really loved our time here. service was great, the vibe outside was really nice and the food was delicious. we had some great cocktails, the catch of the day (blue fin) and a dish of the day (thursday) of clams. we're definitely going to be back for another date night read more

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Ok so I get the name now! Everything is super herby but in the best way. Our dinner was fantastic and we can't wait to go back. The mocktails came in bar glasses which we are always appreciative of! Highly recommend trying the carrots and any of the salads. 10/10 service, food, and ambiance. read more

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Cute place with nice decor. We ordered two breakfast items - one was great (the shakshouska) and the other (H&S Benny) was just okay. The poach was perfect for both eggs but the overall hollandaise sauce was flavorless. We made reservations for brunch on a Sunday and had no issues with waiting to be seated, but our table specific service was fairly slow compared to others and slowed us up a bit. read more

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I would give this place more stars if I could. We had walked by this place earlier in the week. We come to Encinitas annually and hadn't seen this before so we checked it out. Friend made a reservation on the patio for dinner. We were seated promptly and very well taken care of by Robbie. I especially appreciated his passion and knowledge of the various dishes/drinks that were ordered. Appetizers. We tried the shrimp cocktail, artichoke and octopus, and burrata. Everything had a very unique flavor profile and everything was amazing. The saffron aioli on the octopus dish was a mind blower. Give me more of that on various dishes please. The shrimp had a nice bite of horseradish and freshness in the vegetables. The old bar taro chips were great as well. I absolutely adored the burrata. The char on the tomatoes was perfect as was the fresh basil to compliment the bread and cheese. I could eat this all night. Mains: two had the salmon, one had the steak, and I the pork chop. All were very much enjoyed. The pork chop had a nice sear and was complemented well by the sauce and garnish. Dessert: order them all. That's my best advice for you. We had everything but the butterscotch and they were absolutely to die for. I really am hard pressed to pick my favorite thing about this meal. That would be like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Go with friends. Order a bunch of different items. Share them. You will be glad you did. I'm already dreaming about my next trip to Encinitas so I can dine here again. read more

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Grown to love this place even though I don't eat seafood. The guava margarita is a must. Amanda was our server tonight and she made us feel special while celebrating our friends' engagement. I had the filet, tender and tasty but the veggies are my fav. I could make dinner out of the carrots, brussels and the avocado salad. The back patio is my preferred dining area. The ambiance is overall upscale but casual because you're near the beach. Love the market lights. read more

Love this spot! Herb and Sea is a sister company with Herb & Wood in Little Italy (which is also incredible btw) Herb & Sea is tucked in Encitas a coastal town that has a very vibrant lively night life for 30's & 40's+. Food was great here and ambiance is fantastic! read more

Amazing atmosphere and service. The food was also amazing. Recommend booking a reservation, and getting there early.

The food and the decor is A+!! Loved going to this place on our trip to SanDiego. Reservations recommended even for brunch. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Great food, good drinks and a beautiful ambiance. All the food is presented in a beautiful manner. The menu is meant to be shared but depending on how many people you have in your group its worth asking how many items are in each plate as we had five in our group, but some plates only contained four items. read more

The food was fantastic each time we have been there. We had the baramundi and the gem salad. The service was amazing. Our waiter was named Tosh. A total professional. Super attentive and knowledgeable about each dish. Finally the ambiance was nice. Go to this place for a unique experience and tastes. Highly recommend it. read more

The meal I had at Herb and Sea was delicious and very special! My son took me there for my birthday and we had a wonderful time. The drinks and food were phenomenal and the service was impeccable. Definitely a go to spot for downtown Encinitas! Highly recommended! read more

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Everything about this place was GREAT - except the hostess. She had an attitude that seemed annoyed - or seemed to look down on us - because my wife and I were walk-ins. God forbid! Once we were sat (which was quick), everything was good. We were surprised that they had an "outdoors" because when we walked in nothing "outdoors" was visible. We were pleasantly surprised to see how they built a deck in their back parking lot. It had a great energy with lots of people. Cocktails & food were great. We're big fans of Herb and Wood in Little Italy, so we were happy to stumble across this sister restaurant in Encinitas. It's a great spot, and we always recommend the rolls! read more

Went here again and it was SO good. This time we had swordfish sausage, shrimp linguine, carrots, brussel sprouts... everything was SO good, again. And Spencer was our waiter and he was SO great. Personable, prompt, knowledgable... we cannot be disappointed by these people! Go here! read more

I'm a huge fan of Herb & Sea and not just because it's the default "fancy dinner" option in Encinitas (although it quickly became that). The food is really delicious and I've enjoyed everything from the whole branzino to the now-off-the-menu Breakfast Pizza when they opened for brunch pre-COVID (I miss you Mr. Egg Pizza). Parking on the area streets is usually aplenty and free. Entry is always greeted immediately although with mixed levels of "happy to see you"; reservations are a must for guaranteed seating but we have done a random 6pm walk-in and been seated outside without issue. We even participated in the take-home holiday meals during COVID and they were fantastic, well composed and thoughtful. Additional pro tip: the butterscotch pudding dessert is ridiculously sweet but also so rich and smoothly textured that you have to try it at least one time. I'm giving this 4 stars so that means most things are pretty darn good. 2 areas to improve: 1. The inside is so loud that you literally have to yell. Not a little loud. REALLY loud. We sit outside nearly all the time since they built up the outdoor back porch and it's just more pleasant. That's not for lack of love of the internal decor. I love the lighting, the ambience, etc. It's just too darn loud. So beware for larger parties, you literally won't be able to converse with your neighbor more than 2 seats away. 2. Cocktails are lovely mixology concoctions but it must be said that on more than one journey (probably been here 8 times?) we have had the experience of the drinks being really weak. As in please add a shot of liquor to my cocktail weak. Hasn't happened recently but probably within last 18 months. Huge fan. Thank you Mr. Brian Malarkey for setting up a shop in N. County. read more

Food was so so good!! Highly recommend the ceviche. Loved the ambiance too :) we will definitely be back read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

I don't like writing bad reviews, it's very rare for me to have such a negative experience that warrants a poor review so I'm pretty disappointed in Herb & Sea. The food was pretty meh. I ordered the shrimp linguini and baby carrots but for $60?!? Ridiculous pricing even for a seafood restaurant. It tasted sour and spoiled which made it even worse. However, what made the experience just so terrible was the treatment from the staff. Luke, the General Manager, paid absolutely no attention to my respectful comment about the taste of the food and brushed me off like he was annoyed with me. Another woman, unsure of her name, also rudely dismissed me and made me feel like I was crazy for not fully enjoying my food and experience!! It's a cool vibe in an awesome location, but not worth my time or money. read more

Everything is good service and BOMB food !!!! Highly recommend happy hour! First place that I like oysters!!! read more

Every time I come to San Diego, i always stop here for dinner. The food is absolutely incredible. The reason I give it four stars is because it's really loud inside. I can barely hear the waiter or the person next to me. I have to really raise my voice to be heard. I'm not sure they have this noise issue inside. read more

I've always just walked in here for drinks/apps but there have been several occasions where I've tried to make reservations through open table and it literally has never worked. I use open table all the time and never have this issue but consistently do with this restaurant. So the first time I called and no one answered, left a voicemail and also a dm on IG and no one got back to me saying they could make a reservation for me someone just responded days later saying sorry they missed me. Then flash forward a few months when I tried to make a res again and shocker same error message on OpenTable. So I dm'd them (because they literally don't have a phone number on their website) and the person (hours later) just decides to argue with me and say that yes it IS working and to try again. So I send them a picture and say no it's not and if they could just make one for me since I've wasted enough time and they read it almost 12 hours later and did/said nothing. Thank you for the customer service. I guess I'll be taking my money elsewhere. read more

Their happy hour is great! It's such a good deal. For 2 people we got the smash burger, fries, and goat cavatappi (?) to share. It was the perfect amount of food for a little girl dinner. Good service! The only thing is that we were a little late for reservation and we tried to call multiple times but the phone was not working. We were late to our reservation and they did give up our table but we got seated immediately at the community table. read more

Love it! Great ambience, love the open kitchen. We went for happy hour and got the "happy meal" the oysters were so fresh and delicious. The house made hot spice it awesome as well. Thanks! read more

One of our favorite San Diego spots! Amazing staff, service, drinks, and cuisine. Unassuming location, incredible place! read more

Won't be coming back here! It took 2 hours to get our food! It's to expensive to be waiting this long. Ridiculous! Food was terrible! read more

They deserve 20++++ stars. These are my favorite dishes but legit every single dish is delicious, beautifully plated and just dreamy. The hamachi crudo issss chefs kiss, the gem lettuce salad is everything you'd want in a salad, every single entre is to die for but I personally LOVE the branzino, their pizzas are PERFECT especially the margarita & Fig & Prosciutto. The roasted baby carrots are also a must, Yes carrots are delicious who would have thought!? I can't remember the name of the bread dish they have but I will post a photo I was told to dip the bread in the hamachi crudo dish & omg it is a fiesta in your mouth. Last but not least THE DRINKS! Every single drink is made to perfection my favorite is the Fire & Nice. I could eat here every single day for the rest of my life. read more

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Loved the Hoecake! It was delicious. We started with that. Then we all ordered the shrimp linguini and it was out of this world! read more

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Great dishes but the portions could be larger. For the price of each item I'd expect slightly more. A party of 4, 5 dishes (no entrees), with non-alcoholic drinks was $185. Affordable-ish, will definitely come back. read more

I'm a local and have been here about a dozen times since it opened. Overall this is a high-end, beautiful restaurant with delicious menu offerings. There is a changing menu with seasonal specials and a few delicious staples. A great cocktail menu and wine list meet the high end expectations for this restaurant. The ambiance inside for dinner is a great atmosphere, with a rustic/farmhouse feel and thoughtful lighting. The wait staff and highly professional and well dressed. My criticism of this restaurant is that the dishes and preparation are not always dialed in. The oyster selection is awesome. But on a few occasions, they were dried out, not fresh and had some fishy flavor. Last night I went for dinner and got the $80 bone-in steak. It came to the table cold and rare. The whole thing was room temperature, as though it had left out for like a half hour. On several other occasions, however, everything has been excellent and no complaints. I think the restaurant needs to work on consistency of the quality in the food. At this price point, I think that is a reasonable thing to expect. read more

Second time I've been here and delicious both times. My seabass and my husband's steak were perfect. The oysters were great as well as the service read more

Delicious meal with very generous portions. This might become a must visit restaurant every time I'm visiting from Arizona. Fantastic service and great atmosphere. read more

Beautiful higher end restaurant in Encinitas that has a nice vibe snd excellent food. Great spot to go to for a birthday celebration or special occasion. read more

Really flavorful food and options that are both unique but also quality. The atmosphere is really nice, elegant and relaxing. I had just had my third baby and needed to bring her to dinner because I'm nursing and the waitress brought me champagne as a congratulations, such a sweet gesture and really set us up for a fun evening. read more

Had a great time at Herb & Sea with family. Very welcoming and we're able to accommodate us last minute with a large party. Our server Zach was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. He gave us amazing recommendations. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Not a good experience this time. Had to wait 30 min for our table (with reservation made). Won't be back. read more

Herb and Sea, a perfect setting for a celebration. We went in August 2022. Starters included a cinsault rose and a gem romaine salad. We had a fennel sausage pizza; grilled pork chop with peaches, radicchio and fennel; plus a side of roasted broccolini. Jess was the perfect server who convinced Joel to embrace the world of sparkling Rose wines. We highly recommend this restaurant. The food was fresh, creative and very tasty. The outdoor patio was a casual and comfortable setting. Customer service was excellent. Four different employees wished us happy anniversary and we received a complimentary dessert. Thanks Kanani for making the reservation and alerting them of the special occasion. read more

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A reservation was made for 13 for my daughter's birthday (she has great taste....). Day before I called to add a few more seats and it was discovered that I made a reservation at Herb & Wood (love that place too). Ruh roh rooby..... what to do. The staff said no problem and got us taken care of. We had the best experience. Everything is so delicious. Atmosphere is festive and trendy. We tried almost everything on the menu. My daughter's favorite dish was the carrots. LOL (no she is not 10. She just turned 27.) I had the oysters with bone marrow. My ex had a pasta dish and omg everything was just so good! The main reason I will go back again and again is because the staff really made an effort to make me feel like they cared about my daughter's special dinner. They could have denied a new reservation or treated us poorly but they were amazing. The manager even brought over some sparking wine for a toast, gratis. Thank you Herb & Sea. Love you! read more

Beautiful restaurant. Food was just okay. We put an order for Brussel sprouts and it came out the next second and was overdone. The overall pace of the meal seemed rush as all of our apps were coming out quick and didn't have time to finish before entrees came out. Shrimp bucatini just okay- noodles were sticking together. It's a pricey restaurant so had high expectations. We did enjoy the pork chop. Noise level: loud. read more

Herb & Sea - Shrimp bucatini - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

We absolutely loved our experience and booked another reservation while we were dining here. The food is incredible, the people amazing and atmosphere fantastic. From start to finish, top to bottom and side to side, everything was top notch! We specifically recommend you ask to be seated with Sarah (see you again soon!) as she was the true difference maker. She is personable, kind, caring and goes above and beyond to ensure your experience is one you won't forget. Additionally, every employee we interacted with was trained very well, they all were very welcoming, friendly and professional! My wife and I tend to get into intense debates (put lightly) over "what to order" and tonight, we avoided a scene in public as Sarah recommended what I'd call "The Herb & Sea Homerun!" We started with the Hamachi Crudo and Shrimp Toast, followed by the Carb Linguini and Fennel Sausage with a side of Crispy Potatoes--A+++ Order so stop wasting time, show your server this review and thank me later! We'll be coming back often, we recommend the patio outside and the cocktails too--specifically the Fizz Gin cocktail and the Spicy Tequila based coconut cocktail--we don't remember the exact names but the cocktail list is pretty short, you'll figure it out! read more

Herb & Sea - View from the Patio - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

The best thing about this place is the service! I have been 4 times trying to love it. The food is cold mediocre (so salty) and it's so loud you can't have a conversation. We sent one salad back because it was so spicy and we were charged for it. Don't bother there are so many other great restaurants in town! read more

The decor has a cool beachy vibe and the food looks nice but it's just okay. I've gone several times and I'm not impressed. Nothing is bad, the food is just fine, nothing felt special or spectacular. Perhaps only the Branzino is special here. Order that if you go. read more

We have had lovely dinners here before, but the service tonight took the cake! We were celebrating my dad's 70th Birthday - and my daughter lost a tooth. The waitress noticed, and at the end of dinner, as we were about to enjoy cake -- the waitress brought over a $1 bill and handed it to my daughter and explained that the tooth fairy dropped it off for her! The look on my 7 year oldest face was priceless -- talk about going above and beyond with kindness! The world needs more of this these days. read more