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Bistro 39
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
3939 Ocean Bluff AveSan Diego, CA 92130
Neighborhood: Torrey Hills
(858) 720-9500
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Bistro 39
14 reviews in English
-
Review from Chris L.
San Diego, CA
This is a great local lunch option that most folks will miss because it is inside the Hilton Garden Inn. In fact, I hesitated to write this review, since I enjoy this secret treasure quite a bit. A very nice selection of menu items at a fantastic price.
(Psst: pricing is comparable to the nearby deli, but here you get table service and hot french fries with the pastrami sandwich!)
Wait staff is very attentive. They focus on the lunch and breakfast crowd, as they don't seem to get much traffic between primary meal times. Plenty of drink refills.
The menu is small, but with a fair amount of variety. There are several salad options (the steak salad is quite nice). Don't hesitate to have salmon here: it has always been quite nice and tastes great on the salads and their salmon club (not always available, though).
For basically the same price you'd pay to stand in line at a Roberto's or drive-through a Wendy's, here you an have a relaxing enjoyable meal. Plenty of parking, as you might guess. Enjoy! -
Review from Van L.
2/8/2012
Came for lunch around 12:30pm. Place was dead; there were only a couple of other tables. Atmosphere was blah; it had a diner feel to it.
Not a huge menu selection. We shared the mahi mahi tacos and the spinach omelette. I liked the tacos better than the omelette. It had more flavor. The fish tasted fresh and the mango salsa was tangy and spicy. The omelette lacked flavor. It was pretty ordinary. The side salad lacked dressing, I don't understand how you can go wrong with a salad.
Just wanted to try the place out since I've never been here. It didn't fascinate me so most likely will not be back. -
Review from Danielle T.
Chandler, AZ
6/3/2011
My husband and I ate here for breakfast two of the mornings we stayed at the hotel this restaurant is inside of, the Hilton Garden Inn. We had tried to eat here for dinner once but they stop cooking at 9pm which is disappointing but it was our fault for not keeping track of time. So I can only review the breakfast offerings.
It is a fixed price breakfast of $10.95 for anything on the menu with full access to the breakfast buffet. Both times I had the pancakes with a side of potatoes and my husband had pancakes with a side of potatoes once and an omelette with no side once. It is a bit pricey for breakfast. It probably should be about two or three dollars cheaper considering the portion sizes are really small. The pancakes and omelette were both really tiny. The pancakes were good, nice and fluffy, just small. My husband liked the omelette as well. They don't have fresh maple syrup. Its only in little disposable serving cups.
The breakfast buffet is nothing special. Some fresh fruit, juice, yogurt, toast, bagels, muffins, coffee... things like that. Nothing too spectacular. You almost feel obligated to take a ton of the items since you are paying such a high price for breakfast. Otherwise it just feels like you are wasting money.
If you have no other options or are pressed for time before getting out of the hotel in the morning, it might be a good idea, but I wouldn't come out of my way to eat here for breakfast. I can only imagine lunch and dinner offereings are better and hope one day to try them. -
Review from mindy d.
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here after a visit to the races with a group of 8. When we got there the place was pretty empty, so our server was attentive to our needs. When more people came, she seemed a bit more frazzled. The food was good, the location is in the lobby of the Hilton, but the reason for 3 stars is because our server didn't write down our meals when we ordered. I guess this would've been fine, but she had to come back and check the dressings on salads. Then, when she brought out the food, she got one meal completely wrong. Just write down the orders when there are so many. we won't judge you for getting the meals right.
-
Review from Debbie L.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2010
Bistro 39 is a nice lunch spot to get away from the typical crowded Sorrento Valley lunch crowds. However, I definitely didn't walk away feeling like it was something I had been hugely missing out on, nor will it completely replace one of the nearby food courts. It is a nice place to go if I want some pretty good food in a nice, less hectic environment.
The portions aren't as huge as other reviews here seem to indicate, and I wouldn't consider the price a steal by any measure but they're not bad. The pizza is good - I really liked the smoky grilled crust and I finished about half the pizza during lunch, and finished the rest a couple hours later as a snack. I could definitely see someone finishing the entire portion in one sitting though. I'd say it is a decent lunch deal at $7-$8. The chili is good, but goes for 8.50 and I think I would have expected to get more out of it had I got it (it was what my friend had ordered). They had some really tasty looking salads, pasta, and other dishes on the menu that I'd be interested in trying out some other time.
If you want a quiet lunch spot in the Sorrento Valley area where you can eat for ~$10, then I'd recommend giving Bistro 39 a shot. The food here is good here, definitely fancier than food court food. It doesn't single handedly replace the other places around the area for me, but it is definitely worthy of being added to my lunchtime rotation. -
Review from Geri C.
San Diego, CA
12/16/2009
Dear Sorrrento Valley Area Workers,
Shame on you. I cannot believe you have not discovered Bistro 39 yet. I dont understand why there is only ONE review of this place back in JUNE 2009. Are you all blindly commited to the only two food courts in Sorrento Valley? I'm sorry but that one with the McDonalds doesn't cut it anymore. After years and years of walking around indecisive in that hall of restaurants I decided I could no longer settle for paying high prices, and get crappy food. So like most of you, I graduated to the "better" food court - the one with Opera, Rubios, etc - across the street. Once you go to that one, you never go back.
This is the problem. Its like you are all sooooo grateful for a decent food court that you cannot bring yourself to see what else is out there. I'm here to tell you, there is nice things outside of massive food courts in Sorrento Valley that make you feel like you are still at work even though you are "at lunch". Bistro 39 is here!
This place is refreshing. Its hidden in the hotel at the Hilton Garden Inn. Its a place where you can sit down enjoy your meal and still get out in 30 mins. The food comes out quick and delicious and the service is awesome. The food doesn't taste like "food court" food. It tastes like whoever is making the food actually CARES about how it tastes and looks. I ordered the California Pizza $7 - it was grilled and sooooooooooo soooooooooo good. The prosciutto and perfectly toasted. The mix of veggeies and cheeses were surprisingly harmonious and the sauce on the pizza was soo good it felt like I was eating a pasta dish. I also shared the Pear salad which was also delicous. They used interested greens and the chicken breast it came with was huge, the vinaigrette was light and very complementary to the entire salad. The prices were reasonable and the food was of great quality.
They must have changed their menu because I didn't see a "Garlic Chicken with Rice" on the lunch menu or the "Diablo Pizza". The menu is pretty extensive and includes salads, sandwiches, pizzas etc. I would highly recommend this place for work lunches if you want to relax, enjoy your meal, be comfortable, and have conversations without having to talk over all the qualcomm employees. Its very close to most of the workplaces in the area and parking is very easy to find.
True this is a hidden gem and I am hesitant to share this spot with yelp, but Im writing this for YOU - Sorrento Valley Area Worker. I am just like you and if a visit to this place makes your day a little brighter, then its worth it. (Just don't kill it for me thanks).
Geraldine C. -
Review from Kari E.
Del Mar, CA
11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place has a great happy hour menu with good food to boot. Bar is on the small side (only about 6-7 chairs total) but there's also a dining area off of the bar that is comfortable and roomy. Also, there is a TV in the bar so you wont miss those football games. ;)
Happy hour portions are on the smaller side, but the taste makes up for the small plates. Yum!! Staff is friendly and presentable. We will be back for sure. -
Review from B C.
Santa Barbara, CA
I have been staying at the hotel in which Bistro 39 is located twice a month for about 6 months, and one of the main reasons I stay here is the convenience and quality of this restaurant. What a wonderful change from the normally dreary and overpriced restaurants in business hotels (Hello Marriott, are you listening??)
The service is always very personal and gracious and the menu items are surprisingly tasty and artful both for the price and for the fact that it is literally located in the lobby of a Hilton Garden Inn. (BTW, HGI hotels are typically pretty low end, but they do a very nice job at this one!)
I would give 5 stars for value and quality for the price (QPR), except the menu has been DRAMATICALLY downsized in terms of breadth and choice. My personal favorite used to be the Moroccan Chicken, but it is gone along with many other items. The menu now is very limited, with a single choice in each category - one fish, one chicken, one steak, etc. Now I usually just get a "California" pizza, which is very good, but it gets boring after a while.
That being said, you won't find a better value for good-tasting food and great service (with a full bar and decent wine list) in the area.
I hope the menu reduction is only seasonal and not because of a business trend. -
Review from Allison G.
Los Angeles, CA
6/24/2009
Really this place is a gem hidden inside a Hilton Garden Inn. I was blown away by the services and FOOD.
OMG! The food is to die for....Hello new favorite spot for my mouth! Garlic chicken with rice...WOW! Flavor fullness with each rolled circle of delight!
The PIZZA!!! DIABLO my eyes, baby! The pie in the sky of happiness. Zesty, spicey, mighty and so worth every calorie. Great boozed infused lemonade to wash down all that spice!
Yes, total fan of this new gem in San Diego!!! Looking for great prices for killer food. Let the 39 Bistro be your piece of paradise in a Garden Inn! -
Review from Steve L.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2011
I live and work in the neighborhood. This place is disappointing. When it opened, the press releases made it sound like food would be a priority here.
The food can best be described as "edible, corporate food." Kind of what I might have expected from a Hilton Garden Inn had I not read the press releases describing the executive chef, the fresh local ingredients, etc.
I've been here for lunch once and breakfast 3 times. The fish tacos were mediocre at best. And the salsa it comes with is clearly from a very big industrial bin. Had the breakfast burrito recently. Eggs were overcooked and completely dry. And the tortilla was a little stale.
I see no evidence of "fresh California ingredients with sophisticated East Coast flavor" - which is what the website promises.
I hope they up their game. It would be nice to have a good restaurant so close to home. -
Review from Ted S.
San Diego, CA
9/9/2010
We were looking for a new and different restaurant try tonight and the review on here sparked our interest to visit this spot.
We entered through the lobby, and found the restaurant right next to the bar. It was a bit small, about 10 -12 tables, but it was empty.
Normally I'm a bit skeptical about hotel restaurants, but with prices and the reviews, I put my doubts aside. We were hosted by Codie, a very pleasant and funny waiter who suggested one of the micro brews that just came in.
We both got the special fixed price meals for $30 each. My wife had the tortilla soup, scallops, and creme brulee. The scallops were outstanding. They were cooked just perfectly.
I had the goat cheese salad, which was delicious, the rib eye with blue cheese and onion topping, and the creme brulee. The rib eye was perfectly prepared, and the sauce was great (unless you don't like blue cheese...) The portions were more than enough. After all, we had to save room for the dessert right?
For the entire time we were there, there were no other customers in the dining room area. This kind of makes me feel like it was a hidden gem that we had discovered here. Great food, great service, very good prices, and good atmosphere (although it was the first regular NFL game, so the bar was a bit raucous).
I highly recommend checking this out, and ask for Codie. -
Review from Chris Z.
San Diego, CA
3/7/2010
OK, usually I only review pizza places, but this place is amazing. Not only are the prices low, but the portions are huge, and the taste and quality are amazing. In fact, I took my restaurant snob parents from Manhattan there a couple of years ago when the hotel opened, and it is now their favorite restaurant in SD.
I did a little research, and it turns out the chef is a CIA graduate, and is given full discretion with the food and menu...and you can tell! Seriously, I know it sounds strange to rave about a restaurant in the Hilton Garden Inn, but this place kicks a_s! By the way, since I always talk pizza, their grilled pizzas are as good as anything in San Diego! -
Review from Tom T.
Terrell Hills, TX
2/5/2010
I have to admit when I read the earlier reviews I was a bit skeptical.
I travel a good bit and most of the time hotel eateries are WAY overpriced and the food is typically just bad.
Not so here!
The wait staff, including the bartender (MC), made the visit a lot of fun. It was also really nice to see that they remember the names of their regulars and even what they like to eat and drink.
I had a burger and fries and I will say that it was one of the best I've had. It was well made, cooked the way I wanted it, and the fries were fresh and HOT.
If you stay at the hotel or at the Homewood Suites next door, drop in and get some really good food! -
Review from Yolanda M.
Glendora, CA
12/20/2009
oh wow, i can't believe we forgot to review this place. it rocks. the food is good enough to warrant a standalone restaurant, but here it is, tucked away in this little business hotel (which, btw, is also very nice). i can't remember what we ordered, but it was all good. perhaps we need to go back...
