STEPH JUDGEMENT: Luxurious-casual hotel eatery with great food and service. My friends and I had dinner here after our spa treatments at the hotel. There was a bit of a wait for our table so we caught the happy hour at the bar: I had the California mimosa and a friend had a Truth Serum--both well-made and delicious. Also, some really good Happy hour deals, which was surprising for a hotel like this. Once our table was ready we were led to a large comfortable booth. The dining room decor was in keeping with the rest of the Grand Del Mar's appealing historic California aesthetic. We shared the Brioche with honey butter to start, which was to was to die for--so soft and warm. A friend and I split the handmade cavatelli (wonderful handmade texture) and halibut (very juicy and delicious). They also split the food into separate dishes for us at no extra cost, which I thought was a very classy touch. I finished things off with a very good decaf coffee with cream. Our main server seemed a bit harried, but it was the busy holiday season after all, and the support staff was there to make sure water glasses were filled and dishes whisked away in a timely manner. It was a very nice experience overall. read more

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When you read the reviews mentioning the service is horrendous, BELIEVE THEM. We have tried numerous high-end restaurants all over San Diego and internationally and Amaya, by far, was one of the worst experiences we've had. Reservation was at 12 - food came out at 1:40. When we asked for ketchup, the server was clearly annoyed with our request. A party of 5 came after us as a walk in and had to wait 25 minutes to be seated - yet all of them received their food before us. However, I know they also didn't receive the most pleasant service. They asked for coke and coffee numerous times waiting patiently in between. In the end, they left before us and I don't believe they received their drinks. The avocado toast was one slice smaller than the size of my palm. The taste was bland and it seems like they intentionally left out the lime. How do you serve avocado toast without lime!!!! $30 for that is a JOKE. The chicken chilaquiles had a bone and once I bit into that, I couldn't eat it anymore, it grossed me out. We didn't finish the dessert. No wonder they offer the brunch 3 course meal for $75. They know it's a joke and I wish we hadn't fallen for it! I will never ever go back and will make sure to let our friends know that it's a waste of time. There are SO MANY better restaurants with superior service and food. This one isn't it. read more

Amaya at the Fairmont in San Diego is a place we end up at pretty often when we're staying at the property, and every visit has been a good experience for our family. Breakfast and lunch are both solid and exactly what you want from a hotel restaurant. Good options, fresh, and easy when you don't feel like leaving the resort. Nothing over the top, but reliable and satisfying. Dinner is where it really stands out. The steak was cooked perfectly and full of flavor, easily the highlight of the meal, and the rest of the dishes were just as well executed. The setting at night is beautiful and makes the whole experience feel more special and relaxed. Because of our visits, I was honestly surprised reading some of the other reviews. Our service has always been attentive, the food has come out well paced, and my whole family has had a great time each time we've dined here. If you're staying at the Fairmont, it's absolutely worth having at least one dinner here. Great atmosphere, consistently good food, and a standout steak. read more

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The service was very good and the presentation of the food excellent. I think the duck fat should've been rendered better, but the flavor of the duck was great. The pan seared trout with pasta was also very good. The portions were a little larger than we expected. The brioche rolls are the best I have ever had in my life. Prices for wine beer and cocktails are definitely on the high side. We had ordered 12 oysters at the bar for happy hour and they didn't show up. This was unfortunate because they were double the price in the restaurant. So a few little misses like that, but overall, it was a very enjoyable dinner. read more

I was seated Placed my order Breakfast was delivered Waited and waited Not once did a server stop by to ask if everything was okay or ask if I wanted more coffee Zero attention I waited some more Finally I had to ask a random server for my check Unacceptable service - especially for the Fairmont! There was no shortage of people working but the lack of attention was just rude $40 for a basic breakfast to top it all off You were lucky to get a $6 tip - had it not been for the random waiter who gave me my check at least he asked if I wanted a coffee to go Unbelievable read more

Amaya - The $40 breakfast and it comes with zero service! - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a great place for breakfast and dinner at the Fairmont Del Mar. They have so many gluten-free options and staff is very nice and accommodating. I came by here last night for a drink and it was super happening and fun. Now I'm having breakfast. I really like the mixed berries. The view is beautiful too. read more

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Amaya is one of the restaurants inside the Fairmont Grand Hotel. Indoor and outdoor seating, the later was what I preferred, because the views of the greenery and Mediterranean architectural designs added to a lovely dining experience. Service was excellent, very attentive and accommodating. The menu is inspirational French and California cuisine. Dined a multiple times; including breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night cap. Some dishes were good, while other dishes were Trés Mal and had it sent back to the kitchen, for poor presentation and or lack luster taste: the french onion soup was horribly presented the chocolate souffle sans fluffiness and Moules swimming in exceedingly salty broth were all unacceptable and inedible. My assessment of the food is a 2.5 I expect perfection from a five star resort hotel and its restaurants. Because of the exceptional service and lovely atmosphere, I will be generous with the overall experience and grade it a 3.5 read more

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The main restaurant in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. While the food is good, it is certainly not what was back before it was a Fairmont. The service is still good and the room is very nice. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Come here for the vibes more than the food, and enjoy a leisurely meal in a beautiful setting and you won't be as thrown by the prices. The food is not bad, just very expensive for what it is. I would skip the French onion soup and pork chop but other dishes were good. The hamachi crudo, steak tartare, brioche and halibut were standouts. The tres leches cake is a good finisher for the meal! Such great service too as to be expected at this hotel and is greatly appreciated. read more

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This was a decent option while staying at our hotel. I would call it four out of five stars. I would make sure that you get off with the bread starter. It was very good and the butter was soft, bread was very good. I also started with a beef tartar, and it was quite delicious. We got two main dishes: Sole and Beef filet. The beef was quite delicious and I would come back for that. Sole was not our favorite thing on the menu and we didn't end up eating it, just not our thing. For dessert we got a chocolate soufflé and profiteroles. The soufflé was quite delicious. The service was fantastic, our server was very nice and friendly. The location in the restaurant is very nice. read more

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I've been here twice now. The first time the food was horrendously slow so they comped our meal. We came back a second time because we purchased TravelZoo brunch vouchers that we needed to use. I would say the food is good but I do expect more from this caliber of hotel. The beef hash was so-so, the frisée needed more croutons and lardons, the cheese plate was tasty, the salmon was solid and the desserts were average. The ambience is nice and feels very upscale. Finally, the service was much improved from my first experience but all in all I would not return. read more

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DO NOT GO!!! this place is a scam! Horrid service, horrid food, horrid price! This is a shock and awe! unbelievable read more

I came for a late lunch. It was a Brunch with Santa reservation but Santa only said hi when we arrived. I guess we were too old for Santa lol The hotel and restaurant were decorated for the holidays, which was very nice and festive. The service was very slow. We had a reservation at 1:30 but we arrived 5 min late. We got seated close to 2pm. It took a long time for the waiter to put in our orders and a long time to get our food. The waiter wasn't friendly and not interested in engaging with any simple conversation. He actually didn't smile at all the whole time we were there. Despite the service, the food was great. I would say it's a bit expensive but it's expected for a restaurant inside the Fairmont. It's a 3-course meal. We ordered different dishes to try. They were great especially the desserts. The portion was decent. I was very full. I would go back for special occasions again and hopefully we get a better waiter/waitress. It's valet parking but they validate the parking for you. read more

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We came here on Thanksgiving to celebrate with family. Our reservation was at 9:45, and when we arrived at 9:40 the hostess told us she'd be right back. She didn't return until 10:05, and we weren't seated until about 10:15. This felt unusual, especially since the restaurant wasn't busy, yet there was a line forming in the hallway with guests waiting and little communication or empathy from the staff. Once seated, our server greeted us and took our drink order. The drinks took a while to arrive, and when they did, he encouraged us to order food right away "in case the kitchen gets busy." After we placed our order, we didn't see him again until the food came out later on. We had hoped to order additional drinks, but he wasn't checking in. The food took a bit longer than expected, but the quality was excellent. We eventually had to flag down another waitress just to find our server. He was kind, but the service overall was very slow and lacked attentiveness. The property and restaurant are absolutely beautiful, which made it disappointing that the service didn't meet the same standard. read more

Just ate here. Ordered the Loaded Wedge Salad. It came with no avocado or bacon like it should have. They brought a new one out. It came fully dressed in Vinaigrette. No where on the menu does it say that it comes with such dressing. Vinaigrette does not belong on a wedge salad. The waiter then lied to me and said that it was listed on the menu, but it was not. They apologized and took it back again. Defeated. I then decided to play it safe and order a kids burger plain. It came so so salted that it was inedible. Fire your chefs guys. Get someone new. This is awful. Bad start to a nice stay at a nice resort. Still hungry. Apparently the new chefs are awful based on talking to some other staff and they get new chefs every month or two. Terrible. read more

Expect the unexpected coming here. After finding out this establishment is as beautiful as it was being a French restaurant, I was a little surprised to see that some very famous French cuisine was not on their menu. This became an issue for me, but also a moment to experience new things in the culinary world. Turns out the CDC is nuts and wants an eclectic French menu. He sure put a good one together. As a salad, I chose the baby lettuce with herb vinaigrette and long shavings of cucumber. Overall, the salad was delicious and the vinaigrette a new tating experience to enjoy. We both shared a very impressive and delicious French Onion Soup. It was a little messy to eat, but it was incredible and full of taste. We also ordered brioche bread that came out with sprinklings of everything bagel seasoning. They kick it for the bread was the fresh honey butter that was made every day. The honey was harvested just outside of the hotel on the golf course. For dinner, I chose the parisienne gnocchi with English peas, leeks and a creamy buttery sauce. The gnocchi was soft as pillows and plentiful. My girlfriend had a very surprising pork chop that smelled like ham from far away. It had Lardons, brussels sprouts and cannellini beans. It was perfectly cooked and had quite a delicious taste. For dessert, my girlfriend had chocolate soufflé with a passionfruit ice cream and she thought it was very good. The combination of the sorbet and the soufflé complemented each other. I ordered the apple tartin which was truly fascinating, considering that they shaved off the skin, spiraled it out like a ringlet and wrapped it again tightly like it was "bubble tape". The Crème fraîche and whiskey toffee caramel was fantastic. Again, I was shocked that they didn't have crème brûlée on their dessert menu, but our choices were very impressive . The service was quite great and I would highly recommend that anyone try it at least once. read more

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Great service, food, and beautiful ambience at this gorgeous Fairmont hotel. We purchased a voucher through Travelzoo so it was very affordable to have a fabulous brunch with friends here. There was so much food that we had to take some to go highly recommend. read more

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Gorgeous resort and a beautiful restaurant. We got to meet the chef one day, such a nice man! My family comes here for breakfasts and we always get an amazing service! read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Fancy golf course? Check. Fancy restaurant inside the resort? Check. Prices that match what you would expect? Check. Is the food good? Read on to find out more. My wife told me that a Michelin-starred restaurant was located at this golf resort, and no it is not this one. We decided to check it out for dinner anyway. The restaurant is located deep inside the Fairmont Golf Resort, which is gated, so you have to tell the gatekeeper that you are heading to the restaurant. Parking is valet only and there is a small fee of $7 to park. The restaurant is located one floor below the main lobby after you make a left in the foyer. The receptionist greeted us and promptly seated us. We had multiple wait staff come and introduce themselves and showed us the menu. They checked on us periodically and described our dishes to us in detail. We ordered the homemade Parker roll and the pork chop to share. The roll was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and the whipped butter with the housemade jam was fantastic. The porkchop had a crispy exterior, tender interior, and the flavor profile was quite enjoyable. The price of one appetizer and one entree set us back roughly $64 before tax and tip. As expected of an upscale hotel restaurant. All in all, it was a good experience for us. If this restaurant is this good, I certainly hope the Addison (the one with the Michelin Star) will blow us away when we try that one. read more

Amaya - Pork chop $46 - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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We ate here for brunch, and my biggest complaint was the service. For being at a very nice hotel, I expected more from this place, and looked forward to eating here. Sadly we were disappointed and that put a damper on the experience. They were not even busy, there were various open tables available, and yet we waited awhile to be seated outside. No biggie we didn't mind waiting for the patio, but it didn't stop here. Staff apologized for the initial wait and yet the service proceeded to be lacking. The server brought us pastries for the wait and then disappeared. Finally he took our drink order, and we waited for over 15 minutes. All of the drinks arrived except for the orange juice. You would think they were out in an orange grove, hand picking the oranges, and freshly squeezing the fruit for the one cup of orange juice. So by this time we have eaten the pastries and the kids are saying they are still really hungry. After what seemed like an eternity when your kids are waiting to eat, we flagged down the server. We had him put the kids order of pancakes in first, in hopes to expedite their meals. That didn't happen and all our food came out together. We were not checked on during our meal, we didn't have water, and the server was no where to be found. For the prices you pay I would have expected better service. The food and drinks are on the high side, the view was nice, and the food was good. Other than that, this place alright. Nothing special here. Why pay more when you can pay less and get better service at Chilis. Just saying. read more

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We have been her for 3 years and then took a break and cam back and the food was better than before.I have never had food like the new chef Tushar.he is so good and made the best food I have ever had in my entire life. Definitely recommend a restaurant and him. read more

My fiance and I checked out amaya for Restaurant week. tucked away in inland del mar at hotel Grande Del, is this beautiful restaurant. the enterance to getting there feels like a fairytale. ambiance is 100% amazing, very chic and classy. you kind of feel like your in a castle. such a fun and uniqur spot for a dinner date if your a local or visiting. Amaya is a french cuisine. I've been hooked on french food lately so I super excited to try this place! We decided to not order from the restaurant week menu as it felt a little limiting. we ordered the escargot, bread & butter, and patte for starters. I ordered the con au vin (jidori chicken) and my fiance ordered the bouillabaisse (seafood mix of scallops and clams), we also ordered a side of carrots and asparagus. I really loved there escargot, it was presented in a unique style I've yet to try, cooked into a bread pour with a creamy tasty parsley butter sause. if you enjoy escargot highly recommend to try it here! Our food was amazing and service was wonderful as well. The service was very tentative to us, changing our silverware and clean our table after each course. Overall, great spot for a fine dining dinner date. read more

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What a wonderful experience! The food, service, atmosphere, and locale were over the top. Our server, Peter, was courteous, insightful, and quite charming. Highly recommend the pate, the pork chop, the duck breast, and the caviar. The Fairmont is gorgeous!! We will indeed return. read more

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Went here for restaurant week and had a good experience. The outside scenery is absolutely beautiful. The food and service was good too. I got the $45 2-course lunch (appetizer and entrée). I ordered the French onion soup which was very oily but delicious, and the eggplant dish which was tasty and refreshing after the oily soup. I probably wouldn't get it again but I did enjoyed it and would recommend it if you are not super hungry as it's not very filling, but the flavor is on point. All in all it's a nice upscale restaurant and perfect for date night or lunch/dinner with the girls. read more

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It was restaurant week (Sept 22-29) and you do need to ask for a restaurant week menu but it's a pretty good deal (appetizer and lunch entree for $45). I ordered the baby green salad and a burger. Both were delicious! Also as part of their brunch it's a $45 bottle of champagne or rose to split. Service and view were fantastic and if you plan to eat lunch by the Fairmont pool you should consider getting food at Amaya as their lunch/brunch prices are not bad and they have beautiful outside seating. read more

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Nothing beats starting the day with breakfast in a beautiful environment, being seated in an open air terrace and surround by the gardens. Had the Dungeness Crab Benedict, and Açaí Bowl. Service throughout the entire resort was spot on. read more

Amaya - Dungeness Crab Benedict with Crispy Potatoes. - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Located at the Fairmont, we ate lunch and dinner there during our 3 day stay. Lunch: I had chilaquiles and hubby had octopus. Shared a salad. Food came out very slow for some reason, but it was fine when it came out. Service was nice but not very smooth. Dinner: We both had fish, sea bass and halibut. Also we had oysters with Parker rolls. I liked my halibut, but hubby wasn't a big fan of his sea bass. Oysters were good, and we loved the Parker rolls. In general, I wouldn't go out of my way for the restaurant, but it is a very nice option if you're staying at the hotel. The menu is somewhat limited, but the ambiance and the convenience is great. read more

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Romantic Idea, But Execution Fell Short on Valentine's. We dined at Amaya for their special five-course Valentine's dinner, drawn in by the scenic canyon views and seasonal menu. The food we did get was well-prepared with fresh California flavors, and the ambiance has potential. However, the service was painfully slow--we arrived at 7:15 PM and were still waiting on courses well past 9 PM, turning what should have been a relaxed evening into a marathon. On top of that, we were seated outside where it got noticeably cold (mid-50s by evening), and while the views are nice, more attention to patio heating or indoor options would have helped. For $195/person, expectations are high, and this felt underwhelming. Management could improve pacing and comfort for busy nights like this. read more

Place is beautiful but the food is subpar and pricey for what you get. Kids meals are only free if you are staying at the hotel. Not a big deal ($20 a plate) but would have been nice to know coming in. Got the scallop appetizer and it tasted like apple sauce on thawed scallops from Costco. My steak was decent but my wife's dish was way too salty. Total bill was $300 for the four of us. read more

review told by my cousin: My family and I visited this restaurant on my parents' anniversary. The service was okay but we had to wait a long time for our food to arrive. My mom ordered scallops, however she did not receive what she expected. They gave her a small shell full of ice, with little toothpicks attached to tiny meat pieces and called it scallops. The portions were also very small and we left hungry. Save yourself the time and choose somewhere else. read more

For an eatery that is charging $30+ for an Eggs Benedict you would expect that the entrée DOESN'T come to the table looking like a lowbrow diner order. This "high end" restaurant is resting on their laurels and too comfortable with the fact that they are a part of a resort that has been entrenched in the community, recognizing that they don't actually have to produce high quality meals. Incredibly disappointing but also a good reminder why I've only ever stopped in for drinks on my other visits to the establishment. This meal would have "wowed" me as a teen venturing from IHOP for the first time. The 2 stars are for the friendly staff that are trying their hardest despite the lack of culinary vibrancy. Let's all play a fun game of "Guess Which is IHOP". Picture 1 or 2. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Beautiful restaurant inside the Grand Del Mar. the food was absolutely delicious - got a Croque Madame and it was perfect. The orange juice was freshly squeezed and sweet. The service was also great. Got to try the dessert which was a mascarpone with mango and passion fruit.. Devine! I can't wait to go back. What a treat. read more

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Food was ok, not great but not bad. Service is not its strong suit. Often waited an oddly long time to be seated, served - really anything and it was never busy. Very unclear why it was not working better in a Fairmont run setting. The prices here also were just outrageous even for a hotel. I would expect a lot more variety and quality for what you get. Probably would avoid eating here for anything other than breakfast. read more

I had a great brunch here. I was greeted right away, they asked my name which they used the rest of the time, and had a great table outside. Adan was a great waiter. I asked him to surprise me with a mimosa flavor and instead of one regular size mimosa, he brought me 3 smaller ones of different flavors which was awesome! I also enjoyed the food. Michael the GM also stopped by to chat and made sure I had an activities schedule. Great experience! read more

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Both times I ate breakfast at Amaya, my experience was excellent. The food was delicious and service was fast and courteous. I highly recommend it. Dinner, however, was disappointing. It started off with the host being distracted by servers plopping menus on top of the host stand instead of putting them in the bins next to it. Then, while I was standing there, the host ran off to perform some errand before returning a few minutes later to seat me. The food was merely okay; not a meal I would recommend. Service was polite but chaotic and slow. Bottom line: breakfast, highly recommended. Dinner, not recommended. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for restaurant week, so I'm not able to speak on the main items and with that, not going to be too harsh with the star rating. It was okay. For $45 I really can't complain, especially in comparison to their a la cart prices. Got a starter and main, but really, it was just okay. Would skip on the French onion soup, a bit too oily for my taste but the burger was good, just don't think I would get it again. The ambiance and scenery was truly the winner here, it is beautiful. read more

This review is dedicated to the chicken peri peri that was either grilled directly or indirectly on the fire. Whatever the circumstances have been, it came delicious to my table. Together with the sauce and silverware, my skills were good enough to chow it down. Couldn't ask for more, while seating next to fire and an overcast, while the day was coming close to an end. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

This was one of the worst lunch experiences I've had at a nice restaurant. I honestly can't believe that this is the restaurant for such an incredible property, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, which is probably the nicest five-star hotel in San Diego (tied with the Hotel Del Coronado) and one of the nicest in Southern California. The other restaurant onsite is the 3-Michelin starred Addison, so you can imagine that my expectations were high! I can only speak to lunch. Perhaps dinner is better. But we paid over $40 for a cheese plate that was basically from Costco. It was served on a chilled dinner plate, not even on a wooden cutting board like the dinner photos - as though it had just been hastily removed from the fridge. I also ordered an Nduja pizza. Expecting a wood fired pizza or something similar, I was severely disappointed to receive what seemed, honestly, like a frozen pizza that had been heated up. It looked the same as a Tombstone one, and tasted like it too. This cost over $30. I never do this and feel terrible doing so, but I sent it back and asked for it to be removed from my bill. It is shameful that such a nice hotel has a restaurant of low caliber as its flagship. Perhaps it wasn't always like this, but the lunch service is frankly disgusting, especially for the ridiculous prices. The only positive is that the property itself is gorgeous, and the restaurant has a beautiful setting. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

I liked the atmosphere and the bar set up. We stood near the bar and had three employees look at us but didn't acknowledge us. I asked if the tables were first available and didn't get an answer. We sat down and waited quite a bit before a server approached us. Rachel was super friendly and welcoming. We ordered the expresso martini and it was outstanding. We also ordered a banana bread old fashioned. A bit sweet (that is the intent) but extremely well blended and you can pick up the hints of banana bread. Very well balanced drinks overall. A at I ordered the French onion soup which was a total bust. The soup came out and you could see the congealed layer on the top of the broth - indicative that it will be very rich and sugary - most likely too much Sherri. I only tried a sip or two before I sent it back. A $20 small cup of soup should be a home run, not a foul. read more

Not great food, okay service, unavailable items, high prices. They ran out of striploin but had hanger steak for $62 instead. What I received was maybe 8oz of non-prime large chunk hanger steak. Server disclosed this but the quality was lowish. Wife ordered the lobster pasta, it was one note and two dimensional. Best item of the night was the whimsical bread. Freshly baked it seemed, steamy warm, well executed. I had 2 scotches, I got the steak, wife got that pasta, we owed $200. Venue is nice though. Slightly dated but classic. The bar tenders are experienced and perfect. read more

Amaya - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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