Cocktails here are a focal point with their cool "comic" book style menu. That much effort alone goes to show how much they care about their drinks here and the marketing matches the material. The food was all a hit and everyone enjoyed each of their cocktails. We got the Potatoes Four Ways (table favorite) and Wagyu Salisbury Steak (7/10 for me). Winner of the night for me was their Mai Tai. For those who enjoyed MonkeyPod's Mai Tai in Hawaii this felt like that caliber of concoction ;) Side Note: For some reason the decor reminded me of the episode Far Away Places from Mad Men: a classy vintage vibe mixed with a touch of novel whimsy and meaning in all the things around you if you look hard enough. read more

Excellent food. Service was amazing. And price of the chefs menu was on point. Would go back in a heart beat.

Food: Bluefin Tuna Crudo - citrus, shaved fennel, charred avocado, parsley emulsion, burnt citrus oil - this was very light & refreshing appetizer; Ravioles du Dauphine - roasted heirloom carrots, house made ricotta, black olive crumble, carrot nage - was slightly sweet with a fruity flavor; Steelhead Trout - rainbow chard, sorrel, caviar beurre blanc - very fatty/oily fish similar to salmon; Hand Rolled Cavatelli - fava beans, wild garlic, preserved lemon, pine nuts, spigarello, sabayon Drinks: Dodo - ritual "boubon," pear, ginger, lemon - light & refreshing; Kiwi - seedlip grove, lemongrass, yuzu tonic - love anything with yuzu (citrus flavor) Service: very friendly, helpful service; everything is made-to-order fresh Design: interiors is a tropical chic with beautiful pastel colored wall mural, retro chic chairs/banquettes/tables; the cocktail guide is clever and beautifully designed naming all of the cocktails/mocktails after birds Overall: love the concept of this high-end tropical chic restaurant; the food was daringly creative & good, but was hoping the portion size was bigger read more

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Came here on a Tuesday around 5:30 and it was surprisingly very busy! It was the week between Christmas and New Years so I'm sure that contributed but overall pretty full house. I got the jalapeño Caesar ($29) and carne asada tacos for two off their taco Tuesday menu ($69). Also got a happy hour rose ($9) and Damsel in distress cocktail ($18). They had a mariachi band that came through for taco Tuesday as well which was a fun surprise. Overall great and attentive service, food was delicious. Next time I'd like to try more of the menu but would recommend my selections! Especially the jalapeño Caesar and damsel in distress cocktail. I don't go to fine dining too often so maybe this is normal but I appreciated that they kept my leftovers warm for me to pickup at the front before I left. Parking out front on La Jolla blvd is probably unlikely unless you get lucky but plenty of street parking on side streets and through the neighborhood. Also the beans that came with the taco platter were amazing. read more

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My wife and I had the best experience at Paradisaea! The sourdough bread, Fresh red snapper, and flaming baked Alaska were epic. Shoutout to our server Taylor, who was knowledgeable and fun. And to the manager, Patrick, who was so kind to us. We can't wait to come back. read more

Paradisaea - The flaming baked Alaska! - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Really great experience here for mine and my partner's anniversary! They gave us each a glass of champagne to toast to our big day. We had so many good dishes. My favorite was the Caesar salad. It sounds silly but I'm a cheese lover and this Caesar salad had a lotttt of cheese. The sauce was also so good. It said it had anchovies so I was really hesitant but I personally didn't taste it! My boyfriend's favorite dish was the scallops! We also enjoyed the sharing pork dish, tuna crudo, and potatoes 3 ways! Everything was really wonderful and the service was great as well. I think our server's name was Taylor and she was really sweet and kind. I will note that the menu we received was different from the one on their website, so try not to get your heart set on a dish unless you know they'll be serving it when you go! Other things: you can make a reservation online and we had no trouble with street parking! read more

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Elyse Marie is the truuuuuuth as a server. She was bomb and so were all of her colleagues. The burger was an absolute delight, as was the Caesar and raviolis. The veal Milanese was fantastic and the pork chop was out of this world. The sundae was also delicious. Loved sitting outside on the patio. This is the second time I've been here and it was with a previous chef and the food is still outstanding and the service was phenomenal. The duck fat fries were meh. read more

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Came here to celebrate my birthday and the meal and ambiance did not disappoint! Loved the beef tartare, the stracciatella (the accompanying bread was fresh and so delicious), the tagliatelle with mussels, and the veal milanese (the accompanying sauce was also incredible). The only small hiccup was that the sea bass was a bit overdone. When we brought it up with our server, she was so kind about handling it and getting another remade to the exact consistency and texture we were expecting. Speaking of our server, Lindsey was amazing! She had great recommendations, checked in on us the perfect amount, and made the whole experience a positive one. So glad she recommended the lavender lemon cheesecake - mind-blowing! Will definitely be back for future celebrations. read more

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Paradisaea is a super cool spot. Have to make sure to get there early though if you want to make their happy hour because they only serve it at the bar itself. I came with a group of 5 girls and they only had two chairs left, but they allowed us to huddle around the bar. It was a bit crowded but worked. First time trying an oyster and was delicious! read more

Paradisaea - Happy hour $1 oysters - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Had a party here . Everything was great but the setup wasn't exactly what I had communicated. Other than that fun way to use their donut shop space read more

Paradisaea - That passed appetizers for our party - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Paradisea has been on my list for a long time mostly because I adore the decor and wanted to be there. Honestly I didn't even check the food the first time I entered at the restaurant I just wanted to take tons of pictures with the background painting. That alone is just amazing. The restaurant has a 70s meet tropics vibe, so many details. I'm such a visual person that what enamoured me what's the design of the cocktails with all this tropical birds so colorful, some! The opportunity of getting a seat for a dinner at Paradise presented itself yesterday. I have a friend who lives in La Jolla and was going to show me how to sit her card in her vacation absence. As gratitude gesture and also because of Thanksgiving time and also because of the birthday of her makeup artist girlfriend I ended up invited there. Very excited, we arrived very early so we had plenty of time to take plenty of pictures. Regarding the cocktails in the bar I loved the service from the bartender however we were disappointed with our drinks. The girls drinks where too blue, too sweet, and they have requested not super sweet. The recommended drink was not really what they would expect but the server was very nice to say if you guys want to change we can, I can make another one. Mine was very tasty but the look was very masculine and I am really feminine so I don't think it was Instagram worthy enough, just kidding it was tasty but again I choose the most colorful tropical bird and then the drink was almost transparent I know it's silly. Lets move to the food. We got there croquetted with goat cheese appetizer and was amazing we all love it. At the table we enjoyed a friendly service and all dishes came at the same time. We shared the pork dish, the potatoes three ways, a beets with some pasta dish, and the scallops. Everything was delicious however I think there was not enough potatoes to cover the meat. We thought the 3 way potato was going to be 3 types of potatoes not all mixed together. it was very nice though very tasty I found the meat a little bit hard. For desserts we ordered the olive cake, the creme brulee with orange and the baba. They were all very good but we had to ask for a knife to be able to divide. I think the desert should come with the certain knives not sure if it was a miss or they don't normally. Overall it was a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday night with an old friend and a new friend celebrating and I'm glad I was invited because in my opinion the prices are too expensive and you pay a lot of the ambiance. read more

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I have been 3 times now, 2x for dinner and once for lunch. I thought the lunch was good. Both of the dinners were okay. I didn't find them great. And for the price, I really think they should be better. The bar and decor are very cool though. So maybe it's a place to grab a drink or a really nice lunch when you want to splurge. read more

This place was lovely, but not a five star worth. Service was a bit slow, 45-50 min till we received our food after ordering was a bit of a wait for us on a Thursday evening. They were busy for sure around 1845. People work here are lovely and I'm sure the kitchen was backed up but a little explanation as to why the long wait would have been nice. Sage carrots and Caesar salad for my appetizer were great- Beets risotto was meh, unique but not worth trying again. Steak frites was ok. I ordered medium rare for my steak and it came out more medium. Fries too overcooked, to the point it was potato chips crispy. Branzino was great :) None of us wanted to have alcoholic beverages this evening, but felt like the server was very pushy trying to have us order mocktails (which we don't even like and we were perfectly happy with our sparkling water.) I get it, it's more $$$ which will lead to more tip but definitely annoying. We will try on a different day and see how things will unfold next time :) read more

Best Caesar Salad in town !!! And also amazing desserts ! And the bed happy hour in La jolla !

I would give more than five stars if I could. Beautiful atmosphere, exceptional food, and super cool staff!

Food was ok. Service was excellent n ambience was ok as well. I am happy I tried it. read more

We did not realize we were walking into a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant. This place was super close to our AirBnB, and it looked so friendly with the big round bar and comfy seats and all glass windows that we had to try it. The bartender greeted us warmly and the first class service began. All of their signature cocktails are named after birds of the South Pacific. We tried a couple and loved each of them. We also had the Tuna Poke. The fish tasted like it was fresh right out of the Pacific. It was delicately dressed with ponzu and chive allowing the tuna to shine. We then shared the Yesterday's News Fish & Chips derived in "yesterday's news paper". We both delighted in how light and crispy the batter was and the freshness of the halibut that was perfectly flaky. We couldn't stop there, so we tried the hand rolled Cavatelli with a pecorino sabayon. The pasta was perfectly al dente with a slight chew and texture that made it so fun to devour. It was topped with winter truffle. The dish was magical and I didn't want it to end. We then capped off the meal with a Puffin. It's a riff on an Espresso Martini but made with Peanut Butter Tequila! Get it, because it's a next level cocktail. We loved everything about Paradisaea including the attention to detail and teamwork with their service. We never wanted for anything. We hope to go back before our holiday trip is over. read more

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We have never seen more expensive prices for the serving size... we definitely should have done more research before walking in. Multiple servers told us the steak frites were the best on the menu ($77!) so we wanted to try but were stunned at the price. They told us it could be shared... when it came out it had 5 small pieces of steak on it. Definitely a single person meal. It was good, but not $77 good. Anyways, we will not be going back it was extremely overpriced. read more

We tried the chef's tasting menu and everything was fantastic. Wagyu was so delicious, sea bass was cooked perfectly, and the sourdough was memorable. We loved all of the dishes we tried and will definitely come back in the future. read more

Finally made it in here for a dinner, and am glad we did. Really enjoyed the food (ordered about 6 items to split between two) and had two fantastic cocktails. Probably the best Mai Tai I recall enjoying. Even my husband wished he'd it, Huge compliment to the service. They were detailed, attentive (but not annoying) and helpful. Would absolutely go back to keep an eye on updates to the menu! read more

Bird Rock is a special neighborhood and Paradisaea is a wonderful, vibrant spot. The interior design is playful and sophisticated. There is a sense of vacation/resort and whimsy but not contrived. Even the Water Closet is an experience! Our server was excellent- wish I caught her name! The timing of our courses was very good.They present everyone's entrees/dishes at the same time and that is so appreciative. I appreciate a restaurant that puts effort into zero proof drinks which is what I stuck to-Sego Place. Interesting drink, I'd try something else next time but I liked it. I had the oysters, gold rice pilaf and jalapeño Caesar (spicy!) salad. The oysters were meaty and good. The rice pilaf was outstanding, you get a nice balance of flavor and the coconut reminds you it's not your average risotto. The dill garnish was an unexpected compliment. We also had several desserts and all were very good but the blackberry creamsicle was my favorite-- so many textures. Also recommend based on the table- burger, steak and shrimp. I look forward to returning! read more

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I'll keep it short and sweet. As other reviewers have pointed out the food is, for the most part, very good, but overpriced for what you get. Service is however on point. I liked the decor, very retro. Hubby however thought the decor was confusing, too 70's and with an identity crisis, lol. Street parking and we had no issues finding a spot as the town was dead by 7 pm. I appreciated the birthday dessert. When I saw it on the menu I didn't think I'd like it, but it was excellent. read more

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Sat at the bar and it was beautiful inside with cozy Christmas decorations! Got drinks and cheesecake. One of the best cheesecakes (blueberry lavender) I have ever had. We had the best service from a bartender named Jacob. He was super helpful and really personalized our experience. Would definitely recommend and go back! read more

Paradisaea - Cheesecake - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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The name "Paradisaea" is a bit of a tongue-twister. Happily, the neighborhood of Bird Rock quiets down at night, so parking is not impossible. The historic Mid-Century "Piano Buidling" in which the restaurant is located has a great deal of charm, with its vaulting and sweeping roof line. The hostessess who will greet you at the door at Pardisaea have always provided a smiling and pleasant welcome, and they take you to your table without the fuss and angst you sometimes experience in, for example, Little Italy. The wine list at Paradisaea has some interesting selections. The Serbian sommelier can assist you with recommandations, if needed. read more

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Paradisaea is an amazing mix of flavors in a beautiful and trendy setting! The price is definitely up there, but you pay for the vibes. Service is equally excellent. Went here with a group and got just a couple small dishes to share and cocktails, but the bill was easily over 50 per person without actually getting enough food for dinner. The cocktails are fun with a beautiful menu depicting what they look like but they run you a pretty penny at almost $20 each. I got the ocean planet which was an interesting mix of coconut and basil. My friend got the jewel which was equally as tasty. The food was phenomenal and extremely flavorful and interesting. We got the cavatelli, beef tartare, hummus and rice pilaf. The gold rice pilaf was delicious, and surprisingly tangy. I would also recommend the hummus, the miso bread was to die for- but you can't go wrong here! Portions were small and I would say the food is extremely overpriced. Overall, a cute date spot if you're looking to splurge! read more

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Read all the other reviews. Now I'll tell it to you straight. Paradisaea is a once in a lifetime experience that you may or may not appreciate. The facts are simple. Beautiful dining room. Stunning bathroom decor. Excellent jazz pianist. Cozy dog friendly patio. Professional staff. Also. Teensy weensy portions of delicious and attractive inventive tasting portions at gargantuan astronomical humongous prices. Wait staff that reek from over laundered garments from the soap vats at Proctor and Gamble. Let's come up with a plan. Have dinner somewhere anywhere else. How about Lupi down the street. Then mosey over to Paradisaea for delicious DESSERT and perhaps a splurge of a drink. Stick around and soak up the vibe of the ultra rich and the ultra wannabe while you enjoy your scrumptious affordable chocolate caramel tart with the included berry sorbet. Once in a lifetime is enough. read more

Paradisaea - Ravioli - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Amazing dinner last night. As a food allergy person I'm never sure what I will be able to eat. The waitress was kind, knowledgeable and attentive. Back to the food. I enjoyed the ceasar salad for my dinner. We also ordered the carrots. The carrots were good. My husband had the steak fries. My mil had the pork chop. That pork chop was huge. She loved it. My fil had the snitzl. That also looked amazing. I'm a picky eater and I was worried there would be nothing to eat for me. They offered to make a plain piece of fish for me. I decided the salad and the beet risotto was enough. With the exception of the larger proteins the portions are fine dining portions. Just enough with no food waste. We enjoyed it very much. If I weren't so restricted on what foods (dietary reasons) they would have had to roll me out of there. Go eat and enjoy. read more

Had happy hour today and the service was impeccable! The modern design is perfect and it was clean and ready for guests at 4pm. The jamon croquettes were bland and they were out of caviar! The oysters were amazing! I would order 2 next time! The halibut tempura was exceptional. I will be back! read more

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I have been wanting to dine here since they opened, but heard mixed reviews. We finally made reservations and got to dine here on a Friday night back in January. The decor is very tropical! My friend ordered the Tiger Proof cocktail and I got a Sego Place mocktail. Both drinks were so pretty! Their mocktails were on the expensive side, for $16 each. We decided to share the hamachi crudo, beef tartare, and the griddled garlic miso foccacia. Everything was small in size, so it wasn't very filling. The presentation for the crudo was a bit weird. It came choped up underneath some cucumbers. I've seen some better photos of this dish and I guess they changed the presentation. The foccacia was just alright to me as well. I enjoyed the sunchokes in the beef tartare though! I was hesitant to order dessert, but we agreed on the Straus milk and honey sundae! This was refreshing and needed more soft serve because there was a lot of honey! Overall, everything was okay to me. I would come back to sit at the bar because I loved my drink so much! read more

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A Happy Hour Experience Worth the Wait! My wife and I came to [Restaurant Name] for happy hour, excited to try their $1 oysters and cocktails. We arrived at 4:10 PM, only to find that happy hour seating was limited to the bar--and every seat was already taken. Not wanting to miss out, we decided to wait. After 40 minutes, others who arrived after us gave up and left, but we held out a little longer. At 4:45, we were ready to call it a night when the hostess, who had noticed us waiting, kindly stopped us outside and offered to seat us with a 5 PM reservation. We were seated right away at a table, not the bar, and were promptly served our long-awaited oysters. From that point on, the experience was nothing short of fantastic. The service was outstanding, and the happy hour offerings exceeded expectations. The oysters were fresh and flavorful, a steal at just $1 each. We also tried the chicken liver mousse, which was incredibly creamy and packed with rich, delicious flavor. The cocktails were well-crafted and balanced, making the entire experience even better. Despite the initial wait, the excellent service and delicious food made it well worth it. We'll absolutely be returning to explore the regular menu, and based on our happy hour experience, we're confident it'll be just as impressive! Would highly recommend! read more

The service was so wonderful! The interior is truly so stunning. Food was delicious and interesting. The drink menu is also so cool and fun to browse through. read more

Paradisaea - Drink menu - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Finally had the chance to go here with my fiance. We've been wanting to go here since it was on the Michelin guide list. You may last minute reservations day of, and were able to get a high top reservation for 7:30pm. I didn't realize the high tops are around the bar, and not in their proper dining hall, but it was still a nice, still intimate, but alive from the noise of the bar. We were debating to try the shift special tasting menu, but I wasn't feeling too adventurous, we decided just to order a number of share dishes to make her own tasting menu. We also ordered a couple of cocktails. I loved the concept of each cocktail named after a bird representing some similar characteristics. So cute and unique. And wow, the drinks were amazing! It's a fairly picky with my cocktail palette, and every drink we've tried they nailed it! We ordered the hoopoe and red reindeer (something like that, both tasty and refreshing mezcal drinks). As I mentioned we ordered a ton of food! We tried their goat cheese croquettes, their sourdough bread, their duck liver pate, they're Japanese Caesar salad, carrots, heliloom chicken and steak fritters. Probably one of the best I'd look for a patties I've ever had! I would go back just for this! The goat cheese Croquettes were pretty basic, essentially if I'd goat cheese, nothing too special. I actually liked the lightly seasoned raw carrots that accompaned it even more. We were so stuffed that we couldn't have dessert but i would have loved to try! I guess I'll just have to come back and leave room for dessert! Our server was also very attentive to making sure we got all our food out, have drinks we needed and constant water refills. I love the location, cuz it's one of the few nice dining restaurants in Bird Rock area. Highly recommend it, perfect for dinner date or night out with the friends. read more

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We had a reservation at 8pm on a Wednesday and were able to walk in an hour early and sit down immediately at the "chefs table" where you can watch them prepare the food! As soon as you walk in you're greeted with bright colors and a really nice vibe. Our server was fantastic and we started with some red wine and martini (delicious and bleu cheese olives!). As a starter we got the jamon iberico (sooooo good) and lamb neck tortellini and they were both fantastic. As an entree, we ordered the steak au poivre and it was good! Overall it was a great experience and I'll have to come back to try other entrees. read more

Paradisaea - jamon iberico and lamb neck tortellini - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

One of my girlfriends took me here for my birthday and it did not disappoint. They have a bird theme throughout their drink menu and ambiance. We sat at a high table and our server was attentive, and explained the best of the menu to us. Highly recommend their cocktails, there's sweet and savory depending on what you're in to. My friend loved her pickle cocktail. Food was pretty good too, I like the small plates aspect. Recommend the crudo, croquettes, and any of their pasta options like ravioli. read more

Paradisaea - Come for the cocktails! - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

I loved everything about this restaurant, from the decor, the friendliness of the host stand, the bustle at the bar and the ensuing seated portion of the restaurant, the bathrooms and our waitress. We arrived early for our reservation and were seated within 5 minutes. As soon as we sat, we were greeted by Aris who was lovely and very attentive throughout our dining experience. I do not usually consume mocktails as they are usually full of sugar, but the Sunset Cliff not only looked like a real cocktail, it was very refreshing and not too sweet. We started with the focaccia with cultured butter, crudo, jalapeño caesar and coconut shrimp. The jalapeño caesar was EVERYTHING! Seriously, I have never had a caesar salad like this. I wanted so badly to order one to go, but I did not look as if it would be the same the next day. The coconut shrimp was also delicious, except we were not expecting the heads to be attached. In the description it does not mention prawns which is usually a dead giveaway, nor did it describe the shrimp as whole, so now you have been warned. For our mains, we chose the dover sole, salmon, carolina gold rice and duck fat fries. OMG, we made some fabulous choices, but the dover sole and rice were the winners for the night. Our eyes were way too big for our stomachs and we were not able to consume dessert, but I will be back soon because the straus milk and honey sundae and the dark chocolate pave looked divine. Before you leave, you have to use the bathroom. The design is really cool and do not forget to grab a couple of matches. They are the cutest matches you will ever own read more

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We have high hopes for Paradisea as this is the first hip and trendy restaurant in La Jolla, but instead it was met with a bit of a disappointment. The decor is very nice but half the dishes we tried isn't up to par. They do have some great dishes like the Kumiai Oysters, Focaccia with Jamon Iberico, and Jalapeno Caesar. The oysters were very refreshing. The tomato condiment/creamy garlic with the Jamon were very balanced and compatible. The little gem lettuce is very fresh and crisp with a little spicy kick. The major disappointment came with the scallops. The scallops were huge but tasted very "soapy" and off favor. They might have been infused with alkaline water. We were quite shock and could not finish the dish. We also had the wild mushroom tagliatelle with 5g of white truffles. The white truffles have already lost most of the favor and the 5 grams was not shaved in front of us, it was done inside the kitchen. Charging about $12/gram is not acceptable for this poor quality of white truffle. The pasta was not al dente at all. The dessert, Passion Fruit Twist came out pretty nicely, was able to erase some of our disappointment. Overall, we find this dining experience to be just OK. read more

Paradisaea - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Lovely meal from start to finish. Great server who was friendly and knowledgeable, a unique one page menu with lots of great options to share and an even more distinctive and quirkily cocktail menu. The dishes all had original twists that were filled with flavor and creativity. The decor throughout the restaurant is also fresh and fun, with an ode to a tropical 70s vibe. Definitely a more pricey spot but worth it for a date night or special occasion. read more

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Food was delicious! Ambience was perfect! Top two favorites were the Heirloom Chicken and the west coast oysters! The potatoes on the ribeye were great! Chicken isn't usually my top choice at restaurants but this one amazed me. Juicy, flavorful and cooked to perfection. Top Drink: The Jewel Dessert: We were so full at this point and shared the Strauss milk and honey sundae. Honey overpowered the sundae but we could eat spoonfuls of the wafer. Taylor was our waitress and she was very kind and always checked in on us. She made it her mission to make sure we had a great night. The only down side...the food runner knocked over the vase at our table and it spilled on my sister's brand new bag she bought in Europe last week. The water stained the leather. The sad part was he never apologized. It put a bummer towards the evening but accidents happen. Be ready to spend! With the three of us, we spent $500 but definitely indulged in the menu. Food was very high quality. Loved the fact that we never felt rushed to leave. We took our time and had a memorable evening. read more

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Paradisaea was one of the new restaurants I was really excited to try with my wife. Unfortunately, I left very disappointed due to poor service and the food was just not really up to par for me. Let's start with the service, it took forever for us to place our order and then we waited forever for the food to come out. It was one of the longest non-fine dining experiences I have participated in quite some time. Then when it was time to pay the bill, it again took forever for us to get our credit card back to sign and leave. Now for the food: Kumiai Oysters: Very fresh oysters and I loved the concept of frozen passion fruit sangria. But, the passion fruit flavor was so strong it took away from the sweetness of the oysters. Hamachi Crudo: One of my favorite light dishes of the night with a nice blend of light sweet and sour flavors. Beef Tartare: It was actually very flavorful and delicious. However, it was a bit too salty for my own good as I found myself drinking plenty of water afterwards. Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle: the pasta was cooked just right but the brown butter sherry sabayon sauce was on the salty end. A few more mushrooms could have enhanced the dish even more. Beef Tenderloin: really enjoyed the sweet chino farm corn. The beef was definitely very tender but almost to the point of being mushy. Duck Au Poivre: The duck was cooked well and retained its crispy skin. I enjoyed the duck but the fries were not tossed properly as it was really salty. For dessert we ordered the mud pie which was good and I enjoyed the dark horse coffee ice cream. But my favorite was the Passion Fruit Twist. The vanilla swirl with lime scented meringue paired perfectly with the passion fruit. The food was definitely very salty overall and the portions were somewhat small compared to the high price. read more

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Bird Rock's "Piano Building" has now reopened as an upscale modern California restaurant, Paradisaea. The owners also plan to set up a new cafe next door named Dodo Bird Donuts. This strip of La Jolla Blvd has not had a fine dining establishment of such a caliber so the interest has been high. Available dates and times were difficult to find on OpenTable. I wonder if a certain number of seats were set aside for walk-ins because on the evening of my visit, there were several open tables throughout the entire time. The inside had been beautifully refurbished to give a contemporary mid-century ambiance. A piano was in a corner of the dining room near the exit to the sidewalk patio seating. It would have been a nice touch to hire a pianist to play the instrument for some live music. One underrated aspect I appreciated was the restroom corridor near the kitchen. I wish more places would have these individual unisex stalls to allow more privacy. The bar was where I was placed and had a couple of dozen seats. At least four bartenders were working to take orders from the customers. There was a booklet of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, that had an impressive variety of choices. I chose an Anini Beach Swizzle which was a blend of non-alcoholic spiced dark and white cane spirits mixed with lemon, passionfruit, orgeat, hibiscus, and mint. The two-toned tropical mocktail was a tangy, fruity mixture. The food menu had 18 items. If the one page was divided into sections (e.g. raw, salads, pasta, sides, entrees) with entries under each heading, then that would have made it easier to follow. An improvement to the flow could also have been achieved by adding more spacing between each item. The Beef Tenderloin was my pick which came as two medium rare medallions served with corn kernels, freekah ragout, fresno peppers, and purslane. The tender beef was cooked perfectly by the kitchen. Instead of an appetizer, I indulged in dessert this time. There were three choices on the card. The middle one was my selection, the Straus Milk and Honey Sundae. Vanilla soft serve ice cream in a glass was covered with honey oat shortbread, bee pollen, and citrus honey caramel. The first scoop shocked my taste buds with how sugary this concoction was. I took my time to consume the sundae so I could slowly enjoy the sweetness. The bartenders were knowledgeable about the food and drinks and paid close attention to details like refilling water glasses. I would not hesitate to recommend friends to come to Paradisaea if they want to splurge on a high end dining experience. read more

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