Restaurant is upstairs where there’s no clear host stand at the top. Waited for a while until someone noticed us.
Wine/beer list very disappointing - overpriced generic grocery store brands. Nothing inventive. Ordered a cocktail instead, the Vida La Verde, which unfortunately tasted like a watered down mezcal margarita. Date got an NA cocktail which was $17 for a glorified lavender lemonade??? Even Callie for example which has very well crafted unique NA cocktails has them priced in the $12-$16 range. Apps and mains (squash blossoms, BBQ carrots, hangar steak, and chicken) were decent but overpriced and over-salted. Dessert was nothing to write home about.
Decor gives off very obvious hotel restaurant vibes. The bathroom aesthetic is as if someone drained a nice pool and recreated the bottom as bathroom stalls.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Chris
Whether you are a local or a San Diego visitor looking for a place that is nearby but free of the Gas Lamp or Little Italy crowds, try the Desmond. In the Kimpton hotel - but promise - it is not your typical hotel restaurant. Excellent and creative chef, interesting menu, reasonably priced, attentive and delightful staff. What more could you want?! We have been here a few times - and every time we come back to the Desmond, we leave saying, we need to visit more often. It's that good.
Food was WAY too salty for us, I mean wow. 9 pm on a Friday there was no one there so that should have been a clue food wasn't great. Service was fine and they comped us a desert. Apologies to the folks there but I do not recommend this place.
Went for the Justin wine pairing dinner. Every single course was off the charts amazing. Excellent staff. We were on the rooftop for this event. Hard to beat a summer evening in San Diego on a rooftop!
Michael
Unfortunately the food wasn't that good. The octopus was overly charred and the pork loin was so fatty I could t eat it. So for the price, I have had so much better. The ambiance was decent though and the company was great.
Alfredo Gonzalez
Aria was amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pascascio Nicole
Where do I start.... Love the ambiance, great drinks, good food, great music, exceptional service! Our server & another gentleman made an organic connection with us and made us feel welcome!
Located in the Kimpton Alma, we didn't find The Desmond easily. My man asked one of the bartenders in the main lobby where we could find The Desmond & he kindly walked us upstairs (I was sold at that point!)
The vibes start on the staircase with the beautiful lighting! We were sat immediately! Our waiter was very attentive and got our drink & appetizer order within 10 min. The Desmond serves some of THE BEST ceviche I've ever had!
If you're looking for a place where trendy meets mature, this is the place!
What could be better: upon entry, directions to the restaurant & the hotel is located next to the train station and all of its surroundings.
Ally Templin
Service is great. Love the atmosphere. Food isn't bad. It just does "wow" me. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
IMAO
Hidden gem on mezzanine level in Kimpton hotel with excellent service and a well curated cocktail list. The place was quiet on a Saturday night -- I guess people flock to Gaslamp to drink and party, so this place is a bit left out, and we can have all the space and attentive staff by ourselves :)
Mica Johnson
Small fusion restaurant located in the Kimtpon hotel
Solid experience. Had the mezcal espresso martini, so good . Had the bread service with baba ghanoush, outstanding! My main was the pasta with mussels, so flavorful. Highly recommend
FranktheTank
Food was very good. It's a very quiet place. I made a reservation and when I arrived, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. Had the cacio e pepe. It was excellent, as was the whipped feta and the walnut carrot cake. The restaurant is in the Alma hotel, which is, frankly, in a seedier part of town, and parking cannot be found. You can valet at the hotel for $60, which feels exorbitant. Perhaps the hotel can offer some validation. I really liked it, but feel like there are places which are just as nice, but are easier to get to. Nothing personal. I was staying at the hotel anyway.
RaulG
I will definitely be coming back to this place. It is very close to the broadway shows so if you need somewhere to eat before the show this is a good spot. This place is for grow-ups, nice place to get good food and good service. My wife and I had the octopus and it was great. I had the braised beef, excellent. I usually would say that the place was pricy, but its not. It the same prices you expect and any decent restaurant. I recommend anyone to try it out.
The food was good, but mine was a bit too salty and the prime rib was overdone. If you ask for medium rare and there is none left you'd think you'd be informed before hand and asked if you want a different entree. The desert table also had a lot of flies on it, which was odd considering there was no outdoor seating.
lola
This was the best easter Brunch I have ever had. The eggs benedict and Prime rib were extraordinary. The desserts were so exquisite regarding ingredients and presentation. I sent my compliments to the chef. The servers were extremely professional. The ambiance was minimalist but very elegant. We plan to bring our family members here time and again for special dinners. Only request that some form of drink is included in the Brunch menu as part of the package price even if it is just coffee. Really loved our dinning experience. The Desmond is a hidden gem.
Restaurant is upstairs where there’s no clear host stand at the top. Waited for a while until someone noticed us.
Wine/beer list very disappointing - overpriced generic grocery store brands. Nothing inventive. Ordered a cocktail instead, the Vida La Verde, which unfortunately tasted like a watered down mezcal margarita. Date got an NA cocktail which was $17 for a glorified lavender lemonade??? Even Callie for example which has very well crafted unique NA cocktails has them priced in the $12-$16 range. Apps and mains (squash blossoms, BBQ carrots, hangar steak, and chicken) were decent but overpriced and over-salted. Dessert was nothing to write home about.
Decor gives off very obvious hotel restaurant vibes. The bathroom aesthetic is as if someone drained a nice pool and recreated the bottom as bathroom stalls.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Whether you are a local or a San Diego visitor looking for a place that is nearby but free of the Gas Lamp or Little Italy crowds, try the Desmond. In the Kimpton hotel - but promise - it is not your typical hotel restaurant. Excellent and creative chef, interesting menu, reasonably priced, attentive and delightful staff. What more could you want?! We have been here a few times - and every time we come back to the Desmond, we leave saying, we need to visit more often. It's that good.
Food was WAY too salty for us, I mean wow. 9 pm on a Friday there was no one there so that should have been a clue food wasn't great. Service was fine and they comped us a desert. Apologies to the folks there but I do not recommend this place.
Went for the Justin wine pairing dinner. Every single course was off the charts amazing. Excellent staff. We were on the rooftop for this event. Hard to beat a summer evening in San Diego on a rooftop!
Unfortunately the food wasn't that good. The octopus was overly charred and the pork loin was so fatty I could t eat it. So for the price, I have had so much better. The ambiance was decent though and the company was great.
Aria was amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Where do I start....
Love the ambiance, great drinks, good food, great music, exceptional service! Our server & another gentleman made an organic connection with us and made us feel welcome!
Located in the Kimpton Alma, we didn't find The Desmond easily. My man asked one of the bartenders in the main lobby where we could find The Desmond & he kindly walked us upstairs (I was sold at that point!)
The vibes start on the staircase with the beautiful lighting! We were sat immediately! Our waiter was very attentive and got our drink & appetizer order within 10 min. The Desmond serves some of THE BEST ceviche I've ever had!
If you're looking for a place where trendy meets mature, this is the place!
What could be better: upon entry, directions to the restaurant & the hotel is located next to the train station and all of its surroundings.
Service is great. Love the atmosphere. Food isn't bad. It just does "wow" me. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Hidden gem on mezzanine level in Kimpton hotel with excellent service and a well curated cocktail list. The place was quiet on a Saturday night -- I guess people flock to Gaslamp to drink and party, so this place is a bit left out, and we can have all the space and attentive staff by ourselves :)
Small fusion restaurant located in the Kimtpon hotel
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Solid experience. Had the mezcal espresso martini, so good . Had the bread service with baba ghanoush, outstanding! My main was the pasta with mussels, so flavorful. Highly recommend
Food was very good. It's a very quiet place. I made a reservation and when I arrived, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. Had the cacio e pepe. It was excellent, as was the whipped feta and the walnut carrot cake. The restaurant is in the Alma hotel, which is, frankly, in a seedier part of town, and parking cannot be found. You can valet at the hotel for $60, which feels exorbitant. Perhaps the hotel can offer some validation. I really liked it, but feel like there are places which are just as nice, but are easier to get to. Nothing personal. I was staying at the hotel anyway.
I will definitely be coming back to this place. It is very close to the broadway shows so if you need somewhere to eat before the show this is a good spot. This place is for grow-ups, nice place to get good food and good service. My wife and I had the octopus and it was great. I had the braised beef, excellent. I usually would say that the place was pricy, but its not. It the same prices you expect and any decent restaurant. I recommend anyone to try it out.
The food was good, but mine was a bit too salty and the prime rib was overdone. If you ask for medium rare and there is none left you'd think you'd be informed before hand and asked if you want a different entree. The desert table also had a lot of flies on it, which was odd considering there was no outdoor seating.
This was the best easter Brunch I have ever had. The eggs benedict and Prime rib were extraordinary. The desserts were so exquisite regarding ingredients and presentation. I sent my compliments to the chef. The servers were extremely professional. The ambiance was minimalist but very elegant. We plan to bring our family members here time and again for special dinners. Only request that some form of drink is included in the Brunch menu as part of the package price even if it is just coffee. Really loved our dinning experience. The Desmond is a hidden gem.
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