San Diego Restaurant Suggestions
 

My wife and I will be in SD for 6 nites begining late Friday Oct. 8th. Sat., Sun & Mon. are free then my days are tied up at a convention but DW is free. We are staying at the Hilton SD Bayfront Hotel and will have a car. The only must do on our list is the SD Zoo and possibly the Midway. However, if the Philies are playing the Padres at PETCO the whole schedule changes. Dining suggestions would be appreciated. I've looked at the following and they seem interesting: Cafe Chloe, Oceanaire, Fish Market, Indigo Grill, Prado. We enjoy good food and service as well as a nice bottle of wine. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

One of my top picks. The WineSellar & Brasserie 9550 Waples Street, Suite 115. It is out of the way,off Mira Mesa Road. A Wine Spectator magazine Grand Award winner. Not cheap, but we felt it was worth the cost.

Thanks for the suggestion. The Brasserie sounds interesting perhaps for lunch. Would reservations be necessary for lunch or dinner? I looked at their website and realized we could buy some wine to take back to the hotel as well. Are thererecommend BYOB restaurants in SD as well?

Oceanaire is fantastic. Great seafood selection and amazing view. The staff will have good wine suggestions too! It's in the Gaslamp District.

On our last trip to San Diego we tried Cafe Chloe for brunch since there were so many rave reviews about it. It was good but we were disappointed after all the hype. For breakfast fine, but for dinner you can do a lot better.

For a spectacular view, outdoor dining, with great food and value we really enjoy C Level at Harbor Island. I 'believe' Indigo Grill is the same chef. Very easy to reach with a car from Bayfront Hilton(which by the way is a lovely property). And probably a pretty reasonable cab ride fare, too. If you find C Level too So.Cal casual, next door is Island Prime owned by the same company but more upscale. We like C Level because it's outdoors and has the best views of the skyline.

Also, if you are up to driving- George's at the Cove in La Jolla might interest you. Don't think you'll be able to enjoy the wine though. :) You can always do lunch and hang around the beach afterward. Then again you might not be as conservative as we are when it comes to drinking and driving.

And the Sunday brunch at Hotel Del Coronado is fabulous! If you don't do brunch, DO go to Coronado Island and visit The Del if you haven't done so before.

Since you have a car- I'd suggest a visit to Cabrillo National Monument, especially if it's a clear day.

As for BYOB, I'm sure most would charge a corkage fee but would allow it. Call ahead.

Have a great trip!



http://www.hoteldel.com/crown-room.aspx




http://www.georgesatthecove.com/





http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/islandprime/

Never been to The WineSellar & Brasserie for lunch, but it is near a lot of office buildings and could be busy at lunch. We went once to dinner without reservations, but it was in the winter and we had no problem. We've made reservations for other times. Tney do have a teriffic wine shop on the bottom floot. We always roam the wine shop to select out wines for dinner and just take them upstairs. They add a modest corkage fee. Don't know of BYOBs in San Diego area.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

Lindsay, the Oceanaire menu looks terrific. Wish it was on the water.

SOCALOC, thanks for reminding me about George's at the Cove. I'd like to visit La Jolla. I've looked at the Hotel Del for Brunch but I think we'll do cocktails or lunch there instead.

I guess I better start making some reservations!

Bookmarking.

I also recommend Georges - one of my favorites. If you go for lunch and sit up on the Terrace that alone is worth the time there :) The view is amazing.

Prado in Balboa Park is a great choice if you're planning on enjoying the park at all. Eat either inside or out, or in the lounge for drinks and an abbreviated menu (happy hour weekdays 4-6).

forgot to add, Prado is closed on Mondays.

Andeesue,

Thanks. Prado is on our list for lunch when we go to the zoo. I think you can go to the zoo, leave for lunch and then return to the zoo.

We are also planning to go on an America's Cup racing yacht trip. Have you heard of this?

We are also planning to go on an America's Cup racing yacht trip. Have you heard of this?

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Yes! And what do you mean by trip? Say hello to the kiwi!

Albert's restaurant inside the zoo is pretty good, as is Prado. Albert's had some off-hour specials that were good, and I found the service better than Prado.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/alberts/visit

Yes, George's at the Cove has the most beautiful outdoor terrace. Best for dinner, IMHO, at sunset!

<i>On our last trip to San Diego we tried Cafe Chloe for brunch since there were so many rave reviews about it. It was good but we were disappointed after all the hype. For breakfast fine, but for dinner you can do a lot better.</i>

I...could...not...disagree...more.

We went for DINNER and <b>LOVED</b> it. Cozy, good vibe, stellar service, great wines, excellent appetizers, and sublime entrees and deserts.

How does one go for brunch, be disappointed and then say it's OK for breakfast but one can do better for dinner?!?

Foof for thought, GO to Cafe Chloe - you will not be disappointed. If the opportunity presents itself, it's a very short walk to Petco Park.

Bardo, unfortunately there will be no baseball at Petco...

All of the restaurants mentioned above are fine choices. I would also suggest Bertrand at Mister A's, at the top of an office building in Bankers Hill (2 miles north of downtown) with a fabulous view of the city as well as great food/service/ambience. At the same intersection (Fifth and Laurel) are a good French resto (Hexagone) and a trendy Italian (Cucina Urbana). Nearby is a California/continental called Avenue 5.

For less formal dining, there are restaurants of various ethnic cuisines along and just off of University Avenue in Hillcrest, centered around Fifth Avenue, about 3 miles north of downtown: japanese, thai, afghan, deli, mexican, italian, moroccan, spanish tapas, vietnamese, chinese, etc. [The New Orleans one, The Big Easy, just closed.]

How does one go for brunch, be disappointed and then say it's OK for breakfast but one can do better for dinner?!?
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Well because IMHO, if you can't make something as simple as breakfast/brunch or eggs...sorry.
Might I add that the location is not that desirable either. It's on the edge of the Gaslamp District where it hasn't been redeveloped and is somewhat blighted. Oh, the service was very sloooooow too.
We were HOPING for the wonderful experience as the review above, it did NOT deliver. Maybe we expect too much?
Of all the great dining experiences to be had in San Diego, I still think the OP could do a lot better than Cafe Chloe.

In the Gaslamp district is a traditional Italian restaurant, which originated in Florence, Italy-- Acqua al 2 (sp?) We ate there, in both Florence and San Diego. Very good.

In many, many, many restaurants it is the "B" team (both kitchen and house) that usually works brunches. Anyway, dinner was exquisite.

Peaceout - I LOVED that in Florence as well... it was RIGHT by our apartment...ahhhhh to go back there....

In many, many, many restaurants it is the "B" team (both kitchen and house) that usually works brunches.
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Oh brother. OK Cafe Chloe was divine! You must go, bardo1 aka James Beard said so.

Thank you all for your suggestions. On Sunday morning I was able to purchase 2 NLDS playoff tickets at PETCO park for $16 each plus service fees. Our playoff tickets in Philly would go for at least 10 times that price, for cheap seats. I felt like I hit the jackpot! By 8 o'clock that evening, I realized they were worthless. However we will get a refund from stubhub. Feeling disappointed about the tickets I booked a dinner reservation for this Saturday at Island Prime. We are planning to go to Cafe Chloe but haven't decided day or time. Thanks for the suggestion of Albert's, I didn't know about it previously. I know we want to go to La Jolla and George's at the Cove sounds (and looks) nice.

We land in SD tomorrow eving at 8:40PM and will probably eat in at the Hilton Bayfront if we're hungry unless there's an easy to get to quick bite nearby.

Thanks to all for all your help.

GO PHILLIES! H2O (Halladay, Hamels & Oswalt)

From the Hilton Bayfront, you can walk to the Gaslamp District with numerous restaurants very quickly. But given what time you will land and get into your car, I would just drive into the Gaslamp, park, eat dinner wherever then drive to the hotel. Restaurants at the hotel are very good but are not cheap.

I do not understand why your tickets were worthless?

Dear Mom,

The Padres lost their game on Sunday with the SF Giants & never made it into the playoffs. So there will be no playoff games in SD. Since I bought the tickets on StubHub they will refund the money less service fees.

MomDD, good memories of Florence, eh? Our daughter had studied there and she suggested we go to Acqua al 2. It was packed and noisy when we were there, but food and ambiance was great. I see they have opened a restaurant in D.C., also. None will be as good as the original, though!

Well, I'll recommend Cafe Chloe as well (lovely steak frites), along with The Linkery and George's - the Terrace.

However, I am a Massive brekkie fan, and the best breakfasts I have ever had in the United States have been at The Mission, and I managed to eat at 2 of their locations every single morning I was there a few years ago (I have a SD trip report here somewhere, if you click on my post name). I was lucky enough to go back last year, ate there agian every morning, and was still blown away. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200... hit The Mission for breakfast.

Oops, meant to say "at one of their locations"...even I can't handle 2 of their breakfasts...

The Mission is quite good, but my two favorite breakfast places are (1) Parkhouse Eatery on Park Boulevard in University Heights and (2) Brockton Villa in La Jolla Village right on Coast Boulevard.

http://www.parkhouseeatery.com/

http://www.brocktonvilla.com/

foodforthought! Silly me! I could not figure that out. Bummer, as Petco is one of my favorite ball parks!

Peaceout - I loved Florence...

Me, too!

Had brunch Saturday at Cafe Chloe, it was great but a longer walk from the Hilton Bayfront than anticipated. Dinner Saturday was at Island Prime another home run. Sunday breakfast was at the Mission another great suggestion and dinner tonite should be at George's at the Cove on the Terrace (couldn't get a table inside). Thanks for all your help. GO PHILLIES!

Any comments on Top of the Market vs. Oceanaire for tomorrow's dinner?

If you go to the Prado (which I love), try their tres leches cake for dessert if you like that sort of thing. It is the best version I've ever had. I would try to do it for happy hour after the zoo.

A great Thai restaurant near downtown is Celadon in Hillcrest. It is on Fifth Avenue. Their salads are great and the dining room is so beautiful. Classic and elegant.

If you make it to North County, (see my name, lol), try Savory in Encinitas. It is in a strip mall, nondescript, but very nice inside but the food has been fantastic the last two times I've dined there.

My favorite view restaurants (since you mention being on the water) are Island Prime (near the airport), Bali Hai (on Shelter island near Humphreys) and anything coastal along the village of La Jolla (like George's on the cove). The Il Fornaio in Coronado also has good food and great views of SD downtown from across the way.

Top of the Market has both the water view (altho it is foggy this am should clear by dinner) and seafood.

Oceanaire has no water view and fabulous fish....

Agreed about Top of the Market