Paradisaea

Incredible restaurant. The only reason they don’t have five stars is because of few people walked in and couldn’t get a table so they cried about it here. Got the pear salad to start - perfectly dressed, great tasting blue cheese, little crunch with the seeds. Then then scallops in an amazing curry with delicious squash. Tagliatelle pasta with mushroom and egg. Al dente and on point umami finish. Cocktails were on point, balanced and even split for two.

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Review Highlights
“First we started off with Drinks, ordering the Lobster Lounge and Tiger Cruise!!” in 2 reviews

“Now on to food, we got the focaccia, Caesar, mushroom tag pasta, beef tenderloin and fingerling potatoes.” in 3 reviews

“Ranking of the dishes we tried: hamachi crudo, beef tartare, halibut tempura taco, scallops.” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours
Map
5680 La Jolla Blvd

San Diego, CA 92037

La Jolla

Mon

Closed

Tue

Closed

Wed

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Thu

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Fri

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Sat

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Closed now
Sun

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

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Amenities and More
Health Score100 out of 100
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Outdoor Seating

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Q:

Can we walk in for bar seating at 5pm?

A:

Highly unlikely

MsMargo M. 18 days ago
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Marilyn G.
San Diego, CA
01440
10/29/2022
10 photos
Our experience started out five star but ended at about three, so rating at four as an average.

We dined outdoors; nice open space with heaters and a swing rope dividing us off from the sidewalk. Hopefully they will add some plants or other more substantial dividers to further set the space apart but it was fine.

We were seated promptly and our request for one of the available four tops vs the deuce we were shown to was fulfilled. It was our anniversary (which was on the reservation plus I mentioned it to the hostess) and we were offered glasses of "bubbly" to celebrate, and got a nice little card as acknowledgment.

We started with the Beef Tartare and Hamachi Crudo, which were both delicious and complex. The Beef Tartare had a tiny bit of heat, which was just to my taste. I also got a Pina, served in a fun glass. It was mild and I didn't think had much alcohol in it until I stood up!

Then we waited too long for the Pear Salad, which we split. It was light and refreshing, more lettuce perhaps than needed. Personally I would have like more pear and less squash.

After that was quite a long wait for our last courses, Gnocci and Halibut Tempura. We saw the next table (who were seated after us) get two courses of two dishes each. Finally our server appeared, apologized, and said our next courses were being plated. The hospitality person also apologized and they comped those two dishes, which was very nice of them.

The Gnocci were light and tasty but essentially it was gnocci in pesto. My husband thought the halibut tempura were essentially fish sticks and was not impressed with the two sauces.

We ordered the passion fruit whip for dessert and it was tasty, but we didn't realize it basically was a tasty freeze. We kidded that it was a palate cleanser. I love méringue and was disappointed that it was only a few chips.

I went inside to check out the bathroom, which was lovely, and also picked up a couple of charming matchbooks. We have an extensive matchbook collection from our dining out and travels back in the day, so it was nice to add a beautiful new one.

Overall our experience started out as we had hoped, but ended somewhat disappointing.

Talk about what’s new in Bird Rock! If you’ve been around long enough you know this was the piano place, then Mimi and Red and NOW Paradisaea.

They’ve got a street side patio that looks onto the roundabout, but doesn’t feel too busy. Their bright neon pink sign calls you from the front and you’re greeted to a decent sized bar next to the hostess stand. It looks like the donut and coffee shop will open soon, but wasn’t just yet.

My friend and I met for a Wednesday early dinner our faves! The service was intentional and perfectly timed. We wanted to chat and we had just the right amount of checking in, without feeling interrupted.

It was just the two of us so we only tried 3 dishes, but they were all excellent and an ample portion size.

Gnocchi - pesto and broccoli adorn the dish, but there is a crunch of pine nut and not too rich. Very well balanced sauce on this pasta dish.

Hamachi Crudo - another light one with enough to share for 2 or 4. Topped with green apple and a Thai basil, lime it was a refreshing start to the meal.

Halibut Tempura - this was a must get for me. The fish was cooked perfectly and the tempura light and savory. It comes with 2 sauces - a green curry and a chili. I used both and it was perfect!

We were not drinking cocktails but they looked delicious and have a nice selection of non-alcoholic as well.

They have live piano music which is a nice touch, BUT, minus .0000128 stars because it could be a bit loud at times and definitely if you’re right next to the piano.

Can’t wait to go back with a bigger group and try more things! Welcome to Bird Rock!!

The side fingerling potatoes are AMAZING. I will go back for these. This is a special dish but strange that a side dish was the most memorable menu item.

The duck breast with fries, a neighboring table ordered, looked too literal. We got the scallops, which were better on paper then at the table or in our mouth. Summer squash was bland. Gnocchi was good. Jalapeño Cesar was just a normal Cesar but with Jalapeño slices on top. So if you're a Cesar fan but have wondered what slicing jalapeños could do: this is your dish.

The server recomended ordeing family style, which apparently has now become a euphemism for small portions. The dishes offering fries do so in abundance. So unless you're getting the burger or the pepper duck, I would recommend considering a 2-3 dishes per person.
Drinks were $18- 25 all seeming to be a spin on classic and tiki/summer drinks.
Setting was lovely. Lighting was very strange until 7pm
Generally I found from a flavor perspective, the menu suffered from unhelpful complexities. Each dish presented well, tasted fresh and offered a range of texture.

The restaurant is absolutely beautiful! It has been put together with so much love and detail. The food was delicious I can’t say enough good things I can’t wait to go back!