND brother in law all get our tattoo from Phangs. She’s a nice, pleasant, very easy to talk to person and an amazing artist. The facility is beautiful and welcoming. I look forward to working on our next project“

“Walked in to get a tattoos with my wife and my sister. Had a drawing of what we wanted that our daughter drew up. Weezey nailed it. Definitely be back there for my next.“

“So I had been itching for some new tattoos (who doesn’t right?), and I really wanted to get all anime ones for my upper sleeve and while on instagram, I came across the artist James. Love his work and how clean it looked so I immediately sent a message over to him and we got my first tattoo scheduled. Very easy and streamlined process and the shop itself is so dope. So much artwork on the walls and just overall chill environment. I was greeted right away by the receptionist and they let James know I was there and the consultation began. Didn’t take much longer before I was in the chair getting ready to get my anime half sleeve started. It’s been close to a year probably since that first anime tattoo and the work looks incredible! My half sleeve of all anime is done and James could not have been more professional. He is so quick when he works but does not leave any detail out! I can’t speak for all the other artists and their work inside that shop but, if they are anything like James, then I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Full Circle Tattoo is the place to go!“

“Got my septum done and it was super fast and easy!! The piercers are super kind highly recommend!“

“Miles was awesome! My tattoo came out amazing and i’m so obsessed with it. He was so chill and didn’t make it awkward at all. Definitely recommend coming to this place!!“

“Lexy is the best! I love going here and Nick did my tattoos and I'm love the!!! Can’t wait to go back“

“This review is specifically for Tarek and his top notch work. By far, the best Tattoo Artist in San Diego! He’s booked out a few months but reach out to the shop, ask to get on his consult schedule, and he’ll assist to design you a rad, unique piece of art! Thanks Tarek!“

“when i walked in here the vibes were a little weird, but when brandon started playing his music i knew i was at the right place. his vibe’s 10/10!“

“This is hands down the cleanest tattoo shop I’ve been to in San Diego. Mervin did my chrysanthemum tattoo and a cover-up for me, and the entire experience from start to finish was amazing. His shop in Hillcrest is spotless, well-organized, and immediately makes you feel at ease. Mervin is extremely professional and takes the time to make sure you’re comfortable throughout the whole process, which is a big reason I keep coming back. You can tell he takes real pride in all of his work—especially with how well he handled the cover-up—and it shows in the final result. Beyond his talent, he genuinely has a good soul and creates such a positive, welcoming environment. I couldn’t recommend him more.“

“axiom is my favorite tattoo shop! camryn goes out of her way to make you feel so comfortable and welcomed - i never feel nervous coming in for my appointment with her <3“

“Clister helped bring my simple sketch into an incredible masterpiece over a decade ago and out of all the misinformed decisions I made when I was young, I have NO regrets about my choice of artist.

Ten years later, no fading, still getting compliments. Although it was a 14 hour project split into two sessions - painful, yes - but I got a lifetime of beautiful ink walking around with me.

Thanks Clister!“

“The entire experience was 10/10 :) and you get to meet Bruno the dog. Highly recommend !!“

“Got my first tattoo here and it turned out great. Lee did an amazing job and was very professional. If you want a realistic tattoo he's your guy.“