I love Le Coq. Got introduced via the happy meal a few months ago and it's been a constant craving since. For $20 you're getting a large burger, bunch of fries, and some prosecco. You will likely be full by the end of that, but they have such a yummy menu you will likely want to order more. The service is professional but the bar gets busy so it's not a place for people in a hurry. The vibes are great in the restaurant- upscale art deco. Chefs kiss read more

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I visited Le Coq last Saturday, and I'm torn. On one hand, the kitchen is producing some truly spectacular flavors, and the service was top-notch; on the other hand, one major dish was a massive disappointment. The Good: The meal started off incredibly strong. The chicken liver pâté and steak tartare were both world-class. If you go, do not miss the chicken skin butter--it is absolute genius. The onion tart was perfectly executed, and the shrimp entrée was another highlight of the night. Across the board, the food was delicious and the service was excellent--attentive, professional, and well-paced. The Not-So-Good: The experience hit a wall with the pork tomahawk. I was served a cut that was easily 80% solid fat. I've had many tomahawks before, but this was fattier than a slab of pork belly. What made it worse was the response when I pointed it out: the server told me "that's normally how it comes out." The restaurant is also extremely dark. While I appreciate a "moody" vibe, it's so dim that it felt like the lighting was hiding the fact that there was barely any meat on the bone. To their credit, the management did remove the charge for the dish, which I appreciated, but it still left a bit of a sour taste on an otherwise great night. Word of Advice: The staff should really warn guests before ordering that the pork tomahawk is an exceptionally fatty cut. If that's the "standard" for the kitchen, it shouldn't be a surprise when it arrives. Verdict: The appetizers and other entrées are 10/10. Just be very wary of the tomahawk unless you are looking for a plate of pure fat. read more

Hors d'Oeuvres 1. Baguette - very soft, very good 2. Chicken Skin Butter - eh, nothing special 3. Tuna Tartare - great mix of everything if you like poke 4. Onion Tart - hearty goodness, would recommend 5. Mussels a la Paris - i'm not a mussels fan, but one was good Les Plats 1. Swiss Chard Gnocchi - this was my order & jam. gnocchi is a favorite of mine. the chewy softness. the swiss chard blended into a creamy cheesy goodness added to the enjoyment. 2. Duck Confit - tender, but salty? i think that goes with the syle of the cuisine though. Les Viandes 1. Filet - very tender, but undercooked for medium rare. Service - great, always accomodating Environment - the music was a little too loud to carry out a conversation without yelling. Wouldn't bring a toddler here :) read more

**review is only for happy hour experience** I was in between 3 and 4 stars for this. On the one hand, they removed the calamari side from their adult happy meal ($20) but price stayed the same. On the other hand, the burger and fries were REALLY good. The burger was cooked very well and it was juicy and flavorful, fries were seasoned well and the aioli they give u is great. I think they should reconsider adding a side because similar adult happy meals do come with an additional side, justifying the $20 price tag. The champagne is fun but a side like a salad or some additional item would make this a competitive and compelling deal when compared to other happy hour specials in SD. The inside is beautiful and staff was a little hard to get ahold of but kind when they did show up. I would come back and likely try their other menu items read more

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I've been here twice now. The first time was with friends when they first opened. The second time was to celebrate a birthday! We shared a lot of bites the first time around. It was a really fun night with caviar bumps and hanging out. My friend had been wanting to check this spot out, so we dined here for dinner to celebrate her birthday. On this occasion, we ordered the steak frites, lamb chops, tuna tartare, and a couple of drinks. Everything was pretty good, except for the lamb chops. They were undercooked and too gamey for us. For dessert, they brought a complimentary chocolate mousse with a candle! Overall, the the vibes are fun and restaurant has very beautiful decor. read more

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Could of been a 5 start restaurant but service was not it for us. Our server fr looked and sounded like he doesn't want to be there and hate his life. The food there was exceptional though everything we got was delicious and would definitely come back for the food if we got a better waiter. We heard other waiters/ waitresses around us and they seem lovely and energetic and welcoming and wanting to share the menu specials with us. Idk maybe our server was having a bad day but our waiter fr just wanted us in and out of there. We just felt very unwelcomed. read more

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Husband and I celebrated our Anniversary here, first time. He made the reservation online. Parking is limited and compact. Although there are more across the streets. There are also metered parking in front of the restaurant. Arrived 15 minutes early and was greeted nicely. Bar section on the left as you walk in. I liked the area where we're seated. Drinks: Husband- had the "Cha" it's a Japanese whisky, matcha, lemon grass, Yuzu, like leaf. Very good drink and smooth. Recommended by our server Emiliano. My drink was Tres Desole- aperol, hibiscus, mango, coconut, sparkling. If you like coconut liquor this one is for you. I enjoyed it even though I'm not a fan of coconut, I think the balance is good. Baguette with chicken skin butter- we both enjoyed it. Different twist on the chicken skin butter as it was on the salty side but good pairing on the baguette. Mussels- definitely unforgettable. Really good. Smart to dip the half baguette. Good amount of mussels. Swiss Chard Gnocchi- this is my favorite. Found out it's made of ricotta cheese and flour instead of potatoes. Parmesan reggiano cream is divine. So light and not heavy. I hope they don't stop serving this because I will get it again on next visit. Char sui pork collar- I wouldn't say this stands out, because it doesn't. It was okay, tender. Shareable for sure. Desserts: Tableside chocolate mousse- so silky and elegant. Highly recommended. Pistachio Paris-Brest almost like a cream puff. I can't tell if the pistachio is there. Service is amazing, thank you Emiliano for all the recommendations. Tip: Lighting is low and dim that requires a cellphone flashlight. That might've been the 2nd downside besides the compact limited parking. You can however ask for a book light but it doesn't make a difference. read more

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Went on date night on a weekday to celebrate our anniversary. The ambiance and space were lovely and inviting. Notes of maximalism were evident and cohesive; music wasn't too loud or distracting which we loved. Service was wonderful. Upon entry, we were greeted politely and seated promptly. Our server was so pleasant and informative when she answered our questions; great listener and attentive as well. We had the following: - baguette with chicken skin butter (loved that saltiness) - mussels à la Paris (with white wine and blue cheese) (really good!!!) - beet salad (more tart than sweet) - chicken cafe de Paris (has a savory, curry flavor) - steak frites (the quintessential) - pomme puree to pair with chicken and steak - Solero (a very tart passionfruit cocktail; helped balanced everything I ate) All dishes were equally delicious. We loved that the flavors were intense, but not overwhelming. They aimed to truly highlight what was proposed in the menu and have certainly achieved it. Favorites were the mussels, chicken, and steak. We'd skip the baguette since the mussel dish already had one (just a lot of bread than what we're used to) but we used it to soak up as much broth as we could. (Would've possibly have drank it all if no one was looking.) We ended the night with a complimentary dessert from the server who wanted to celebrate us. Again, she was so nice! She treated us with a chocolate mousse with blackberries. Such a delightful treat; the chocolate was rich and didn't taste artificial or too sweet. Highly recommend for the food and experience! One of our favorite date nights in San Diego for sure! read more

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We came for the happy meal since we saw it being advertised all over IG and also bc we've dined at Animae and loved the menu. The aesthetic and vibe is pretty chic and loved everything about it. For a quick second I thought we were going to be underdressed but I'm like We're in La Jolla!? Once we got sat, didn't have any qualms about it and the server was super nice. Loved the concept of the whole place. We got a few drinks - I want to say the Army Navy on the HH menu was so goooood. The bartender was also our server. The happy meal was good! I would say the smashburger was a little salty, but overall everything was decently priced and we talked about coming another time to try out the rest of the menu. read more

What a great time we had at Le Coq. After hours and happy hour at 10 pm was great!! Enjoyed at music. I do wish the dance floor was bigger and we had more space to dance. Service was amazing and the food was delicious!!! Totally enjoyed the food, the drinks and the dancings. Great time friends. read more

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Came here with friends on a Saturday night for their After Hours 2000s Hip Hop theme. It was such a fun vibe! They rotate different themes every Saturday, which makes it even better. We sat in a booth near the DJ booth, and there was a small dance area for anyone who wanted to dance. We had a great time eating, drinking, and dancing all night. They offer a Happy Hour menu with great deals starting at 10pm. I tried two cocktails: the Tres Desole (4/5) and the Cosmopolitan (5/5), which was excellent. I also sampled my friend's burger and fries (4/5). It was slightly on the salty side but still very good. The Celery Salad (5/5) was really good. It was super fresh with a delicious vinaigrette. Our server was very friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. I'll definitely be back for dinner to try more dishes! read more

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This place pops up a lot on good places to eat in La Jolla so I was glad to finally take a chance to try it. All Of the food was really good. We got the Caesar salad to start and it was pretty good. I also really enjoyed. The star of my meal was the snapper though. I was hesitant to get the snapper instead of steak or chicken but I'm glad I did. It was really flavorful and cooked perfectly. read more

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The award winning chef, Tara, brings forth an innovative, flavorful and elegant menu. It was a Filipino, French and Californian fusion restaurant. The salmon rillette, was fantastic with the bean bread. The surf and turf dinner for two is a great value with appetizer, entree and dessert. The steak was so tender, it tasted like wagyu. The drinks and cocktails like the green tea old fashion is uniquely innovative and tasty. Service here is top notch and friendly. The restaurant is warm, welcoming, spacious and perfectly set for an elegant, fun evening dining experience. It's no surprise their chef is a James Beard Award winner for best California cuisine. read more

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Beautiful place. The food was delicious. The tuna tartare was amazing. The servers provided a great service they were very friendly. They had a DJ playing, I really liked the atmosphere and the decorations. read more

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It's quite delightful! Little did I know, HH on Tuesdays is all day... although I think I did read that somewhere, come to think of it. Was going to get either the Happy Meal, or the Dirty Burger. Either way I was hyped on them burgers!... but then I saw the Stuffed Wing, singular, wing, on the menu. I thought to myself, I've never had a stuffed wing before, but was thinking that, for the price, I can scarf down a wing in 5 seconds. But this wing came in two pieces, & they de-bone it! I was in! It's new on the menu I guess. Anyways, ambience is so good. Maaaaybe slightly pretentious, but I'm here for it. Would come again. As a matter of fact, I gotta come back for that burger. read more

Le Coq - Stuffed chicken wing with fancy soy sauce with a yolk in it. Gross? Nah, it's really good! ... I ate that bite... it didn't come that way. - French Near Me - La Jolla, California

FOOD: My friend and I shared the date night which was $98 for: Salmon rillette (5/5): It's a french-style spread made with salmon. Bing bread (5/5): Warm, flakey, buttery, and fluffy bread. Wish I had it all to myself. It was really good. Denver steak & 2 prawns (4.5/5): Steak was cooked medium and it came out the way we wanted it. 2 prawns were big but wish we had 2 more of the prawns to fill us up. Mashed potatoes & green beans (5/5): Mashed potatoes were very smooth and full of flavor and the green beans were crunchy and delicious! Chocolate mousse (5/5): Very rich and chocolatey. It had whipped cream and some kind of toffee crunch on top. SERVICE: Our server and the people who helped her were friendly and attentive. They refilled our water glasses without us asking for a refill, and they gave us cute purse holders so that our purses were not on the floor. AMBIANCE: The place has a chic, moody vibe with dim lighting, red velvet booths, and industrial brick walls. I will definitely come back for their all day HH that they offer on certain days. read more

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The food was good and the drink were better! One thing I noticed they cut up the steak? And it was pretty tough even at medium rare but the sides were phenomenal! read more

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The food exceeded our expectations! The subtlety of Asian influence in the French preparation was simply sublime. When you add all the elements of each bite of the plate, the plate tastes perfectly balanced and really complex (if you have sensitive taste buds like me). I like sharing both the Char Siu pork collar and snapper with my partner because the pork favor has such intense umami flavor that interchangeably eating it with the creamy fish really makes the overall meal quite balanced. All I need is a bowl of rice or side of starch to go with the pork! And even though there were only 2 servers on the entire dining floor on Wednesday, everyone from Sophia our server, to the bus boy, and sommelier, were always checking in. Every effort was made to each guest and it really surprised us that with such short staff on a busy night, it was still a 5 star experience. Also the music was modern and cool, which kept the place alive and fun, which is so non-typical of a fancy joint. We truly enjoyed our experience very much. Keep up the great food and vibes...we will be back! read more

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The food was good and most of the dishes were almost like comfort food. I picked the shrimp, and it was not filling. I should've picked the pork chop or the special which was like a puff pastry with meat in it. In any event, we had a zillion dollar baguette with some kind of fancy butter for $12. It was good, but maybe the bread should be complementary and add the butter for like something reasonable like five dollars? I was still hungry when I left. If you want a nice fancy date night that would be great. All the other dishes looked a lot more filling so I would not recommend the shrimp. Additionally, one of the shrimp tasted a little off, but I ate it anyway because as you can see, there are only four. It is a lovely place and I would definitely go there for drinks. Maybe I will try it again and try to eat something better. read more

Le Coq - French Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I wanted to try this place because I wanted the same experience I received at Anime seeing that it's by the same chef. Loved the ambiance but the food could have been better. Steak was good but it was very mid with the sauce on the side. I forgot what sauce we got. We got a side of fries for the carbs. Caviar butter was very plain. I've always wanted to try it but it just taste like butter with some caviar on top, nothing more to that. The bread was very hard and stale... I could barely chew it. Beets salad was interesting because there was so many different flavors in it, not too bad. I was a little disappointed only because my expectations were high. I had seen something on YouTube about visiting this place and it didn't live up to what I expected. read more

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Wonderfulness all around! We decided to celebrate our 25th anniversary at one of the most amazing restaurants we've tried in a long time, and it did not disappoint. From the moment we walked in, our waitress Sophia made our experience exceptional--she was authentic, welcoming, and truly added to the joy of our evening. The ambience was incredible, the drinks were perfect, and every dish was delicious. The star of the night was the entrée of prawns served with unbelievably smooth potatoes--absolutely unforgettable! We were delighted to spend our evening here, surrounded by a modern take on vintage French-Asian fusion. Highly recommend to anyone looking to enjoy a wonderful, memorable night out. read more

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Returned to Le Coq recently and had the date night 3 course dinner (shared by two people). Food was excellent like previous visit. But I had a later reservation this time around and sat at table in middle of dining room. Boy, music was so loud that we were practically yelling at each other across the table. We asked for music volume to be lowered but to no avail. Also the dimly lit ambiance is incredibly sexy but hard to read menu without phone light. Feel like an old person asking for more light and lower music volume. read more

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Le Coq is an elegant and classy french restaurant in the heart of La Jolla. Drinks were good and we ordered the Le Coq Gin Martini, Tres Desole, and Monte Carlo. For food we ordered the Chicken Liver Mousse, Onion Tart, Duck Confit, and the Tomahawk Pork Chop. The food was beautifully prepared and the appetizers were delicious but we were less impressed with the entrees. The duck confit was lacking in flavor and we did not enjoy the pork chop. 75% of the pork chop was fat and it was difficult to find any actual bites of meat in the cut. Service was excellent from start to finish but we were disappointed with the food and we were hoping for a more elevated dining experience. read more

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Grabbed a seat at the bar at the beginning of happy hour. You get a full meal, burger, fries, shrimp, and a cocktail. So it's a great deal. Since the bar has limited seating you may have a hard time finding a place if you get there towards the middle/end of HH. Parking in La Jolla is obviously not the greatest but there is a paid lot a few feet from the restaurant. read more

Le Coq - Happy hour meal - French Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I grew up in La Jolla, so I have been to many different restaurants that have been in this location. Prior to this it was Brian Malarkey's other restaurant Herringbone, with a giant tree in the center. I was a big fan of that so I was sad to see it close. This new restaurant Le Coq is also owned by Brian Malarkey and I would say leans more toward a French steakhouse, although there is also a large bar component as well. They really did a good job with the redesign on the inside although I really do miss the tree. There isn't a dedicated parking lot except pay lots on the side and across the street. Otherwise street parking is pretty difficult to find in La Jolla in general. Our server was polite, however the hostess was not very polite. Aside from that everyone else we encountered was. I started off with a Steak Tartare and really enjoyed it. The cornichons were a great flavor component mixing with the steak. For my entrée I chose the Steak Frites and really enjoyed it. I especially like Au Poivre sauce and thought the steak was cooked perfectly. I also was a huge fan of their iced tea and was happy to see it comes with multiple refills. Overall, I would recommend this place especially for a date, but it is also great for friends or family. read more

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Good for dinner and simple dinner date with your partner. We celebrated our Valentine dinner here after failing to book at other Michelin restaurants. I would say, "good we had our date here". We came in an hour early for our 7:15 reservation so we decided to go to the bar. I had Southern Flare which has a distinct twist of tequila. The I tried the Monte Carlo which is very close to my favorite Old Fashioned. Our bartender Cole is really good in mixing as well us having short conversations we th us. We were seated 7:20 which is good considering they are full tonight. Amazingly the manager handed some free drinks to those who checked in and waiting to be seated. For me that's something you won't see on a high end restaurant. You won't be disappointed for this Michelin resto because the food reply taste good. We also received good service from Joe and DJ. Overall I will rate our experience with 4.8. read more

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This is one of my favorite places to celebrate!!! Food is truly fantastic - I trust anything Chef Tara does, and Le Coq is no exception. The setting is romantic, intimate, and beautiful! We first came here after our engagement and were floored by the service. Everyone made us feel special. We LOVED the chicken and onion tart. For a more casual outing - no better way to feast than the elevated adult happy meal! My PERFECT Happy Hour! A burger, fries, 3 large shrimps, and a glass of champagne? Every bit is perfect. For those wanting to mix/match - there are a few other items and drinks on the menu. Le Coq will be a frequently visited spot for us for hopefully many years/celebrations! read more

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We came on Saturday w rsvp and was seated right away. Service was quick and prompt right before the dessert course. It took over 30 minutes for them to clear the table n give us dessert. It was a packed restaurant so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. We came for the new date night menu when I saw it on SD Mag. It did not disappoint. We enjoyed everything but the steak. It was on the tough side. I prefer a tender piece of steak. The decor is very dark and music is really loud. It was a bit hard to hear each other. read more

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Le Coq is a total La Jolla gem - stunning interior design, classy, and elegant. I had the filet with bordelaise sauce, green beans, and mashed potatoes - perfectly cooked and full of flavor. You can taste the quality in every bite. Service was on the slower side (they were slammed that night), but the staff stayed friendly and professional. If you're not in a rush, this is the perfect spot to sip some wine and enjoy a top-notch French meal. That filet? Chef's kiss. read more

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Celebrated our anniversary here, and everything was spectacular! For cocktails, I had the Cha, which was a Japanese whiskey + green tea concoction. I really enjoyed it, and ordered another. My wife had the Neuf Connection which was refreshing, but switched to the Langlois Rose later. We started with the Tuna Tartare and Fried Oysters, both fantastic. Fried Oysters were more like a tempura, which I love. For entrees we shared the popular Steak Frites, which lived up to the hype, and splurged on the Miyazaki A5 strip which melted in the mouth. We ordered the Pave as a side based on the server recommendation, and it was like a delicious hash brown. Pistachio for dessert which was good but nothing special. The service was exceptional. At one point Pinay Chef Tara Monsod herself came out to serve it, and that was incredible. She was super nice, and even took the time to get a picture with us. The restaurant was beautiful, in a refurbished old car dealership. Wish we had one of the booths with more space, as our table was very tight right next to tables next to us - that part I did not like. Overall we enjoyed our anniversary night and would go back here again. I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

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This was a nice place for a birthday celebration / Galentine's Day dinner. The inside of the restaurant looks really nice. Love the ceiling. We got the 3-course set menu and everything was really delicious. Salmon and bread for appetizer, surf and turn with mashed potatoes (or as they call them pomme pure) and green beans and chocolate mousse for dessert. The only reason I gave it a 4 star rather than a 5 star is because the music was too loud to my liking. I felt like I had to talk really loudly to be able to be heard and it was hard hearing my table mates as well. Other than that everything was great. read more

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Checked out Le Coq with a group of 4 to celebrate our friends' birthdays! We made a reservation for around 6pm on a weekday and there seemed to still be a lot of tables open by the time our dinner ended. I hear this place can get very busy so I recommend making reservations regardless. The place is intimate which makes it a great place for celebrations. Parking: This place shares a similar problem along with any other business in downtown La Jolla and that is *parking*. Make sure to allot for time searching for street parking. I believe there might be some paid lots around as well. Service: Great service by Randall! He explained everything well and gave us a few suggestions. Our food came out in a timely manner. Food: We ordered family style which I believe was the best way to try out many different dishes. By the end of our dinner, we were all pretty full and even had left overs. -Jus d'Ete ($17) drink: calamansi cocktail -Baguette with chicken skin butter ($12): served with a small baguette, perfect to share with a party of 4. -Steak Tartare ($23): served with fresh potato chips and was very flavorful. -Onion Tart ($18): short rib with caramelized onions. The waiter poured sauce around the tart. Loved this dish. -Spinach Gnocchi ($36): great flavor, looked small but filling. I would agree with some of the reviews that the gnocchi was a little too soft -Duck Confit ($38): this dish is one of my top duck confit dishes! -Green Beans ($14): served with shallot and garlic . -10oz Denver Steak ($62) comes with a sauce of your choice: our server suggested with Au Poivre sauce and it complemented the meat so well -Pistachio Paris-Brest ($18): I enjoyed this dessert! Our friends received complimentary chocolate mousse for their birthdays. Overall: Our party had a great time at Le Coq. Enjoyed the environment, service, and food. Next time, I'd like to try out their happy hour menu. read more

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I'm a fan of Animae, so when I heard Chef Tara had this other restaurant venture, it was immediately on my list of places to try. - PARKING - Pretty tough finding a spot in La Jolla, but there are several side streets were you can try your luck and take a stroll if anything. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - Beautiful interior, with a gorgeous bar right when you walk in. The inner dining area is big and also just as aesthetically pleasing as the front. Staff here is very welcoming and friendly, and were very patient as we enjoyed our meal. Always checked in to see how we were doing and removed any plates we weren't still scraping the sauce off of! - FOOD - Baguette w/ Chicken Skin Butter ($12.00): Nice crisp crust and fluffy inside of the baguette. The Chicken Skin butter was unique and together with the bread, was a great start to our meal. Steak Tartare ($23.00): Well-seasoned and fresh beef. Another favorite appetizer for us. Onion Tart ($18.00): Nice warm hug in a tart! This was one of our waiter's top picks and we saw why after trying it. Spring Spinach Gnocchi ($36.00): Not the best gnocchi I've had, but still tasty nonetheless. I felt like maybe the spinach made the gnocchi a bit mushier than I usually like it to be. Duck Confit ($38.00): This might be one of the best ducks I've had! Crisp skin, but SUPER tender duck meat. I'm not a huge fan of beans but the flavoring on the Butter Beans was nice. Denver Steak ($62.00): Cooked perfectly medium rare! The au poivre sauce was absolutely delicious as well. We really wanted to try the Pomme Pave, but unfortunately they no longer serve it! We opted for fries on the side and they were a good accompaniment to our meal. - OVERALL - Another great restaurant to try in La Jolla! Definitely bring friends to try out more of the menu! read more

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Ambiance is swanky ... esp popular on weekends... youngish crowds Thr Snapper, And filet mignon which is ala carte, and burgers are good Steak Frites is super salty Lovely special occassion locale we celebrated relatives anniversary here very loud music Fun youngish club vibe which is why my inlaws chose this restaurant on their big anniversary !!!!! read more

Came here for a dinner with friends and had a great time! Super friendly service which definitely stood out to me. Also loved the steak frites I got. Perfectly cooked steak, crispy thin fries, and a bangin au poivre sauce Gorgeous cozy interior and great mood lighting. It definitely is a bit too dark, as even me a 27 year old, had to turn into my parents and use my phone flashlight to read the menu even at 7 PM. Definitely will be coming back as I heard they have a good $20 adult happy meal during happy hour read more

Le Coq - steak frites - French Near Me - La Jolla, California

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The one thought that kept running through my mind as my guest and I were arriving at Le Coq was: "Don't let good be the enemy of perfect." I had a sneaking suspicion that the pedestal I have put Chef Tara Monsod on (after being transported by Animae), wouldn't hold; There was no way the elevation of food could be met by an open-air, painfully decorated and designed, and unusually large room could capture her essence. Was I wrong. But let's start where the center of gravity is at Le Coq: The Food. My friend started out with the Tuna Tartare with Pickled Gooseberry, Caviar, Horseradish, and Crème Fraîche. Can you imagine finding yourself in a more earthly tub of tangy, pickled whipping cream that practically begs one kidney to give itself up. Each bite was a reminder of just how good we can still have it. I ordered the Onion Tart with Short Rib, Caramelized Onion, and Gruyère, It was shortly after my first bite when I realize that if I had to die in quicksand, it would need to be the kind made from these ingredients. The caramelized onion amplified by the seemingly inherent contradiction of the sweetness and nuttiness with the fungi tang of Gruyère makes this dish is a must see-have. For entrees, my friend ordered the Duck Confit and I splurged and order the rack of lamb. I asked our server, the incredibly on-point Anthony, how the chef cooks her lamb and he told me medium. So I asked if they would "turn it down a notch" to medium-rare and assured me that would not be a problem. The duck was what one is given as a last meal; the delicate meat was served with butter beans and pea tendrils and spoke in rich, velvet tones that were earthy, and he devoured it without notice. My lamb arrived but not how I asked for it. In fact, calling it 'medium' is being generous. It came out borderline medium-well and if your going to serve meat medium-well, you might as well not serve it. To be fair to Anthony, he did ask how everything was, and I did tell him it was fine, but that was only because the sauce served with the Lamb was enough to balance out the lamb's imperfections and I already made my way past three bites. But For dessert, Anthony treated us to to some mousee, I had the Basque cheese cake, and my guest had the Peach Chamomile Ice Cream which was the perfect stew of sweet and umami. Basque cheesecake is different in that it has a more hardened, flan-like crust over it's wedge of creamy cheesecake and each bite caused an angel to earn her wings. The server taking away my friends food before he was finished and not asking if he could? Having to wait at the bar five minutes with three bartenders in a practically empty bar? The overcooked $70 lamb? I suppose any one of those things could be overlooked. But that decor? On My God in Holy Hell, who came up with that decor?? French countryside bistro meets disco ball columns meets uneven slats of marbling at the bar area where people will be drinking and walking around, some in heels? I've seen prisons with more promise. (On a side note, to the designers of Le Coq: Treat yourself to Vin Rouge in Durham, North Carolina if you want to study how to Americanize the French bistro aesthetic.) I also take issue with the size of the room. Why are you industrializing your concept? I get that Herringbone - a triumph in and of itself - was that building. But I don't know. Divide the room with a smaller VIP lounge. Something. Anything to make me forget I wasn't in an Amazon warehouse with French drapery. But at the end of the day, you are there to experience Chef Tara's inventions and not get caught up in one person with a big mouth who has an opinion. I will return in the Winter. I mean, frankly, Chef Tara could serve food that required you to sit on nails, and I'd do it. read more

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Saw some pretty cool social media posts about their happy hour deal and we had to come and try! It's available Mon-Thurs all day but only at the bar and surrounding tables so it might be difficult for larger groups to enjoy together. Steak Tartare: It's good by itself but even better when you mix in the mayo. Kind of a small portion but to be expected for tartare. Baguette with Chicken Skin Butter: The only reason we ordered this was to try the chicken skin butter. Super rich and there's even crumbs of chicken skin mixed in so there's a little crunch. If you get steak, save any leftover butter to eat it with the meat! Chef Tara's Thursday Specials: I'm not sure if the Thursday specials always change or if the special changes daily but we ordered the Hokkaido Scallop and Yellowtail to try. Both of these dishes were light and refreshing with vibrant green vegetables mixed in. The scallops really stood out for being super soft and buttery. Happy Meal: Only during their happy hour, this happy meal is a set that comes with a burger, poached shrimp, fries, and champagne. All for $20, which is such a good deal! The burger itself was surprisingly good and juicy and pretty large for a happy hour meal. The fries were kind of salty though. Pomme Pave: Comes with 4 pieces. These are thin layers of potatoes that are deep fried so every bite is crunchy. There's also trout roe on it which probably was a way to elevate it but I think it's fine just as it is with the creme fraiche. Steak Frites: A ribeye steak with a ton of fries. The steak was tender but the fries, again, were a little too salty. Other than that, this dish was probably my favorite. Overall, I had a great time and thought the food was pretty good. Can't wait to be back to try the rest of the menu! read more

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Had a FANTABULOUS girls' night here. We came on a Sunday, and it was pretty low-key, but we heard that Fridays and Saturdays can be overly exciting. Will have to come back and give it another try when we're in town. Dinner was DELISH and Caleb was the best server! We had a friend that didn't drink, but he brought her a very small glass of light champagne for her to sip on. After dinner, we moved over to the bar for some cocktails and closed the place down. Would definitely recommend this restaurant; food and cocktails were really good. The severs, bust boy, bartender and hosts were also very nice. read more

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Came here for a birthday celebration -service was excellent. There's plenty of booth seating so come here with a group! It has a very chic decor and the artwork is a little bit provocative-pretty awesome. They really play the Coq theme. I love the food options, but be prepared for the hefty prices-totally worth it for a celebration. If you love fish, I recommend getting the calamansi whole fish. It's a pretty unique and refreshing taste for a fish that's completely DEBONED. it was so easy to eat, crisp skin, and very tasty! The mousse pate was amazing with the bread. Be sure to ask for extra bread which is covered actually. :) definitely recommend this. The steak was cooked perfectly the way we wanted it that was probably the most expensive part of our meal. Carnivores -Enjoy! There's also a happy hour for burger and fries for about $20 during the weekdays. -note that it's only street parking so plan accordingly in La Jolla read more

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My husband and I went here for our first wedding anniversary and it didn't disappoint!! The ambiance walking in was so nice. Interior design was great and the music they were playing was right up our alley. The service was top tier - all the servers/hosts/etc were so good at anticipating our needs so we never had to ask for anything while we were there. The food was insane! The chicken skin butter was to die for, rosé snapper was tasty, and the steak frites was the best steak frites we've ever had. The fries were seasoned to perfection. The mousse was so good too! We definitely want to come back again! There was a paid parking lot right across the street and we had zero issues finding parking on a Saturday night. There were still free sidestreet parking available as well. read more

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