Understory Bar

Large, geometrical tree statues loom over this modern botanical cocktail lounge. In staying with the nature theme, their menu depicts each hand crafted cocktail; loosely illustrated, incorporating floral and fauna elements. Reservations are highly recommended. THE ELABORATION FOOD. Note: They don't make food here. Food can be ordered to your table from surrounding restaurants. We decided on Craft House...- Shrooms & Truffle | Eight ounce (juicy) patty, with smoked Gouda cheese, mushrooms, arugula, garlic aioli, onion jam and black truffle. I basically listed all my favorite ingredients so this burger was obviously delicious. I had a refreshing side salad (spring mix) with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. - Parmesan Garlic Truffle Fries | More truffle and I loved the pungency combined with the garlic and parmesan. - Buffalo Cauliflower | Looks like boneless chicken wings, but it's cauliflower coated in buffalo sauce. Great flavors and texture.THE DRUNKS DRINK. - The Domino Cuckoo | A little bitter, with subtle notes of spice and sweetness. Garnished with a dehydrated pineapple and a trippy little Szechuan button (aka buzz button) that creates a tingling/numbing sensation when consumed. THE PARKING. Location is on the second floor Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands (food hall). There's a surface lot in front and parking is free, but you gotta hunt it down. You can also park in a parking structure (behind all the shops) off of Townsgate Drive. THE WEIRD SIDE. The tables are bolted down and spacing is unusually far from booth seating. Pretty uncomfortable when trying to eat...

I've seen so many Instagram posts about Understory and it looked so cute and right up my alley. But when we came in on Thursday night, I was quickly de-influenced. Lol The space is fairly small and I expected a more moodier environment but the lights a bright and shown throughout the space. The booths with the tables are also weird. The tables are bolted to the ground so you can't move it closer to you and it's an awkward distance away from you while sitting. Just weird set up. We ordered a few drinks and all of which a were unique and handcrafted. My husband's old fashion was classic and stronggggggg. My bestie enjoyed her mocktail and said she would order it again. I'm not sure if I'd return, but my suggestion would be to start your night here. We ended our night here and it was kind of a dud. Lol

The ambiance and flex food options earn this bar 3 stars, but the drinks leave so much to be desired. High ceilings, secluded nooks and that unique upside-down under the sea decor make this a fun date spot. Also a plus is the ability to order from any restaurant in Skydeck and have it brought to your table. Unfortunately, the drink list is bad, starting from the menu design itself which features centipedes and other icky bugs crawling over the glass illustrations--not at all appetizing. Another drink is called Satanic Brew--gross! Is this a Halloween-themed or Illuminati joint?! They seemed to have only 1 rum Infused drink, which my date did not enjoy, and my tequila-infused Espresso was underwhelming--too much ice and no better flavor complexity than something you could get at Starbucks. The Mexican food that we ordered was ok--glad they had mole on the menu but it was very muted in flavor. So, come here for the atmosphere but definitely get your drinks elsewhere.

The drinks are just amazing here! Not to mention our server, Aysha was on top of things, always coming over and checking on us on a busy saturday evening. She was absolutely amazing! Super friendly, explained all the drinks, and made great suggestions! A must try place if you're in the area.

Second time coming here with a party over 6 and Aisha has been server both times. She makes the experience here super fun and she is so beyond cool, relatable and nice! I enjoy coming here on any other day, just very convenient that understory allows you to order food from all the restaurants in the food hall. Ambiance is for sure chill and fun, with some nights a DJ! Area is always so clean, trendy and worth taking photos.Understory is located in the middle of the food hall. You have to be 21+. The food hall itself is great, haven't had anything bad to say about this place. Bathrooms are located in the back right corner and has plenty of space and privacy.I will be coming back here again, especially for the 50% off happy hour!

Food, service, ambiance amazing I love it here! Can't wait to return! So beautiful and all staff was nice my husband took me here for date night and it was perfect!

Such a cute place with an intimate vibe in the center of Sky Deck. Came on a Thursday night at 5:45 and was able to get seated at the bar for a party of two without a reservation. You can use their QR code to order at the restaurants in Sky Deck and they'll deliver it to your table. They have a great HH with 50% off select cocktails and daily specials. Service was great as we didn't have to wait too long to order or to receive our drinks. They have a variety of cocktails that feature many different spirits, lots of wine options, and a few N.A. options as well. We ordered two different old fashioned cocktails - Old Viejo (mezcal) and Old Vieux (cognac). We were happy with ours as they took a cool spin on your typical old fashioned. The Old Viejo came with a pale santo stick - super Cali vibes but I love the smell of palo santo so no complaints!The high tops and bar seating is set for your party, but the big booths are communal. So if you're a small party and don't mind sharing the space with another party, it works out nicely!We ordered a few apps from different places. They were staggered when brought out which was perfect. They provide plates and napkins when needed and if you need a box, just ask. Would definitely come here again!

Love the drinks here and the vibe is awesome. Best part you can order food from the surrounding restaurants. The staff is super helpful and attentive. My go to drink has been the halcyon horseshoe cause I do enjoy a good mezcal. Every drink I've tried here has been great and if you don't like one they will happily make you something different. That to me is awesome service. The atmosphere is what really attracts me to this place. I come back because they don't have any music playing so you're able to hear your guest and enjoy the drinks and food together. The location has a lot of other things to offer so after drinks it's nice to walk around and grab some dessert.

Disappointed with the service at our recent visit. A group of us were seated directly behind the bar and one of the bartenders completely dropped and broke his shaker and the drink landed all over where we were sitting. No acknowledgment, no apology, nothing. We let our server know what happened, hoping they would get us napkins to clean up the mess, and their response was "oh".Suffice to say, not a great start to our dinner. Food ordering was quick and fast. Drinks were ok. Not somewhere I'd be returning to.

This is such a great idea for a bar. It is right in the middle of the sky deck and has tons of awesome drinks and cocktails. You can order from multiple different restaurants around the sky deck and they will deliver it right to you. It's awesome for when your group cant decide what they want to eat, you can come here and order from so many different cuisines.It gets busy but I have managed to get seats at the bar with no wait the last few times I've gone. The staff is very nice and friendly as well. This is a great place with great vibes to have some drinks and unwind!