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Tabule Restaurant
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
535 4th Ave(between Island Ave & Market St)
San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhoods: Gaslamp, East Village
(619) 238-0048
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 4 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 4 pm - 12 am
Sun 4 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Currant's cuisine embodies a mixture of classic French technique with the soul of a home cooked meal.Currant's New American menu served in a beautifully… read more »
247 reviews for Tabule Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The sea bass was absolutely amazing."
(in 71 reviews)
"Thai Baby-Back Ribs HH 7.50 - very succulent and juicy."
(in 8 reviews)
"Very good ceviche with a variety of choices."
(in 97 reviews)
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247 reviews in English
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Review from Maribel F.
San Diego, CA
1/14/2012 2 photos
We recently had an early dinner at Tabule after walking the pup, since we hadn't been there in quite a long time and they have puppy friendly outside seating.
We both LOVE ceviche so we had to start with the Ceviche Trio...
*Tuna Ceviche (ahi, cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, cilantro, avocado & red onions)
*White Sea Bass Ceviche (w/ green bell pepper, green tomatoes, scallions, capers, serrano chili & avocado)
*Caracol Ceviche (conch, tomatoes, red onions, ginger, cilantro & avocado).
My favorite was the tuna ceviche since I love ahi tuna! It had nice big chunks of ahi which went nicely with the onion and tomato. My least favorite was the caracol ceviche. If you've ever been to the Bahamas and eaten conch salad, you know what fresh conch tastes like. Unfortunately, Tabule didn't have fresh conch so their ceviche was chewy. The white sea bass was the lightest and most refreshing tasting of the three. The small baked tostadas they serve with the ceviches are also nice, crunchy, and non-greasy.
We were pretty full after the ceviches, so we decided to share an entree. We ordered the Seared Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna (topped with fresh crab meat and a 5 chili thai reduction sauce, served with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini & asparagus). We thought the sides were going to be weird combined with the tuna, but boy were we wrong. The tuna was really delicious with the thai reduction sauce. The garlic mashed potatoes were chunky and had the right amount of garlic. Even the veggies were also cooked nicely. Needless to say, we devoured everything on the plate!
Since they had some cocktail specials, we also ordered a mojitini, mango martini and a citrus drop. All good with the mango martini being my favorite!
Service was great and the friendly hostess kept playing with my pup and even gave her dog treats! Your bill can add up especially if you order many appetizers, which you will be tempted to do. I recommend the Seared Diver Scallops, Mesquite Shrimp & Octopus, and Mesquite Duck Tacos that I've had here on previous occasions.
We have to remember to come back to Tabule more often!Listed in: Puppy Friendly Places
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Review from Penny L.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food was different and pretty good but I found it overpriced.
I ordered two mojitos at $12.00 each and they were not nearly as good as the ones I get at On The Border.
We also ordered a tuna wrap appetizer and the sushi tabule. They were good but not for the price. -
Review from Wilfred W.
Monterey Park, CA
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
LOL.... yelp had that "it was fun, lets go again"
then... the horrible memory of this place came back to me.
about a yr ago i went to this place... lets put it this way.... I don't mind spending money on good food, but i really don't like getting scammed for crappy food at a pretty resturant.
take your date or family there if they ...
1. have never had good food
2. does not have a tongue
3. does not have functioning tastebuds.
OK OK OK you got me.
Maybe its not that trashy....
But its not worth ur while and probably that 30 dollar per person that you are planning to spend.
this place screws over the gaslamp district food quality if u ask me.
ALL HAIL SD! -
Review from Acey F.
San Diego, CA
12/21/2011
Im giving this place 4 stars because we came here Tuesday happy hour so we owned it and no crowd at all. Roberto was vey accommodating and gave us great cocktail drink recommendations. He is also the bartender of the place. We ordered 4 apps - shrimp & mushroom portabella, thai baby back ribs, fillet mignon carpaccio, and duck tacos. My favortire is the portabella and the ribs. They are the bomb! My husband tried 3 different kinds of mojito - tamarind, guava, and pomagranate. I had the house chardonnay wine and tamarind martini. We love all of them. This is a GREAT HAPPY HOUR place in Gaslamp. Worth a visit.
Happy hour 4p-6p - half price apps and drinks. -
Review from Kalie F.
Colorado Springs, CO
12/11/2011
I ate here with a few friends, and was not impressed. The food was way overpriced. I asked the my hotel concierge for a good vegetarian restaurant, and this one was recommended. There were not even vegetarian dishes on the menu, besides, typical salads. The salads were small, and expensive! The potato soup (usually creamy and thick at most restaurants) here was watery, thin, not very flavorful, tasted like they served the potato water (the water you boil potatoes in), super nasty. My friend ordered the kolby beef raviolis, I tried them and they were good, but also, expensive, and the portion was small, like 4 raviolis, I think my friend was still hungry. The martinis were not even that good, and a huge rip off! I would Never come here again and would Not recommend. I will say however, our Mexican server was friendly.
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Review from B N.
Alexandria, VA
1/23/2012
Just arrived from east coast so timing was off for a SoCal dinner - we were early for any crowd. Even so, service was superb, as one should expect, but it was also well paced which we appreciated. Fillet carpaccio was to die for - really! It's was a classic rendition with capers, onion, parsley and olive oil, and really well done. Tuna ceviche was even better, and a well sized serving too boot. Wine is moderately priced and there's a good selection. Easy wander from the Marriott or any hotel in the Gas lamp area of San Diego. Highly recommended!
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Review from yvo s.
Saratoga, CA
8/6/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Out of so many restaurants in the Gaslamp district, I had the luck of picking Tabule based on the pretty good reviews on Yelp. The evening started off well as we were greeted by the nice hostess at the entrance (that's where the 1 star comes from) Downhill now on....
After given us the menu, our server started telling us about their "tonight's special". Everything was "VERY GOOD"....."our special today is a VERY GOOD bone-in rib-eye, that is VERY GOOD. and also it comes with a VERY GOOD lobster tail...." O..K.............so my boyfriend and I ended up ordering: a shrimp ceviche, soup of the day (also suppose to be VERY GOOD), garlic butter chilean sea bass, and a medium-rare rib-eye + lobster tail.
The only "sorta good" dish was the ceviche. Seabass was ok, but over-seasoned on the outside. Everything else...disappointment. The salmon-bisque was salty, the rib-eye steak was chewy, and the lobster tail had the texture of the ones we stock up our my freezer.. =/
Then comes the time when the server returns and asked the money question, "how's everything?" Just when I was about to open my mouth, the server answered his own question. "VERY GOOD right"...uh...No......."the soup was salty, the fish was over seasoned, and the steak was charred on the outside and bloody inside..and clearly, the lobster was not fresh. But we'll have the check please."....Oops...Wrong answer patron, Mr. Server did not like my answer as his face turned green, said, "ok. I talk to the kitchen".
Mr. Server later returned and asked if we wanted dessert on the house for what happened... Owner of Tabule...your VERY GOOD server needs some training (how to describe your dishes and how to wait). For a $$$ restaurant, I would expect a little better food and a trained server. If you want to comp. a dessert, you bring it out, you don't just offer verbally, especially if there's only ONE VERY GOOD choice. -
Review from Lalaine C.
San Diego, CA
You know when your friend sets you up on a blind date, and you ask, "So, is she cute?" and your friend replies, "She has a GREAT personality!" Well, this is Tabule. The food doesn't look all that appetizing, but it does have substance!
YOU FIRST EAT WITH YOUR EYES.
True dat! No matter how good a dish might really taste, first and foremost, does it LOOK good?
I was so counting down the days until we went to Tabule in the Gaslamp because I l.o.v.e international cuisine. When we arrived, we did a once-over of the inside of the restaurant (not all that), and decided to sit outside on the patio. It also happened to be Comic-Con weekend so we wanted to watch the costumed geeks parade by ;)
After a long deliberation, I decided on the Tabule Chilean Sea Bass, despite that it's a non-sustainable fish :( I've read a couple of reviews that swear it was the best they've ever tasted, so I was banking on that! Julius ordered the Chicken Madeira, to my surprise (if Lean Cuisine has a version of it, I don't order it!)
So when our orders arrived, the dishes just looked off. My fish was buried under haphazardly assembled, coarsely chopped vegetables, and the placement of the single asparagus spear was peculiar (right in between a couple of slices of zucchini, ahem.) The mashed potatoes looked almost thrown on the plate. As for Julius' dish: u-g-l-y, you don't need no alibi, you ugly! The chicken looked it was taken out of a frozen bag. You don't fool me with those "grill marks" either! He also had a mound of potato chunks on his plate that looked dehydrated and spray tanned orange. Tabule garnishing the edges of the plate with I dunno, dried parsley? Not a good look!
HUNGER IS THE BEST SAUCE.
So, we basically licked our plates clean. Surprise! Looks aren't everything, how dare you think we're shallow ;) My fish was tasty, but I've had moister and flakier. Julius said his chicken was a bit dry, and the potatoes were the best thing on the plate. As we ate, we kept critiquing our meals as if we were judging the next Iron Chef, but the proof is in the pudding - there was not a single morsel of food left on either of our plates LOL! So was it really that good, OR were we just so damn hungry that we would've eaten anything? We'll give Tabule the benefit of the doubt! -
Review from Sean T.
Norfolk, VA
8/3/2011
Per the reviews, I went with the Chilean sea bass and it was quite good. Perfectly cooked, nice and flaky - nice change of pace from the raw mess that was served at The Oceanaire a while back. My only gripe is that the menu states this is served with black beans. I counted 3. Literally 3 beans. If it's a listed ingredient, shouldn't there be a bit more?
The wine selections are nice as well, and the red that was recommended by the bar tender was a great choice.
But I have to agree with some of the other reviews in that I think this is a tad bit overpriced for dinner, but nothing outrageous. For dessert I had the lava cake. It was good, but I've had better - it lacked love. The cake was meh, but delicious melting chocolate always saves the day.
Lots of blue hairs here though - makes me want to shout BINGO!! -
Review from Beth W.
5/17/2011
Hubs and I went to Tabule on a Tuesday evening for an impromptu date night.
The restaurant is small and the decor simple, yet modern. The menu is eclectic. The service was impeccable for a busy evening.
We started off with the Filet Mignon Carpaccio and Hearts of Palm Salad with Mango. The carpaccio was accompanied by capers, red onions and parmesan cheese. The salad had julienned hearts of palm, lettuce with goat cheese, mango, carmelized walnuts, tomatoes with chipotle dressing. Both were absolutely delicious. Although the carpaccio was good on its own, we found it most tasty when paired with the mustard and jalapeno sauces that came with the complimentary warm bread.
For our entrees, Hubs had the Garlic Butter Chilean Sea Bass and I had the Tabule Chilean Sea Bass - both of which are the chef's specialty. Hubs' dish speaks for itself. My sea bass was topped with roasted green tomatoes, julian cucumber, mango and black beans. I preferred the Tabule Sea Bass over the garlic butter. Our entrees came with the utmost creamy mashed potatoes and vegetable medley. Hubs and I are huge fans of Chilean Sea Bass when prepared correctly....we call it the "crab fish" because its texture.
After two glasses of wine, a beer, an appetizer, salad and two empty plates, our bill came to about $140 before tip.
We had a fantastic time and will certainly return to this establishment. -
Review from Svetlana V.
San Diego, CA
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had Ahi Tuna and it was amazing!
The place is really nice. It's a white linen kind of place. So, expect it to be expensive! For instance, their drinks are tiny and cost around $15 each. -
Review from Laura H.
Updated - 7/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's been a while, but I came back with a groupon for dinner. I still really like this place! The food is kinda all over the place as far as style, but it's all really good so that's what actually matters.
Finally tasted the ceviche and it was BOMB. Loved it. I had the sea bass one with cucumbers and avocado and we kept telling the waiter to not take it away until we had finished every last bit. Also had a really good salad and the chipotle pasta with alfredo sauce. The pasta stands out because it had such a unique flavor with the heat in the pasta itself. Yum!
My friends remembered the arrachera tacos from our previous visit over a year ago, which really says something -- and ordered it again.
It was pretty quiet during the week, which was my experience last time. Definitely worth a visit for a romantic dinner or happy hour!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/9/2010
Tuesday happy hour til close people!! I almost want to keep it a secret all to myself to make sure… Read more »
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Review from P J.
San Diego, CA
8/7/2011
Yay for Tabule! I've been here twice and will continue to come back. The atmosphere is cute and they have a variety of choices on the menu.
One thing I will say is that the last time I went, I ordered a specific dish because it said it came with mashed potatoes (what can I say, I love me some potatoes). When my entree arrived, there weren't any! I mentioned this to the waiter who told me that it was not supposed to come with potatoes. Before I could get a menu to point it out to him, he offered to bring me a small plate. The rest of my meal was fantastic :)
Overall, the experience was great! -
Review from Jennifer H.
Los Angeles, CA
7/18/2011
Great little place! I randomly stumbled across this page because it was a monday night and all the places I'd wanted to go to at the gaslamp were closed, and man! was this a good choice. Pricey, but good.
We definitely felt out of place: 4 college students in really casual clothing - everybody else was dressed to the nines and at least 25 years older, but the dinner was sort of a celebration, so we ambled right in.
I started with a filet mignon carpaccio: holy crap. I was so scared to eat this because I had never had raw meat before, but wow. I am definitely doing this again. It was a little fiesta in my mouth (is that term pc? this isn't even the right type of cuisine. whatever.) yummmmm.
Moved on to a white sea bass ceviche, which I kind of regretted because I'd already had so much tangy lemony goodness going on with the raw cow to kill the germs there - my tongue was not too happy by the end of the meal, but at the beginning of this, I was in heaven. A bit overkill with the cucumber in my opinion, but definitely quality sea bass.
I also tried a bit of my friend's sushi bowl or whatever it was called, and it was seriously so delicious. SO delicious.
We also tried a few margaritas, I can't recall which ones, but they were perfect with the meal.
OH I almost forgot about the bread. You can't forget about the bread! Well, the bread itself wasn't that great, but the sauces that it came with - mix them together and spread a bit of both onto the slices: it is really freaking good.
Can't remember too much about service, but I recall having a good time, so I'd recommend this if you're looking for something different than the usual hash house or ribs in SD. -
Review from david p.
Moorpark, CA
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
table was RSVP for a party of 7 and we arrived a little later , no problem! OK I am liking this place already. A drink later and I got the fillet Mignon 9oz with mashes potatoes and sauteed veggies. The meat was nice and tender and cooked just as I asked. More sauce on the steak would have been nice. Service was nice and pleasant. Now on to location. Located in the gas-lamp nice interior and ambiance. Don't be afraid to be loud in here people!
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Review from Robyn I.
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Here's the deal - the food is really good, the decor is really nice, but it's a little too overpriced to get me to come back. So, because it is so overpriced I dropped it down a star to 3.
We had the ceviche sampler which was the tuna, salmon, and white Chilean sea bass. I loved the tuna and sea bass, but really all 3 were amazing. Really, really good. Tried the signature dish, the Tabule Chilean white sea bass, and it was very good. Cooked perfectly. Also had the thai baby back ribs which were good. The kobe beef raviolis were just okay for me, the sauce tasted sugary like Ragu or something.
I don't quite understand what sort of restaurant it is... Mexican? seafood? steakhouse? Asian? Italian? American? Our server said "we are a little of everything". That may explain why their drink menu was some weird white laminated deal that looked like it was snagged from a bar in Old Town.
I think I'm so not impressed because I can think of 10 other restaurants downtown that might have slightly better food, the same cool decor, and slightly lower prices, so I wouldn't find a reason to come back here. That probably explains why we were there on a Friday and the place was completely empty inside. Seriously... there was one other table of people besides ours in the entire place.
However... if you are really dying for some amazing ceviche and don't mind the price, I would say I have a 4-start restaurant to send you to. -
Review from Shelbie B.
Sacramento, CA
6/16/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The Sea Bass was indeed DEEEEELIGHTFUL! Highly recommend it!
The tamarindo martini was not to my liking, seemed like it was made of concentrated brown fruit juice and sweet and sour sugar around the glass... not pretty to look at either. The ambiance is perfect for a romantic date, or to impress that special someone. The staff was friendly, and the food was better than a lot of nice dinner places I have been!
YOU should definitely try it for a special occasion! -
Review from Troy A.
San Diego, CA
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
LOCALS, go here! A bit pricy for the area, but worth it! Our server...$...listened to everything he suggested and was happy.
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Review from Zildheam D.
San Diego, CA
3/29/2011
Nice lil restaurant. Celebrated a birthday here, good food and great Martinis. A bit over priced for my taste. For the same amount i would prefer the wine vault and the staff seemed a bit pushy with the wine so i removed one star. Not a bad experience and i would love to return for their happy hour.
Someone at our table loved the ceviche appetizer and i had the halibut as an entree, very nice. -
Review from Kyle H.
What can I say besides... thank God for stumbling into masterpieces of restaurants.
They give you bread with two sauces, one is green and one is yellow. The green one is very hot and the yellow is very mild. I didn't even venture the green one... but my "hot head" friends who like to eat things that melt Styrofoam said that it was good. I'll take their word at it.
I got the broiled chilean cod and my two other friends got the tuna and the salmon respectively. We all tried each other's meals and I can honestly say that nobody had a meal less than 8.5 stars.
My meal, the cod, was out of this world. I've never had meat feel like it melts in my mouth. When combined with the mashed potatoes, it was pure bliss. I am an absolute mashed potato whore and these were some of the best I've ever had. They not only made the flavor come out... but *scream* out.
With that said, everyone that was there dining that night (we went on New Years Day 2010) was still there when we were done... and we ate slow. The servers don't rush you and are helpful and funny.
I would love to bring a date here and enjoy the ambiance.
For 3 people, without alcohol, it cost us a smidge over $100. -
Review from Iska B.
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
After a long day a the Wild Animal Park, my companions and I headed into the Gaslamp district to grab some food. Obviously I used Yelp to figure out a place that was not too expensive and not too formal seeing as we were wearing the sort of clothing that one wears to tromp around an animal park all day.
We ended up trying out Tabule because of the high star rating and because it had only two dollar signs.
In retrospect this was a slight mistake because this is a nice place. Slightly fancy if you will. We looked really really out of place in our sneakers and jeans but major props to the restaurant for still seating us despite our sloppy appearance. I notice that many people make reservations but I believe we were there so early (senior citizen hour at like 5:30PM) that we had no problem getting seated. Another bonus to our early dining hour was that they were having a happy hour on the cocktails so I scored a Delicious mango margarita for like $4-5 (?). Definitely get the drinks here.
As for the food, it was pretty good! They are known for their ceviche and so of course we had to try that. As we had a no-fish eating member of our crew, we ended up with the shrimp. It was pretty delicious with a nice acidic bite and lots of other spices and flavors. Yum. I could probably have just eaten plate after plate of that honestly. I'd recommend it for sure. For a main course I went with the Tabule Chilean white sea bass everyone was raving about. While I found it to be good, I think overall it was a bit heavy and a drastic change from the fresh light ceviche I had just eaten. It was a consensus around the table that the entrees were a bit on the heavier side. Not to say anything was bad but they didn't quite wow like the ceviche did.
The service was stellar however, again despite our slovenly appearance, the waiters were all very kind and prompt with our dishes and the check. Much appreciated!
Overall I would definitely come back here for the drinks and the ceviche. The rest of the menu didn't really wow me and it was kinda pricey (not really a two dollar sign place in my opinion) so I'd probably skip on eating an entire meal here (unless of course it consisted of solely ceviche). The decor and the atmosphere of the place are lovely and cozy and romantic too. A solid four stars. -
Review from Shalina P.
Corona del Mar, CA
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
went here for a friend's bday dinner. the food was okay. the best thing on the menu are the ceviches.
i ordered scallops for my main dish and they were not seared, they were covered with some type of breading and so the texture was too soft and the flavor was bland. the other dishes looked mediocre. my friend actually had a decent dish. she ordered the grilled octopus which had a great lemon flavor and nice char.
i wouldn't go back to this place since there are so many other great places in SD. -
Review from Justin C.
Costa Mesa, CA
2/15/2011
Rib eye boneless Steak ($26) was cooked perfectly, juicy medium rare and very tender. It came with braised vegetables and a baked potato. The veggies were good and the potato was very good as well. Although the potato contained white cheese which was not necessary, I would have preferred it without due to the empty calories - you couldnt really taste the cheese. We got the lava cake for dessert which was just average since it want warm enough to melt the scoop of ice cream it came with.
Great service and great location. -
Review from Juv C.
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Starters: mesquite shrimp tacos and sweet & sour salad. Both were so good. Shrimp tacos were full of flavor and cheese. Salad had a fantastic dressing and was refreshing with tomatoes, feta, hearts of palm and candied walnuts. On a nice warm evening, this salad was the perfect start to the meal. Loved it.
Entrees: skirt steak and baked potato and salmon with jasmine rice. Both plates were delicious. The salmon was perfectly flaky and moist. Im pretty sure i cleaned my plate.
Being that it was SD, the weather was great to dine outside - nothing more relaxing than eating and having the warm breeze brush over you. The service was on point and the prices not bad at all. I would definitely eat here again the next time im in downtown san diego. -
Review from Anna R.
10/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
It was my first time in San Diego and although it was for business, I found time to catch up with a girlfriend and go for dinner and drinks. Using my Yelp mobile app, I spotted this sweet gem and we made our way over last Friday night. The place was packed, but luckily there was a table for two that just became available.
With 5 different ceviches on the menu and a "You HAVE to try at least one of them" from our cute waiter, we picked the tuna one. I'm glad we listened to our waiter, the ceviche was fresh, full of flavor and comparable to great ones I've had in Mexico.
Their specialty cocktail - tamarind martini with the liquor of your choice - is definitely not for everyone. Although the first few sips were surprisingly nice and...well...surprising...it just became a sticky, somewhat overly sweet drink we tried chugging down. Go for their wine list instead!
For a starter, we shared the Thai Back Back Ribs. They were slowly double roasted to the point that the meat just fell off the bone. My mouth is salivating right now just writing about them! They come in a thai chili mango reduction and had just the right kick to them offset by fresh cubes of mango. I would eat these any day!
We picked the special of the night as our entree - a filet with a malbec reduction, served with vegetables and a baked potato that was stuffed with sour cream and plenty of cheese. The meat was tender and cooked to a medium rare perfection like we asked for it. Accompany that with an Artesa cabernet sauvignon and you're in heaven.
One minor flaw: our server needed to be more trained on wine culture, especially with the decent list that they offer. He thought that Napa was 30 minutes from San Diego (?!?!?!) and in general wasn't very aware of how to pair wines with certain foods.
Great spot with amazing flavors. Good for date night or catching up with the girls!Listed in: Date Night Charms
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Review from Erin R.
San Diego, CA
2/15/2011
I left unhappy and unsatisfied.
This place was extremely overpriced for what they had to offer. My fiance and I wanted a light and fresh dinner so we each ordered a glass of white wine, a caesar salad and shared the trio of ceviche. The salads were flavorless and the ceviche was sloppy. When I got the bill my eyes almost popped out of my head... with a small tip it cost $100.
You live, you learn. It's not an experience I want to repeat. -
Review from Jenny O.
San Jose, CA
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was pretty disappointed with this restaurant. My expectations may have been set too high with the good ratings this place received on Yelp.
This place will forever be remembered by me as the place with the ATROCIOUS tiramisu. I checked in to the restaurant on Foursquare, and that earned me a free dessert. I was pretty excited about it and figured that could make up for my so-so entree experience. The waiter even let me choose from any of the desserts they offered. I went with classic tiramisu. It was TERRIBLE!! Seriously, it got a very strong reaction from everyone at our table. I wonder if they gave us a nasty dessert because it was free. :op My friends said it tasted soapy, rotten, spoiled, vomit-like, etc. Only one of my friends found it acceptable and polished it off, but even she said it did not taste like a normal tiramisu. I don't think I quite got the vomit/soap flavor, but it did leave behind a really bad aftertaste. With some experimentation, one of my friends concluded it may have been the cream on top. She asked the waiter when the tiramisu had been made (we were like has this been hanging around for days?) and at first he said it had been made earlier that day and then he backtracked and said it may have been made the day before. Who knows? But that was definitely the worst tiramisu I have ever had in my life. Blech!
As for the so-so entree experience I mentioned, I ordered the veal scallopini ala picatta and it was ok. Considering how much it cost, though, my veal should've been better than ok. One of my friends got the salmon wellington, and she wasn't pleased with her dish either. I think the salmon wound up overcooked and the pastry wasn't good either. The other 3 people in our party got the seared ahi tuna (the regular version and the sesame crusted spicier version) and they liked theirs. So if you do decide to go to this restaurant, the ahi tuna is apparently what you should be getting. From reviews, it looks like the ceviche might be good too, but almost all of them have cilantro and since we had someone who is very anti-cilantro, we declined to get one. If you hate cilantro too, consider yourself warned.
I was wavering between giving this place 1 star or 2 stars. I'd say the tiramisu experience pushed it over the edge to 1. And I wouldn't go back again. (I'd also have to go out of my way to go back because I live in Nor Cal so I only came here while I was in San Diego for Comic-Con.) The only reason I considered 2 stars was because the ahi tuna seemed good. But I actually kind of got a weird vibe from our waiter too. I dunno, maybe he seemed kind of pushy or something. -
Review from Matt J.
Seattle, WA
2/21/2011
High priced restaurant in the Gaslamp District. First off, I have no idea why this place is called Tabule... it serves no middle eastern or mediterranean cuisine whatsoever. Why they have pre-frozen and imported seafood on their menu when they are mere feet from an ocean is baffling to me. I ordered the "special" of the day which was Monkfish, figuring that if it was on "special," it might be fresh.
I was wrong. What they had actually meant by "special" was that it was about to rot in their fridge and they needed to sell it before then. Or, possibly they meant that the chef that perpared it had just got off of a short yellow bus on his way to the restaurant. Regardless, after eating the first bite, I felt like the dude on Spaceballs at the diner who ordered the "special" only to have a showtunes singing alien erupt from his abdomen and dance across the counter. They had apparently missed their window and the fish was quite bad. I would have demanded a different entree but it was so nauseating, I could no longer eat anything else.
Overall, an awful experience at quite a high-priced restaurant. -
Review from Liz K.
Laguna Niguel, CA
2/18/2011
Watch out for the green sauce that comes with the bread they bring out... they didn't warn us and the fiery habanero sure gave our tongues a KICK. A surprise, but still pretty good. We couldn't decide which ceviche to try so we ordered the trio: White Sea Bass, Shrimp, and Tuna. This dish was amazing and my personal favorite was the white sea bass.
This place is cozy and fabulous. Try is out! -
Review from Shaye G.
2/22/2011
We came here to celebrate our anniversary. We made reservations through Open Table but it didn't look like that was necessary since we made them for 5pm and we were the first patrons there. Throughout our whole meal, there were about 3 other groups there, so I'm wondering if it was the rain or the time that kept Tabule steady, but not busy.
We knew it was Happy Hour (5pm-6pm daily) and I recommend that if you go here, you should really take advantage of their Happy Hour which is half-off their appetizers and drinks. Huge savings considering one of the appetizers we ordered (Thai Baby Back Ribs) were I believe $18 normally. Whoa. But they were definitely good...just not sure if they're $18 good. Hmm...
We started with a mango martini for me and a beer for the Hubby. Their complimentary sliced French baguettes alone were satisfying - it comes with a green spicy salsa and a creamy aioli-like spread. I tried both spreads and they were very good and unlike many restaurants, they actually keep the bread basket filled! We also ordered the duck rolled tacos which were very good - not greasy and instead of guacamole which you'd get at a fast food place, they serve it with sliced avocado.
We ordered the kobe beef ravioli (me) and the salmon wellington (Hubby) for our dinner entrees. I have to say, the wait was a bit long but thank goodness for that bread basket! Our server was very attentive and our water glasses were always full. Alas, we got our dinner and it was very good and plentiful. We skipped out on dessert because we were so full.
Overall, we loved the experience - not sure if it was because it wasn't crowded that night that we received stellar service, but hey, we'll take it.
Other notes:
-On Yelp it says that it's dressy attire, but we were both wearing jeans and nice tops. We saw others who were wearing tennis shoes though.
-Expect to spend quite a bit here but remember to take advantage of Happy Hour. It's probably a good idea to get in there right at 5pm.
-There was a group that had a small child with them but I wouldn't consider Tabule to be a kid-friendly place. -
Review from Poulina K.
Kirkland, WA
10/11/2010
First time in the Gas Lamp district and this was our first stop for dinner and cocktails with coworkers and clients.
Service was fast, pleasant and accurate. Great cocktails, delicious food. Try any ceviche on the menu and you won't be disappointed. I had the filet Mignon for dinner, which was perfectly medium rare with a rich mushroom/wine reduction sauce...Yumm!
Later in the evening they were playing jazz covers...This place would rock for a small group or a romantic dinner!Listed in: Swanky, Sexy, Stylish &…
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Review from Jennifer T.
San Jose, CA
12/12/2010
I don't know where to start. My rating for the food is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the service. Service was superb and attentive, while the food was astonishing and close to inedible. I wish it was the other way around.
I ordered the lasagna. When it came out it looked hot and delicious. While I was waiting for other's food to arrive, I sneaked a lick of the sauce to taste and was completely caught off guard by how SALTY it was. Thinking that I surely needed to try out the dish as a whole I brushed it off. But to no avail, as everyone started to chow down, I wanted to up chuck my first bite. :(
Perhaps it was just my taste buds? No, I asked everyone at my table to have a bite and they agreed -- it was WAY too salty. For the rest of the night I ended up picking at my bf's Salmon Ceviche (not bad) and pushed aside my lasagna. It was beyond disgusting.
Like I said, service was excellent. Water refilled constantly and bread served quickly. Our waiter was very patient and helpful having to deal with 9 debit cards for the bill (we had a party of 16).
Maybe they mistook the salt for the sugar in my lasagna, I don't know. Whatever happened to this dish...I surely will not find out because I won't be returning.
1/5 food
4/5 service
2.5 STARS. -
Review from Emily R.
11/7/2010 1 photo
I was in San Diego with my girls for the weekend and we were in the mood for tapas. Well, Sevilla had too long a wait, and we were starving. The host at Sevilla recommended Tabule to us, so we gave it a chance.
This place was fantastic. The waitstaff was pleasant and helpful. The restaurant is small, but cozy and trendy. I tried a tamarind mojito and it was delicious.
The ceviche was delicious and unusually prepared. Everyone in my party as very happy we stumbled on this place.
I was very pleasantly suprised by this place. -
Review from Erika G.
San Diego, CA
5/5/2011
Love the Tamarindo Martinis and tuna ceviche.
All of the plates have the most amazing spices. About a year ago I walked in and sat at the bar and spoke to the owner, turns out he is the nicest guy ever.
I will continue to support this yummy establishment. -
Review from Jimmy H.
1/31/2011
Definitely a cute place to take your significant other on a date. Dimly lit, great space with a great ambiance, and friendly servers --I'm willing to go back.
The first time I came here I ordered the Chipotle Fettucini. It wasn't anything spectacular, so enough about that.
The second time I ordered the Veal Scallopini ala Picatta and wow, that veal was just perfection. With a perfect hint of lime in the linguini I changed my mind about this place. I definitely didn't think the capers were necessary to the dish but everything else was great. My friends had ordered a bunch of other dishes. Notably, the shrimp ceviche was pretty delectable and so was the New York Steak.
One thing though was that my friend had ordered medium-rare, you know a dry steak ain't no steak, and she got one that was almost well-done. Blasphemy! it was her birthday too. They happily replaced it with one that was adequately rare... a true test of a mediocre restaurant is how they handle slip ups as such... we all know a great restaurant never messes up though. -
Review from T T.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2011
More along the 3 & 1/2 stars for me.
Place was half empty when we arrived on Friday night. Dimly lit & with kind of a modern decor. The "Starters" menu seemed to offer more interesting options than the Main Entrees one. The latter offers the basic steak & pasta fare for what i consider to be on the expensive side. We proceeded to order 4 starters as our meal: Mesquite Shrimp and Octopus, Lettuce Duck Wraps, Thai Baby Back Ribs & White Chilean Sea Bass Ceviche - everything was pretty good. The spicy green salsa & some type of aioli/mayo sauce that they serve along with their sliced french bread were my most favorite thing here. We also ordered 2 mojitos (the original & mango flavored one) - they were ok - not enough mints & rum for us. Overall, a decent place, i just think that it's a bit overpriced for the food/drinks quality -
Review from Jorgen M.
Salt Lake City, UT
Updated - 1/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had reviewed this restaurant before at a 4-star and after last night, it loses a star.
First let me say that the ceviche is fantastic and the Tabule Clay Pot Seabass is great, always cooked perfectly. The martini's were also very good
Where they lose marks are on some of their other dishes. The Pasta & shrimp was so disappointing...the pasta was undercooked, the sauce pasty and in a $28 pasta you would expect more than three lousy shrimp. Next up was the Duck special,way to chewy and fatty. I will give this place a shot again in the future, as they can do some things so right1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/17/2010
This is a cool little restaurant with very good service and terrific food. The atmosphere is kind of… Read more »
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Review from Chrissie O.
Escondido, CA
1/4/2011
The waiter was really nice and the food was good and all but I was very disappointed when I went with my cousin and her friends.
Well what happened was one of the girls wanted kobe ravioli. They apparently didn't have it but ended up making the lobster ravioli for her. It was what I ordered as well. Instead of asking her when they realized they didn't have it they just went ahead and made the lobster ravioli for her. That was disappointing. She was taking bites of everyones food because she wasn't interested in the dish they gave her. They offered to make a different dish for her but really inconvenient because she had to wait for that while everyone else had their food.Listed in: Shame on you!
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Review from Tim A.
Long Beach, CA
1/14/2011
This place has a nice interior decor. It is welcoming and modern, at the same time. We stumbled upon the owner purely by accident while waiting for our table at the bar. She was very friendly and cheerful. A nice start to our New Year's Eve. We had been here a few years ago for NYE, and everyone had a great time.
The crowd was great. It seemed like a true melting pot of cultures--enjoying food that you can't quite pinpoint the derivation of, either. We had some ceviche with the Chilean Sea Bass. The dish was excellent. The fish tasted very fresh, and the flavors very citrusy, and not too much onion overpowering the dish. We also had a porcini mushroom with shrimp and crab appetizer which also was great. And the shrimp was awesome. My entree was the baked/broiled/or magically prepared half duck with some chipotle berry reduction. I don't remember exactly--it was NYE. But it was the best duck I have had. Both times!!
The service was excellent. Our waiter really seemed to enjoy his job, and he was extremely helpful in making menu decisions.
Overall, "As good as it gets!" -
Review from Christina W.
San Diego, CA
11/8/2010
I came here for a group dinner event on a Saturday night. Waiter described the first special as a bone-in filet. I asked him what kind of filet, and then he said, bone-in rib-eye. Then he tried explaining it like a porterhouse, which was all pretty confusing if you're not a regular red-meat eater. The second special was a pasta dish with squid ink, and other seafoods. I read the menu about 3 times and couldn't find anything unique or special.
I ended up ordering a salmon ceviche (since the waiter recommended the ceviches) and the Tabule Bombay Chicken. The salmon ceviche was served with some kind of crispy dough that tasted burnt. I decided to just eat the pretty decent ceviche without that. The Bombay Chicken had a nice tasting sauce which is what I think made the dish, or else it wouldn't be anything you couldn't make at home.
I felt the menu items were overpriced for what the restaurant offered. In addition to there being nothing of interest on the menu, the customer service was barely there. We had a party of 18, but only one waiter. Our waters were never refilled during our meal, and I was told that they couldn't do separate checks, which resulted in our party spending about an hour trying to figure out why we were coming up short. I thought it would have helped if the restaurant offered to split the bill for different sections of the table.
I would not revisit again or recommend this restaurant.
