Wormwood is an absolute gem with a moody, secret-garden sanctuary that strikes the perfect balance between upscale French gastronomy and distinct Baja influences. The ambiance sets the tone for an unforgettable date night, complete with fantastic non-alcoholic mocktail options and an incredible wine list. We did their culinary tour, and every single course was executed with incredible precision and intention: Parker Loaf: Warm and cozy with rosemary and local honey bee. Calafia Oysters: Bright and unique, paired with a fermented spicy kosher granita and citrusy absinthe vinaigrette. Local Yellowtail: Balanced beautifully with a coriander avocado mousse, morita sea pearls, and a fermented spicy ginger sauce. Palate Cleansers: Refreshing watermelon mint and strawberry rosemary sorbets. Taleggio Agnolotti: Creamy and pillowy, served with local pea beurre blanc and grilled yakitori Baja shrimp. Grass-Fed Lamb Rack: Northern California organic lamb cooked to perfection with goat butter. Baja Trout: Ginger-brined with a rich kombu beurre blanc and maple-glazed bok choy. Dessert: A stunning Opera cake and deconstructed crème brûlée to round out the night. Beyond the plate, the service was seamless, warm, and elevated without feeling pretentious. Between the lush patio setting, thoughtful drink pairings, and flawless menu pacing, Wormwood delivers one of the most memorable dining experiences in the city. read more

Wormwood - Wine and mocktail - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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Two stars, one for the bread being fresh and delicous and one for the nice servers. Other than that, we were deeply disappointed with our experience. We booked a table for Saturday at 630pm for our Wedding Anniversary (noted on the reservation). We were seating fairly quickly in the romantic patio area right next to the piano. Its really cute and looks just like the photos. It cozy spacing, so we were sitting elbow to elbow with our neighboring table. Unfortunately, it was also right next to the fly catcher so every time the breeze came by, we experienced a really bad odor. We recognize we are outdoors and flies are a problem, but maybe dont put a table near the fly catcher or place it somewhere that doesn't catch the breeze. It made for a pretty unpleasant experience and we didnt figure out what the smell was until partway through our meal, so it felt like a big ask to be moved at that point. We ordered the 3 course meal. Service was extremely slow and it ended up taking 2 hours. It seemed like a busy night, so maybe the kitchen may have been backed up or they were short staffed, but a little acknowledgement of the slow service by our waiter would have been appreciated. The drinks were okay, but took 20 minutes to come out. There was a gap of about 40 minutes between appetizer and the main dishes. The wait was not worth it. For appetizers we got the muscles and shrimp. The muscles were tasty and the only item we liked of the night. The shrimp was overcooked. For mains we got the short rib and the chicken. The short rib was not tender, the sauce and sides were fine, but for an $8 uncharge we expected the short ribs to be fork tender. The chicken cordon Bleu was more like a chopped chicken croquet. It was fried nicely, but needed more seasoning and flavor. We did not finish either plate. For dessert we got the creme brulee and the opera cake. The creme brulee was a good size portion and but just tasted like cream. We thought the kiwi did match. The opera cake was decadent and flavorful, but the almond ice cream tasted too much of almond extract. Overall we were underwhelmed with the food. There was no acknowledgement of our anniversary, so we were a little disappointed in that. Unfortunately we will not be returning. read more

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Came a few months later to try the brunch after having an amazing dinner a while back. I don't know what happened to the amazing service but it sure has gone downhill. The food in regards to flavor and portions I believe are still very good in spite of of what other reviews say, but our server with the glasses had the most horrid energy. Poor thing is obviously young. Might be new to the industry. But please have a better disposition. The speed of which food was coming out, was at a snails pace. I will return for another amazing dinner, but brunch sadly will need to update their game read more

Wormwood - Chocolate tart - French Near Me - San Diego, California

We came here to celebrate our anniversary and we were not disappointed. The drinks and food were incredible, the one thing was the duck ragu had almost no duck but the flavor and noodles were amazing. I really enjoyed the ambiance and our server Kyle was exceptional. The desert was also incredible. read more

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Second visit in about 6 months. Unfortunately, there's been quite a substantial increase in the price of their very popular 3 course fixed price menu. 6 months ago it was $65; now it's $78. Fortunately, the menu is still attractive. It seemed as though the restaurant was having a bad night for several reasons, and I hope they rebound quickly because it is a wonderful place. When we were shown our table on the table, one of the seats was exposed to the light rain falling, but the hostess had left us there so we had to find someone else to seat us elsewhere. One of the servers spotted us searching right away and cheerfully found us a dry table. The 4 of us ordered 1 absinthe, 1 cocktail, 1 bottle of wine, and 4 Gourmet Menu dinners (3 course, fixed price). They were out of the cremant we ordered, and did the proper thing by offering us a different, excellent, sparkling wine (slightly higher price) at the same price as the cremant. Our dinners covered most of the menu choices-- mussels, shrimp, and salad for appetizers; steak, agnolotti, and short ribs for mains; opera cake and 1 each of the two sorbets offered. After a rather lengthy wait for appetizers, our server came to apologize that their mussels were sub-par that evening and asked for alternative orders. One who had ordered them switched to onion tart, the other to shrimp. Disappointing, but I'd rather not be served bad mussels, so well handled again. Three only dish that wasn't delicious we're the substituted shrimpwhich were served in a sauce that leaned heavily on strong, smoky flavors. Although the shrimp themselves were of excellent quality and plentiful, pairing them with the strongly smoky sauce put the dish off balance. All the others were expertly prepared and beautifully plated. Overall, a mixed experience this time, but the shortcomings were handled quite well. At the end, consensus was that we had a very nice evening. read more

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Shoutout to the team at Wormwood for making my surprise engagement party the most special and love-filled night of my life! My fiancé told me we were having dinner the two of us, and the hostess played right into the lovely surprise before escorting us to their private room where our friends and family waited for us. The room was decorated stunningly, my family was able to bring in photos and florals to personalize the space, and provide the sweetest area to celebrate the most special moment of my life! We had a few appetizers that's were DELICIOUS - omg I am dreaming about those short rib croquettes. My other absolute favorite was the French onion tart, and the Wagyu tartare was so unique and yummy! Special shoutout to Jorge and Marjory, they not only made delicious drinks quickly and efficiently for around 35-40 guests all night, they were kind, professional, and made me feel so truly special all night long! My grandpa (in grandpa fashion) made his rounds around not only our private room, but the whole restaurant, and told me when he comes back to visit, he wants to come to Wormwood 2 nights in a row! Hahah THANK YOU to the Wormwood team for working with my family to make it the most perfect, special, sweet, and heartfelt night possible!! read more

Wormwood - Brought in our own florals in my favorite color for our private party! - French Near Me - San Diego, California

Celebrated my colega's completion of her dissertation and recent graduation, shout out Dra. Maricela! The ambiance was parisian garden, soft music, and robust pasiflora/passion fruit vines made the entire experience magical! We chose the 3 course dinner option, everything was perfection! Delicious doesn't begin to describe the food and cocktails, I went with a green fairy frappe, highly recommend for folx who enjoy absinthe's notes of black licorice, strong and tasty, 10/10. Appetizers ordered include mussels in white wine, baja shrimp, and onion soup pastry. Entrees were fantastic, I ordered the beef short rib with gnocchi, and the dessert was rich and silky, I went with the creme brule. Overall the food and experience transported us to a parisian garden full of whimsy and culinary delights. 10/10 highly recommend! read more

Wormwood - French Near Me - San Diego, California

Visited Wormwood for a Friday night for dinner. Parking in the area is difficult as expected. The restaurant was very cute with a European vibe. We sat in their indoor dining room but they also have two gardens out back and an outdoor bar as well. They gave us little glasses of prosecco for a birthday celebration. It came in adorable glasses and tasted great as well. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share. Appetizers: - The pain (bread) was absolutely delicious and we had to order more. Fresh, soft, and flaky and elevated with the honey rosemary butter. - The burata cremeuse salad was refreshing and we especially loved the grapefruit adding nice acidity. - The tarte aux oignons (French onion tart) was my favorite dish the whole night - LOVED the texture of the puff pastry and the savoriness and flavor of the filling! Mains: - The agnolotti filled pasta was tasty with delicious sauce but portions are small. It only came with 6 pieces of pasta and 1 shrimp skewer. We added additional shrimp skewers for $8 a piece. - The daily catch was Norwegian salmon and bok choy. It was good but nothing super special imo. Dessert: - They gave us complimentary panna cotta since we're celebrating a birthday. It was light and not as rich as I expected. - We also ordered a creme brulee and it was an interesting twist. The caramelized sugar wasn't on top of the creme brulee, but as a separate piece, along with some golden kiwi. Overall the dessert was okay but not mind-blowing. The service... was very European LOL. The servers and staff were very friendly and helpful, but service was pretty slow and it was a little difficult to find our server when we wanted to get serving utensils, order more food, etc. Overall, we had a good experience and the thought the food was high quality with great ingredients. Would recommend coming with a relaxed mindset and account for 2+ hours when paying for parking! read more

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Wowww! Wormwood did their big one! Dinner here was incredible. Street parking was less than incredible, but that's North Park for you. Plan accordingly. The ambience of this place was great, although maybe next time we'll sit in their outside/garden/patio area. The inside was just as nice, felt like we were in Paris as this is a French inspired/themed restaurant. Our waiter Kyle was really nice. He seemed a little busy though which helped in his lack of attention, but overall he was cool. Did a great a job answering our questions. We opted for a lot of different choices. The list is in no particular order but will highlight which was a table fave. - Parker Loaf [$12] need this to be a tad bit bigger to justify the price. Really good loaf of bread to start with though esp the rosemary butter. 4/5 - Fresh Oysters, 6 ct [$21] Really good oysters, super fresh, very "fat" & "meaty" 5/5 - Granita Oysters 6ctx2 [$25] Same oysters as above, BUT filled w/a yuzu/lemon concoction along w/pear pearls, TABLE FAVE for sure 5/5 (started with a 6 count before our mains & HAD to get another 6 after) - Mussels [$27] Very fresh and well seasons mussels, although the sauce was a bit odd tasting. It was white wine mixed with something they called "a cousin of absinthe" 4/5 - Wagyu tartare [$31] YUM! TABLE FAVE, wish it came with more bread though, that bone marrow was chef's kiss along with the sauce they paired the dish with 5/5 For the mains, two did the Top Sirloin [$48 each] which was described as 'melt in your mouth goodness' which came w/a square shaped potato & a piece of biggish mushroom. The two others did the Short Rib [$42 each] which was described as 'the demi-glaze makes' & 'it's fall off the bone.' I had the Poisson which was the fresh catch of the day (salmon) [$38] & it was really good! Came with bokchoy which was drenched in a maple sauce. That contradicted the lemony/citrusy sauce the salmon came in. There were greens on top of the salmon to complete the meal. Solid dish! I'd skip the deconstructed creme brulee [$15] as that was nobody's favorite. It left us leaving a "real" creme brulee... Do get the opera cake [$15] tho, that one was a TABLE FAVE! Do note that dinners here take a while as the chefs create masterpieces. Our dinner for 5 turned into a 3-4 hour affair, which was fine. Good times! read more

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Met a friend for Sunday brunch, made Open Table reservations the night prior. Service was excellent, restaurant was spotless, food was phenomenal. First visit and will definitely be back. read more

Wormwood - (Veg) Omelette + bacon / Quiche - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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10/10 service! Came to try this happy hour which they have on Sunday which is amazing. We got there right at 5pm and there was already a line. We sat outside and got our order in on the oysters and a few other items on the happy hour menu. Oysters are really fresh! The salad on the happy hour was refreshing and really good. Overall it was a really good try for happy hour. read more

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It's a pity when the ingredients are there but don't come together. Such was our experience. In detail..... First courses - the avocado special - pretty good its bacon good, the omelette with roe and capers lacked some seasoning and the salt of the roe was overpowering. After this the server came over and asked if there was "something else"... that would be our second courses! There was no food in the pass - they appeared to have forgotten or lost the order. We then had an omelette- OK. Buckwheat crepe with honey - very good; panna cotta - Ok. Bloody Mary was bloody bland. I asked about the live Jazz and was told it ended by 1...as the server stood 5 feet in front of a sign saying "live Jazz every Sunday from 10-2". Ran out of water and asked the person taking our dishes for it. No water arrived. On second ask, it did. They did take one omelette off check which we appreciated. Food could be great. Service needs help. Maybe that's why not sold out on Father's Day. read more

Our son found this hidden gem for Mother's Day, and it was a wonderful spot for an evening of food and celebration. Wormwood is nestled in an old house courtyard that is absolutely brimming with charm and character, the environment is truly fantastic and sets a lovely mood. The service was excellent throughout the night, and for the most part, the kitchen delivered on some amazing flavors. We shared several dishes: * Steamed Mussels & Scallops: Perfectly prepared. * Pasta & Wagyu Beef: Rich, delicious, and beautifully plated. * Burrata Salad: While the flavors were good, this was our only disappointment. The greens didn't seem fresh and had some wilted/rotten leaves, appearing as though it might have been sitting out too long before reaching the table. A quick tip on logistics: Like many popular spots in San Diego, parking was a bit of a challenge, so definitely give yourself some extra time to find a space in the neighborhood. For this restaurant, the stunning atmosphere and the quality of the main courses made for a memorable meal. We'd certainly come back for the vibes and those scallops! read more

Wormwood - Wall mural - French Near Me - San Diego, California

For my 1900th review and last one of 2025, I want to introduce you to one of the finest restaurants in San Diego -- Wormwood. AMBIANCE (5/5) Step through the modern entrance on 30th Street into a Paris Bistro. Take a table in the Secret Garden at the back of the restaurant, and you're in late 19th century Paris. I swear, I expect Toulouse-Lautrec to join us. FOOD (5/5) Our first time here was for my birthday, and four of us opted for the prix fixe Gourmet Hour, a three-course menu that showcases some of Wormwood's favorite dishes ($60pp). We enjoyed all three Starters: Tarte aux Oignons (5/5) -- Caramelized onions on a puff pastry with a petit basque French onion demi-glace Pastèque & Betteraves (4/5) -- Watermelon, baby heirloom beets, salanova, ciliegine mozzarella, goat cheese vinaigrette, bagna càuda, and white truffle oil. Wagyu Tartare (5/5) -- Roasted bone marrow, mustard, pickled serrano, bordelaise sauce, and grilled sourdough bread. (+$9 AO). For our Entrées, we selected: Fromage et Maïs Agnolotti (5/5) -- House-made agnolotti pasta filled with organic corn wild local mushroom, mascarpone, and roasted poblano, served with a pastis-pecorino foam. Poisson (5/5) -- Daily catch was sea bass served with fresh vegetables, pistachio persillade, and an arugula beurre blanc. Outstanding. Poulet à la Moutarde (5/5) -- Sliced chicken breast with greens, turnip, apricot, and mustard seeds, with a very nice demi-glace. Exceptional. Steak du Boucher Porcini & Espelette (5/5) -- Our daughter-in-law is on a strict gluten free diet, and Wormwood modified this dish for her to be gluten-free. Thank you. (+$16 AO) Finally, for Dessert, we tried each of the three offered. Overall, they were very good (4/5) but not the highpoints of our dinner. BEVERAGES (5/5) Here we get to the serious draw to Wormwood (at least for me): Absinthe! Wormwood has an extensive menu of over two dozen Absinthes. We ordered an Absinthe Flight -- L'aventurier (5/5 $50), featuring three Absinthes -- and some individual pours. An Absinthe fountain was brought to the table, our server explained how to use it, and we enjoyed our drinks throughout the meal! SERVICE (5/5) was impeccable. Dishes were presented individually (haute French style), and sauces poured tableside. Servers were attentive. Special requests were accommodated with ease. Merci beaucoup! All in all, a wonderful experience ... and highly recommended to everyone who wants a special Parisienne dining experience in San Diego! read more

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Kyle our server was terrific very efficient. We started with the pain bread , it was wonderful the onion tart was sweet and delicious the watermelon salad was tasty next the southern fried chicken was not what we were expecting however it was wonderful the filet was perfectly cooked and seasoned the short rib exploded with taste though I felt it was to small . Wonderful meal will be back. Dog friendly patio read more

We have now done the jazz brunch two weekends in a row. It is so relaxing and the food is so yummy. The music is perfect and it makes for a nice, low-key brunch. The patio is too cute with all the pretty flowers and plants. It really is like a secret garden. The staff are very friendly. Everything goes a bit slower but it is nice to slow down once in a while and just enjoy your surroundings. You get to choose between a 2 or 3 course mea and the prices are very reasonable. We got the following between the two weekends: Quiche- they are light and fluffy and so tasty. Steak tartare. Nice and rich and full of flavor. 2 different types of omelets. They are fluffy and full of yummy cheese and whatever else is in it. I had one with mushrooms and it was fantastic. Salmon with poached egg- it seemed like the salmon was house cured. It was fantastic. My husband ate the poached egg with the bread they provided. As I said, everything was very yummy and we loved the live jazz. I took a couple pics from the last time we visited. We will be back! read more

Wormwood - Omelet - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came her with my bestie a couple weeks ago for one of my birthday dinner's I had during the month! We had a course menu for only $60! Great deal! The food was great. I forgot the names of what we had but everything was delicious! The portion sizes were smaller than what we thought they'd be but we did ask ahead of time before we ordered so we knew, but still. Regardless, it was delicious! The server was great! It's a very quaint restaurant and definitely if you do book a reservation here definitely sit outside in the patio! It's super cute!! I forgot the names of what we ordered but definitely dessert was pretty amazing! It was like a guava crème brûlée. They also rotate their menus and everything which is pretty cool. I definitely wanna go back. I also hear their happy hour is really good! The only thing that's not great is finding parking however that's most places in San Diego these days. There's a lot right across the street. You can pay about $10 or so which isn't bad! read more

Wormwood - Me - French Near Me - San Diego, California

Beautifully executed well-thought out dishes! You don't get much food portion-wise, however, the chef here thinks about what is on the plate. Every bite packs a punch and nuance to what you think about the dish. We got the oysters which were fresh. Second was a spring salad (thoughtfully composed with beautiful truffle oil). For the main, we got the 6oz steak; the Bordelaise sauce was perfection! For dessert, we got the opera cake which had an almond ice cream. I wasn't too hungry coming over, so the portions were right for me but I could see folks leaving here hungry if they don't order more. read more

Food was amazing!! And the drinks were too notch!! This is a nice speakeasy on the back with an open area. The food was good but some dishes were a bit salty. The drinks were extraordinarily delicious and the service was attentive. Overall good spot but it is pricy! read more

Wormwood - Drinks - French Near Me - San Diego, California

Wormwood is a charming, cozy upper end French bistro. The food is excellent, the drinks are top notch, and the outdoor seating is perfect for a warm spring or summer night. But please don't shrink from their happy hour, which makes the bougie-on-a-budget obtainable. This weekend, my partner and I enjoyed absinthe, cocktails, ​delicious oysters, and food ranging from the onion tart to the Parker loaf, all on bargain prices. Wormwood is friendly, welcoming, and delicious. From the moment our hostess Penny first seated us, we knew we were in good hands. Rania was on point server and wonderful to get to know, and Jorge made the tastiest drinks with ease. I'll be back, time and again. It's a gem in the neighborhood. read more

Wormwood - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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We celebrated my husband's birthday at Wormwood and had a lovely evening! We'd made reservations ahead of time, were seated promptly on the patio, and had great service from Kyle and Mercedes. Things kicked off on a high note with a complimentary glass of Prosecco- such a thoughtful touch. We started with the Wagyu Tartare and the French Onion Tart, and wow... both were absolutely fantastic. For mains, the Pistachio-Crusted Barramundi with veggies and beurre blanc was a standout (perfectly balanced flavors), and the Braised Beef with gnocchi was rich and delicious. The New York steak, however, was a miss- small thin slices, a bit tough, rather under seasoned, and the bordelaise sauce didn't help much. Ironically, the little potato cube with raclette fondue on the side stole the show. Desserts were a fun mix: the Dragonfruit "5 ways" was unique, refreshing, and one of the highlights of the night, while the Opera Cake was solid but nothing special. The surprise panna cotta they brought out for my husband's birthday was such a sweet gesture. My husband tried two absinthe-based cocktails, both tasty, though the second took quite a while to arrive (he had to ask twice). Overall, Wormwood made for a memorable night with some truly excellent dishes and creative desserts. Just be prepared--the bill definitely reflects the fine-dining experience. read more

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This place feels like you've been transported to a hole in the wall cafe in Paris. I absolutely loved the Bohemian-inspired decor and the garden area in the back. Service was very friendly and quick - I had three waitresses who were constantly checking on me, even on a quiet Sunday night. Where Wormwood could use some improvement is the food. I ordered two entrees: 1) pistachio-crusted barramundi: the fish was lukewarm and a bit soggy, even with the nutty crust. The green arugula sauce at its base was delicious (I could eat it as a soup), but the few veggies used to garish the dish were raw and I found this distasteful. No one goes to a French restaurant to eat raw veggies. Also, one of the waitresses told me that this fish is "sea bass," which turned out to be inaccurate. I still ate it because I was starving, but it was really nothing to brag about. 2) poblano-pepper sauce pasta with mushrooms : again, the mushrooms were very undercooked and the food was lukewarm. The stuffing in the pasta was bland and lacked the corn that was showcased on the menu. The poblano pepper sauce was original, though very Tex-Mex on the flavor palette. I HATED the soapy thing on the pasta as well. It just didn't fit and I didn't understand it. I ordered the Menage et Trois as well, and it looked and tasted like spiked gatorade with a flower garnish. I would stick to wine here, though they have an expansive cocktail menu (and even a speakeasy tucked behind the garden). It was bizarre to me that a plate of bread/butter costs $12 minimum at a French restaurant -- very untraditional and not very hospitable. Also - I read in some reviews that there's complimentary champagne, which I never got :( wonder what that's about. Overall, this is a cute place to try once, but don't expect French culinary masterpieces. Know that there is a 4% surcharge added to all bills. read more

Wormwood - Barramunda - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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The place is very cute; with the open kitchen concept - it's enjoyable to watch the kitchen prepare the orders. However, the service is very relaxed and French (I.e. slow). The appetizers were delicious - we had smoked yellowtail crudo (well, smoked and crudo don't really belong in the same sentence but the dish surprisingly worked out) and the beef tartar. Entrees were more varied in terms of consistency and deliciousness. Our party had chicken cordon bleu (really really good), fish of the day (solid, sauce was amazing and worked well with the white flaky fish and slightly charred bok Choi), and short ribs (fail, the meat was dry and didn't really fall apart). The dessert was a disappointment. My non picky husband ate the passion fruit thing but it was frozen solid and impossible to cut through. Lemon merengue was ok, nothing special but not bad. I am giving this restaurant 4 stars. Maybe we chose wrong dishes because other than short ribs and th passion fruit dessert, everything was prepared right. I would come back to give it another try. read more

Wormwood, I had such high expectations for Sunday brunch, and you almost met them. Tucked in between businesses in a popular neighborhood in San Diego. You will find an adorable Frenchie bistro with an incredible garden patio and private alcove. We came for brunch because other yelpers raved about it. The ambience was lovely, the service was friendly, but very, very slow and uncoordinated. The live music was a bonus, and the food was where it fell a little bit short. We started with cocktails, "the sun also rises "was the star & The French 75 was also delicious. First course we started with the Baja Oysters, which were fresh, tasty with a delish mignonette and quite a bargain for Sunday brunch. You have the choice of à la carte, a two course or three course brunch and the selections were enticing. Our group tried the goat cheese omelette, smoked salmon, the Crudo, the quiche of the day, (which was a sun-dried tomato and very dry served with a too lightly dressed lettuce & fruit side salad), and the also Dry cardboard like Brioche French toast with whipped crème fraiche . So it was a bit hit and miss for us , I may be intrigued enough to return and give it another shot for dinner tho. read more

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Been wanting to try this place out for a while. The place is small but nice. We were a group of four we came for happy hour and sat at the bar, the bar is small but feels intimate. Happy hour menu has very limited food options. Once we were ready for dinner we moved to a table in the back patio. The back patio is very nice, loved the greenery the setting is near perfect, good lighting nice weather overall very nice. We order the tartar served on the bone it was delicious as well as the scallop. We also order the fish dish, it was ok, felt like it lacked flavor. This place is a must try, however we waited a good while to be acknowledged at our table about 15mins. I would say though this place is great for small bites, cocktails and wine. read more

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We were excited to try this place out but unfortunately it really disappointed us. The food is just ok nothing really great. The portions are extremely small and the prices are high which is a bad combination. We were the only table in the main dining room so not great ambiance. The staff was nice and gave us decent service probably the only reason I am not giving only one star. Also there is an annoying. 4% surcharge on the bill which is ridiculous. Just add a bit to each item and don't do this awful practice. All in all not a good experience. read more

I'm genuinely confused by all the 4- and 5-star reviews. This was one of the most disappointing meals I've had ever. Red flag #1: There were plenty of reservations available on a Saturday night. In hindsight, that should have told me everything I needed to know. My party was so annoyed the entire night we forgot to take pictures for evidence, I regret not doing that. The interior looked promising, but we were seated in the "quaint garden," which seemed to double as a sanctuary for flies. Our server was practically invisible for most of the evening or would look at our table and walk away. Side note: why are people made to feel guilty for leaving less than a 10% tip when the service is objectively poor? We left 10%, which honestly felt generous. For this price point, the level of service was unacceptable.Red flag #2: The pricing. The portion sizes bordered on parody. The $22 watermelon salad arrived with literally four... 4!!!!cubes of watermelon, two pieces of lettuce, and a single piece of mozzarella. I'm not exaggerating. Chick-fil-A serves salads twice the size for half the price. The onion tart was decent enough, although the pastry tasted like it had been sitting out since brunch. Red flag #3: The cocktails. It took forever to receive four drinks (three cocktails and an absinthe service), and every single one tasted watered down. No explanation of the cocktails, no explanation of the food, and no explanation of the absinthe preparation. At these prices, I'd expect at least a quick walkthrough instead of a silent drop-off. Looking back, my party of four should have asked for the check the moment the drinks arrived 45 min after ordering them. The food somehow managed to be both tiny and disappointing. The short rib pasta came with what appeared to be a single slice of rubbery, fatty short "rib". The agnolotti included one lonely shrimp. The oysters tasted borderline like they were starting to turn and was genuinely relieved nobody in our group got food poisoning afterward. I love a good mignonette, but whatever accompanied these oysters tasted more like water with a splash of vinegar than an actual sauce. The Parker House rolls were dry, and the beef tartare looked less like tartare and more like chunks of fat scattered over hollowed-out bone marrow.Nothing was appealing. The drinks were bad, the service was worse, and the prices were wildly out of touch with both the quality and quantity of food being served. For a place positioning itself as a French bistro, this felt less "joie de vivre" and more "joie de leave." Somewhere in France, a grandmother just dropped her boeuf bourguignon and muttered, "Mon Dieu." The French would be absolutely appalled.I'm still struggling to understand the glowing reviews. The experience was so different from what I expected that the only explanation I can come up with is that we somehow visited a completely different restaurant than everyone else. Somewhere in Paris, a chef just dropped a baguette in disappointment! read more

Ambiance was beautiful (loved the outdoor seating aside from all flies), service was good, and the food was yummy! I don't gravitate towards French, Italian, etc type cuisine but glad I gave Wormwood a chance. The cocktails were strong and unique. The menu was small-ish and had a decent variety. Portions were small as expected but I was filled just right- not overly stuffed. We ordered the Wagyu Tartare, French Onion Tart, Mushroom Pasta (stuffed with corn), and the fish of the day. The pasta was probably my favorite because it was creamy and had a hint of citrus which gave it a good balance. Runner up was definitely the French Onion Tart- not overly salty and just loved all the textures and flavors. The only thing that was weird was the happy hour only applied to certain locations of the restaurant, idk what difference that makes but the $1 oysters would've been a steal if we weren't sitting outside. Overall would come back only on a rare special occasion. read more

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Food: 5/5 Drinks: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Value: 5/5 I came to Wormwood for a Saturday afternoon brunch with a friend and it completely exceeded expectations. We were seated on the outdoor patio, which was absolutely lovely. The ambiance felt quaint and garden-like, almost like being transported to a patio in the French countryside. Relaxed, charming, and the perfect setting for a long brunch. SERVICE: 5/5 Service was exceptional from start to finish. Beverage refills were prompt, servers were kind and attentive, and the courses were paced perfectly. Everything felt thoughtful without being rushed. Truly fantastic service all around. FOOD: 5/5 I ordered the 3-course brunch for $45, which is honestly an outstanding value for the quality of food you receive. Local Farmers Salad: 5/5 Beautiful, light, and refreshing. Perfect for a warm day. The lemony dressing was bright and delicious. Simple, fresh, and so well executed. Daily Special Quiche: 5/5 My friend had previously raved about their quiche, and I'm so glad I followed her recommendation. This was truly delicious. The crust was buttery and perfect, the filling rich and flavorful, and the portion was surprisingly filling. I loved that it came with lightly dressed greens to balance out the richness. Pain Perdu aux Fruits Rouges: 5/5 Essentially fancy French toast, and it absolutely delivered. Light, fluffy, and decadent without being overly sweet. The perfect ending to a three-course brunch. DRINKS: 5/5 Avant Garden ($12) A non-alcoholic drink, and one I loved so much I didn't miss the alcohol at all. Refreshing, well balanced, and not at all like overpriced fruit juice, which can be the case with many NA drinks. I would absolutely order this again, even if I was drinking. VALUE: 5/5 While $45 for brunch might sound steep at first glance, I truly can't overstate what an incredible value this is. Every course was stellar. If you're someone with FOMO who struggles to choose between savory and sweet, this solves that problem beautifully and gives you the best of both worlds. Wormwood easily takes the top spot for my favorite brunch in San Diego so far. I'm already looking forward to coming back to experience their full dinner menu and French cuisine offerings. read more

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The absinthe was great, food was pretty good but I think I expected a little more, and the service was not great. VERY slow to get started, one thing we ordered never came despite our reminder to the server, and no one there seemed to have much understanding of wine. The latter part was most surprising, for a French restaurant with a decent wine list. If you just want to do the absinthe thing and have a nice cocktail, maybe it's fine. But I wouldn't go back for anything more than that. read more

I liked this place! We had a reservation for a 7pm dinner on a Saturday. Parking is TOUGH, it took us 20 minutes to find a spot a few blocks away. The restaurant itself is cute and quaint. We were seated inside but I hear the outdoor area is really cute! We opted for the gourmet hour menu which came out to around $90 per person. Not sure how often they change their offerings on that menu but we really liked it! My boyfriend and I committed to getting all different dishes so we can try everything LOL. We got the French onion tart and watermelon salad as apps. The onion tart was really heavy so not sure if you'd want that as an app but I preferred the watermelon salad to keep things lighter. I ordered the daily catch for my entree and my boyfriend got the NY steak. We loved the fish sooo much, so light and well balanced with the sauce. For dessert we split a crème brulee and a passion fruit gelato which was my FAVVV. I know it was seasonal but I loved the gelato sooo much so refreshing. Overall great experience! Service was amazing as well. Docking a star since it was pretty pricey for the amount of food we got, but a lovely date night option!!!! read more

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I'm so pleasantly surprised by how delicious this place was & how quick I was able to be sat down!!! We sat outside on a beautiful summer evening with lights and great vibes. First, I love that there are mocktails. We started off with oysters which had a kiwi taste to it and bubbles. I had the sea bass, and my partner had the lamb shank. It was maybe the best fish I've ever tasted. It also came with caviar, which was light but not as good as the fish. Lastly, we ordered crème brûlée which I am still in love with. read more

Wormwood - Oysters - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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Unique spot that specializes in absinthe. Would recommend giving it a try! We went for dinner on a Friday and it was pretty crowded. We got the absinthe flight which was super fun, my first time trying absinthe and it was very interesting. Kind of like gin mixed with licorice. Our server was great and gave us an excellent description of each absinthe in the flight, and showed us how to use the water dropper thing to dilute it. For food, we got the bone marrow, lamb and oysters. The bone marrow was so yummy absolute must try. The rest of the food was decent but a little pricey. The interior of the restaurant was pretty small and cramped/very lively, felt like NYC. But the outside patio was super cute and calm. read more

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The atmosphere was unique, but the service was incredibly slow, and the portions were surprisingly small for the price. I left feeling like I'd waited a long time for very little. Even water refills were hard to come by and none of the staff looked happy..not a good vibe. Great location but I feel they will be out of business if they don't get their act together. read more

If you're looking for something romantic or even just a fancy night out, check out Wormwood. We decided to do the tasting menu & every single dish was deelish! Prior to the food, we had complimentary champagne which was a great gesture! My favorite had to be the bone marrow and Caesar salad. I love the actual sized anchovies on the salad. The service complimented the food very well. The servers were attentive and knowledgeable. For a table for 3 and 2 drinks each, it was about $400 ~ read more

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Unfortunately there nothing spectacular about the meal and the service was very slow. 35 minutes to take our drink order and 3 hours for the meal, without dessert. Parker Roll was nice but the butter was very sweet and it was $12. Warm olives were just that. Could have heated some at home and had exactly the same thing. Onion tart sauce was very sweet and the puff pastry was soggy on the bottom. Lamb chops were a touch over cooked, more medium well rather than medium rare and one was significantly thicker than the other. Pappardelle duck bolognese had almost no duck on the plate. The description teased a crackling that was no where to be found. We were really looking forward to the dinner however ended up being very unimpressed. read more

Poor service. Tiny portions. Hot wine. Ridiculous prices... It's a shame because this place used to be good. Had a mediocre experience a while back, but tried to give it another chance. Unfortunately it was even worse. It was fairly empty when we arrived for our reservation, yet we still waited almost 20 min for a glass of white wine and a cocktail. Our app actually arrived first. The white wine was VERY WARM. We then ordered another app and two main courses. The other app arrived in fairly normal time. Most everything was delivered by the runners. Meanwhile our drinks sat empty and our used dishes remained on the table. The server passed by multiple times and barely glanced at us. Finally I flagged him down to order more wine (red this time)(which then also took probably 15 minutes and arrived also VERY WARM). Literally had to ask for multiple glasses of ice just to get it to a pleasant temp. Maybe would have sent them back had our server ever come by. Finally our mains arrived after almost an HOUR from ordering. I got the lamb chops which I will say flavors were good, but unfortunately only two small chops overly cooked and cold veggies that had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. My wife's "duck" ragu pappardelle also had good flavor, but was laughably tiny for a pasta dish. If you were to pick out the shreds of duck you might be able to get 1/4 bite. We had wanted to order dessert, but again we sat unattended for far too long with empty plates and were honestly just over it at that point. Our server finally came by to ask if we wanted more drinks (not about our dishes or even dessert). I said no, just the check please. Dropped it off and never even said a word. $225 for 2 oysters, one app, two entrees, and the drinks and we were left still hungry. Then to have the audacity to add an additional 4% surcharge to "account for rising restaurant costs". Just overly disappointed. Passed the server on the way out and again he didn't say a word. There's just too many good restaurants in San Diego to waste your time here. Definitely won't be back... read more

Had a really lovely experience at Wormwood. They have a robust cocktail menu and a plethora of very innovative menu items. While I opted for a glass of wine, the cocktails around the table looked really nice. The French onion tart was incredible and the pasta was immaculate! Simply amazing! The steak was so/so and the cut was a bit hard. The "potato" was interested and I probably would've preferred a mashed potato vs the potato deep fried square. The ambiance is soooooo cute and magical and fairy-like and the server was so sweet. Very delightful, but very pricey! Definitely a special occasion restaurant :) read more

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Legitimately inedible. I hate posting this, because we were excited to be here. Cocktails were decent (solid at best), but food has been inedible or forcibly eaten as we just want to leave and don't want to ask them to remake it. The beef was cold and the potato was the worst latke I've ever eaten. The surprise guava on the creme brulee was tough and similarly inedible. Will stop at in n out for a half decent meal on the way home. read more

Wormwood - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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*review solely for The Secret Garden bar experience* We passed by Wormwood and one of our friends had just tried their absinthe, so they suggested we try and see if we could be seated for a quick drink. The host said there was room in the back garden, so we got in immediately! - PARKING - Hard to find parking here, but usually we circle around until we find a spot and walk to our destination. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - The front/main dining room and patio area are filled with customers enjoying their dinners, while the secret garden bar in the back is behind a grass wall. Really cute and intimate area! We were lucky there weren't that many people in the bar, and were able to fit all 11 of us. Otherwise I'd try to make a reservation in advance. The bartender was doing her best to fulfill all the orders while tending to our large party, but it did take a while for us to get drinks and get the bill. - DRINKS - The traditional method of the slow-drip fountains and cubes of sugar over the absinthe was a fun and unique experience! You really have to enjoy the anise/licorice flavor though, otherwise absinthe is probably not for you. They do have varying levels of strength, but even the lightest options were a bit much for me. I ended up ordering a cocktail which was more up my alley. - OVERALL - Would definitely recommend taking your friends to this experience if you haven't tried absinthe before and you're open to it! Will have to also come back to try their food. read more

Wormwood - French Near Me - San Diego, California

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