The Urban Kitchen Group recently received a Michelin honor for their restaurant at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. The same hospitality group has opened The Kitchen at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego which is near La Jolla Cove. The seating is mostly outdoors on a patio and the sidewalk, but the capacity is 100+ diners including the inside area. Walk-ins are only accepted unless you have a party size greater than eight. I did have to wait about 15 minutes for a table to be available. The menu was described as coastal Mediterranean cuisine. For my late lunch, I chose a Smoked Salmon sandwich which came with a green salad or za'atar fries (my choice). Whipped herb goat cheese, sweet carrot raisin slaw, cucumber, and watercress were the toppings to the salmon that was served on dark multigrain bread. The slaw was interesing because of the sweetness from the raisins. The fries were very crispy so they must have been fresh out of a fryer. The setting is pleasant although just like having a meal at a hotel restaurant, the prices at this eatery adjacent to a museum were on the expensive side. If you happen to be hungry while visiting and don't want to walk several blocks away toward the main strip of restaurants in the Cove, then The Kitchen is a reasonable choice for on-site dining. read more

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I had left an excellent five star review and I need to correct that! Our last two experiences were not very positive and they are not consistent with the quality of their food disappointed to say! read more

I am someone who is obsessed with trying new things all the time, which unfortunately makes it difficult for me to be a regular anywhere. If I'm spending my money eating out, I like to maximize on different places and different experiences. However, the Kitchen @ MCASD is one of those special restaurants that always has me wanting to come back. The Kitchen is absolutely beautiful and the interior design is clean, chic, airy, and bright. There is indoor, half indoor and half outdoor, as well as fully outdoor seating (so you have options!). However, no matter what seating arrangement you get assigned to, you are literally a few steps away from overlooking the ocean, as the restaurant is located right in the heart of Downtown La Jolla. I do highly recommend getting a reservation ahead of time and requesting indoor seating close to the window. It's the best spot for sure and you are guaranteed great views from the comfort of your seat. In addition to the gorgeous interior, the food, drinks, glassware, plateware, decorative vases - literally everything - are all SO cute. I am a major sucker for all things cute & well-curated and they have so many items I'd purchase in a heartbeat. Upon first opening in Feb 2023, the Kitchen only opened Wednesdays through Sundays from 8:30 AM - 2 PM for breakfast and lunch. However, as of June 2024, they've now extended their services to dinner on the same days of the week from 4-8 PM (happy hour being from 3-5 PM!). Once I heard this news, I took myself on a date immediately, and was luckily able to stop by on the second official dinner night. For dinner, I decided on the 'chilled cucumber tahini soup + marinated shrimp + cucumber', as well as the 'steamed sea bass wrapped in swiss chard + freekah + olive relish + heirloom tomato + roasted tomato vinaigrette + torn herbs'. Holy moly, I was blown away, which was not a surprise, as I'd already been blown away by their lunch services prior. The cold soup was extremely refreshing, earthy, and I loved the cold touch. We need to normalize more cold soup options out here! The steamed bass was huge and it came fully wrapped in swiss chard, so it felt like a little gift I had to unravel myself. When I chose that dish, my server also agreed that it was her favorite thing on the menu, and I can see why. The fish was beyond fresh, juicy, and the freekah and tomato flavors were perfectly spiced, adding African and Mediterranean fragrances to the meal. I LOVED this dish and I could not stop eating it even though I was getting insanely full. During my trip, I also luckily made happy hour by 3 minutes, and was able to get a $10 cocktail (they normally range from ~$13-$15 at list price). The cocktails here are pretty, often decorated with dainty flowers, and incorporate a lot of fruits, so it tastes healthier than usual cocktails. I also treated myself to a cold glass of white wine since I am in my fancy white wine era, and I would highly recommend the Sauvignon Blanc from France. I had such a peaceful and much needed self-love moment here. Just imagine a girl sitting in the corner, sun setting, golden hour gradually approaching, white wine in hand, and softly looking out into the abyss with a "life is good" smug smile on her face. Well, what you just pictured was 100% me (and could be you too if you decide to go to this amazing little haven)! Another huge reason I love this restaurant so much is because it's attached to my favorite museum in all of San Diego, and that is the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). This museum is stunning and ever since they reopened after the long renovation, I've decided to become a member, which is great because now I can go whenever I want and I can bring a +1 each visit :) The artists the MCASD chooses for residency are all so intriguing and I love taking my Fujifilm here to walk around and take pictures. Every nook and cranny of this museum is photogenic, and it's so peaceful here too since you catch a glimpse of the ocean waves through windows right next to a lot of the art. The Kitchen is also a part of the restaurant organization called the "Urban Kitchen Group", which consists of other popular restaurants like CUCINA Urbana and ARTIFACT at Mingei (both of which I also really like). Whatever new establishment they create, I trust that the restaurant will be of high quality since they have a history of producing great places. To me, the Kitchen @ MCASD and the Museum of Contemporary Art are what I envision heaven to look like. I'm so thankful that they exist and I'd love to eventually experience one of the Kitchen's chef tasting menu events in the future. read more

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The Kitchen near the MCASD La Jolla is a pleasant location and my dish was delicious, but I deducted a couple of stars in the rating because of the restaurant's high prices, dearth of ocean view seating, and presumptuousness of the restaurant when it came tipping. I had the chicken schnitzel, which had quite a delicious lemon taste, but I thought there should have been more sauce on top of the schnitzel. There were salad greens on top of the schnitzel sauce and the combination of greens and schnitzel seemed to work fine, but I wondered if there wasn't a way to make the salad more creative - different vegetables in addition to greens. As I mentioned, the dish came with a schnitzel and salad, but I feel it should have also included some starch as well, like garlic bread, which came with a dish my friend ordered. I thought the price of my schnitzel dish was too high at $27, and the fruit cup I ordered with it was $10 - also too high. The dining environment was pleasant, but there are only two tables that have a good view of the ocean - which is too few. I think other restaurants in the area can accommodate more ocean view seating. Lastly, I thought it was presumptuous that the default on the touch screen for the tip was 22% - it should be lower than that. read more

Beautiful views at this restaurant with very tasty food. An amazing event! The patio is dog friendly and very clean! We sat outside on the upper deck but the restaurant has an open outdoor/indoor concept with the indoor seats being completely open to the outside. The patio has a great view of the ocean even on a cloudy day! Service was very friendly. The hostess sat us immediately and even offered the rearrange the chairs so we could both have an ocean view. Our waiter was very attentive too. I ordered the mushroom and asparagus omelet and loved every bite! I was able to substitute egg whites as well. My husband got the chilaquiles, which was so flavorful. I also ordered the flower lemonade which was not only pretty, but also tasty and refreshing! My husband got the cold brew and added honey cinnamon syrup. All in all a great meal at a beautiful location. Even the plates were gorgeous! We will definitely be back. read more

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Great place to start the day on a sunny Sunday. Patio is large, dog friendly, and the staff are nice. We enjoyed our food, coffee, and cocktails. Sun and shade options. read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Cheers - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Not the best experience at this place. Food took over 35-40 minutes and the order was wrong for three of our orders. When second order came out two of the orders were still wrong. We tipped 20% because we were told that the food would be brought to us and was not. Staff told us that they called our names even though they didn't. Megan the manager was extremely rude to customers and her staff members. Some customers ordered wine and asked for wine glasses and were told to put their wine in a plastic cup, Megan then told the customers to not break the glasses. Our order came out to be 80$+ and was served in boxes. For a place in La Jolla not worth the hype or service. Only good thing about this place was Brooke , extremely friendly and nice. Came out and apologized for what happened. read more

The place is absolutely stunning, the food is delicious, and overall, everything was great. But... all six of us were disappointed with the cocktails. That's why I'm taking off one star. None of us liked them, and when we mentioned it to the waitress, she just said they were made correctly. That was disappointing because it simply wasn't true! Not sure if we'll be back or if we'll find a spot where we can enjoy breakfast without unnecessary debates. read more

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The Kitchen is now open for dinner as of June 20th 2024! It's such a great time to visit the museum and enjoy dinner on the patio here. The views of the ocean nearby make it that much more magical. We had the new summer menu items - Crispy Corn Fritters (amazing) the chicken, and filet mignon, followed by the chocolate bourdin. Wonderful food and amazing flavors! Great staff and delicious wine options as well :) can't wait to come back! read more

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Visited on a Sunday around noon and it was full! So we grabbed food from the café (same menu, but to-go) and enjoyed it at the outdoor seating area. Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious--highly recommend! By 1 PM, we got a table inside the restaurant and ordered drinks (dragon fruit smoothie, matcha, and latte) along with dessert. The carrot cake was a bit too sweet for my taste but still enjoyable. The atmosphere was fantastic with stunning views and exceptionally friendly staff. A wonderful experience overall! read more

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Hidden gem alert! The fact that this place only has 17 reviews at this point is almost laughable. The views from the dining area are unrivaled in San Diego. To sit and enjoy their delicious food and look out to the panoramic view of the Pacific is a particular treat. If you're visiting San Diego, you have to put this on your list of breakfast spots to hit. If you're a local, you REALLY need to make room in your schedule for this amazing find. Pro-tip, they're closed Mondays and Tuesdays but any other morning/afternoon you'll be good to go. read more

Amazing location, very friendly service. The Mayan Mocha is truly one of a kind and I loved the spicy kick. The Lavender Matcha Latte didn't feel like Lavender at all, but still loved it for the Matcha Flavor. The Green Shakshuka was the perfect tanginess and had fresh ingredients and was well made. The Basque Cheesecake tasted a bit stale, but liked it overall. Would love to come back here again. read more

This is such a nice spot with an amazing view unfortunately, they can't get their act together. Before it used to be fairly OK but now they have help that has not been properly trained and food that is expensive and boring. Maybe that's a reason on this unusually warm winter day. They had a handful of clients. Furthermore they put an extra charge for service automatically on the bill as well as giving a choice of 20% or more as a tip. Charge me what you want, but give me something that's worth paying for. read more

This place has nice outdoor seating which is really nice with the weather. The eggs benedict was really nice and balanced with the savory elements. The service was very nice and also pet friendly! read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Eggs Benedict - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Great ambiance, friendly staff. Newer restaurant in this area. Reasonable prices. 3 stars for their drinks but their chilaquiles and green shakshuka was too watery, the potatoes were unnecessary and overall didn't taste like the traditional dish. The chilaquiles sauce was overpowering, the chips were saugy and our requested over easy eggs were well done. Aside from the view & drinks, the food was a disappointment. read more

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Just down the street from my friends place we have been to The Kitchen many times and enjoyed each visit. Clean fresh food, nice outdoor patio, nice views and good service. One this visit I had the "Churro" French Toast while my friends had the lamb burger and seared tuna nicoise. We all enjoyed our selections. You can tell the quality of the food is first class and the presentation is spot on. This is a great place to have a wonderful meal and avoid the overcrowded area of "central" La Jolla. read more

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Wow! Amazing! I expected the amazing view but the food and service blew me away. Great atmosphere with very pleasant staff. There were lots of menu options and my salad was delicious. Also very large serving sizes. Will definitely go back. read more

I had high hopes for this place when we booked it for brunch. The ambiance is marvelous. It has a nice view of the ocean and the La Jolla coast. The hostess was friendly and welcoming. The food was not to die for but relatively good. What disappointed me was the "phony" customer service from our server. She wasn't rude but there was this weird passive aggressive behavior. She gave my daughter the wrong drink. When we pointed it out, she agreed to replace it. Again, she wasn't rude... but she was just robotic and indifferent about it. She answers a seemingly scripted "of course" to every question or request you make but never delivers. We asked for more water, for our receipt.... "Of course" was the answer but we never got them. read more

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The Kitchen MCASD has charming views and a polite staff. I asked what was good for breakfast and the waitress advised me to order French toast. I thought it was delicious and loved that it was served with blood oranges, which are my favorite citrus. read more

Amazing dinner at sunset! Gorgeous view of the ocean! Food was fantastic! Would definitely recommend! read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Dinner menu - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

WOW this place just brought me back to The Mediterranean. The ambiance is so relaxing between the view, the music and the design. The service it outstanding and best of all the FOOD IS Delightful!! I had high expectation looking at their menu and it was way above my expectation! We had a feast be ready. We tried; the chilled cucumber tahini soup, the green shakshuka, the lamb burger, the hamachi crudo, and the baklava French toast. The flavors on every dishes were so nicely balanced and you can truly test the freshness of each ingredient. As a European girl I'm so glad to have found this new gem. I can't wait to be back for their dinner menu. read more

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Since I found this place I go at least 3 times a month. The view is incredible, the food is great! I love their peanut smoothie and their fries are my favorite! The service is very nice as well. Can't say enough that I love this restaurant! LOVE! read more

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Came here for brunch over the weekend, definitely enjoyed the experience. The restaurant is located just outside the museum, and it had an incredible view of the sea, which is great on for brunch. For drinks I got the matcha latte, which was great! We got the chilaquiles and breakfast sandwiche substituted with avocado (to make it vegetarian). Both entrees were super good, I definitely liked the breakfast sandwich with avocado! Actually, the restaurant messed up our a couple times but the waitress was super nice and patient. We could tell she was really busy but she took the time to help us out! It was also nice that they admitted they made a mistake and comped our meal. The service was exceptional here! read more

We went today for a late birthday for my mom since my brother was in town visiting. Views are out of this world. My Niçoise salad was just ok - I found the aioli sauce sitting at the bottom of it weird, and the green beans did not taste very good, but the albacore itself was delicious. The "almond butter and jam sandwich" off the kids menu was appalling - one singular hard crunchy piece of stale bread drenched in almond butter dripping off the sides and jam in a side cup. It came out last, much later than the 5 other adult orders...my daughter started crying asking where her food was. This dish said "we hate kids". Don't bring your child here. Fortunately my 3 year old was on her best behavior and tried this absolute disaster of a "sandwich" that I had to prepare for her myself by scraping the mess of almond butter off, spreading on the jam and cutting the bread into manageable pieces. Our waitress also looked annoyed and angry the whole time - the service was awful. Only the person who sat us was friendly and kindly gave my daughter crayons to color the kids menu with. The chairs were very uncomfortable and the spacing in the restaurant is bizarre. The whole experience was just strange. Beautiful views but likely won't go back. read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Went here this morning, older couple was seated quickly as a walk in and when we were up next to be greeted, we were told a one hour wait. We decided to wait the hour and when the time came to be seated we were seated all the way in the back when there was spots for a view. On top of all that the service was slow and we barely got our waters 20 minutes in. We decided to get up and leave right after. read more

Came here unfortunately by myself on a day between lunch and a meeting close by. I wish I would have made it for lunch. But my afternoon coffee and cheesecake hit the spot. On a nice day the outside patio can get busy so make sure you make a reservation if you are coming for lunch. read more

The Kitchen MCASD - The basque cheesecake - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Staff was friendly but super disappointed in the quality of food (we went for dinner). Also surprised that outdoor tables were so basic, the view is not great from behind the wall, and heat lamps weren't set up. In terms of food, the chicken schnitzel was quite good but everything else was just ok or not good at all. Avoid the crab cakes, seems like they were premade from a not so great mix. The asparagus dish is generally good but the asparagus wasn't trimmed correctly. The hamachi crudo was ok but not great quality fish and a tiny portion. Pricey disappointment. read more

My boyfriend and I had brunch on a Saturday and agreed it is the best sit down breakfast we've had in San Diego in quite some time. In addition to the food, the attention to detail and service were impeccable. We had the asparagus mushroom omelette and the "basics" eggs breakfast. They were both exquisite! (I only wish the smashed potatoes were a bit more smashed and crispy). Lastly, the peacefulness was unbeatable. read more

Came here for lunch Friday ans had the best time.Ambiance was amazing,and the manager Megan was so accommodating for me and my elderly mother!definitely a reason to come back read more

Disappointed and felt unwelcome. We came in with visiting relatives from out of the country and walked all the way from the beach, excited to dine here. Unfortunately, we were turned away at the door by the host, who told us they were at full capacity and couldn't accommodate our party. However, when my husband went inside to use the restroom, the restaurant was mostly empty--only a few tables were occupied. We also noticed a large party seated outside, which made their refusal to seat us even more confusing. It left us feeling discriminated against, especially since only one type of group seemed to be dining in. This experience was disappointing. After reading the reviews maybe it's a good thing we didn't waste our money and time here. We won't be returning or recommending it to anyone. read more

I made a reservation. When we got there, the host was giving us a table that's in the middle. I have vertigo so I requested to be by the wall or in the corner. At first, she gave me a table by the wall. But then, I got kicked out because she said that those tables are reserved and explained those tables for people coming in at 9:30am. I watched to see if the table I got kicked out of got filled. I left around 11am. That table is still vacant. I don't understand the excuse given to me then. I don't understand why restaurants in general don't give you a certain table but is kept vacant the whole time. I would understand if it's an upscale restaurant, but this is a casual restaurant. We were seated by the courtyard. No view unless you stand up. At least the table doesn't give me vertigo. The service said they're understaffed. I understand, but we barely got water refilled, especially were given small glasses. I wish they left a carafe in each table so we can refill the water ourselves. My coffee came out very late; I was halfway done with my meal. And it came out with an aftertaste. I was forcing myself to drink it. I was glad the server gave me another one that tastes better. But I was almost done with my meal. It also looks like the servers had to make a trek to bring the food out. Is the kitchen that far? The taste. My husband said that the eggs benedict is just okay; he can make that at home. I like the churro French toast, but I don't think it's enough for me to crave for and bring me back. My husband got the smoothie, which he liked. I already told the story of my coffee. This is the first time I remember Eater San Diego recommended a restaurant, which failed me. It could've been a better experience for us, especially we're celebrating two occasions the weekend we visited. read more

I was looking for a brunch place that would accept reservation on weekends for my mom's birthday. I was happy that Kitchen would accept reservation for large parties. I called them 2 weeks in advance and was able to make a reservation for a party of 8 at 1030am Saturday. Half of our party was about 30 min late, but our table was ready and they sat us right away. Hostess and waiters were very nice. We ordered our coffee right away. They serve Dark Horse coffee which is one of my local coffee brewers. They also serve both their breakfast and lunch menu one the weekends l, so you have more choices to chose from. I got the smoked salmon sandwich, which was yummy the salmon tasted great, the side salad had a nice light dressing to it. The ambiance is pretty and peaceful. We really enjoyed our time. I will definitely come back here! read more

Love this hidden gem!! Gorgeous view. We had the French toast, the chicken schnitzel, and the tuna bowl. It was delicious. And the wait staff and manager were so attentive. And we all loved our fancy coffees. read more

The view is terrific bit the food was very expensive crap! I had salad nicoise.. tuna was tasteless. It had a tumeric "crust" and that is it. My friend hab chicken and artichokes sandwich and could ot find artichokes and was way too much mayonnaise. read more

Got to have an awesome brunch here the other day! The food was unique and tasted amazing. The beach was super close and the restaurant had a nice view! read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Crepe - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

We've been to a couple of their monthly dinners and had a great meal both times. One of the better views I've found in San Diego restaurants, without the usual crowds that come with the more trendy spots. Looking forward to trying their recently opened daily options. read more

Didn't plan on eating three breakfasts but completed the trifecta. Too good. Get the French Toast. Service was outstanding as well. read more

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Great food, great quality and great service! La Jolla needs more places like this. Definetly will be back read more

Cute cafe vibe and delish breakfast sandwich I would come back again and try lunch menu read more

The Kitchen MCASD - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Food was just ok. I mistakenly ordered Chilaquiles and they had no flavor whatsoever. The other food ordered by the rest of my party was so-so. Service was OK. Beautiful surroundings with a spectacular view of the ocean. read more