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Kingfisher San Diego Reviews
Stellar meal in every aspect.
The ambiance of the place is nice. Every dish was so flavorful and did a great job of involving Vietnamese flavors with some experimenting. There were sooooo many amazing cocktails that I tried as well. Overall flavorbomb of a meal and it was definitely one of my favorite meals of 2025 thus far. You must try this place!
Loved loved loved- from the ambiance to the service- the
Loved loved loved- from the ambiance to the service- the food here was exceptional, in addition to desert. I forgot the name of the drink I ordered but it was one of their own concoction and it was alright but aside from that the food and service was exceptional. I will be going back! Lots of bold flavors that just hit the right spots. Def will be going back to this gem when back in San Diego!
I came here on my birthday and am so happy I did!! I had
I came here on my birthday and am so happy I did!! I had high standards for this place and my standards were def exceeded. The interior itself is lovely and well decorated. There patio seating as well for nice warm days. Me and my BF went pretty crazy on the menu here and loved it all. House made baguette with butter: so simple right? wrong, the bread was actually fantastic and the butter was heavenly. I was hesitant at first because $14 for bread and butter is steep, but truthfully I would order it again and again. Tai Snapper Crudo - super unique flavor with the condensed milk. very much enjoyed it! Wagyu Skirt Steak - truly truly fantastic and amazing. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. Cant say anything more. Smoked Dry Aged Duck - honestly this is what we came for and what I will CONTINUE to keep coming for. Never had duck cooked in this way, once u try it, u cant go back.
Cute classy and hidden in the heart of Golden hill.
This place gives roaring 20s classy golds and dark greens. With an Asian inspired taste, they have mastered some amazing meals! The beef tartar was out of this world. Please see pics for more of what we ate. I'd highly recommend. Pricey but for a good reason.
Came to try their special dry aged duck.
It's great but didn't blow my mind. The interior is nice and the staffs were friendly. Beautiful bar. We hang out at the bar for a bit before our dinner reservation and they do have some good drinks, very unique with a touch of asian flavors.
Came here for my bf's birthday on a Friday night.
Probably need to make reservations sooner than a week before the date you want, we didn't and only had bar seats as options (for reservations). Had small plates to share-- blue fin crudo, the wings and the mussels and clams-- all were delicious. And we shared the banana fritter for dessert. Loved their mocktails, and my bf enjoyed his cocktails. For his bday we receive a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was very flavorful and creamy. All of the staff was friendly! It's spendy, but yummy and perfect for an intimate dinner.
We came here to celebrate our anniversary with two friends.
Our reservation was for 4 at 5:15pm, and we were seated right away. Luckily we found a street parking spot, though I can imagine parking gets much tougher later in the evening. I also really appreciate that they seat you immediately instead of making you wait for your whole party. One of our friends was running late from work but since the menu is family style, we were still able to order for her. The restaurant offered us champagne for our anniversary which was really thoughtful. I chose this restaurant for their Nurong Nights event, a collaboration with Realm of the 52 Remedies, featuring special skewers not usually on their regular menu. We each ordered two cocktails to try, and my favorite by far was the coconut coffee, it was so smooth and well-balanced. What we ordered: - Dry-aged duck (4/5): A little too dry for my taste. It came with lettuce and radicchio for wraps, but the bitterness of the radicchio didn't pair well. We ended up just using the lettuce. - Tai snapper crudo (4/5): Fresh and light, a solid dish. - Crispy chicken wings (5/5): Perfectly crispy and paired with a delicious white umami dipping sauce. - Striped sea bass (5/5): Cooked beautifully with a crisp sear on the skin. The buttered rice topped with shallots and shrimp was such a thoughtful and tasty addition. (I may be biased since I love sea bass, but this was excellent.) - Japanese eggplant (4.5/5): Flavorful and satisfying, though definitely overpriced for what it was. - Whelks from the Nurong Nights menu (3.5/5): Interesting but missing something, would have been much better with a dipping sauce.
We dropped by this Azn fuzn place on Golden Hill, North of
We dropped by this Azn fuzn place on Golden Hill, North of DT San Diego. Overall, the food was very good. However, there were some big drawbacks that result in an overall 3 rating (but not necessarily mediocre). First of all, the eggplant and clams & mussels were really good. The eggplant was really fresh, and had a little kick from the Thai chilis in the sauce. Nonetheless, this dish was pricey w/o protein (a common theme on all items). Secondarily, the clams & mussels were fresh, and had a nice sauce for dipping with a baguette. However, this dish was also overpriced IMHO. Thirdly, the noodles were very tasty, and the richness of stirring in the soft boiled egg was nice. But the small pieces of lop cheung didn't match the price point. I thought the lop cheung would be more noticeable. Lastly, the duck was the star of the show. The confit leg was executed perfectly. The remainder of the meat was moist and nicely seasoned. Regardless, at $86 this cost more than Peking duck that I believe tastes better. Our waiter, Ricardo was friendly and informative. The rest of his team were nice as well. What I didn't like is there is mandatory 20% service charge. I don't mind tipping this much. However, the customer should be notified when making the res. I found out about the service charge when I was perusing the menu b4 the date of the dinner. Secondarily, the prices are already high here. Its hard to imagine the prices don't cover the staff. Lastly, I didn't like the waiter asking for more than the mandatory service charge. In addition, I had to put down a $40 deposit via Tock when I made the res. I am unaccustomed to this practice bc I go primarily to Open Table restaurants. My profile on Open Table shows that I rarely if ever cancel a res. Regarding the ambiance, its nice in here and there is a cool bar in the center. But its hard to hear, and we were seated at a small table. Other couples were seated at tables of four. A positive food experience, although at a very high price point. I would not return though bc of the downsides I mentioned above.
My husband and I went there twice in one week just because
My husband and I went there twice in one week just because we love it so much! During our first visit, we shared a few dishes. 1) The snapper crudo was a bit basic. 2) Beef tartare was a real treat! The mix of flavors was just spot on. It was way more interesting than the beef tartare at other restaurants in town. 3) Grilled Japanese eggplant was delicious! The eggplant was bursting with flavor and juicy. 4) Congee was a little underwhelming compared to traditional congee from Vietnam. It didn't quite hit the spot for us. 5) We highly recommend the Pork collar! The pork was so tender and juicy. 6) truffle ice cream was so good! The truffle flavor was so intense, and the texture was just divine. Two days later, we went back for dry-aged duck with our kids. But their tasting menu caught our eye. We decided to try the tasting menu together with dry-aged duck, egg noodles, and bread pudding. 1) They took their tasting menu seriously. It started with an amuse-bouche, an appetizer, a seafood dish, a main course, some kind of Asian bread , a pre-dessert, the real dessert course, and ended with mignardises. We kept saying 'wow' during the whole course. 2) Their signature dish was dry-aged duck. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Dry aging really brought out the flavor of the duck. And the combination of fish sauce, rice noodles, and fresh vegetables made it even more interesting! 3) egg noddle was tasty and comforting. 4) Their bread pudding was also delicious. I am running out of words of compliments. We will be back for sure!
This is a place where you'll leave happy because not only
This is a place where you'll leave happy because not only the food is spectacular, but also because the service is top notch (attentive not overbearing) and the vibe is just so awesomely relaxed and classy at the same time. We loved everything we tried, especially the noodles, the eggplant, the congee and the whole fish. Not a big fan of the radicchio though since it's too salty for us. The freshly baked bread is superb. Highly recommend and will definitely be back.
Birthday celebration
Service was excellent. Fun ambience and decor. Food was good but not excellent - overpriced. Cocktails are likely best we all had - think is one of the best bars in SD. When go back - will sit at the bar.
Must try Michelin Guide winner!
Since this landed on the Michelin guide, the gals and I decided to try it. We loved it! The interior was cool, along with the bar and the vibe. Everything we ordered were tasty including the drinks! Fair warning on the fish dish (it is a whole fish, as pictured on their site here) so for non Asian folks, this might be a bit disconcerting. Other than that, this place is superb that we're wanting to come back and have another girl's night out!
I was in town for work and we decided to go to a nice
I was in town for work and we decided to go to a nice dinner. I ended up choosing Kingfisher because S loves sweets and fusion cuisine. And yes, Eater San Diego's article about the flan here did sway me greatly because I wanted to see if it was well worth the hype. There isn't a parking lot associated with the restaurant but you can find street parking. Admittedly, we came half an hour before it opened so it wasn't too bad. I did see several bus stops along the street too. We got really lucky as we didn't have a reservation and walked in. There was a time limit of 1.5 hrs but it's not that bad because we rarely eat European dinners (more than an hour). The restaurant itself was quite spacious and there is even some patio seating, perfect for when the weather gets warmer. We got: * Hamachi Crudo - The fish quality is amazing, which makes sense since they probably get their fish quite fresh. Nice balanced flavors, slightly tart aftertaste. * Crispy Chicken Wings - Loved the two sauces that it came with. So crispy. Be warned - it's super hot when you first get it. We definitely would have ordered another plate of this. * Baja Stripped Sea Bass (comes with buttered rice) - The fish is super flakey. Not too overdone. S thought that the fish sauce was kind of strong in this and had a similar flavor profile to the chicken wings. * The Flan - It comes in a pool of strong Vietnamese coffee syrup and with a small dollop of miso cream. There is barely a miso taste. And yes - S will attest, this was the best flan he'd had in recent memory! For drinks, Duck Around and Toki Highball. The Duck Around was really interesting because it is washed with duck fat and came with fried duck skin. As for the Toki Highball, same as other highballs. As we don't live in the area, we thought the food was really interesting and of course, great value. Staff was super nice and would definitely recommend to friends next time. The table next to us got the duck and the mushroom congee. Maybe we'll get that next time!
What an amazing restaurant! They were mentioned for a
What an amazing restaurant! They were mentioned for a Michelin star and after the gourmet experienced we had I can see why ! We came with a group and were able to try many of the items on the menu. Every dish was better than the next , unique flavors of French Vietnamese and a touch of California. It was hard to pick a favorite dish as everything was so special. Don't miss out their cocktails they are equally unique . Topped with great friendly service , I would highly recommend this place! Can't wait to come back !
Everything from the impeccable service and incredible food
Everything from the impeccable service and incredible food made Kingfisher one of our new favorites! The hamachi crudo appetizer was unique with its complementary flavors of light chili with a hint of sweet blood orange. The lemongrass clams were fantastic, along with the diver scallops. We shared the striped sea bass with a carmelized fish sauce w/meyer lemon which was also excellent. Service was prompt and professional. We will definitely be returning!
The drinks are great.
The food is good, but very overpriced - though gourmet. The service was good.
I think this place is NOT for KIDS.
This is for adult. Of course that's my fault that I didn't check if they have a high chair or booster seat or something... But they really don't have any of them... If I know that, we should't have to go this restaurant. All of Food was great and ambiance, service was good. Everything was great experience. Most of their menu is quite spicy so food is not for kids.. Be sure it's quite expensive. Even though we had such a good time here, we don't want to go back again. Only just go and try once is enough.
As soon as you walk you, the place impresses you with its
As soon as you walk you, the place impresses you with its chic-modern bar centerpiece. The lights are ingeniously dimmed behind mirrors and glasses. What a beautiful place visually but the music was a bit too loud and at times I felt the need to raise my voice in order to be heard. The drinks are all creative and overall enjoyable. The dishes definitely had some hits and misses. We ordered mushroom congee, grilled eggplant, poached shrimp, duck liver pate, pork collar, and whole fried sand bass. While the mushrooms and crispy garlic were great toppings for the congee, the texture of the congee was too thick and gooey. The eggplant was nicely grilled and I loved the puffed rice for added texture. The duck pate was also delicious on the baguette. The shrimp papaya salad was too sour and off balance. The pork collar was chewy. The fried fish was overall very good but the sauce was not evenly distributed. Desserts were mostly misses. The grapefruits citrusy/bitter taste didn't pair well with the semifreddo and the coffee liqueur completely overwhelmed the delicate flan. The service is fantastic-friendly and efficient and our waters were continuously refilled. I'm glad I tried it but not sure it's worth returning.
The ambiance of the restaurant was nice , especially after
The ambiance of the restaurant was nice , especially after sundown. It's a nice place for dating and celebration. The service was attentive. The deep fried whole fish was my favorite, it was crispy, with a touch of spicy , sweet and savory. However there was a missed, the pork collar was too undercooked.
What Did You Say?!
This restaurant had good food and service, but the ambience was ruined by a extremely loud noise level on a Friday night. Average noise level was 85 dB which is extremely loud and difficult to hold a conversation.
Really enjoyable dinner at Kingfisher tonight! The calamari
Really enjoyable dinner at Kingfisher tonight! The calamari appetizer we ordered with our generously poured cocktails, was fresh and tasty! My wife ordered the halibut, which was the special fish for tonight, and it was really fresh and good! I loved the cioppino which was full of high quality seafood and fish in a delicious tomato based broth! For dessert, our excellent waitress Casey, recommended the chocolate cake! It was great! Really good food, service, and comfortable friendly atmosphere, make this a terrific choice for a night out!
Really wonderful service, beautiful atmosphere, great food,
Really wonderful service, beautiful atmosphere, great food, really fun experience! Only complaint is that's it's quite loud in there, not sure what sound dampening they could do to improve that. It's our wedding anniversary and they gave us a little complimentary sparkling wine to toast which was very sweet of them. My favorites of the night were the chicken wings and the whole fish. The cold noodles that come with the fish are so simple but impeccably cooked and so tasty!! They also gave us a personalized menu to take home, which I always think is a very nice touch. Highly recommend!
This is hands down the best restaurant in San Diego.
They provide everything you DIDNT KNOW YOU NEEDED!! It was our 2nd time in and we sat up at the bar. Mikey provided incredible service! The restaurant was absolutely packed and he showed no stress is managing the bar, and taking his time in giving each guest a 5 star experience. Cocktails are AMAZING (try the sesame one) the food is unbeatable, service is TOP NOTCH, decor is stunning. I mean no detail is over looked at this place. Thanks Kingfisher for a great date night!!!
Good food, good ambiance, great food! The staff was
Good food, good ambiance, great food! The staff was incredibly helpful and the drink menu was top notch.
Second time here for my birthday and it did not disappoint.
I had duck pate for the first time and it was the best thing I had of all the dishes we ordered.
Love Kingfisher! Sitting at the bar is such a treat,
Love Kingfisher! Sitting at the bar is such a treat, everybody is so hospitable and knowledgeable about the offerings. Konji is a must as well as the fried chicken!
I had dinner at Kingfisher solo and they nicely sat me at a
I had dinner at Kingfisher solo and they nicely sat me at a table by myself. Some restaurants shove you to the bar if you're dining solo, so I appreciated that they offered me a table. My waitress was amazing and gave me such good recommendations. To start, I had the Hamachi Crudo with Blood Orange Nuroc Mam, Condensed Milk and Makrut lime. This was refreshing and light and just a little bit tart from all the citrus in the marinade. This was a recommendation from my waitress and she was 100% on point! For my "main" I had the Wild Mushroom Congee with Chanterelles, Crispy Garlic, Garlic Chives, Cilantro, Egg Yolk, and House Spicy Sambal Sauce. This was the most expensive congee that I've ever paid for, but it was also the best darn congee that I've ever had. It was so umami! So flavorful! So delightful. I also had the Grilled Broccolini with Fermented Bean Curd Vinaigrette, Sesame Rice Cracker Crumble, Coconut Milk, Green Garlic. This was another recommendation from my waitress and she landed another home run. My gosh, I didn't even know I liked broccolini? But the sauce on this dish was literally everything. 10/10 would eat this again! Service was absolutely amazing. My waitress was so good, so friendly, and so helpful. I would 110% recommend Kingfisher if you're in San Diego.
Underwhelming for the price.
Food was decent but not spectacular. Pretty noisy and difficult to hear. We were seated near the outdoor patio and it was cold. Patio diners had the heaters but we had nothing. Once again, for the price point you expect to be comfortable. Not sure we would return.
What an outstanding experience! From the moment I walked in
What an outstanding experience! From the moment I walked in the door it was amazing, the host was so amazing and friendly! The bartenders knew their craft and made great recommendations and cocktails. The food was unbelievably delicious with such an amazing flavor that I wanted to keep eating more. The hamachi crudo on the menu is the best thing I've eaten this year, I couldn't stop eating the delicious blood orange sauce that came with it. Everything we tried was delicious. The place is beautiful, even the bathrooms are stunning with options for everyone. So impressive, inclusive, and just freaking awesome. I'd give far more than 5 stars if I could. Thank you Kingfisher for an amazing night and a delicious meal.
Cool experience! We went with family and got to try a
Cool experience! We went with family and got to try a variety of dishes. Loved the chicken wings and the wagu steak the most. Forgot to take photos. The service was exceptional and they cleared our plates between courses. Loved how they explained the menu, too. The highball drink was excellent.
The two of us shared the Duck ($81) which was absolutely
The two of us shared the Duck ($81) which was absolutely delicious. Cooked to perfection, beautifully arranged with tasty sauces it was a perfect dish. I love duck and this was the best I have tasted in a long time. We also had the eggplant, which also was cooked perfectly and ever so tasty. A generous portion, too. I would order both again. The place is noisy but we requested the quietest seats possible. They are either outside (where we did not want to sit) or two booths on the far side of the bar. It was quiet there and we could easily talk. Only one suggestion: get some small pillows for those tables with booths, such as where we sat. I had to stuff my purse and sweater behind me to be comfortable. When making a reservation if you want a quieter area, ask for that area. Service was excellent and the restaurant is lovely. The colors remind me of Paradisaea in La Jolla, were the food is overrated, overpriced and a disappointment. I also appreciated that there was no 3-5% surcharge, which is becoming increasingly popular....
Terrible reservation system.
You have to pay $20 per person in your reservation to make the reservation. They return it when you show up for your reservation. The website for reservation doesn't allow guest log in and you have to create an account. The reservation website also has a $2.25 fee to "run the website" in addition to the reservation fee. Most of the best restaurants in town and other places including NYC don't have a ridiculous system like this! Also not all of the food is that great or worth it
Innovative, friendly and exceptional food.
Excellent meal at Kingfisher. All three dishes my wife and I had were creative, unique and tasteful. The steak tartare appetizer was a spicy delight to the senses; served with a generous bowl of greens and rice crackers it had generous heat and a wide variety of tastes and textures. The Vietnamese vegetable curry was exceptional. Not spicy at all, (our preferred style,) it was sweet, umami and flavorful. Not a speck left on the plate. We had grouper as our main dish, (for 2) and it was fabulous. Melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked, and not overly spiced. Served with green papaya salad, (a little tough,) cucumbers and noodles.
LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION
It's a refreshing change to try a highly praised restaurant for the first time and find it actually lives up to the hype. That's the case with Kingfisher. From the creative cocktails to the variety of shareable small plates to the handful of entrees, everything was delicious. Sure, some dishes were better than others, but nothing disappointed. And the portions are generous, with appetizers like the duck liver pate and Vietnamese curry being large enough for two or three to share easily. I recommend just ordering a variety of appetizers and sharing them. Nothing wrong with the entrees, but both the cold and warm appetizers actually are better. The wine and beer selections are quite limited, but they too are tasty. The service was excellent, prompt without being doting. Being located in a low-density neighborhood, street parking is easy. Some dishes are kind of pricey, but the quality makes it worth it. For a first-rate dining experience, check this out.
Not to be missed!
Came here on a last min recommendation and got 3 seats at the bar. I have to say this is one of the top dining experiences I’ve had in awhile. We shared scallops, the tamarind wings, the beef tartare ( those Thai chilis what a nice kick!), and the whole snapper. Everything was absolutely delicious and complex flavors that all layered and worked perfectly! Great atmosphere and wonderful service that helped guide us through the menu. I can’t wait to go back and try more of the menu.
One of the best meals in town!
This restaurant has been locally reviewed as one of the best new places in town, and the writers are right! It's considered now one of the top 10 places in town, and now we know why. It's located in a hip and gentrifying neighborhood called Golden Hill. We accidentally made our reservation at the bar, and the hostess was amazing at putting our group at an intimate patio table with just a 15 minute wait. The decor is modern and intimate, and it's quiet with outdoor heaters. The service was excellent, but come for the food. The Diver Scallops, Spring Salad, Crispy Chicken Wings (order 2!), and Smoked Wagyu Beef Rib were all amazing. The Vanilla Fran was also delicious. I am blown away that there aren't more reviews, as this place is one of the best experiences you will have in town. We will be back!
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Kingfisher San Diego at 6 PM the same day.
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