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Categories: American (New), Asian Fusion, Gluten-Free
Neighborhoods: Little Italy, Downtown"I am speechless! Tabule Rocks! I read the reviews on this place before making my choice on restaurants...thank you Yelpers, I was not…" read more »
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I met with my friends at this place to catch up. It also happened to be the restaurant week, so the 3 course meal was $30.
Service: The waitress that was very nice. She was attentive and made us feel welcome. Service wise, it was up to what I would expect from these "chic" place.
Food: It was A-OK. I had a chicken and it needed to be soaked in a brine or something because it had a no taste. Cod Salad (appetizer) was good; it might have tasted fish, but not too fish that it alerted me as "old" fish. For a dessert, I had Carrot cake and it came in the a la mode (good ice cream on top). It was good, but my friend's Churro was WAY better.
Overall, it's hard to recommend this place, because good part was good and bad part was bad. If you are curious, I say try it, you might have a better experience than I did. If you need to play it safe, then I would recommend something else.
They used to be a really nice restaurant but when we went a few weeks ago the place was empty at 1:30pm on Friday. I don't mean just "no customers", but no waiters, no receptionist or nothing. There was no one to greet us and get the table. We even had a reservation for god's sake!
we walked into the restaurant anyway then we saw 3 people having a meeting in the back corner of the lounge area. they saw us walking in but they didn't say anything. My boss asked them "hey, are you guys still open for lunch?" they all looked at us weird and then finally one of them stood up and said "yes, but lunch is over, we only have a bar menu. is that okay?", we said "sure". then she said "okay let me go get a waiter". I was like, "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS!? are they no longer serving lunch? it's only 1:30pm!!"
15 minutes later, a waiter finally showed up and brought us a menu. we order some beers and a glass of juice, they took another 15 minutes to bring those drinks.
it was literally a bar menu and i ordered a Green Beans Tempura, my bosses ordered some canapé type of thing and french fries. and one guy ordered a hamburger.
none of us left the place satisfied. It was supposed to be a nice birthday lunch for one of our colleagues. i will never go back.
Have I reviewed this before? I seem to remember writing about how European it seemed because the waiters didn't mind if I flirted with them. They also let me smoke on the patio, even though it is within a mile of their entrance.
I like it but it's too expensive. I rarely say that. I say it now because I stopped there again one Sunday am on my way to church, and realized the Westgate does it all better and cheaper, but with a Mormon sensibility, far far from European.
I was just kidding about the church thing. "Sarcasm is just one of the services I offer" as I saw on a teeshirt recently.
I went here for breakfast while staying at the W. I just ordered water and the acai parfait. It was really delicious and perfectly refreshing for the morning. The service was quick and my water glass was always full. That's all I really need in a restaurant. The only downside is it is sort of expensive.
Great food, good wine, nicely decorated, and good staff. It was a little weird that it was mostly empty. I was staying at the Westin and walked over and found like all restaurants inside W hotels that this was good, and spendy.
Just spent way too much on a decent lunch - shrimp noodle bowl and 2 glasses of wine. I ordered the house chardonnay and very unhappy to discover that the wine was $16 a glass. My lunch was $13. A little help from the waiter might have saved me some dough. Not nice!
We had to find dinner on a Monday night because an old family friend and my sister-in-law were in town. It was hard to find an nice restaurant that's open on Mondays in the downtown/Gaslamp area. Finally, with some research, I found that Rice was open, so we gave it a shot.
I remember when the restaurant and hotel was first opened. It was the newest and hottest spot in town. But having now gone into the restaurant, I feel that it was cliched and a bit passe. The decor of the restaurant was contemporary, with a touch of ethnicity. It was nice, but it somehow felt like it has already been done. There were only 2 or 3 other parties dining at other tables, which didn't quite add to the overall ambiance.
The appetizers were the best part. Their seared Ahi was to-die-for and the scallops were yummy. For the main course, we tried the lamb chops and duck breasts. They were flavorful but not spectacular. We paired our meals with Jordin's Chardonnay, which was pleasant and refreshing.
All in all, it was a nice time but definitely not memorable.
I went here last night for Valentine's Day with my wife and we had a very enjoyable experience. Like a lot of restaurants, Rice featured a special menu for the night which featured a starter, sorbet, entree, and dessert for $65. Additionally, they offered wine flight pairings for an additional $20 and champagne pairings for $30.
I started with the Fig salad. The sweet figs mixed with the spinach leaves and the accompanying carpaccio perfectly. My wife started with the lobster bisque (which I sampled) but it was a little too "fishy" for my taste and the spicing seemed a bit off.
The sorbet was sorbet. It did the job of cleansing the palate. The dishes were chilled for a nice touch. Nuff said.
For the main entree, I had the fillet of beef (medium-rare) with blue cheese mash potatoes. It was cooked very well and I loved it all! My Wii Fit agreed with that this morning when I took my body test. :( My wife ordered the duck and couscous which she really liked. I sampled that too and found it a bit fatty but what do you expect from a duck entree?
We both got the sundae for two which was a perfect end to the meal. Nothing too special but darn tasty!
The wine flights were paired per dish and not per round so my wife and I had different wines throughout the night. I later learned that my wife chose her entrees according to the wine selection offered for them and not the other way around. She loves her wine! Every wine I tried was amazing including the champagne we had for dessert!
The staff was attentive and they even ordered roses for me to surprise my wife with when we arrived (although they weren't ready for us when we arrived - they came a few minutes late). Additionally, we got some chocolate body paint as a little gift. (I'll refrain from reviewing THAT portion of the night!)
I had a great Valentine's Dinner and I highly suggest Rice to anyone either staying at the W or just wanting an enjoyable dining experience downtown.
Came here for lunch with a co-worker around noon on Thursday. There were 3 other tables but otherwise the place was empty.
Our lemonades took at least 5 minutes to come out even though there were 2 waiters and 3 bussers milling around.
We ordered the mussels appetizer, the grilled cheese/soup combo, and the shrimp udon.
The app didn't come out for at least 30 minutes, even after we had notified the waiter that we had to be out of there by 1 oclock. Our food didn't come out until 12:45 - 40 minutes after we ordered it. I refuse to believe that it takes 40 minutes to cook a grilled cheese sandwich and heat up some soup.
As for the food:
The mussels were okay
My grilled cheese and soup was decent but not worth 13 dollars. The "salad" was a mysterious vegetable that tasted bitter and looked like something a rabbit might eat. Maybe I am too uncultured for this type of cuisine.
My friends shrimp udon looked ok - he said it was fine but also not worth 15 dollars.
Portions were rather small - I felt hungry after leaving. Due to the location this restaurant should realize that at least some of the customers will be workers who don't have the luxury of a 2-hour lunch. They need faster service if they want to cater to this lunch crowd, especially for just a grilled cheese.
Next time we'll go to Karl Strauss next door, which by the way was packed with the white-collar lunch crowd. Maybe they'll be able to make a grilled cheese in less than 40 minutes.
I went here for a girlfriend's birthday dinner and it was cute. It's located at the W Hotel so you know it's trendy. It was kinda dark and there was 1 other party there having dinner.
Our waitress provided us with excellent service and was very helpful with the menu. The menu was pretty limited, I expected a little more to chose from. The food was ok, we did the "take a bite, pass it to the right" routine so we can try a little bit of everything. Nothing I tried screamed superb for me to want to come back.
We had ordered some drinks, Porn Stars. Loved the name so we had to try. It was good but a little too strong cause it was a martini.
It's a pricey restaurant, the food was just ok, parking sucked, but the service was excellent along with the ambiance. Give it a shot if you have money to burn.
WAY overpriced. Pretentious. Too little food.
Judge for yourself:
2 small cups of tomato soup + 2 small grilled cheese sandwiches + 1 iced tea = + $5 (~15%) tip = $35!?
NO!! Had I not taken my boss to lunch, I would not have gone here. I will NEVER go here again. Go to Karl Strauss around the corner. At least you get more value for your money.
This place simply sucks.
If only the price of the food was a teeny bit lower and the service a tiny bit more attentive, I would give this place 5 stars!!
Either way, this place has pretty good food!!! I went with two other girls to try their food. I had gone prior to sip on wine and 'party' at 'the beach' (which is also very interesting!!) but yes, their food is good and i never seemed to have trouble getting seated. i enter, seats available.. but maybe because i went around 7pm or later.
their dessert is AMAZING! i think it was something like a chocolate fondant! (please try)
One morning during my stay at the W Hotel, I had an early appointment at the spa across the street, but was absolutely famished for breakfast. Seeing as how my appointment was less than an hour away, I opted to just go downstairs to Rice, hoping I'd be able to have a quick, but tasty breakfast.
Mission accomplished.
I had a delicious dish called "Hot N' Frisky" which was spicy chilaquiles (tortilla slices simmered in salsa) with poached eggs, queso fresco and avocado. I washed it all down with a glass of fresh orange juice. My waiter was quick and attentive (I should mention, however, that it was an early weekday morning and the place was pretty much empty, save for one other table of people in business suits... so I can't speak for how the service is when the place is really busy).
All in all: great food, great service. No complaints here.
I had the 5 course chef's menu for $65/person. This is the way to go at Rice.
You have to call them in advance when you make reservations and let them know you want the chef's 5 course menu. Ya know, give them ample time to prepare a delicious well rounded feast to impress you. When we walked in the hostess greeted us like "ohh so you guys are doing the chef's menu, excellent choice." They give good sized courses (not like those places where they call a spoon of something "course 1"). The service was very attentive, dishes brought out in a timely manner. All the courses were pretty solid. The only one that didn't impress me was the dessert course. Dessert is definitely not their strong point.
I wouldn't order a la carte because you end up paying more for less food. Its better to go balls out and get the 5 course menu and get more bang for your buck. Great restaurant.
i came here with some friends after a trip to vegas. we ate at a few high end restaurants in LV run by world famous iron chefs. we all agreed that the food at rice was better.
i don't remember what everyone got but i had the beef tenderloin with the blue cheese mashed potatoes *drool*. it was fantastic. i think a couple of people had the braised short ribs and also loved it. we also got the really freaking good chocolate cake which lived up to its name.
it's a little pricey, but worth it for a semi special night out. -1 for their super annoying web site. if Leah the W hotel shill is reading this, go smack your marketing department.
I ate here a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and was surprised at how empty the restaurant was. I've eaten there years ago and wasn't that impressed, the same went for this visit. My friend wanted the sea bass, but they served the last piece to another table. I had the halibut and it was okay. The ambiance of the place was nice, but I was also surprised at how much older the crowd was considering it was part of the W Hotel (which usually draws a younger 20-something group of kids).
I gave this place three stars because their staff was friendly and the service was great.
Usually rice fills me up, but eating at Rice's makes me want to order a jumbo-sized California burrito at Cotixan's afterwards. Nonetheless, it receives 4 stars from me because I did like my plate of food (something involving rice, avocado, and marscapone cheese) when I dined there.
1. Food: Good but like many other "fancy" restaurants--they serve anorexic portions. I found the fusion approach to rice interesting, but I definitely liked my dish.
2. Service: Not great but not bad either. It can be slow even when the place is empty.
3. Price: At a quick glance it seems affordable but once the dish is served you will be wishing that you could get your money back.
Be prepared to eat beforehand, or walk away hungry if you prefer.
While the food was good, I can' t quite give this place 4 stars. We had dinner there on a Saturday night as part of my girlfriend's bachelorette weekend extravaganza. The place was eerily deserted for 8 pm on a Saturday night. For such a hip venue and apparently good reviews on Yelp, I would have expected more people there.
For the first 45 minutes or so, the service was appallingly slow. I had warned our server that I was pregnant (as if he could miss my giant belly) and hungry (is that redundant?) and yet he chose to clear the table of wineglasses before he took our dinner order. And the bread basket took forever to arrive. I think someone must have heard us complaining because after a while, service greatly improved. When I asked for a refill on the bread basket, it came back overflowing. That made me very happy. The server also presented the bachelorette with a complimentary dessert. Oh and speaking of dessert, the "really freak'n good chocolate cake" (warm chocolate cake with a peanut butter ganache) was worth every single calorie.
gag. the only reason i'm giving this place any stars at all is that i liked the decor, the server was really rad, and they bring you miniature bottles of ketchup and mustard. other than that, the food was putrid.
we went there for breakfast one morning, and sat outside, which was really pleasant. the bloody mary's were decent, so we thought we had just found a new favorite breakfast place. not so much. the food came and the whole mood changed. all we could do was laugh about how bland everything was. how to you f-up eggs and potatoes, and then charge $14 for it??? just ask the chef at Rice, whom they must have commissioned from a nursing home. no, not even. my grandma would have thought this "food" was lame too...
don't waste your time...
My dinner experience here was horrible. The wait staff didn't know anything about wine, in our party of six, everyone's food was either cold, over-cooked, dry, too salty, too sweet, or all of the above. My steak was well-done (a filet well done!!!!!!), and the panna cotta was rubbery, and you had a sneaking suspicion half the things they served were out of a box/can. We were one of six tables in the restaurant and the food took forever to be served on a Thursday evening. As you can guess, I was hesitant to go back for breakfast weeks later, but friends of mine were staying at the W, so I obliged. The chilaquilles were decent, but they couldn't make it spicy enough even after we requested extra spicy. The peanut butter french toast thing was the sugariest thing I've had in my entire life. After three of us each took one bite, we had to push it aside because out teeth hurt. We were on the patio on a beautiful day and for the two hours that we lounged there, we had refills on coffee, but every cup was lukewarm at best, and they said they had no way of producing a hot cup of coffee for us - a "fresh" brew was just as cold as the last.
I recommend lounging here, but you'll be greatly disappointed in the food and the service. I know others who have fallen into the "Oooo, that looks cool. Let's go there!" trap at Rice - don't you become a victim too!
Pros: At least the food looked cute, nice bar/lounge scene, good-looking people, decent mixed drinks.
Cons: Food was poor, expensive, service was sub-standard for the price and expected caliber.
Mmmmm.... Pomegranate Martini's. Enough said.
Rice is the restaurant inside of the W Hotel in Downtown. A very snazzy venue with pretty good food and great service. A great date restaurant especially because of the W Lobby and "the Beach" for after dinner. The menu is pretty modern California fusion cuisine and its pretty tasty. I think its pretty pricey relative to other better restaurants in Downtown where Id spend my money first. But as I mentioned above, the added Lobby and Beach make it a full night out over at the W.
No question this place is spendy, but the menu is very creative and the food is superb. Usually bring guests here for a nice, formal dinner with a little flair. And they give you cotton candy with the bill...c'mon, that's priceless (at least, that's what you'll be hoping when you SEE the bill). Haven't had a bad dish or appetizer here. Also, the atmosphere is elegant, modern and interesting. Might be a little too "LA" or NY chic for some, but go with the right attitude and enjoy.
If you ever want to seem cooler than you are, invite friends here! Just walk in wearing your sunglasses a bit longer than usual and then mosey on over to the" hot hostess" and get a table, and voila your "instantly cool". This place feels cool, the name is "awful" but the food and presentation is great. Can't beat the annex over to the W hotel lobby bar!
Nothing can be better than having another amazing restaurant in the W Hotel!
I brought my local SD friends here on a visit from NYC. The atmosphere is great, staff nice and drinks - YUM! The food was overall quite nice - the meat entrees being the best along with a green bean dish.
Ugh is right, terrible service from the kids they hired for looks right off the street with absolutely no food knowledge whatsoever. And who knows what they are doing in the kitchen to turn out food so bland? The owners should have spent some of the money they used to redecorate the lobby of the W on hiring decent waitstaff and a take charge chef. Pretty to look at tho', if that's your thing.
4 stars over 3.5 b/c of the nice decor. i came here years ago for dinner and it was good but really just average with fancy packing. lunch (5 years later) really wasn't all that different. the menu selection was very limited and the although well executed everything kind of fell short. it wasn't that it was bad but the service was slow and there was nothing truly specatular... unfortunately, i think this place will continue to draw people b/c the W is the place to go with it's very excellent faux beachside hotel bar (on the 6th floor i think).
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Neighborhood: Gaslamp
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Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: American (New)
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: American (New)
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