The Pamplemousse for years was my favorite and go to restaurant in San Diego for dates, celebrations, and simply for an amazing meal and excellent service. After our experience last night I can no longer say that and will not be returning. We were seated at 7:30 PM, we're openly ignored, received terrible service and after placing our order and not receiving our food by 9:30 PM we politely explain to our waiter why we were going to leave. There was no sincere apology, no care of concern, and no effort to make our situation right. Beyond disappointing for a restaurant that prices itself and portrays itself as a fine dining experience.! read more

The food and service was amazing. This restaurant was probably the best around the area. We tried Vigiluccis Seafood & Steakhouse and it was not comparable at all. Here's what we had: Truffle gnocchi - Creamy and good (they shave a lot of truffles on it so that was the best part!) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jk2emOm_T96JdIhA-ApDLg?select=DqZaK9koP4_5AFCOSOw8ww#DqZaK9koP4_5AFCOSOw8ww Truffled fries - Good http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jk2emOm_T96JdIhA-ApDLg?select=vppPIS2SiqOeHy8oZ37gDQ#vppPIS2SiqOeHy8oZ37gDQ Sea Bass - Delicious Duck - Good. Big plate with 2 big pieces that i couldn't even finish. I would try something else next time. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jk2emOm_T96JdIhA-ApDLg?select=deC4OpwceGNDD9nTgpmvfQ#deC4OpwceGNDD9nTgpmvfQ Vino - 2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Half Bottle - Delicious To end it all, they gave us a little basket with cookies! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jk2emOm_T96JdIhA-ApDLg?select=K-2lT2NGn4slhlJT6CI39Q#K-2lT2NGn4slhlJT6CI39Q Chris at the front is amazing. She checked on us to make sure the temperature was ok and turned down the cold air. Overall, great place. read more

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Went there on a Friday night and was overcharged three times for the amount of the meal because the waiter was incompetent, running my card several times and trying to use the gift card I had. He couldn't count, overcharging me. My credit card was pinged for these high charges. I talked to the waiter and a manager before I left and apparently they told me the charges would drop off. Well, I didn't realize how much they really charged me until the next day. OMG $$$ I called the restaurant to let them know and see if they can fix it. Manager Chris said he'll get back to me and nothing. I called again a few hours later. The host took my information down. Still no call back from Chris. I call again around closing time, assuming they're not busy. And what happens? No managers around. The host apologized and said he'll make sure someone gets back to me tomorrow. Really? I'll just file a complaint with my credit card company. Who swipes someone's card several times at a $$$ restaurant. It's insane. I didn't expect this place to have incompetent workers who can't work a credit card machine. Or who have the galls to apologize and say they'll get back to me and nothing. That manager, Chris, was awful, hurrying me off the phone. Obviously not caring to help me. I'm embarrassed I even wasted my money here. I really didn't expect this type of treatment from this restaurant. read more

One great Chef owner and his restaurant. Long term consistency found here. This place is on the map and a local favorite.

Absolutely disgusting food, and very overpriced. We live nearby and see this place packed on the weekends so we decided to get some food to go. The portions are small and my salad was hard to eat I didn't even touch the smoked salmon because it was in three large pieces sitting under the salad. We ordered the Kobe burger as well and it was very dry and had no flavor. It was also extremely burnt on the bottom... Never coming back and wish we could get a refund. read more

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Wow, this place is super great. BUT it is also SUPER expensive. So if your on a corporate expense account and you have a buddy to split the bill with, go for it. If this is your 25th wedding anniversary, go on. But if you are looking for dinner on the spot, well you may have to pass. My buddy and I split the veal chop and a ribeye steak. The veal chop was epic. The steak was good, not a 5 but the chop was 5+ so I round up. We had a nice app of a seafood platter, very expensive but very good. The wine list is huge, and if you have $500 blowing a hole in your pocket go for it. I did a $100 to start which was okay, the waistress was cool and suggested our second bottle that was "only" $90. We had a dessert against my better judgement that I had only 1 bite of that was some killer molten chocolate cake. As I said, this is a great place but we spent $600 for 4 people (that was 2 bottles of wine in that so your mileage may vary). read more

Went here with friends for a birthday dinner. The food is french inspired. The dishes are large! You might not need an appetizer. The meat is cook a little to hard for my taste. The medium rare come out medium and the medium come out closer to well-done. I would stick to the sea-food dishes. The wine list is fantastic. The ambience is great for small parties. The prices are elevated and as such I had very high expectations. The cooks did not quite deliver and the service was lacking. Several times we had empty glasses and had to fill our glasses after 5+ minutes of waiting. read more

Kris was phenomenal! She anticipated my every need from my cocktail to my dessert and everything in between. She was so much fun and I appreciated all of her efforts. Can't wait to visit Pamplemousse again. The food was delicious and I will definitely be asking for Kris again! read more

We were back in San Diego and had dinner with a group of friends. What is always amazing about the Pamplemousse is the total experience - the amazing food and great service! We noticed some difference in portion sizes since we last visited (before COVID)...just hope the quality and service continue to be the same as what this place has been famous for. It is hard to find places where the consistency of experience is almost guaranteed each time. read more

It took us too long to finally come here and we were very impressed with the food as well as service. The foie gras appetizer was amazing paired with the maple syrup toast and was so good I had to order more foie gras just to go with the rib eye. My wife had the halibut and she was just as impressed. We will definitely be back again soon. read more

This is a trerrific restaurant, great food, attentive, staff, and wonderful experience. We use it for all our special occasions, never a regret. read more

Pamplemousse is a restaurant that was way better than even my high expectations. We went with friends. I tried almost everyone else's food. I ordered miso black cod, delicious. Linda had seared ahi w noodles & vegetables. Awesome. Our friend Angela had sea bass s porcini mushrooms & port wine sauce. Amazing. Very lightly fried shrimp in very light plum sauce amuse bouche (actually freebie bc slow kitchen). Excellent. I don't usually order desert but couldn't pass up the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe. It was the bomb! Others split a bottle of Albariño they liked. Service was exemplary. Lots of signed horse tracing memorabilia and photos in bar area as it is popular with folks in the area bc of proximity to Mar Racetrack. Wonderful artwork throughout dining rooms and restaurant. What's not to love? Thank you, Pamplemousse! read more

My wife and I had dinner at Pamplemousse shortly after they opened back in 1996. Although the food was fine we just didn't feel inspired by the experience. We felt the atmosphere was stuffy, formal and just no fun. So we didn't go back. A few months ago I looked at their menu online and thought it looked amazing. So we went back last night...after 26 years. The atmosphere is much improved. It's more casual but very nice. They now have intriguing art on display. There are comfortable booths which offer a feeling of privacy. The acoustics are good so that the room sounds are absorbed. There were still some stodgy old fogies dining there but a much more lively, attractive group was there than before. The food was fabulous. We started with Grey Goose Martinis which were perfectly made. The jamon Iberico with shaved parmigiana appetizer was delicious but made even more so by the smokiness of the grilled toast it was served with. The Caesar salad was made excellent by the addition of unusually good anchovies. Yes anchovies can be really good and these were. My wife had a mixed grill of meat. It looked excellent and I'm looking forward to sharing her leftovers today if she lets me. I had the mixed fish grill composed of salmon, sea bass and yellowfin tuna. It was wonderful...as good as any fish I'd ever had. They have a demonstration pastry chef. We ordered dessert but were too stuffed to eat it so it'll be for breakfast this morning. I can't wait to go back. read more

Amazing service, quiet atmosphere, fantastic food....the truffle fries though. Drooling thinking about them! Well, drooling thinking about my entree and that peanut butter bomb too!! We had a party of 7 at our table and they made it feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant. And we got to meet the owner! read more

I just ate the most delicious dinner, with the most incredible service, it pretty much summed up as a perfect evening from beginning to end. We had the pleasure of having Jerry as our server, with multiple other people also clearing and filling waters and just making sure we were taken care of at all times. We truly enjoyed every bite of our huge dinner, devouring Caesar salad, seared foie gras, miso sea bass and rib eye. My son enjoyed a huge burger with Truffle fries (that I also ate) I was so full but we still managed to also eat dessert which was so decedent and delicious as well. The portions are actually quite a good size for the quality of this food and for this type of restaurant. I was so impressed by everything. Thank you so much to Jerry and the chef and the staff for a perfect birthday dinner, we will definitely be back. read more

Pamplemousse dined under the tent. Tables spaced nicely. Subtle lighting. Plants breaking up the space. Reminded us of wedding reception dinners we've attended. We liked the open atmosphere more than inside. For appetizer, we enjoyed a wonderful lobster ravioli, a huge pocket with fresh lobster, scallops, mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus in a light but very rich beurre blanc sauce, $25. Highly recommended. For beef-lovers, the mixed grill (lamb chop, filet of beef, pork tenderloin) with three sauces, $54. Decent size cuts of each, although the filet was a touch overcooked. We shared truffle parmesan fries ($14). Fine service, well-timed. Excellent, expensive wine list. Corkage, $35. read more

Very mediocre dinner at very expensive prices. The duck was over done, dry and without flavor. Since our wait for the entree was over an hour we were offered a free dessert of their own choice. A dried out cherry crisp did little to sweeten the ending. Pampelmousse is definitely not in the same league as Market Del Mar where the food is creative, original and flavorful! read more

Extreme attention to detail in a non pretentious setting combined with great quality food and drink equal 5 star experience. Creative sides and sauces give an interesting twist. Also very willing to change up sides and create the perfect entree. Knowledgeable friendly service really helps you decide between many delicious choices. We opted for mixed grille of seafood and skirt steak over lobster fried rice for mains, truffle gnocchi and tempura shrimp for starters. Tempura wasn't super crispy due to sauce but taste was perfect. Gnocchis were tender and puffy with decadent truffle shaved over. Fish were all cooked perfectly-remaining moist and portions generous. Vegetables also tender crisp, pasta was fresh and lightly sauced. Both cocktails we had were refreshing and made with top shelf liquor. Nice to have a few less expensive wines available amongst the largest wine list I've ever seen. Birthday creme brûlée was sweet and pig cookies adorable. read more

Pamplemousse Grille - Mixed Grille of Fish- sub veggies for potatoes - New American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Went here for Christmas Eve dinner. They sat us 45 minutes or more late. At every point they said something along the lines of "any minute" or "we are working on it"... that was a clear lie, multiple times. The host that night was horrible. For the reason above and lack of honesty and clarity with the situation. Once we were brought to the table, right by a main walkway and not a good ambience or relaxing, the server didn't greet us for quite a while. At this point, we are starving and frustrated. Then the server never shows up. Once I finally flagged someone down, he would not let me order appetizers for the table because two of the guests in my party were saying hello to family friends. I have no idea how them being up would affect my ordering of food and wine for the table. The server then proceeded to force us to place the full order at once, not a relaxed meal at all. The server blamed the chef and said that Chef only accepts a full order (apps, first course and second course ordered all at once, even though they would come out at different points of the meal). The food wasn't memorable either. I've been lucky enough to eat at high end restaurants many times before. This was worse than a Panera Bread experience. This was a pretty horrible experience that unfortunately ruined our Christmas meal for the year. I will try to avoid coming here at all costs. The decor was also lacking, old and grimy. Bar smelled bad. Sad that this is one of the highest rated restaurants in North County. The restaurant was definitely overwhelmed and many if not all parties were sat for their reservation around 30-60 mins late. Confirmed while commiserating with other guests about the experience. The bar was packed with people waiting for their reserved table. I wish the restaurant had just been honest when we made the reservation, say they didn't have room. That would've been way more preferable than the horrible night we had at Pamplemousse, for what was supposed to be a special meal. They ruined it every step of the way. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in San Diego. Not inexpensive, but worth every penny. From the service, to the meals, to the ambiance. You can't go wrong here. Seriously, if you haven't been here, you owe it to yourself to go. I've been here many, many times, and it has never disappointed. I wish I could give it six stars. read more

The service is excellent as well as the food but you definitely pay for it. Make sure you have a reservation and the bar is a see and be seen place during racing season. read more

Its my favorite restaurant in San Diego, and could say in the top 10 around the world. The service is amazing and super personal, the place is a classic, always full of people from Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar. Food is excellent... the Chef and owner is what I consider all Chefs must be, attentive to details and interacts with clients. Things I love: Lobster Truffle grille cheese sandwich (always), salads are great, ravioles, milanese, steaks uffff... las time had Bison NY steak cooked to perfection and taste. Great place for special occasion or any given day. read more

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Pamplemousse is classy and delicious! came here for SD restaurant week ... I started off w/ a Truffle Asparagus Soup... that was very fragrant. At first i thought the truffle was going to overpower the asparagus flavor.. but it didnt. you can actually taste the asparagus (the main star) and a hint of truffle. It was very tasty! oh and there were truffle shavings inside the soup too For the main course, i ordered the short ribs as my entree. It was soo soft and tender, the sauce was so flavorful and the truffle mashed potato - omg sooo gooood!!! there were little bits and pieces of truffle shavings in the mashed potato too! (yes.. as you can tell i love truffles... ppl say anything w/ bacon tastes good.. well i'm gonna say anything w/ truffle tastes good too!) For dessert i got the warm chocolate cake w/ caramel. mmm so rich ...sooo chocolatey, warm carmel oozing out from the cake...and then that first bite along w/ a spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream.. it was DELICIOUS!!! i could have eaten another one if i could. I was really looking forward to try their duck but it was not on their restaurant week menu i definitely cant wait to come back to this restaurant again. I want to try other items from their menu read more

I want to publicly apologize to my boyfriend for punching him on the leg after I took my first bite into my Kobe beef burger at Pamplemousse Grille last night. Sorry, it's like a knee-jerk reaction I have when I eat something that heavenly and I'm working on trying not to have that type of reaction in the future. He's eaten here before and was craving their Kobe beef burger with truffle cheese, truffle mayo and truffle parmesan fries. Holy moly, if you can visualize the aroma of the truffle creeping up your nostrils, it was very nirvana-ish in my world for a good ten minutes. Let me back up to how the rest of my Pamplemousse cherry-popping experience started... I called as we were leaving another event in Del Mar asking if they were still seating folks for dinner (I called at 8:30ish). They asked how soon we can be there and when I said ten minutes, the guy said no problem! We got seated in a lovely booth right away and was greeted with complimentary bread from our server Shane. Fortunately, PG is participating in Restaurant Week, so when I took a look at their $40 price fixe menu, I was sold. I started off with the Heirloom tomato salad with smoked buffalo mozzarella, aged balsamic vinegar and micro greens. This made me want to eat healthier for the rest of my life if it would only taste this good all the time. My boyfriend ordered the braised short rib Angliotti with wild mushrooms. It was so flavorful, I loved it! When our main entree rolled around, please refer to how I started off this review. Sheez Louis, I love me some Kobe beef burgers! I was actually getting full, so I only ate a quarter of my burger and packed the rest for some serious grubbing today. He had the surf & turf and of course I picked at his entree. It was pretty tasty, they gave a generous serving of the French green beans, it was like eating French fries, but somewhat healthier, right? We ended the night with some sweets, we shared the banana cream tart with milk chocolate ganache and carmelized bananas with another dessert of pear tarte-tatin, vanilla gelato and some berries. We managed to devour only half of each dessert, but both were incredibly tasty and not too sweet. Our wine pairing of the Pinot Noir was a good match for all the dishes we enjoyed last night. I did study the wine book our server left on our table and one thing I liked was that they have bottles of wine at very affordable prices. I saw some for $23 dollars, but who in the world would order the $3,000+ bottle they have for sale?! Based on what I read, their wine menu has got to be one of the best selections of all the other great restaurants I've dined at. I've heard the owner has a crazy-big collection that's stored in a space next to the restaurant, now that's some serious vino. Overall, this ranks amongst the top of my creme de la creme lists of where to eat a great meal. Glad I got to experience another phenomenal dinner at Pamplemousse. Merci beaucoup! read more

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This is a long overdue review of Pamplemousse. Wanted to put it down on paper (uh, the electronic cloud) before I forget and accidentally send myself back to this place. It was over rated and over priced. Even with (or perhaps because of) the pre-set Restaurant Week menu, I was really feeling let down. I would not recommend it. read more

This was my second visit here at Pamplemousse. My first visit, I was eating Han Solo style but on my second visit here it was with a pretty big group. Eating in a big group does affect the ambiance. But on both visits, I came during Restaurant Week. Generally, RW accommodates to a slightly cheaper fixed $40 pricing as compared to going ala carte. But again, with big groups, that $40 can end up to $90 with tip. Either people can't add or some people just have to put in more to make up for it...oh well...something to think about. But even with a big group, Pamplemousse delivered again. Overall, they pretty much got the coordination, service, and food down with ease and efficiency. Coming to Pamplemousse during RW and with a big group made everything loud. It was already a packed house inside. So if you're looking for a "date night" I'm sure Pamplemousse will deliver, but I would not recommend coming during RW. And like I said before, they delivered the food with ease. Pretty nice semi-fine dining. They also have an extensive and impressive wine list. As soon as you walk in, you can see a lot of their vintage and most expensive bottles in their display cases. Since I'm just a thousandaire, I just went with a nice glass of bordeaux as I can only dream about getting a whole bottle. But that glass of bordeux complimented my meal nicely. The first course out of this 3 course pre-fixed meal that I chose was the prawn oscar, Alaskan king crab and asparagus appepitizer. I'm not sure what breading they used for the prawns, but it was a bit oily and soggy. The king crab was tender and cut through pretty easily. And the asparagus was divine. For my main course, I chose the Kobe burger with truffle fries. I would have to say that eating a burger in a semi-fine restaurant was something that I probably would not have done in the past, but I'm glad that I chose it tonight. Honestly one of the better burgers I've had. Cooked medium-rare, each bite sent out this nice oozing goodiness. Multiple flavors exploded in my mouth. Unfortunately with an addition of some truffle fries for appetizers, I was already full with my half eaten burger and more truffle fries on the plate. Oh well, more food tomorrow. But damn, those truffle fries was just plain awesome. I wouldn't mind driving back down to San Diego and hang out at Pamplemousse again just for a nice glass of red wine and a big old order of truffle fries. Finally for dessert, I chose the warm lava cake with vanilla gelato. The cake was a bit dry, but hey, at least they came back to refill the water. Overall, it was a positive experience. With a big group, will always come some sort of random mistakes as one waiter can be overheard saying that since we had 2 individuals coming late that it screwed up the food rotation. It was later fixed with an apology by management with a promise of something "fun" on the next visit. Who knows, will see, but I do believe on their genuine responses. read more

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I suggest making reservation before coming in. Restaurant is dimly lit and classy. Food severs and waiters are very attentive. Our server's name is Worthing, and he is the best! Their complimentary bread is very soft and tasty. We ordered seafood sampler, truffle fries, seafood trio, jidori chicken and creme brulee trio. Nothing special about their food, not bad either. Kind of pricey, but then again I'm not really a big fan of fancy dining. I just can't say no to my bestfriend who is celebrating her birthday. You're better off parking your car on the side of the street rather than their actual parking lot which is very small. The patrons here are mostly old people who doesn't know how to park right, or the ones that opened their car doors wide open hitting the car parked next to theirs. ( these were my personal observation while my friend and I were in the parking lot waiting for our reservation.) I guess most of these people are super rich that they don't care if their porshes or masseratis gets dented. read more

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Expensive but worth it - we went on a double date here before seeing the Cirque du Soleil show at the fairgrounds down the street and had a great experience. We went on a Friday night at 6:15 and it was nice and quiet; it was more crowded by the time we left at 7:45 but we could still easily hear each other and didn't have to yell to converse (always a plus!). I had a cup of butternut squash soup in lieu of an appetizer - so good!! FYI - they don't list the cup of soup option on the menu - just the bowl at $14 - but they'll give you a cup if you ask (for $8). I had the 5 point vegetarian plate for dinner, which was also delicious. I didn't ask if it was vegan, but other than maybe some butter I don't think it had any other animal products (cheese, cream, etc.) in it. It could probably be made to be vegan if you asked. Friends and husband tried the sashimi plate (a special) and lobster ravioli appetizers, a steak dinner, and the chicken schnitzel and said they enjoyed all of it. We all enjoyed our specialty cocktails and the bread and mini corn jalapeno muffins(!!) - yum!! read more

Ignore every average to below average review from restaurant week especially if it's the first and only experience they've had so far. It's not a fair review, obviously. Anyway, Pamplemousse was still one of the best restaurants during restaurant week and deserves far better ratings. This is no doubt, the best restaurant in San Diego. And coming from my oh-so-very-picky fiance, a compliment he has never given before to any restaurants or anyone at all: "Pamplemousse is the best restaurant with the best steak." We've been to many fancy, expensive places and nothing impressed him (frustrating for me so I don't cook). I would advise to give Pamplemousse a fair shot for your own sake. Try not to go there during restaurant week unless you can keep an open mind. Otherwise, it's not fair when things are already ridiculously busy on their normal hours. It's hectic on restaurant week. Everything here has been unbelievably scrumptious. I didn't believe it but after my colleagues insisted I order the lobster grilled cheese, there was no going back. It was crispy, creamy, cheesy in all the right places and just thinking about it makes me want to drop everything and head over. It's what I would want to eat for the rest of my life... It's dressy casual. You know, wear something nice but nothing too fancy though it probably wouldn't be looked down upon. Overall, the atmosphere is very warm and romantic. It's not blindingly bright in there, which was nice because it was easy to relax and have a conversation. There is an outdoor seating with heaters for those who want to be outside for any reason. A romantic dinner here feels natural. It's really a place to impress or really indulge your loved one. Also, I'd go here if you really, really need some darn good food to show yourself some love. Overall, this is definitely going to be a special place for us in the years to come. For references, my fiance had the best steak of his life here (his words) while I had the ling cod on restaurant week for dinner. My fiance almost always orders steak wherever we go. I'd consider him an expert in steak because it's what he loves. I loved my dinner, the fish was cooked well and it was very tender, flakey, and flavorful! We had a few appetizers including lobster grilled cheese, truffle fries, and gnochi-- an appetizer that was made of potato and cheese (all in one night, our bill was around $300 without tips). We each had different desserts and everything was just cooked, made, and baked to perfection. My boyfriend had a few glasses of red wine and I had a rose. Both were impressive and definitely a must try for winos. The service was exceptional. They were very attentive even when they were extremely busy. They handled the chaos of restaurant week pretty well. We were never thirsty or hungry. You'd think they may be training their wait staff in a boot camp or something. The food was phenomenal and the food came out in a timely manner, they came out with our food as soon as we were done with appetizers as if they were watching our table the entire time. But reading a few reviews here, it's unfortunate that not everyone had similar experiences as we have. One thing is for sure, Pamplemousse will always have a huge group of loyal guests for a lifetime. It would be your loss to not come back here (or you need to develop a better appreciation for real good food, no offense). And yes, leave your children at home. Leave your small children, your middle school children, your teenage children, and anyone who has no taste (joke), at home. When they can appreciate this type of dining, feel free to bring them. Otherwise, enjoy this dining experience as a time away from kids or just have a nice dinner with your special someone, older family, or friends. Because let's face it, not everyone can afford their children to eat here. Don't be surprised if your kid ate something that turns up to be $50 on the bill. Be prepared to shell out more than you're used to. It's not anywhere near cheap or "affordable". You've been warned. Don't come crying on yelp if you're not able to pay rent after having dinner at Pamplemousse. I'm talking about at least $40 per dish going up well over $100 per person easily. A glass of wine could easily be over $10 each. Did I mention their to-die-for grilled cheese is $40? I laughed when I first heard about it and said "yeah, eff that, I can make my own grilled cheese at home for free-ninety-nine". But it was no joke. It's worth it to me, as it turned out. Now I can't appreciate any grilled cheese anywhere else. Even quesadillas aren't good enough anymore :( Unless it has carne asada but that's not the same. One more thing, make sure to make a reservation. read more

The biggest let down! We came for restaurant week (and mind you, I did 6 other restaurant week menu's, and this was the worst). I ordered the prawn lobster duo as an appetizer, and it came out as a FRIED battered shrimp in spicy mayo(?) with a nug of lobster on top. My friend is very familiar with the regular menu and insisted we order the abalone appetizer off the regular menu ($26!!) and it was the EXACT same thing except they replaced the fried shrimp with fried "abalone". I put that in quotes because it tasted more like a fried oyster. Why didn't our server tell us it was the same thing? Now, I couldn't make week 1, and their menus are different for each week, so I was super bummed that the duck wasn't on the menu when we were able to go. They ended up being able to do it anyways since it's on the regular menu(which was really sweet), but it was extremely mediocre. I got to try some of my friends' duck from the Market Del Mar the night before (I didn't order it b/c I knew I was having it here) and theirs definitely blew Pamplemousse's out of the water. My friend ordered the filet/spare rib duo, and his was even worse in my opinion. the spare ribs came in dumpling form, and tasted like a very cheap steamed frozen pierogi. The meat was not tender at all. The filet was not the greatest quality and had a smoky flavor to it. The best part the whole dinner was the dessert, a pear tarte. Overall, I thought the menu was very uninventive, and not executed well. Really, steamed beans and charred corn on every dish? And two appetizers with the same exact ingredients, just replacing one? I wish I could blame it on it being restaurant week, but the restaurant wasn't full and we had ordered off the regular menu too. read more

Very nice restaurant serving haute cuisine. The staff greet you as though you've been a regular honored client with respect. This is an expensive restaurant but very high quality. read more

Always a pleasurable experience. Love going to dinner there after the races! Lovely the wine list and staff. Better than the Vegas one mostly cause of the amibence. read more

Pamplemousse Grille - Dinner only and it's classy! Wonderful after the races. Lovely wine list. - New American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

100% hands down best experience the last two times I've been there! The service is absolutely amazing. Everyone is so kind - they aim to make sure you enjoy your food and have a fantastic meal. Everything I've ordered on the menu has not only come out beautifully displayed, but also so delicious. I will recommend this restaurant over and over. Big thank you to the entire staff and all of the awesomeness :) read more

This is my go to for truffle anything. I stumbled upon this place while stuck in a south bound traffic jam. Their truffle fries and Kobe burger came to the rescue. So far everything I've had here has been delicious. The environment is classy but not stuffy. I usually go in business casual attire. The food presentation is beautiful. I'm not much of a picture taking foodie but if I were, this would be one of my favorite places. My top 3 choices: - Braised Short Rib "Osso Bucco" Style - Basil Roasted Sea Bass - Crispy Half Duck (ironic because I usually don't like duck) Required: - Truffle Parmesan Fries read more

I'm in town so I stopped by for a bite. It was good. I had a nice time. The fish trio I tried was good - not great. Salmon was a little fishy and the tuna had a lot of those white veins in it. Cocktails were well made and the bartender was a good guy. The cheese plate had crackers on it though. Lame. read more

I have always loved this restaurant. If you love truffles (mushrooms), you will love this place. This is the Ultimate truffle place, truffle chicken, truffle fries, truffle mac and cheese, truffle grilled cheese sandwich...you get the point. Ambiance: 4 Food: 5 Service: 4.5 Chef Jeffrey Strauss is usually in the kitchen making your meal, but will ultimately be out in the dining room to check on your meal. He is great host, and really cares about making your meal the best you have eaten. I ordered two different sampler plates (both get 5 stars). The first was Quail, Duck and Venison. The second sampler was Fillet Mignon, Pork, and Lamb. WOW. And of course, the mandatory order of the truffle fries. They actually have specks of shaved black truffles instead of just truffle oil. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Pamplemousse Grille - Seafood sampler. Yum! - New American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Amazing. It's been while since I've been here but I am now reminded I won't wait so long next time. Jeffrey is an amazing Chef whom obviously loves what he does. It shows in the food. We had a party 6 last night after the races and started I the bar with cocktails. The wine list is fantastic as well as the service. WE got a large table within 10 mins. The boys went crazy ordering and I think we had half the menu. I wish I took pics! We started with pomme frites (they loved them served in a cone), Asian style tuna tartare which was perfect and just enough in it's small stack. They Cajun fried oysters were to die for. Perfectly soft inside and crunchy on the outside and still light, not heavy or oily. The lobster, avocado and pamplemousse salad was also stellar. A prefect pairing of flavors. We also had ribs which had the nicest flavor of bbq, just saucy enough and the meat fell off the bone. For dinner, we had lots of prime meats at the table with rib eyes, Ny's and filets. All cooked and seasoned to perfection. Med rare.. They raved. The seabass was another favorite. The side of spinach was just garlicky enough. They also had this sampler plate which had a fried oyster, ahi stack, and about 4 other things to try which all were amazing. I know this because we had two of them for dinner (ok, I had a few cocktails by now so I don't exactly remember all that was on it.) But I do remember it was ALL the best! For desserts, we had a meyer lemon tarte (tart and tangy with the perfect crust), the strawberry rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream which was fresh and tasted like summer. And the best for last was the Chocolate PB bombe which was the bomb! pb middle covered in chocolate.... I can't wait to go back to try the rest of the menu!!! The service is impeccable and it's a fun social atmosphere. Everyone enjoying amazing food and wine. The bar gets busy with the boys track talking and all in all a must try if you are trying to figure out where to grab some of the best food in town! read more

This is another of San Diego's finest five star dining experiences. Award-winning and for a good reason as the owner Jeffrey Strauss is an original. Having working for many years in NYC in this profession, he has also brought in a bit of East Coast flair. He used to date a friend of mine who just didn't appreciate his worth. Silly girl. You'll find a variety of meat dishes and even duck on the menu and some of the finest wines available as Jeffrey is a collector. Expect to easily pay a few hundred bucks for two and if you choose that vintage wine then you're probably not concerned with the bill. Great overall experience....http://www.pgrille.com/ read more

Pamplemousse Grille - New American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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I haven't been to Pamplemousse in a while and I am glad I went back. Many of the staple menu items are still here with infusions of new creative dishes. I started the meal with the Foie Gras Two Ways, and my dining partner had the Foie Gras Tacos. Both were amazing. The FG Two ways was classic and prepared perfectly, the tacos, FUN! Main Entrees I had Mixed Game. I have had it many times before. I love game this dish never disappoints. The Mixed Grill was equally good for non game lovers. The meal finished with Warm Chocolate-Caramel Cake. Yummy. Service was attentive without being overly fussy. Chris was taking care of us and she was spot on all evening. From helping us on our food selections to the paring of wine, she made sure everything was perfect (and it was). I will return! read more

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Came here for SDRW 2016 and absolutely enjoyed it. Staff is very attentive and courteous! Not sure what the regular prices are, but it's a $50 prix fixe menue when it's SDRW season. I decided to get the lobster ravioli, lamb entree and trio of sorbets for my dinner. Lobster ravioli was simple in presentation, however full of flavor and delicious! The lamb was cooked to perfection and did not have an overwhelming "game-y" flavor which some places tend to have when they serve lamb. However, I do have the say the star of that entree had to be the truffle mashed potatoes. Oh. My. God. Best mashed potatoes I've ever had. Dessert was simple and clean, as I had imagined that with the appetizer and entree, I'd be super full by dessert. The trio came in strawberry, pineapple and champagne. Very refreshing and strong flavor profiles on each one-- you knew which was what. Definitely would come back again! They pack left overs for you and you pick them up on your way out. Pretty nifty. read more

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