Herringbone

I was very impressed when I walked into this place, nice décor, very creative presentation, in a home-​like setting. Imagine eating in the back yard and hang out with friends and family, that’s what they offer!
One star off because they put too much salt in the salad… instead of dressing.

Gotta say I was impressed with this restaurant, from the moment I walked in the entrance, thru their heavy wooden doors. Great service, excellent food, in taste and presentation, beautiful décor.
I came here for restaurant week and they had a 3 course prefix for either $ 30 or $ 50. Options were great! Our waitress readily made great recommendations. All the flavors were well balanced.
The Branzino was served whole and tasted delicious, with crispy skin and sliced almonds sprinkled on top.
Dessert was really nice: simona torte w/​vanilla ice cream and date cake with ginger ice cream.
Cesar salad was decent.
Vegetarian Chili was excellent.
Pizza was delicious. I added arugula to the fungi pizza and they were so generous with it, I couldn’t see the pizza!
Their red wine pairings were good: the Bordeaux and cab was yum.
The meal can add up, but it was good quality food.
Attire is fashionable casual wear or slightly dressy is ok. Street parking.
I enjoyed the open feeling of this space with high ceiling, trees lined with Xmas lights right in the middle of the restaurant, and a view thru glass windows of an open kitchen. Creates and clean, romantic, mystical feeling to it. I will be back!

Restaurant week menu was excellent! All of our meals were delicious. We liked how they don’t rely solely on butter like most restaurants to make the food taste good. They use fresh ingredients. It was light and healthy tasting and we didn’t feel heavy after our 3 course meal.
The branzino entrée is a creative unique way of preparing a whole fish. The whole fish was completely de-​boned making it easy and enjoyable to eat. And the herbs they stuffed it with made it very flavorful.
And the ambiance is hip and warm! Great for groups.

I love coming to Herringbone! Not only is the food great, the ambience is amazing too. They have the coolest interior ever. The lobster roll is alright — a little too mayo-​y for my taste, but the homemade chips were delish! Another time I came for brunch and I wasn’t very happy with the chilaquiles because the eggs were fully cooked even though I was expecting sunny side up. But still love this place and will keep coming back. Also love the $ 1 oyster happy hour on weekdays!!!

I came in here for Happy Hour during SD Restaurant Week. My friend wanted to check it out. The décor of the restaurant is what drew her attention and I’ll have to say it lived up to the hype. There were lit trees indoors, mix matched vintage chairs and couches, ivy leaves, fireplaces. It was very quaint in a fancy way.
They normally have happy hour from 4−6pm, however also for Restaurant week they also had a happy hour menu that started at 5pm. I really wanted some oysters on happy hour, but due to restaurant week they changed their menu and weren’t offering oysters for happy hour. They did have oysters on the menu at regular price.
We ordered from the 4pm happy hour menu: the Mussels Tikka Masala ($ 10), the Fried Brussels & Candied Pecans ($ 6), Grilled Wild Prawn Skewers ($ 10) with kimchi fried rice, and a dozen oysters from the regular menu. The Mussels came with pita bread to dip in the sauce. The mussels were super small. Not as flavorful as you would think. The skewers paired with the kimchi fried rice was tastey. The brussels weren’t our fave. It lacked flavor as well. We ended up ordering dessert from the regular menu. I can’t recall the name of it but it was a brown cake paired with pears and ginger ice cream. It wasn’t too sweet and just right. We enjoyed that.
For drinks we ordered sangria and snake in the grass (a cucumber gin). The sangria had a holiday flavor to it. Like a spiced sangria. The snake in the grass was like a gin mojito.
It was fairly quiet and not much foot traffic coming in here at 4pm on a Tuesday so that was nice. Our waitress was helpful and gave suggestions. There is a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant as well as street parking.

They have a great happy hour with $ 1 oysters, pizza, and mussels. I got the $ 10 Happy Hour mussels with a red curry sauce. It was not too spicy (good, for me). We went on a Tuesday evening, when the wines are on special.
The atmosphere was fun and feels like eating outdoors. The service was attentive even at their peak time in the bar.
It is $$$ but if you go during happy hour (4 – 6), it is quite affordable. The mussels and two oysters filled me up.

The interior décor is superb. The rustic chandeliers to the wooden fish bones surrounded by lit up trees. this place is just majestic to dine at. The kitchen is slightly elevated from the dining hall and is see through. The bathroom is oddly different in that it contains a communal sink for the guys and girls.
Cocktails — «Snake in the grass» was refreshing and great. Basically a Cucumber Gin Mojito.
It was restaurant wk and so they had preset meal plans and so my meal consisted of vegan chili, New York strip steak, and a coffee cake. Bry ordered the Tuna Cacciatore, Branzino, and Torte. My choices were good but her choices were so much better than mine. The Branzino was fantastic, the white fish was perfectly flaky.
For apps, we ordered brussel sprouts and oysters.
Service was great, often had numerous staff checking up on us. Very happy to have chosen this spot for her birthday.

First time here at Herringbone and also new to the city so decided to try this restaurant because the pictures looked great from previous reviews.
I tried the whole fish ceviche and the oyster sampler to start which were both delicious. I thought the ceviche could’ve used more lemon but the presentation was awesome. The oysters came with a great mignonette sauce and the oysters tasted very fresh.
For entrees I had the scallops which came with mustard greens and bits of bacon with mushrooms… This was the star of the dinner hands down. I also tried the grilled yellowish tail entrée with came with pozole sauce and corn… It honestly wasn’t very tasty and I wouldn’t get it again but the fish tasted great. For dessert I tried the chocolate sundae that was great, would definitely get that again!
Overall, great experience and service. Would definitely recommend for a nice dinner and an upbeat atmosphere.

This is one of my favorite brunch spots, especially to bring out-​of-​towners or to have a «drunch.»
I love the décor with the trees within the restaurant. The vibe is very relaxed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The breakfast pizza is delicious. When we have a group of four or more I like to order one for the table to get us started.
The bottomless mimosas are key as well to a good drunch and on most of my visits they are pretty on point with the bottomless part.
My fav breakfast/​brunch item after the pizza is the #1. Simple. Classic. Tasty.
On other visits the chilaquiles and the biscuits and gravy have gotten good reviews from my friends.
I haven’t had it yet, but the word from my friends who have had it are the eggs Benedict are good but not special. Unless that’s the only item you are interested in, choose another dish.
I had the burger one time when I was there. It was fine, but not special.
Regardless i still love this place.

This review is for the happy hour only, so YMMV
I came in close to 5 and was basically directed to pick a seat in the lounge. Super common, but the place got super crowded at 5:30 so you might have to uncomfortably share a sofa with some strangers.
Service was incredibly slow and generally pretty inattentive. I ordered a white wine sangria because I felt the need to channel my inner suburban mom, and my glass was left empty for quite some time before the waiter just dropped off the check without even asking if I wanted another (I really did). It was impossible to flag anyone down, so maybe I would’ve had a much better experience at the bar.
They call their happy hour «oyster hour» as oysters are only a dollar each during this time period. There’s quite a few places in San Diego that run the same deal and if you’re deadset on eating lots of oysters for cheap, you’re far better off going to Ironside, which has significantly better oysters and service. I also got the risotto balls and brussel sprouts, both were just ok.
I was tempted in by their later happy hour but I don’t think I’ll ever be coming back.

I came here after my courthouse wedding. Absolutely me and my husbands favorite restaurant. The atmosphere is so chill but yet so sophisticated.
They were able to accommodate my larger party of 12 people with ease. Suggested so many great family style meals. Treated me and my new husband to champagne and dessert. Beyond love it it here! Will definitely be returning for any other special event we have.

I love this restaurant. Came here for my bday with a group of 12 and we had reservations which was upstairs kind of a private area which was lovely. Our server was great. The food was amazing! I tried the Tikka masala mussels, seafood flatbread, oyster sampler and divers scallops which were all delicious! Drinks are good. I got a couple of old fashioned. Price is a but high. Ambience is perfect for dates or any type of family or friends gathering.

My friend and I stumbled across this great restaurant while walking and hearing the great live music from inside. We were so amazed as we walked inside-​beautiful lit trees and a beautiful fireplace with cozy chairs provide a great ambiance.
We enjoyed drinks, and enjoyed the cheese plate. The service was amazing-​from the moment we came in the doors until we left. I highly recommend this great restaurant!

We closed the place down last night! It was a company holiday party with 18 people and we had a blast! The food was amazing. We ordered almost everything on the menu. I loved the Arancini (risotto balls) in pesto sauce and the Japanese sweet potatoes. My 2 favorite apps by far! I also ordered the Skinny Jenny cocktail which I liked a lot. It had a nice lavender flavor to it.
For my entrée I ordered the Mahi Mahi with hominy. I had never had hominy before and I quite enjoyed it. The Mahi Mahi was okay. There wasn’t a whole lot of flavor there. But all the other food I ate made up for it. And the wine. We brought our own wine and drank all of it. The staff was amazing for putting up with how loud and crazy we probably were. Our waiter had the most awesome mustache!
For dessert, we ordered the poppy seed and lemon donuts (amaze-​balls!) and the sea salt chocolate chip cookies and milk (the best cookies I have ever eaten!) I also ordered a grown up float which was porter beer and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Very tasty.
I would definitely recommend this place for a large group or a date for two. The inside of the restaurant is filled with large trees covered in tiny white lights. It makes you feel like you are outside. It is very pretty.

Wow wow wow!!! Mind blowing experience last night! First time for me and definitely not the last.
First amazing thing about this place is the ambience. The atmosphere is so cozy and warm… The lights around the trees gives this feeling of Christmas and all the details– from ceiling to walls, everything is unique and adorable. You just don’t want to leave.
Had a drink at the bar waiting for the table and ordered a basic old fashioned. It was bad. It was wrongly made. It had too much ice, no orange peel, THREE cherries. Either the bartender was new or he doesn’t know the drink. I love this place so much the drink didn’t bother me.
Our server was Tristan. He gave us an awesome tour of the menu. Explained the story of the restaurant, and described two dishes from each group with details and enthusiasm. We was friendly and present without being intrusive.
For appetizer we had the Albacore poke ($ 14) and it was fantastic. I’d call it more a tartare than a poke (I lived in Hawaii and tried real deal poke before) but it sits on a bed of avocado and comes with the most amazing chips. Loved it. Wanted more.
Entrees were the scallops ($ 35 $ and the whole roasted branzino (it’s an European seabass) ($ 30). I don’t care much for scallops but those were good. Cooked well and served on a bed of mustard greens. But the branzino… Holy moly! The de-​bone the fish and stuff it with herbs and a whole Rosemary stick. The fish is served whole and it’s a beautiful presentation. What an amazing dish. Rich, flavorful, flaky, so so good. I’d recommend this dish over and over and over again.
For dessert we had the mint chip puck (choc chip mint ice cream on a chocolate she’ll on top of chocolate crumble. It was good but I’m not a mint ice cream person so…
Overall it was an amazing experience. Worth it every penny and I cannot wait to go back.

Went for lunch and ordered the lunch entrée — 3 Baja Tacos — and ended up with 3 of the tiniest street tacos I have ever seen. I would have been OK with that if the bite was delicious but the fish was so fishy that I could not finish my tiny taco plate. I can eat a LOT of tacos, but not this one. And the fish itself was teeny tiny, about the size of your baby finger. Did they run out of fish and find some old scraps? So yes, a bit of Woody Allen humor here, my tacos were terrible and the portions so small.
Daughter order the shrimp taco and it was better, but the shrimp were so small and so few that it was barely worth the bite and certainly not worth the price.
I know a lot of new restaurants are trying to upscale the street taco and charge gourmet taco prices but if you only get one bite it better be a damn good one. Wife’s salad was also fun sized.

The food was okay. The service was okay. The place was beautiful and felt like Christmas though.
We ordered:
Dozen Oysters– okay
Whole Fish Ceviche– nothing extraordinary except that it was presented with its head and tail
Seafood Pizza– pretty tasty
Pork Belly– good
Fish Entrée– not impressive
Overall I felt like this place did not live up to its hype for both the food and the service.

This place deserves my love!
They went out of their way to make their famous whole fish ceviche even though it wasn’t presented on their menu! Kudos! The dish itself was amazing and I love the presentation of it The fish itself was fresh as can be and served with some red peppers, cilantro, lime, and drizzled with a light olive oil. Overall, a must order for us foodies!
Since it was restaurant week my friend and I order their Heirloom Tomato Salad and the Openfaced Tuna Sandwich. The love the tomato salad with since it was lightly tossed with chopped what appears to be roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and a nutty mozzarella cheese. The tuna sandwich was served atop a sourdough bread with melted swiss cheese and arugula. Overall love the texture of the soft tuna with crunch of the bread while the arugula provided a welcoming bitter after bite.
In the end, the service here is impeccable and the ambiance is real organic and open. I live the real trees and outdoors fishing dock look! — Enjoy!

Wow! Did it really take me this long to write a review for Herringbone? And give them 5 stars?! My sincere apologies, Mr. Malarkey.
I’ve visited Herringbone numerous times for brunch, birthdays, dinner and even Valentine’s Day. This review is mainly for brunch given I’ve been to the Herringbone brunch at least half a dozen times.
Herringbone is conveniently located in La Jolla off Herschel which is not on the main busy road (thank you Herringbone this makes it easier to get to) they also have a few parking spots on the side where you can park for free while dining.
We truly love coming here for Brunch as they do bottomless mimosas for $ 15 and they have a good menu some of my favorites are the: Eggs Benedict, Farmers Scrambled Eggs with the in season vegetables and the Chilaquiles and eggs.
I really enjoy a Sunday brunch at Herringbone for a number of reasons:
They typically have an acoustic singer serenading you while you eat. The location is pretty big so although they do get busy, you are not rubbing shoulders with strangers. The staff is very attentive and well trained always ready to help you and suggest dishes. If you come here for the bottomless mimosas you are coming to the right place as it’s very unlikely that they will let you hit the bottom of your glass– they are constantly walking around with the carafe ready to refill you.
Overall a Herringbone brunch will not disappoint. Great location, good price, good food, friendly staff and bottomless mimosas! Yippee

This is rated based on my Happy Hour experience only.
$ 1 oysters 4−6pm Tue-​Fri, or Mon 4-​closing! It’s chef’s choice so you may want to ask or just get a half dozen/​dozen and see if you like it.
Parking at the beginning of the HH was so easy and a breeze. Seats were ample.
You can sit anywhere and we chose the bar seats.
Ordered the Rough Draft Amber $ 5, so refreshing in a 90degree weather, and a good deal!
Chef’s choice today was Kumiai. I am so glad because I would be turned away had it been a briny variety instead. So fresh, sweet and delicious!!!
Fried Brussels sprouts with candied pecans: it’s addictively tart and sweet.
I asked for the dessert menu towards the end of my visit and ordered the donuts that fellow foodies recommended. Boy, they were $$$ for donuts and look more like donut holes than actual donuts. It seems like they rotate different flavors/​styles every now and then. But OH so delicious! Crunchy, fluffy but not cakey.
Ours was a strawberry glaze, with ice cream that was creamy and a thick custard-​like sauce on the base with vanilla beans. My friend who isn’t a fan of donuts enjoyed this immensely.
The service seems to be hit and miss. The bartender was detail oriented, and she explained that one of the drinks I originally wanted to order is not actually a cocktail but more like a shot. Towards the end, they got pretty busy and it soon became harder to get attention of their wait staff.
Such a good way to spend an afternoon!!!
I will be back!