Paradisaea

I love that La Jolla has another solid high-end fine dining option and Paradisaea did not disappoint. The service and restaurant was top-notch and beautiful. The food was very fresh both physically and idealistically.My favorite things were probably the desserts and the cocktails. They were all very innovative and different from everything I see out there. I have had a lot of desserts in my life but The Whaler managed to surprise me. It was my highlight, so good!Above all of that... Paradisaea is definitely a high end restaurant but the warmth that the staff brought was very welcoming. We brought our two year old with us and they couldn't be more accommodating. Not suggesting you do the same, it was a crazy circumstance. Patrick, the manager, went above and beyond to make us and our son feel very welcome. We could not have enjoyed our experience more.

I entered the "decade of death" a couple of weeks ago when I turned 80 years old. I grew up as a beach bum playing volleyball and surfing in south Mission Beach. I graduated La Jolla High in 1962, went to college and started my business career in San Francisco, a city famous for it's fabulous restaurants among many other highlights. I founded a sales and marketing company in the consumer electronics business, and one of the perks and necessities of this business was taking important customers and vendors out to dinners and lunches at trendy or popular restaurants in SF, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. On one memorable dinner when I was trying to sell the Sharper Image Wolfgang Puck pots and pans. Wolfgang hosted me and the top executives from Sharper Image to dinner with him and his first wife at his very popular restaurant in San Francisco. I retired back to being a beach bum in south Mission Beach 18 years ago. I mention all of this just to validate when it comes to evaluating restaurants, I've got years of experience. Which brings me to Paradisaea which we tried recently for dinner. It is located in Birdrock village in a prime location that used to be 3 stores, one a visually prominent piano store for many years and another part that was a store where I rented my tuxedo for my senior prom. Somehow all of these former stores were exquisitely fashioned into a attractive fine dining restaurant both inside and out which captures a laid back old school life style of La Jolla coastal old money, casual yet trendy appeal. Similar to the original Whaling Bar at the La Valencia hotel, where you went to be seen and recognized as a local or a celebrity. So the look and feel is spot on as is the service and servers, and the food, at least what we had was delicious. Then why only 3 stars? Paradisaea has a coffee and doughnut shop attached to it but not part of the main restaurant. Before our recent dining experience I stopped there for a couple of cake doughnuts with chocolate frosting. Nothing special about them, but they charged me $8 for 2 doughnuts. A bit of a red flag I ignored. The other example is more a reflection of the times as exemplified by real estate prices in San Diego as it is of restaurants. But I ordered a cheeseburger with fries which wasn't on the main menu, but the server told me I could order off the bar menu. It came on a small plate and was the size of a burger on an English muffin. However, it was absolutely delicious with a magical taste I have never experienced in the thousands of burgers I've ingested in my 80 years. The fries were excellent but ordinary. So why the 3 stars.It cost $$$33 dollars! The smallest and most expensive cheeseburger in history. The other two entrées we ordered were a chicken dish $48 dollars for chicken, and a thin piece of Halibut $49 dollars. Both were very tasty but oh so sparce. We had two glasses of wine $36 dollars, and skipped deserts which sounded good but were also a small investment in a bakery. I know rents are high and personnel, and I watch the "Bear" and understand the cost of surviving in the fine dining business. In other words, if money is no object in your dining experience Paradisaea is worth it. But if you are shocked about high real estate prices in La Jolla, you will be shocked about your bill.

So worth it. What a great spot, and actually feel like authentic San Diego, which is getting harder to define these days. But an honest, well executed, destination restaurant that La Jolla should cherish and embrace. Ok so what did we eat? Apps- [ ] Shrimp; skewered with the heads on. Pull the head off, suck the brains, enjoy meat. Delicious- [ ] Mushroom croquette; more like Marsala gravy and deep fried like a mozzarella stick, really good, served with a green sauce- [ ] Tuna trataré; wow, jaw dropping, excellent little rye toasties- [ ] Crudo; fresh as it comes in SDEntrees- [ ] Pork chop; I love pork chops. This one was elevated. It was so fatty, definitely a chop, but as tender as pork belly. Asked for medium, was medium. Yes you can enjoy pork at medium temp. And I love when a place can serve it medium. They rest it, and cut it so you don't miss any juice. Also give you the rib bone to chow on after you eat the portion with a fork and knife like a civilized person. Come with a shredded power dumpling too which was phenomenal. Special mustard and balsamic. Overall impressive pork chop- [ ] Veal tenderloin; had one bite of my friends's dish but could tell it is superb The menu is unique and has offering that other restaurants don't so it makes it exclusive and a treat. The ambiance would meet anyone's standards. Well though out design, but doesn't rely on this element alone. The food speaks. The service is spot on. They were all so young but authentic and enthused to work there. Future leaders anywhere they choose create a path. Spot on ParadiseaSD. Spot on It has a Michelin rating. 'Nuf said #supportSanDiego

Popped in for an early dinner on a beautiful summer evening, and we were immediately transported to a beautiful tropical paradise. We kicked it off with a nice rosé and a martini from their solid cocktail and wines by the glass list. We tasted our way through the innovative Chef's menu and enjoyed a couple of wines that were delicious with our selections. Starting with the edible work of art oyster, perfect crudo, tender lamb & flavorful oro king salmon down to one of my fav desserts, a blood orange panna cotta with a divine shortbread ...Every single bite was fabulous and so was the attentive service. Cannot wait for an excuse to return.

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!

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 JewelDessert: 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.

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.

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.

Absolutely fantastic! The vibe is immaculate (i mean.. cool as bathroom area and the branding is top notch), but the food and the service is where Paradisaea shines. Left and right, always have our waiter of another staffer there to refill water, answer questions, and just provide a smile and a laugh.As a lot have shared, the jalapeño caesar salad is an absolute must, cascading with fresh grated cheese over a hill of lettuce, peppers, and crisps. We also have the fava hummus, and i don't say this lightly: it was the best hummus I've ever had in my life. We parlayed that into the lobster spaghetti, which was very fresh, full of flavor, and just absolutely hit the a spot.Finally, cannot say enough for their fun and (borderline) interactive drink experience. Choose you fighter: a drink on fire, a charcoal black drink, a fun, whimsical cocktail glass, and go with tradition. The filthy martini was spot on, with a uniquely epic umami from their house made mix and bitters. If you're in the bird rock area and looking for a hip, cool experience or fun date night: Paradisaea is a highly recommended choice

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!