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Categories: American (New), Seafood [Edit]
Neighborhood: Del MarMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Great ocean view, friendly staff and amazing food!
If you like seafood I highly recommend you try the mix grilled seafood dish: Prawn, Scallop, Fresh Fish and Wild Rice Pilaf type risotto with Chive Beurre Blanc sauce: lunch price $16.00 My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
I went to Pacifica for Easter and they had a special holiday menu that had Tiger Prawn in a bed of pasta with roasted tomatoes, also delicious!
Great place to bring a date! The ocean view is very romantic and sitting out in the patio at sunset with a glass of wine can win some hearts :-)
Enjoy!
People thought this was:
A wonderful place for brunch. The outdoor lounge area is a great spot to visit with someone special and enjoy a great view of the ocean and the ocean breeze.
Seared tuna sandwich with seaweed salad is just delicious and a great reason to keep on coming back.
The prices aren't very low, but the quality of the food, the taste and the service are all very nice.
Make sure to park in the underground garage and have the ticket validated on your way out of the restaurant.
People thought this was:
For a restaurant that touts its seafood credentials so shamelessly, I was surprised to find Chilean Sea Bass on the menu. Clearly this "award-winning" chef is oblivious to sustainable seafood practices.
But I'm getting ahead of myself -- let's start at the beginning. Waiting for my table with a vibrating pager is undignified; despite its location in an upscale mall and stuck-in-the-90s design, this isn't the Cheesecake Factory.
In spite of some obvious flaws, the food is quite good. The bisque is silky, the crab cakes are flavorful, and the halibut is fresh and perfectly cooked. Some of the dishes go overboard with too many elements on the plate -- squirts of bright sauces or unnecessary garnishes -- but overall it's a fine spot to enjoy a post-race dinner.
People thought this was:
I went here last night, cause a friend bought me dinner for a favor.
This place is very upscale with a good selection of wine and beer.
Bartenders are very polite, friendly, fun, and quick with drinks.
I ordered a chicken soup(sorry dont remember the name), it was great.
Their bread is too die for. I had to order a second loaf. Good view of the beach. They are suppose to have pretty good happy hour.
Crowd is very mixed here. Some people are very casual while others are dressed up. My only problem was two woman came in and sat at the bar near me. You know the type all the money in the world thanks to their husbands. The woman's perfume was so overwhelming that 4 or 5 people were making comments including the bartenders.
Almost ruined a perfect night out. Chris did a great job of serving us.
Go here and have a great night out.
From beginning to end Pacifica was phenomenal. As my girlfriend and I raced up the steps in a vigorous attempt to beat the sunset, we arrived at the front door with about 3 minutes to spare. I took a deep breath and thought "yes, we made it." However, I then realized we were behind a 50 year old trying to "creep" his way into a "reservation" for six immediately, oh and he wanted it with a view of the ocean. Being that we had had our reservation for about a month now, I quickly sidestepped the geezer and got us seated just in time for the show. I then promptly brushed my shoulders off and said "what's up now."
We were starving and quickly dove into the bread and butter and realized it was delicious, surely a good way to start the meal. The other nice way to start the meal was with a courteous, informative, funny, and attentive waiter (nice job Scott). On top of all this, we ordered the Japanese Clam Chowder and the Steamed Eastern Mussels to start. The Clam Chowder was the best and my favorite part of the entire meal. It was nothing like normal New England or Manhattan Clam Chowder, but no worries because it was awesome. It tasted like a sort of Minestrone with clams, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. I cannot even begin to adequately describe the deep and rich flavor and beg that you just trust me on this one, it's top notch. The mussels were also phenomenal and set in a dark sauce with mushrooms and onions. This restaurant knows what they're doing with mushrooms.
My girlfriend got the Pan Seared Atlantic Sea Scallops and loved the size and grilled flavor. They compete with Humphrey's for best scallops in San Diego, that we've tasted. They were grilled to perfection and came with a sweet corn puree that was light and scrumptious. Further, the polenta was light, fluffy, and like nothing she had tasted. Very good dish all around.
I went with the Seared "Rare" Ahi and was simply blown away. I have had "rare" ahi in appetizers in the past and was very interested to see how it would be in a meal. The answer was great, the fish was tender, perfectly seared, and tasted so steak-like that I loved it. On top of the ahi, the garlic mashed potatoes and carrots were equally awesome, along with the shiitake mushrooms. Once again an excellent use of mushrooms in the meal.
Because it was our anniversary the restaurant was nice enough to treat us their Dessert Tasting Trio. It included their creme brulet, bon bon, and black-forest sandwich. The creme brulet was my favorite as it had a distinctive and unique flavor and hit the spot.
TIP: They have a two-course prix-fix menu for 21.95 before 6pm everyday. We did not get lucky enough to enjoy this value but will surely attempt to do so in the future. Seems like an awesome deal.
EAT UP!
Came here on a late afternoon/early evening date with RJ.
The patio had an undeniably amazing view and would of been absolutely perfect if we could of ignored the people sitting at a table literally inches away from us. The patio is really a small area and the tables are fit so compactly that I'm surprised it's not violating some sort of fire code.
The food was not bad. Our orders:
For Appetizer we ordered Lobster Ravioli
My entree - Pacifica's Barbecued Sugar-Spiced Salmon
His entree - Pan Roast Chilean Seabass
For drinks: RJ ordered some sort of scotch...not too much detail I can offer on that one, except, a bug did fly into it and the waitress was good about replacing it....I don't remember the name of the drink I ordered but, it was some sort of Godiva alcoholic beverage - complete disappointment. It tastes just like a Mudslide from TGI Fridays but at twice the cost.
The service was nothing to boast about. They were slow, inattentive... and, while we made reservations weeks earlier, we STILL had to sit at the bar for 25 minutes before finally being seated. It didn't help that we watched other customers being seated before us who DID NOT make any reservations. In the end, it was really the service that killed this place for me. For it's price, I expect much much more....
I had a horrible experience here. I went here after Dinner with some clients to grab a glass of wine. It was early, 9 and we were the only group there. There were 3 of us and we ordered a bottle of wine. We hadn't even gotten through half of the bottle before they started putting the chairs up. It wasn't even 9:30. We asked if they were closing and told 'yes, so you need to leave'. I have work in various restaurants in college but NEVER have I seen treatment this rude. I would expect more from Del Mar. I will never go back to this restaurant. I don't care HOW good the food is.
My husband and I were planning on spending the day at the races and wanted a nice place to have lunch.
We have a restaurant passport card, so that narrowed our choices to 5 restaurants. We chose the one with the best combination of Yelp rating and Zagat rating and arrived at the Pacifica Del Mar.
I had the delicious mustard catfish, and he had a great pepper-seared ahi nicoise salad along with a nice glass of riesling
The view was pretty, but nothing remarkable. I was expecting a bit more based on the glowing reviews.
Service was good.
We would definitely consider coming back next time we find ourselves in Del Mar.
As Sean B. says below, there are plenty of food reviews, so I'll try to make this quick: We ordered the exact same things: Japanese Clam Chowder ($6), I wouldn't call this "Clam Chowder", but still good nonetheless. We each also got the Filet Mignon ($35) which was really good, but I've had better in that same price range, their interpretation of Medium-Rare is a bit too Rare, and sides were skimpy.
Good service from the waiters/waitresses whom were forced to work cause they weren't lucky enough to be born as Trust Fund Babies like the rest of their young rich Del Mar peers. Sorry...I'm in the same boat with you!
EPILOGUE:
Sean B. 's Review is not quite 100% correct: this is place is for "all ages", theres not just a large pride of Cougars lurking, but theres also an equal number of Pumas and Jaguars on the prowl...this was a Wednsday night. If you don't know what a Puma or a Jaguar is heres the formal definitions from http://www.urbandictio...:
PUMA: noun, 1) A woman who is not quite old enough to be a cougar, but still likes to date/mate with younger men. 2) An attractive woman in her late 20s or early 30s.
JAGUAR: noun, in the lexicon of older women seeking younger men, a jaguar is 50 and over, where the cougar is in their 40s, and the puma under 40. Jaguars tend to be financially stable and are only looking for sex from their 20 something prey.
I'll have to double check, but I think the Del Mar Hunting Season lasts 24/7 and 365 Days a year...
People thought this was:
I must say that while I remain a fan, we were extremely disappointed with the food and service during our last visit. While our waitress, Kelsey, was friendly enough, it took close to an hour for us to get our lunch, something that's clearly unacceptable considering my mother ordered the Chef Salad, my wife ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, and I ordered a burger. Once the food finally made it to our table, there were no apologies. Worse still, my wife's chicken smelled and tasted like fish so the cook must have used the same grill for both. That's fine, dude, but the least you could do is clean up the grill afterwards! Kelsey seemed oblivious to the fact that my wife left all of the chicken (Yes, I realize my wife should have sent it back but considering we'd waited for an hour, I'm sure you could understand her reluctance to do so.)
I'm sure it was a fluke but I still think it warranted an updated review. I'll go back with a very critical eye next time we're in San Diego.
People thought this was:
I love this place. This is probably one of the most peaceful and beautiful restaurants in… Read more »
This joint is simply amazing. Swordfish need I say more. So we took a trip down south to visit some old friends. We were directed to this place for the best swordfish and appetizers. Stepping in the main entrance brings u to a awwwwww. I wish they had some Coppola merlot wine. Instead we got some reg Pinot grigio. And can I mention it again the swordfish. Simply amazing.
The food is good. The view is stunning. This is a wonderful place to sit back and say "ahhhhh", as you sip your favorite adult beverage and gaze out towards the sea, preferably at sunset. Started with a tender, fresh butter leaf salad lightly dressed with a quasi bluecheese/ranch dressing. The guy had an east Indian inspired clam chowder. The color was not appetizing (brown). Top sirloin was cooked medium rare by request and came with scalloped potatoes and just crisp,stir fried broccolini. Guy had scallops which he pronounce delicious but they appeared diminutive to my eye and there were only three. Oddly, the polenta that accompanied his meal was the best in recent memory. Service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
Went here again today for a post-graduation lunch. Once again average food. Service this time was poor. Took awhile for waitress to stop by, then once she did, quickly got water, and our calamari appetizer soon followed. But then service reverted to its slow ways. Also, I asked for salad instead of fries, but ended up getting the latter. That wasn't so bad since I ended up with both. Waitress also forgot about my dad's iced tea.
Basically you're paying for the view. If it weren't for the locale (or a hell of a lot cheaper), this place might even be 1 star. I'd suggest skipping this place and going to the cafe right below it; lower prices and just as nice location.
People thought this was:
Friends told me they'd really like to get lunch and then go to the beach in Del Mar. Expected them… Read more »
The Bar: The bar staff here is great and it's one of the best happy hour deals in Del Mar. I, personally, think the bar menu is stronger than the full menu. There is a corn dog shrimp appetizer that crack-like addictive. The calamari & accompanying sauces are also exceptional. Drinks are poured strong. The only down-side is that the bar closes pretty early, so it's a good starting point, not an ending one. Also....be wary of the cougars stalking the bar! Though for some of us, this is high entertainment watching the goings-on -- especially on weekend nights.
The Main Dining Room: Awesome views of the ocean and yet a casual feel. Impressive service, as well. The food is good (I'm a sucker for the salmon), but you are paying for your views not necessarily the dishes. I actually prefer coming here for lunch instead of dinner because it's less crowded, but with a similar and less-expensive menu. Surprisingly, this place also has fantastic kid's menu featuring items like steak and salmon for junior foodies.
Excellent service and food. We really appreciate the "half off bottles of wine on Thursdays"- That enables you to try some more expensive wines you might not normally step up to.
The real bummer for Pacifica Del Mar is the parking garage. If you go there during a peak time, the valet service is terrible. It was so much better when the site did not have valet; you almost always could find a pretty good parking spot on your own. Now the Valet backs the line back to the gate and they provide no value. I love valet in a lot of situations and use this service often, but in this garage it makes parking a terrible experience.
I would give Pacifica Del Mar a 5 for service and for food. The location is good. But the valet parking really hammers the experience. There are so many places to go eat a nice meal at and why put yourself through that mess? If you go at an "off time" then this will not be an issue.
I have been here only for business lunches. Never for dinner or weekends. There are 60 other reviews for the food, so you already have a very good understanding.
But what is not well known is that during the evenings this place is a well known Cougar Bar. You can see the pride of senior ladies perched at the bar on some late evenings. These are the same high society women you see on the Polo grounds except liquored up.
If you are searching for a Suga Mama, this isn't a bad place to start. If not, I would dine here for business or lunch as reccomended by many of my former male colleagues.
TIP: Parking can be very tight on the street so I suggest parking inside the structure.
WARNING: Do not go there riding your motorcycle. You will have to beat them away with a very large Cougar stick.
People thought this was:
She gets a solid 7 - as in, that was the average rating I'd give to the Delmartians that come to see and be seen here (both guys and gals).
Oh yes, same goes for the restaurant itself :-)
Great view, nice atmosphere, good service, and awesome Sapphire dirty martinis for $5 all night on Wednesdays - what more do you want?! Definitely one of the "places to be" in Del Mar, and I don't mind being part of that.
As for parking - I didn't have any trouble at all parking in the structure off 15th. It's free/validated for 2 hours, it cost me $4 for that extra hour (did I mention the $5 martinis...) Totally worth it!
The fish tacos and burger looked great, and both were under $10 for the happy hour menu.
I'd definitely recommend PDM, and can't wait to return!
People thought this was:
Romantic and exceptional restaurant with die-hard ocean views and good atmosphere. BUT
What happened to the Berry Cobbler??!!! Where did it go?! Bring it back and I'll be first in line for it!
People thought this was:
Go for the view, the drinks/ambiance and then the food. I was a little disappointed by the service since they did not refill my ice tea quickly. I guess the service was average. So I had the Chilean Sea Bass with rice and something green..I think collard greens. I am not the best chef and I would have to say I could do better. The whole dish seemed a little mushy but I was starving. I prefer to have a variety of textures and flavors within a dish. I will not go back for dinner. I guess you are paying for the view not the food!
I love Pacifica del Mar. The location and view is amazing, the service is friendly and helpful, and the food is remarkably fresh and delicious, not to mention that they have a terrific wine list. It exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to go back.
People thought this was:
Happy hour with a friend. Place and location good but the happy hour is no big deal at all - mediocre appetizers and $1 a glass off wine, so only $7 (instead of $8) for a common Zin that I buy at Albertons for $8 a bottle. There are way better choices for happy hour!
"Hoy,Marween, yoor Dad eendjoyed hees deenerr widjoo."
"Yoo ekspent ah laht op mahnee hee sayd."
Haha,Grandma,did he tell you where we ate,and what we had?
"Djes, berree klost to yoor koondoo een Del Mar?"
"Haww mats mahnee deed yoo ekspent?"
I had the calamari,and it was good and crispy, it came with a dipping sauce,that was very spicy.
Dad had the Japanese Clam Chowder, it had Shiitake mushrooms, and it came in a bowl, piping hot
.
For entrees, Dad got the filet mignon, huge 6.oz,and I tasted a little bit of it, it was quite tender, and came with broccoli and au gratin potatoes.
I had the pan roasted sea bass, very tender and meaty,
It came with bok choy and sticky rice.
"Dats good , yoo had rahyss."
"Haww mats mahnee deed yoo ekspent?"
Well, I didn't pay for parking,because we parked in the garage and they validated.
And we didn't have any desserts,
I drank a martini and Dad had coffee.
"Well, yoor Dad ees berree prawd op yoo. He toold ebbreebadee, yoo payd por deener."
"Yoo doont need to eet disserrtss, yoor gitteeng phat."
"Haww mats mahnee deed yoo ekspent?"
Haha,Grandma, I gained a couple of pounds from the holidays....
"Djyes, yoor gitteeng phat."
Thanks,Grandma.
People thought this was:
I was surprised how hopping this place was on a Sunday night.
I used to think this was a really nice place to eat, but I'm afraid my opinion's changed a bit. A beautiful view, and maybe that's just what you're paying for. Not so much the food. I thought it was a bit overpriced at most entrees coming in over $30 each and nearly all the appetizers well over $10 each - on average $14. Hard to justify when just across the street sits Kitchen 1540 with most entrees priced at less than $30 each (not a seafood restaurant - but a great meal).
If you sit on the patio, be prepared to have a difficult time hearing people eating dinner with you. And while our server brought our food and paid some attention to us, I have to say she seemed less than enthusiastic about being at work that day. At least put a fake smile on your face.
People thought this was:
This place is so fabulous, I'm having my baby shower here!
Hubby and I came here with a group of friends for some nummy food and from what I can tell, some great wine. Here's a rundown of our meals:
Apps:
Crispy Calamari-Wow! It was actually crispy! Sometimes you get calamari that claims to be crispy, but this actually lives up to its name. Mix the dipping sauces together and it's heaven
Hamachi Carpaccio-I didn't personally taste this, but hubby loved it. He's picky about Hamachi and gave this an A+
Soup:
we shared the Butternut Squash Soup which was amazing in flavor and nice and hearty. It had chunks of lobster in it which was a fabulous touch
Entrees:
Filet Mignon: SSSSOOOOOOOO tender and flavorful! I got the zinfandel sauce on the side because I'm weird like that, but the meat had so much flavor I didn't even need any sauce.
Pan Seared Scallops: Apparently nice and fresh, with a lovely sauce which I think was coconut. Again, I didn't get to taste his food, but I know he usually doesn't finish his dinner because he gets full easily. Tonight was not the case. He ate all of his scallops and then some of my filet.
Dessert:
We shared a Burnt Creme with bananas on top. This is similar to creme brulee but better. I don't know what exactly makes it better but we inhaled it.
Service was spectacular and attentive and we ended up having a fabulous night. I'll definitely be back for dinner!
People thought this was:
I got to go here for my birthday with my sister, her family and my family. I had been here a few years ago. It is a very lovely restaurant with great location. Our server was less than attentive and only slightly friendly. I just feel like if you are paying $28+ for an entree you should get exceptional service. We had three kids with us and they ordered off the kids menu, the entrees being about $10 each. Honestly they were disappointing. Not that they were terrible but just not worth the $$. Overall our food was good and presentation was nice. I had scallops and have been CRAVING some really good scallops but no one has succeeded yet. These were undercooked and under flavored. My BF roasted chicken looked really nice though. Oh and the salads were REALLY good.
I still feel like there are places I can get equal food for not as much money.
Food was great. We had the Calamari appetizer then Seared Ahi and Swordfish entrees. All of it was cooked just right. Service was great too. This was a first-date. We just wanted to enjoy a leisurely evening and dinner. Our server was happy to oblige. The view of the sunset was incredible! The only bummer was that parking was $13 with validation...OUCH!
Love the Japanese clam chowder. View is spectacular.
Pricey, mediocre food. I have been waiting for my salad about 50 min. But they have nice view :)
totally disappointed. i went back for like the billionth time and they have gone down hill.
we waited almost 5 minutes before anyone brought us water or said hi once we were seated.
when we did order they were out of the sides so our only option was the side salad (they tried charging us the $2 substitute when we got our bill. we had to argue that we were forced to order the salad in order for her to take it off)
our drinks were empty for almost the entire meal
our food- not good. what happened to the yummy food? mine was so bad i lost my appetite and sent it back.
we ordered the fruit plate ($8) for the app. it was supposed to be full of strawberries, pineapple and mango. what did it really look like? the regular cheap fruit plate- TONS of melon, 1 strawberry, 1 cube of pineapple and 0 mango. UM what? We almost sent that back as well but the waiter said he would grab more pineapple and strawberries. he returned saying they were out of mango( they sure did run out of a lot) but that's fine we'll deal. then another waiter showed up to our table with a plate of mango. they magically found some. we were appreciative and after the hassle we did enjoy the fruit plate.
when we found out they were out of sides for the main entrees one of my friends asked if they could do a small fruit salad or something. our waitresses respone? "we don't have fruit salad" he looked at the plate of melon on the table and said "what is this then?" but they couldnt do that so we all got the salads.
i don't know if i'll go back which is too bad bc it has been a favorite for so long.
People thought this was:
AMAZING view paired with awesome food! Everytime we go we try something new and we have never not… Read more »
The view is wonderful, but the buck stops there. Some of the food was great, but other dishes just exemplified the fact they weren't trying that hard. My spinach salad literally tasted like they just opened a bag of spinach from Costco, which is perfectly fine if I'm at home making a salad, but for fine dining, that sh*t better be farm fresh! Our appetizers arrived the same time as our drinks, which were taken as 2 separate orders, which shows you how attentive our waitress was. The only time she checked on me was when my wine glass was empty, she was hoping for an upsale. Didn't care when my food arrived how I liked it or if I needed anything else. Again, for the price, i want a perfect (or even semi perfect) experience, and that just wasn't there. I've had much better food elsewhere. Plus, the menu wasn't that creative.
WOW!
Came here for a Christmas Dinner with our close group of friends. It was a bad sweater / White elephant party including a limo ride. We looked pretty ridicules among the other posh patrons.
I didn't realize that our friend that organized the whole dinner worked for the owners of this restaurant. We were treated like royalty. We were escorted back behind the kitchen to a hidden dinning room secluded from the rest of the restaurant
We started with appetizers such as Calamari, Crab Ravioli, and another fish (I forgot the name) that had a lite salmon flavor. All of it tasted better than anything I had eaten in weeks. Even the bread was surprisingly good.
I continued with a Dirty Martini that had the best blue cheese olives I have ever tasted.
For the main course I had the Seared Ahi, which came with mashed potatoes and carrots. The Ahi just melted in my mouth. You could really tell the quality of the fish and the freshness.
For desert we had the Cheesecake which came with some sort of maple syrup on top. I was very sad when it had all been eaten.
This food is top notch for sure. An amazing dinner with amazing friends made for a very memorable night!
People thought this was:
My favorite place for seafood in the entire San Diego area. Only restaurant that might be better is Bartolla's at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
Awarded the California Restaurant Association's prestigious Gold Medallion for "Best Seafood Dining in San Diego," and Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence, Pacifica Del Mar is one of San Diego's most popular Costal Ocean View Restaurants. Casual dining on the deck features breathtaking sunsets and creative costal cuisine with mouthwatering selections of fresh seafood, steak, and pasta. Inside, the art adorned feng shui setting also offers relaxed ocean view dining. Pacifica Del Mar has become the dining experience of choice, celebrated year round for it's warmth, hospitality, service, and unforgettable ocean view dining.
We went there for a birthday dinner last night. We were 25 minutes late to our reservation due to opening day revelers and worried we had lost our table but Josh, the host, was able to seat us within seconds!
One word sums up our entire night: AWESOME!
The atmosphere was very relaxed, we were out on the patio with the gorgeous view of the ocean right before sunset. There were four of us in our party and we sat there for 2.5 hours without realizing it. Our waiter Scott was attentive but not overbearing. This was definitely NOT a place where we ever had to wonder where our waiter was or when the food was coming.
We ordered the Calamari appetizer, White Prawn Ziti (apparently new on the menu), Halibut, Pan roast Chilean Seabass and Atlantic Sea Scallop followed by 2 orders of Dessert Trio. Since it was a birthday celebration, the restaurant staff brought out a Mocha Semifreddo with a candle and sweet smiles. The BEST part was they didn't sing!
The food was perfect. One of our friends was initially worried about the portion size, but discovered the amount was just right. We did not take anything home nor did we leave feeling hungry.
One very minor issue that has nothing to do with the food or restaurant staff. The AC seemed to be broken last night. Going to the lady's room felt like walking into a sauna. Bathroom + Sauna is never a good experience.
I seriously have the most random cravings for the food at Pacifica Del Mar. I ate at this restaurant ONCE with a group of about eight, and EVERYONE's dish was absolutely fantastic.
I ordered the Ahi Tuna Sandwich, and I must say that it was the best Ahi Burger I have ever had. The Ahi was cooked perfectly, and the wasabi aioli was right on. The flavors, the texture, the everything was SPOT ON. I really, really loved what I ordered and seriously wiped the plate clean.
Another stand out dish that I remember is the Japanese Clam Chowder. It was definitely not your run-of-the-mill chowda. At first taste, the whole JAPANESE chowder thing made sense. They use shitake mushrooms, and infuse just enough of that wasabi flavor into the chowda to create that ever-so-slight-but-not shot to the nose. Seriously, if you're at Pacifica Del Mar, you really need to give this soup a try. It's different, but in a very good way.
Our party was there for Saturday brunch, and surprisingly there was no wait at all. We immediately got seated in their outdoor patio area where we were able to have an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean. It was fabulous mid-summer weather... truly, a perfect So. Cal. day. I guess that's what made the whole experience here that much better.
I'll end this review with the service. The wait staff was extremely attentive, but not overbearing. it seemed as though everyone working there had that chill San Diego vibe going on.
Fabulous food, fabulous ambiance, and fabulous service... this place is definitely a winner. I actually JUST changed my rating for Pacifica from 4 stars to 5 stars. The change came from me realizing that I had a smile on my face the ENTIRE time I was writing this review. That, I think, means that I love this place, so why not give it five fabulous stars?
People thought this was:
If you're in the mood for some bomb-ass seafood, get yourself and your significant other to Pacifica Del Mar (restaurant, not cafe). I have to say, this joint is one of my very favorite places to go for fresh fish.
Try the salmon for a sweet after-taste with your fish and mashed potatoes, or the sea bass for a soft, flaky meat and an asian twist with a side of bok choy.
Location is prime too...with a nice view of the ocean in the bougie part of San Diego county. Try and find street parking so you can use the garage parking money towards your appetizer or wine. ;)
People thought this was:
A bunch of my friends were in town from LA and we decided to eat lunch at Del Mar on the way to the Wild Animal Park. We had initially planned on going to the Cafe part of this restaurant, but when we went it was very crowded and we didn't think we'd be able to find a table to accommodate all of us (it's self seating and there were about 7 of us). So we were wandering the plaza and just decided to go to the restaurant.
I must admit I was hesitant at first because I thought it would be like your typical over-priced shi-shi Cali fusion fare. But, I was very pleasantly surprised!
We were seated on the patio with nice views of the ocean, and our server was super nice and attentive. I had the fish tacos, which were very delicious. I tried all of my friends food, and they were mostly delicious as well. Some standouts: their shiitake mushroom chowder (was it shiitake clam chowder?) is sooooo good. It sounded weird so only one of us was brave enough to try it. Everyone else got salad or some other soup, and ALL of us were seriously jealous. Their portobello mushroom burger is awesome as well. I will get this next time.
It was definitely worth the price, in my opinion, and I will definitely visit again, especially when out of town guests are over. I usually take them to George's Terrace, for their gorgeous views, but will be taking them here in the future. The views aren't quiet as nice, but the food blows George's out of the water (George's is what I'd consider the definition of typical over-priced shi-shi Cali fusion cuisine :).
People thought this was:
This place has the look and feel of a 4 (or even 4.5ish) star joint, but I think it slides a little because it's got a great view and a great location, and if you got those going for you, sometimes the service and food quality get a little slack.
I would go for an appetizer and a drink, or maybe a dessert, and save the calories for a place a little more serious about the food.
The outside patio and inside bar are good for people-watching and I think cougars and cougar-hunters will also be pleased at this place.
People thought this was:
Love! Love! Love!
I took my boyfriend to Pacifica last night and we had a wonderful experience. We get out a lot and finding a new restaurant in SD that really exceeded expectations is not an easy task. I called and asked for a special table since we would be there for a special occasion and the staff went out of their way to make the experience wonderful.
Everything on the menu looked wonderful and I ended up having the Sea Bass low carb style. I love having the option because I tend to like my meals prepared as simple as possible. It was just grilled fresh sea bass and steamed veggies. My boyfriend had the Halibut with gnocchi and lobster. The gnocchi wasn't really what I was expecting. It was a little heavier than usual, but not a bad compliment to the very light fish.
I'm looking forward to going back and trying their discounted menu which they offer before 6pm.
Definitely get there in time to enjoy the sunset.
People thought this was:
We went here for the first time the other night and I was very impressed. The view alone on the patio is worth 3 stars, no doubt about it. The drinks are all strong (strong = good when you are 24 and looking for some bang for the buck) and everything that was served was terriffic. We had both the Mahi and halibut, and every bite got better then the one before. I am a huge fan and will be back soon.
Minus 1/2 star for the parking, which is a pain in the ass due to this place being located in a shoping center. Minus another 1/2 because some douchey sitting behind me who kept bumping me and refusing to scoot his chair in. Neither of these are controlled by the restaurant, so I feel bad with the minuses, but I needed to get it off my chest. Sorry!
People thought this was:
Del Mar... Where the beautiful people are. Or want-to-be. Only delicious gourmet food here. Good conversation buzzing around you. Feels like you are on vacation in your own backyard. Dress nice and make it an evening/afternoon to remember. Just like the name says: Pacific rim Cali fusion.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: Del Mar
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Del Mar
Category: Seafood
Del Mar, CA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Del Mar
Category: Wine Bars
Del Mar, CA
Category: Seafood
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