VAGA Restaurant & Bar

Great decorations, cozy vibes, delicious food! Wait on the server was a bit long when restaurant was't that busy, but overall is amazing experience! Beautiful place!

Giving VAGA two stars solely for the view, because unfortunately the service was a huge letdown. We came the day after Thanksgiving for a late afternoon drink. From the moment we walked inside, we felt like a burden. The male and female bartenders didn’t make us feel welcomed at all, and we eventually moved out to the sun deck because it felt awkward sitting at the bar.

We ordered two drinks, and the male bartender seemed annoyed he had to reach up to get the alcohol needed for one of them. We also placed a food order that never went in, so nothing ever came out. After being there for about an hour, we decided to leave, and when we went to close out, they hadn’t even started a tab for us despite having made our drinks and taken our food order.

We’re locals and live close by, so it’s disappointing to have this kind of experience at a place with such a great view. We could literally hear the male bartender complaining about everything behind the bar, which did not help the atmosphere. We still tipped 20 percent on the two drinks because that’s standard, but the level of service was far from what we expected. Not sure if we’d return, which is a shame because the location is beautiful.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 1

FABULOUS LOCATION ! We recently checked out this newly opened restaurant inside the Alila Marea Beach Resort. It is situated on an upper level and has commanding ocean views. The hostess Ryan was very helpful and gave us copies of the menus. Looking forward to coming back for dinner !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Amazing food, service and ocean views

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I always have a good time there food in a always good cocktails can be hit and miss but I still like different menu for food and cocktails so you are not ordering same things all the time

The service was really terrible at our dinner. They ignored us for nearly 15 minutes after we sat down. I told them about my severe sesame allergy which was also noted on my reservation, and a few minutes later they served me a beet salad covered with sesame seeds. After I pointed this out, it took them another 10 minutes to come back to our table, apologize, and offer to make me a new salad. The manager came over to see if I was OK. You'd think they might have comped my salad or offered a free dessert or glass of wine or something, but—nope. The service continued to be slow the whole evening. I think they were understaffed. The restaurant was also super noisy—they also put the two of us at a huge round table for five right by the kitchen. Terrible ambience. To be fair, the food was pretty good, and the price point was decent. And we had breakfast there, and that was nice. But don't waste an evening having dinner there. There are too many good options in the area.

Had a wonderful anniversary dinner with very attentive service and delicious food. No complaints, it was amazing and would highly recommend for a romantic dinner without hesitation!

First I'd requested the sauce be made not spicy and it still was. Second a very loud heavy metal band started playing below us and we could barely hear each other talk. We finished our main course and then moved inside. This had been our third choice for the night we wanted to go to Vaga but were told there were large parties planned for those nights. We thought a Tuesday evening would be quiet but obviously it wasn't. The valet service was slow on both ends and their system of calling ahead to get our car didn't work. I don't think we'll be going back. It used to be our favorite place for special occasions but guess all good things must come to an end. It was my husband's birthday so this was quite a disappointment.

My wife and I had breakfast at Vaga during our stay at the hotel, and the entire experience was outstanding. Our server, Patrick, was absolutely phenomenal. He took the time to walk us through the menu, gave honest recommendations about what was good, and made us feel genuinely taken care of. His service elevated the whole experience.

The restaurant itself is beautiful—very clean, well-kept, and stylish. The food was equally impressive. We ordered the avocado toast, pancakes, a carne asada omelet, and a breakfast sandwich. Everything came out fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. I had a freshly squeezed apple juice, and my wife enjoyed a delicious latte.

Overall, Vaga delivered an amazing breakfast with top-tier service. Highly recommend dining here, and if you go, definitely ask for Patrick!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Waited too long for food and it was average too.. won't go back again.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Amazing venue, amazing ocean views! Service was impeccable! Food was average for the price. Would spend my money elsewhere. A cocktail purist would have sent multiple drinks back to the bar.

Really nice place. Valet was absurd; did not take cash but wanted tips in cash. Food? One plate was excellent; another was mediocre. View was superb.

The Basmati Rice as a side is a must & you will understand why once you have tried this unique delight.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

From beginning to end the food was delicious. The atmosphere was quite romantic whether on the patio or in the restaurant. Christian was our server and was very attentive but not so attentive you had to stop mid sentence to answer and you could actually enjoy a conversation. The food was prepared wonderfully and the timing of courses was well done, something you don’t see very often. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to taste some good food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

For a restaurant located inside of a very high end resort hotel, I was very very disappointed. When I made the reservation, I stated that it was for a special occasion (wife’s birthday). Im guessing that it was never communicated to any of the staff because not one person mentioned her bday or offered any bday greetings. The interior is constructed with concrete and glass so it was very noisy inside. I was thinking that this would’ve been a nice quiet intimate spot, but it was anything but quiet. Again, believing that this was going to be a higher end fine dining experience, we dressed up a little. My wife wore a black dress and I had dress pants and a dress shirt. Nothing too crazy, but I observed that the staff was not very well dressed and neither was most of the clientele. All small details that I normally would not care about, but for the prices on the menu, I was truly expecting a little more class and flair. Our server was nice enough, but the service was very slow in every aspect. We ordered a bottle of California wine (pricey considering we are in Cali), and it seemed to take a long time to get that bottle. And it was not served at proper temperature at all. Felt a little warm. We ordered an appetizer to share with, 2 separate entrees and a side of rice and broccolini. Everything took so much longer than anyone would reasonably expect. The waiter apologized at least 3 different times about the delays. We did not complain at all because it was most likely not the servers fault and we were not in any rush at all. But when our mains did finally arrive, it was less than lukewarm. And honestly, the meals were nothing to brag about. Less than mediocre in taste and presentation. Because we’re here on a 2 week vacay, we’ve been eating at almost every restaurant along hwy 101 in Encinitas. Mostly locally owned and operated mom and pop places. The meals from these places have been outstanding along with the friendly service. But Vaga was literally the worst dining experience we’ve encountered period. Save your money, go eat at any of the great family owned restaurants in the area and enjoy a real fine dining experience.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3