Serea Coastal Cuisine — Restaurant in Coronado

I don’t even know where to start with this review. I am incredibly disappointed and honestly feel robbed. I was excited to take my mother here for the NYE Dinner on 12/31 (that is $195 per person). I figured at that price and at the Hotel Del, we would be in for a night of fine dining and elegance. I live in Los Angeles and drove down to San Diego just for this occasion , as my mother lives in San Diego and our birthdays fall on the first week of Jan and we thought the Serea would be the perfect place to celebrate NYE and birthdays. This was not the case.

because the heaters were broken outside, we were sat inside. We were sat right in between two LARGE parties (10+ people) on either side and both parties had babies and kids. I feel like I was simultaneously at a club but also a plane. An infant was crying throughout our courses, people were cheering/yelling/speaking so loudly I could hardly hear myself think. At one point, a child at the table next to us (seated very closely to us) started reading out loud from his book pages upon pages with neither his family or the staff intervening. It felt like a joke. We were also seated right by an exit door with constant movement of people coming in and out. We tried asking to be moved outside again, but heaters were still not fixed.

For one of the courses, my mom asked for her Wagyu to be well done, and even emphasized “well” three times, and it came bloody. Because our waiter was stretched so thin and serving multiple large parties, she tolerated it but couldn’t finish it. For one of my courses which were Scallops, they were overcooked and very chewy/rubbery.

I have a condition that is triggered by loud audio and the entire dinner I felt over stimulated and incredibly anxious. My mother had to yell just so I could hear her as we were sandwiched between the two loudest dinner parties I had ever been by. When the dessert course came along and i felt like I was close to panic I asked our waiter (Mark, who was very kind and the only good part of the experience) he was able to move us because the heaters were fixed. So for the last 15 minutes of our almost 2 hour 5 dinner course i was able to feel peace. The manager Manuel who moved us agreed and apologized for the noise and was kind and helpful, but it felt upsetting that the better service came that late into the dinner when we had expressed how loud it was before the first course was even served.

With a $500 check and $65 to park at the Hotel Del, I keep thinking about how we could have spent our NYE at many different restaurants in San Diego that didn’t make me feel like I was at a club. This was not a fine dining experience. I felt like I spent $500 to have a headache at a pub and couldn’t enjoy my food through my ringing ears and headache.

Another note is that when we arrived, we were a little early and the woman at the front had an attitude about it. The restaurant was clearly not very full at that point but she still turned us away to “come back when it’s a little earlier to your time” which was ten minutes. The restaurant doesn’t really offer anywhere to sit while you wait.

Another note regarding service is that the week before when I was making reservations, they accidentally put us for 3 and not 2. I had to call several times, leave voicemails, and be told by a Theresa she left voicemails and emails for me and that the manager would call me back (he never did). Because when you make the reservation, they take your credit card down and tell you they’ll charge $50 per person for no shows and cancellations outside of the 48 hour window. I didn’t receive any follow up regarding the matter.

I would be open to management making this up to us to return for lunch or dinner to see if the service and atmosphere improves, as Serea does has potential and it would have been nice to actually enjoy the space and get the ambience we paid for. Until then I am disappointed, sad, and shocked that this was the experience at the “finest seafood restaurant in San Diego” that is marketed for fine dining...

To start off the Hotel del Coronado is a spectacular gem on the California coast. The hotel is was just put through an upgrade, with Serea being part of that. Walking down the paved sunlit pathway from valet is delightful, it’s a short trip and really highlights the joy and perspective from the island. Vacationers and residents of Coronado Island all seem to be away from the problems of the world, all is very well.

Serea is definitely the most impressive restaurant visually speaking on the whole island. There’s a laid back luxury vibe present, as if you could be on the fanciest date with a loved one, or walking from the beach after a day with the family for a casual dinner with the sunset (the most gorgeous lighting ever! It is a little bright around 4:30-6 but with some sunglasses it’s no problem).

The hostess was prompt to greet us as we arrived, we had a reservation and our beautiful table on the patio was ready. The seating is comfortable and wow... the tables and furniture are so beautiful! I felt welcome to the environment as our server Lauren came to introduce herself and take a drink order (we were already decided on the Duck Horn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, paired well with the entire meal!). We felt compelled to take a look at the inside portion of the venue while our wine was being fetched. I’m glad we did! The fresh fish display is stunning, it really is an incredible experience being able to see the fresh catch. Chef Jojo is doing San Diego good by looking to local fisherman who provide sustainable catches daily opposed to other restaurants lackluster frozen selections, the difference at Serea is wonderfully noticeable.

By the time we returned to the table out wine was ready and waiting. It was great! After some of our servers help we ordered a couple appetizers to start. The lamb ribs were incredible, very light and unusual flavor. Also, the tuna tartare had quite large and delicious cuts of fresh tuna paired with flavorful sauce and crispy pita-like chips.

The menu was so enticing we really wanted to enjoy as much as we could! We ordered the halibut ceviche... so good. We ordered a final (appetizer) and finally selected the 'Big Fish' the striped sea bass to come out after.

Usually, I order a chilled shellfish tower but since Serea offers a wood grilled shellfish selection as well, we decided to try it. It was fantastic! This could have been an entree but we had to try the fish. The oysters were extremely delicious, like seriously you must get some of the oysters here. I think they were kumamoto this time around.

The table was reset and the freshly caught striped sea bass from San Diego was brought to us. The whole process of the table-side filet was incredible. It really was a great touch. For those Instagram foodies this is a huge win! Aside from that it really feels personal, which is a great thing.

The flavor of the fish was absolutely superb! The meat was packed with natural flavor, handily needed any lemon at all. Cudos to you Jojo!

Almost forgot! Also try the wild mushroom side.

For dessert we had the Pearl Diver alongside espresso and hot tea. This dessert is a keeper! Such a good treat for any who have a sweet tooth, the mango purée was yummy! I’m sure no one has ever seen anything like this dessert before.

Thank you Serea for a truly 5-star dinner. I’ll be sure to make the trip anytime I’m in the area again!...

A much-needed break from San Diego…

Expectations were high and still we were not quite sure about what to expect regarding Serea’s cooking style. We did review the menu beforehand but most of all, we went to Serea to live the Coronado experience. Glad to report that neither the restaurant nor the Coronado experience disappointed.

The Coronado hotel is spectacular by itself. Regardless of its ongoing renovation, you can still feel the vibe this place is famous for; quite a –much-needed– change after spending a week at the Gaslamp Quarter.

The menu at Serea is not vast nor varied, they do focus on seafood and more markedly on the day’s catch, so you better ask and pay attention to your waiter’s recommendations. We started with a Greek salad and the ceviche, the former nice but very familiar in taste, no surprising nor exciting twist; the latter spectacularly fresh and very well prepared, probably one of the best ceviches I’ve had in the US. As main course we had the wood grilled catch of the day (what was it, escapes my mind right now, sizeable for two but still be sure to let your waiter know you’re sharing), and the mushroom risotto (extraordinary). I have to be honest, I let our waiter lead the way here, and he talked so beautifully about the wood grilling process that we were left mouthwatering. The resulting dish was on the very good tier but still with room before making it to the excellent tier. Because of what the waiter told us, I expected a crispier and more firewood-flavored fish, however delicious, the resulting meat felt beyond tender and somehow watery. Finally, for dessert we had the crema Catalana, and it was delicious!!! This is what a crema Catalana should be: creamy and light, mildly citrusy but without losing that vanilla touch, with a warm and crunchy sugar crust, and accompanied with a few berries.

Lastly, the venue. Although the inside of Serea looks almost dreamy, the weather was so lovely we asked for a table outside, on the terrace. Not sure if this is Serea’s business as usual or if they just expanded into the playground because of how busy they were. Serea’s terrace is cute and Instagram worthy, but the tables on the playground feel somehow improvised and lacking style, not to mention obstructive for the playground goers and noisy for Serea’s patrons. Fortunately, and aim for visiting at this moment of the day, sunset will provide with a top-notch spectacle worth the improvised, obstructive, noisy seating.

Serea and the Coronado experience come with a considerable price tag, but it is worth every cent. Just coming into Coronado will show you a different face from the one San Diego offers and is definitely worth the “trouble” of crossing the bridge. To top it all, a dinner at Serea will provide with a much calmer and...