The innovative approach begins with the super cool entrance. You pull a lever and the chairs you're…read moresitting in begin to turn and all of a sudden you're in a gorgeous dome ceiling speakeasy. Then for the cocktails. These folks are innovating out on the bleeding edge of using those ingredients you've never heard of to make a drink that you'll never forget. And to top it all off, we had some of the best, most friendly and informative service I've ever had at a speakeasy. This place rocks.

For our first and only visit, my husband and I were looking forward to trying this local spot. We…read moreput the kids at the gym who hosts a "kids night out" so us parents could enjoy some alone time. We made a reservation and although we arrived on time, we had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. I agree with some of the other commenters when they say that the revolving fireplace needs some love. It has the look and feel of needing to be updated. Also, for it to be a "speakeasy" vibe, you could hear the loudness of the bar through the walls. It just kind of ruins the facade a little bit. Regardless, we enjoyed the novelty of being slowly admitted to the speakeasy on the opposite side. We were given seats and upon first glance it was a dark lit space with an old fashioned aesthetic. I was surprised to see how casual everyone was dressed- I assumed there was a dress code, but I guess flip flops made the cut ‍. It took a few minutes for our server to attend to us, and when he did you could tell he was slammed. We just didn't get the table side manner one was hoping for an establishment like this. Peeking at their drink menu, I found myself disappointed that much of their options had a lot of sweet or fruit juice ingredients. So, I went for their old fashioned. For the price, it was just okay. Another disappointing moment. In all, it wasn't terrible, but it just isn't worth the hype. Overpriced and mediocre drinks and a seemingly overworked staff didn't make for a memorable experience and ended up not being for us. Glad to have tried it...but look elsewhere if you've actually been to a speakeasy. This just doesn't live up to what it's trying to sell you.

Excellent service. Very attentive. Yummy food. Parking somewhat of a challenge but the ocean view…read moremade up for the effort.

Beautiful setting. Lots of outdoor seating. I was by myself and selected railing seating. Plenty of…read morespace to perch. The buildings blocked my total view of the sunset so would recommend sitting at a table outside. Service was friendly. Always checking in. I had the green salad (perfectly dressed with tons of pistachios) and squid ink pasta. It was amazing. They don't say it but the squid ink is only the pasta. Lots of crab.

After lunch at Dukes, the hotel said our room wasn't ready so we're walking down Prospect in La…read moreJolla. We come across this very cool place that is in olive oil and wine bar! You had me right there. Plus, they celebrate Wine Wednesday and it was Wednesday. How do I not go in? We went in to kill some time and had the best time talking to people and having a glass of wine. In the end, we bought a fabulous Chardonnay and an equally fabulous champagne all discounted. It's what I love about Travel, is if you just wander you never know what you're gonna find and this was one of these occasions great people great place

Altogether a very fun and great experience. Lots of wine options and yummy food to enjoy. It is a…read morebit pricey but very worth it. Great option for gluten free accommodation.

Went to the Marine Room for my 25th birthday and had such a good time. They made me feel so special…read moreby customizing the menus, giving us window seating, and even bringing out a special cake with a nice birthday message. The food was amazing and so was our service! I think our servers name was Stephen but I'm not too sure. He had a nose ring! I hope he sees this and knows how thankful I am for the wonderful experience I had. Ambiance was amazing 10/10! :)

First off, this restaurant has one of the amazing location and views, right near the ocean waves…read more This alone makes it a spot to check out, but more on this later ;). The restaurant has a little higher end feeling to it so dressing nice is recommended. You enter at the top of the restaurant and move downstairs to the dining area being at beach level. The ideal tables are closest to the windows where you can have the view outwards. The food here was American style, with the veggie sides being delicious. The Australian wagyu was cooked beautifully and delicious, coming with same veggie and potatoes side. Also had the truffle risotto that was made yummyly!! Overall the food was good! The service here was great from start to finish. They really made us feel like special guest and that goes along way for the vibes. We truly appreciate our service we got here and a big reason why we would come back! Again, the view alone is enough to make this restaurant stand out, but there are times which the restaurant can be epic. That is during either sunset or high tide, something I didn't get to experience and will have to come back to see!

Great drinks, friendly bartenders and freaking cool decor. Love the vinyl records…read more They could definitely clean up the alley a bit .... we get it, it's a speakeasy.. there's literally puddles, boxes from the restaurant and dumpsters you have to walk past in heels to get into this fine establishment. I absolutely love the hot towels at entry

Convoy music bar was a cozy and fun place to catch up with friends. We had four people in our party…read moreand made a reservation ahead of time. That's the best way to get in since it really is a small space, not many people can fit inside. When we went on a Sunday night there were some people who were waiting in line outside hoping to get in. The bar is behind the plaza with the Taco Stand. You need to walk down an alleyway to find it. The drink menu is fun to read! I would definitely come back and bring friends from out of town to check out this fun speakeasy!

All in all this was a nice experience…read more My mom said her crab cakes and salad were very fresh. I had very good (and different) saffron pasta. The decor of the hotel itself is beautiful. Old luxury. Waitress and waiters were ok par. Nothing wow over the top but good. Nice views of the ocean. Follow me for more on BayBitesNSips on Tiktok I'm also a bay area artist and I've just started selling online on Etsy: MLEcolorshop ; if you visit me or tell a friend who likes jewelry, I would appreciate it so much Everything I make is handmade with Polymer Clay and there is no single piece alike. https://www.etsy.com/shop/MLEcolorshop

My friend and I grabbed drinks here and had a nice time! I got a normal cocktail and she got a…read moremocktail- which we both enjoyed. The view is gorgeous and I liked the ambience- it's pretty quiet and intimate. The staff was nice and I didn't feel service was slow. The waiter was very polite, dropped off waters and overall good. I would recommend going here if you're in La Jolla.

This is our favorite place to go to when we're in town!! I…read morelove the honey bee theme -- they have some unique menu options and a beautiful seating area if you can get there in time for golden happy hour! Amazing fries, I love the outdoor seating. You can see all the way to the water. thank you for always meeting our oyster needs.

CLOSED FOR "REMODELING" as of 5/12/26. They are unsure if/when they will reopen. The Beeside…read moreBalcony is still open and operating as usual. They have good food and a great location on Prospect

i really wish they would clean the leather seats I've noticed they are getting more and more…read moresticky. sadly we are switching to AMC in UTC where the seats recline and are heated. While this location is closer to home I wish there was a way to notify staff to start a habit of deeply cleaning these areas more thoroughl.

My boyfriend and I recently caught a movie at The Lot in La Jolla, and overall it was a great…read moreexperience. We arrived around 6 p.m. and had no trouble finding parking in the garage, which was a huge plus. Even better, parking is validated when you see a movie there. The theater itself is beautiful, with a restaurant, bar, indoor-outdoor lounge area, and a cute concession stand that makes it feel much more upscale than your average movie theater. After scanning our tickets, we went straight to our auditorium where we could order food either through a waitress or by using a QR code. I appreciated that they offer both paper menus and digital ordering options. The ordering app was incredibly user-friendly and easy to navigate. While some menu prices felt a little steep (around $20 for a hot dog or kids meal), the food itself was delicious. I ordered the BBQ chicken pizza and a Coke Icee. The Icee was a little more slushy than icy, but that was my only minor complaint. The theater was extremely clean, spacious, and comfortable. The reclining seats were great, and there was plenty of room between guests so you never felt crowded. One tip: bring a sweater or wear pants because it gets chilly inside, and the leather seats can feel a little cold and uncomfy against bare skin. Overall, The Lot delivers a premium movie-going experience, and I'd definitely recommend it for a fun date night or a special trip to the movies.

Fabulous visit to Nine-Ten, which reminded me why it has been one of our favorites since it opened…read more It blows my mind also that Chef Jason Knibb has now been here for 23 years. It says something about the owners that there is been no turnover and he's been able to keep innovating with Chef Jose Alonzo now as the long-term pastry chef. All right - to our meal! PATIO: remains great. It's covered, which is great on a rainy night, heaters work well. The wind from the ocean can still be a lot, so bring layers anyway. SERVICE: We had Quinn this visit. He was terrific! Really great recommendations. COCKTAIL: I have often found the cocktail menus here boring compared to other places in town. This month, there were so many choices that looked really innovative and up my alley. I was deciding between Lion's Tail (Bourbon, Allspice Dram, Lime, Angostura), Trinidad Sour (Angostura Bitters, Rye Whiskey, Orgeat, Lemon), and Crescent City (Smith + Cross Jamaican Rum, Sweet Vermouth, Lime, Angostura). Quinn suggested that the TRINIDAD SOUR was the most interesting given how I described my cocktail preferences - he explained that it was made with a full ounce of angostura bitters, whereas most cocktails have only a dash. It came in a super cute up glass, and was really delightful. Didn't know my socks off but it was fun & tasty and innovative. Yum! 9/10 BREAD: I'm trying to go lower carb, but their sourdough country bread was warm and hearty. I had a teeny piece and spouse enjoyed the rest. APPETIZERS: Spouse got an off-menu item, the simple green salad with champagne vinaigrette you can always ask for her. I got the current incarnation of the TUNA CRUDO (Charred brassicas relish, currants, lime segments, aleppo, radish flowers, fresno chile, kombu oil). It was beautifully presented and fun to eat; healthy and light. The brassico relish and currants on the tuna were a really nice combination. I approve! 9/10 ENTREES: I got the current halibut preparation (they always have halibut on the menu but they mix up how they do it): Yu choy, black trumpet mushroom, spring onions, date puree, buddhas hand marmalade, sumac, sunflower, green garlic dashi emulsion. Gorgeous, and who needs carbs! The fish was perfectly cooked and the other things worked really well with it: 9/10 WINE PAIRING: I decided to get a glass to drink with the halibut. Quinn suggested pairing it with a gruner veltliner - he said they had been playing around with pairings and this was a surprising match. It was a super fun food wine (also one of the cheaper wines by the glass, $15) and worked really well. I sipped it without the halibut, meh, not my kind of wine - but as soon as I was drinking it with the halibut (and then with my dessert), it was super delish and paired well. 10/10 here on the pairing. DESSERT: I love Chef Jose Alonzo's more fanciful creations, but we went old school & got the half baked chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, which is a classic here for the reason. It's not like you never had this dessert before - but it is *perfection* here. The chocolate was really rich - and the ice cream is just the ideal texture and flavor. The vanilla bean comes through strongly and it's perfectly smooth. 10/10 to end the meal. Valets and hostess were nice too. We'll be back again, of course, even if it takes us a few months to put it back in the rotation!

We came here last night to try the award-winning Nine Ten Restaurant, and had been really looking…read moreforward to experiencing the ambiance of this Michelin-recognized spot. We made our 6 PM reservation well in advance and were promptly greeted and seated by the hostess in a cozy, romantic spot--perfect for me and my hubby. The presentation throughout the meal was beautiful. The ambiance was relaxed and casual, though the décor felt a bit loud and slightly outdated. To start, my husband enjoyed their homemade sourdough bread with whipped butter, and they thoughtfully provided a gluten-free bread option for me--which was absolutely amazing. We also shared the hamachi sashimi appetizer. While the presentation was exquisite, the sauce it was served with was a bit overpowering for our taste, as we're more accustomed to sashimi without added sauces. For our entrées, my husband had the ribeye and I ordered the lamb. Both dishes were outstanding--cooked to perfection, incredibly tender, and easy on the palate. We couldn't even finish our meals, but they tasted just as delicious the next day. Overall, we had a great experience and would definitely recommend this place. Pro tip: if you're staying at the Grand Colonial, you automatically receive 10% off your bill!

Review of La Valencia Hotel…read more I purchased a day pass here as someone who works in the hospitality industry and is always curious to experience new properties from a guest perspective--and La Valencia absolutely delivered. I arrived pretty early in the morning (optimistically expecting sunshine), but even with the typical coastal overcast, it didn't take away from the experience at all. In fact, I somehow ended up with the pool almost entirely to myself--in the middle of August, which felt like a hidden luxury. The setting is just beautiful. The views, the calm atmosphere, and the overall sense of escape made it easy to settle in and relax. I spent about five hours there and never felt rushed or overlooked. The staff, especially at the cabana bar, were fantastic--attentive, respectful, and genuinely pleasant to interact with. I ordered food and drinks throughout the day, and everything added to the ease and enjoyment of the experience. The only small downside is parking, which can be a bit tricky--but that's pretty standard for La Jolla. Overall, this was an incredible day experience and absolutely worth it. I'd do it again without hesitation.

My daughter coordinated a Wedding here back in March. The venue is gorgeous. I had breakfast in…read moretheir restaurant two days in a row! The Banquet Manager here was a delight to work with, of course I'm from Banquets so I might be biased. This is a lovely place to have a small wedding. My only issue was with their bell staff... they didn't offer to assist with items that my daughter and I struggled with bringing down to the banquet room. Perhaps we didn't look like overnight guests... that shouldn't have mattered. We weren't overnight guests this visit, we were vendors but that left a bad taste in my mouth not only when we were unloading but also when we were packing up around 11:00PM. Respectfully Reviewed.