One of our long-time local favorites. In warm weather, we enjoy the patio and watching the…read moreever-changing array of characters ambling along South Cedros, some destined for shows at The Belly Up. The inside dining room and bar is cozy and decorated with posters from musical acts. Tavern is popular before shows and we go early on weeknights to beat the crowds and enjoy the food. The menu is reasonably priced. The tasty pan seared lemon and butter scallops on linguine was $29. The lobster tacos are $28, with the lobster chunks in a bowl with a subtle tomato sauce, and choice of torillas, with Spanish rice and black beans. Tavern has a full bar and a short but excellent wine list, reasonably priced, and mostly from California. Wines by the glass start at $11 and go to $14. A bottle of William Hill, Central Coast, Chardonnay, wsa $42 and the Rombauer Carneos, $65. Corkage is $25. Most cocktails are $15. It has local beers on draft and in the cans. Service is always fast and friendly. They check regularly for water refills, and any thoughts on the meal. We enjoy the casual, neighborly feel to the Tavern. A California beach town classic.

Best place to eat before a show at the Belly Up!…read more My go-to has been the filet medallions. Always great! Perfectly cooked each time. Cocktails are on point. Old fashioned was excellent. Wine list is what you need. Not huge, but full of solid wines. Review for the attached restaurant: Kind and efficient service. Joy was stellar!!! Nice welcome upon coming in. Server had it all nailed down. Look forward to coming again! 5/20/26 visit

We had a very strange and hostile interaction with a bartender there. I'm not sure what was going…read moreon with him but I wouldn't recommend this place.

Not quite the same vibe as the old Surf n Saddle Bar but still a decent watering hole / dive bar…read more. they have all the popular beers in draft. Usually there's some good music playing, sometimes live...

This is a three-day yearly jazz festival in San Diego (actually in Del Mar Hilton hotel). As a…read moreswing dancer, I only attended the late Saturday night dance (11PM to 2AM). The party happens in a large ballroom. However, the good dancing space is limited and split into two tiny floors on the right and the left of the stage, each good for 4-5 couples. The carpet covering the rest of the ballroom is smooth and perfectly danceable in your good dancing shoes. The attendance is pretty high, about 200 people, but most of them come to listen to the music. The dancing group was about 20 people total, with slightly more follows than leads. The skills of most are above intermediate. Hints: the crowd is thin. Unless you really know the swing dance community, it is wise to bring your own partner. The parking ticket ($10) shall be pre-paid in the lobby hotel upon entering, otherwise exiting will take a lot of effort. Overall: if the late night dance happens next year, definitely put it onto your calendar.

From the owner: The San Diego Jazz Party has more than 20 of today’s top Mainstream Jazz Performance Artists from…read morearound the world. Enjoy live music in an informal jazz club environment at the San Diego Hilton in Del Mar. Attendees can choose the full weekend or special focused programs within the Jazz Party. The Hilton Hotel is offering special rates for those who choose to stay at the hotel. You may come for the full weekend as a Patron with reserved table seating and full access to all performances including a brunch on Saturday. Or you may purchase tickets for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday performances. This is a unique opportunity to hear some of today’s greatest Jazz Artists performing together right here in San Diego.

This is a fascinating venue with lots of indoor and outdoor space. I attended a Masters party for a…read moregolf-related company, and they had cornhole, seats, bar tables, and even televisions set up outside while the large inside (2 large rooms) had the food, drinks, vendor tables, and TVs, tables, drinks, and plenty of room to roam around. The bathrooms are pretty and clean, and there's even an interesting lounge with quirky memorabilia. Since I wasn't the event organizer/host, I can't speak to how it was to plan the event. However, as an attendee, I was pleasantly surprised at what was here in the middle of an industrial area and would definitely keep this on my list of possible venues for events.

Great venue for private parties! Attended a formal event here and they had a great setup with…read moreseveral bars, indoor and outdoor seating and nice ambiance. Unsure if they provide their own catering or if you can bring outside catering services there as I wasn't part of the planning. Worth checking out if in need of a venue for around 100 people.

THE KRAKEN @ CARDIFF…read more Parking is available right out front, but you can also walk here if you're nearby. My friends and I tried walking from State Beach in Encinitas, it was about a 13-minute walk, but I wouldn't recommend it. The path smelled pretty bad, likely because of the seals and trash in the area. Once we arrived, we were quickly settled in. The restroom was clean and decent, and we loved how spacious the place felt. There's a nice outdoor area where people can hang out and drink, as well as an indoor section with a pool table. We tried some of their margaritas, which were absolutely delicious, and really enjoyed the ambiance. The staff was friendly, the service was great, and the overall vibe made it a fun spot to visit. Once inside, you don't notice the outdoor smell, so that's a plus. I'd definitely stop by again.

Good: It's a decent bar during the day time: You can actually talk to people and easily get a…read moredrink. You can see the ocean and the vibe is chill. Bad: It's a terrible bar on the weekends. Sure, sometimes there is good live music, but it's hard to get a drink, it's packed full of a-holes, the staff is also overwhelmed a-holes, and there's no view. But it's sometimes full of cougars though for the Marines, good luck boys.

My best friends group celebrated 2 of us with a comedy show with Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias and…read moredinner here. We had an AWESOME time!! We ate at the farmer and the Del first, and then we made our way to the grandstand to our awesome private box seats. Before we got to the seats, we were able to do some tasting with the on-site Chef, which was amazing. We also had an exclusive tour of the facility and the operations as a special birthday treat! I don't think that people realize that the catering here is a full on events, extravagant catering company. They do all types of unique displays, unique foods, unique accommodations, and event preparation. It is amazing what they do at this venue. It was a really good comedy show, especially because we were able to get trays of decadent items delivered from the Chef and the staff. The catering company and serving staff here is phenomenal and I just believe that every year they make things a lot better with respect to the food, the environment, the ideas, and just the overall experience at the grandstand. We loved our time spent here. The sound, lighting, and overall vibe here is great for concerts, comedy shows, gospel performances, etc. THANK YOU TO THE CATERING COMPANY!

I've seen some of my favorite bands play here. I see you meme different genres being performed and…read moreI've stood or sat anywhere from the floor to near the top of the grandstand. As expected, the sound gets a little cloudy the higher in the grandstand you go, but sounds really good while sitting in the lower half of Terrace 3 or lower. The floor is always good if seated or in standing room only mode. I've had both the seated dinner menu packages and the catered style for concerts and those seats on the 2nd level are all great seats. There isn't really enough room for getting up to dance during the show, but you can always head down to floor if you want. Drinks can be obtained on any level as there are bars everywhere, but they can be pricey. The signature Del Mar margaritas are about $16, $18 for premium tequila in the souvenir cup. $7 call drinks are really reasonable though.

A great casual breakfast and brunch spot in Del Mar. The food was fresh and flavorful, the prices…read morefelt reasonable for the area, and everything we ordered was well prepared. The outdoor seating is a big plus, with a nice view toward the ocean that makes the whole experience even better. Friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere make this an easy place to enjoy a slow breakfast or lunch.

It's so sad that Pacifica is closing at the end of the year. They've been in Del Mar for decades,…read moreand are a great place. Beautiful views, great menu selection, high quality ingredients, delicious creations and to notch service. At brunch today, two of us enjoyed a shared appetizer of Thai curried mussels, one steak and eggs, and one fra diavolo pasta. A marvelous meal. Our server, Evan, was so polished, professional, attentive while not intrusive, and most helpful. Get there while you still can, and ask for Evan!

WORST EXPERIENCE!…read more Their violinist canceled on us two weeks before our wedding day!!! They had a contract with us for 8 months and acted like it was meaningless. The violinist booked another job shortly after our contract was signed in Jan and never told us for 8 months until Aug!! She tried to pass off her friend to fill in for her but her friend was a rock and roll singer/violist and it was not at all comparable to the vibe we wanted for our ceremony. The violinist said the other job paid more and that it was her 'breadwinner'. It was extremely hard to get a hold of the performer during the contract and The owner refused to pay for the difference to book another musician. The only reason we even found out was because I reached out to the performer and manager to send our ceremony songs and she replied saying she had another job booked!!! This place is a joke. They put an extreme amount of stress on my family and I canceling this late before our wedding. Thankfully I found someone to fill our wedding date on the side but the owner would not pay or contribute to the new cost. The owner also went black for 3 days w/o communication to us. It was an absolute nightmare!!!! They also had employees leave the company during our experience with them changing around our point of contact. Untrustworthy. Unprofessional. Unreliable. Poor business management.

A phenomenal company to work with for live music. They have a roster of some of San Diego's best…read moremusicians and artists, and are exceptionally considerate of their musicians and venues. If you need music for private events, weddings, corporate parties etc the Acoustic Spot is the best option for you!