Pacifica Del Mar — Restaurant in Del Mar

It started on a mediocre note. We drove into the parking structure and had no idea where to go. We found a security person, who was not conversant in English, but he pointed us to the elevator and pointed up, so we figured we were on the wrong level. By the elevator, there was a sign that showed us that we needed to go to the 3rd level. However, when we got off the elevator, there was no signage pointing us to the restaurant. We asked the man in the wine shop and he pointed us in the right direction.

Once we got to the restaurant, everything changed. The hostess was very friendly and showed us to the table by the window, where our guests were waiting. We ordered drinks and the server asked if we wanted to just chill before ordering our dinner, which we did. We ordered the calamari appetizer with our drinks. It was delicious! In addition to calamari, there are deep fried battered slices of jalapeños and other peppers. As a spicy food lover, I thought they were a nice addition. The two dipping sauces also complimented the calamari.

What I especially liked on the entree menu was a choice of half an entree for an amazingly low price. For those of us who don’t want to over-eat, it is a great idea. I ordered a Caesar salad first. It was not over-dressed, but light and tasty. I would have liked more of an anchovy taste, and I should have asked for some lemon wedges to give it an extra kick. Then, as my entree, I ordered the sea bass. Oh my, how delicious! If I didn’t know it was half an order, I would have never guessed. It was the perfect amount, cooked to perfection: Crispy on the outside with succulent white meat that melted in my mouth. It was served over sticky rice with a side drizzle of soy glaze and green curry coconut sauce—wow! My husband ordered the filet, and it was done to perfection also. He couldn’t finish it all, so we brought the left-overs home. Our guests ordered he catfish and scallops entrees, and they were beautifully presented and delicious.

We were celebrating 3 birthdays, so they brought 3 of their famous desserts, gratis. OMG, the Mocha Semifreddo was out of this world! The chocolate had to be the best we’d ever tasted! And the presentation was beautiful! The creme brûlée was also superb.

I forget the name of our server, but one could tell that she was very experienced. She was professional and informative about every dish, and could rattle off a description of the dishes as though she were the chef!

We will absolutely return, and I’ll find out the name of the server so that we can ask for her the...

My wife and I went for a quick vacation from Vegas and stayed on the beach. We wanted to have seafood for dinner and another restaurant was recommend to us, but I'm glad we came here!

First, the place is beautiful. Very upscale but not pretentious in that way you sometimes find on the beach. As soon as we came in we felt right at home. The manager took our name (I made reservations though Open Table for 7:15) and was told he had a great table for us. Well, he was right-a two person table along the edge facing the sun as it went down. I should mention the bartender and hostess were very nice and professional as well...they were both engaging knowledgeable

Our waitress was amazing, suggesting dishes and wines off the list with ease, it was apparent she knew the menu and genuinely cared about giving us some good choices. My wife had a Chocolate Martini (amazing) and I had a half bottle of Cabernet-a cheaper choice than some on the list, but one that I knew I liked-in addition, I NEVER felt our waitress looked down at that. It's funny, I've had that happen, and it's insane. I know enough about wine to know what I like so that's really all that should matter-not how much I'm spending. That DID NOT happen here..

We started with calamari-a good size portion for two with fried slices of Jalapeno pepper and red pepper. We both love it spicy so that was a great start. It was paired with two sauces-one was an Asian fish sauce with vinegar and the other was a traditional spicy mix of tomato and puree-really really good!. I had the Sea Bass with fennel and bok choy (sp?)..My wife had the corn encrusted Mahi with peas and baked tomato slices. Both were outstanding and cooked perfectly. The presentation was impeccable. Also, we shared the garlic mashed potato which was perfect as well. For desert, we split the burnt creme with banana...a must in my opinion. Our bill was under $140 and for the service, food and atmosphere, that was a bargain in my opinion.

If you're looking for a great place to have dinner, where the service is on point and the food is to match, then go here.

Reminder:it's hard to spot from the street-at least it was for us. It's located on the second floor and the sign is a bit small, but the parking garage has a lot of space and...

Don't fool yourself or think you can get out of here at less than $70 pp for dinner and $50 for lunch. If anyone is from out of town and from a place that can't get fresh seafood, taking them here will ruin their notion of what to expect say in podung Iowa. I've tried a surprising amount of their menu for both lunch and dinner.

First off I love the atmosphere and the location and having the patio and ocean bar with an impressive vodka selection. Charbay, Boomerang 360, Ciroc, Yazi Ginger, 44 Degrees and Crystal Head are among my faviorites. The oysters I prefer lemon, but they are well priced compared to other seafood specific places. I really like the Iced Seafood platter, mainly for the lobster tail.

Lunch is nice because you get to try the Peruvian style ceviche when ceviche is supposed to be eaten. I'm told ceviche for dinner is uncommon, completely different than our local styles. Steamed Carlsbad Mussels are simple and very fresh, classic flavor infused with chorizo for a kick. Japanese clam chowder is a real gem and unlike any clam chowder I've seen anywhere. I like the Seared Ahi salad because it's on a bed of udon intead of seaweed or lettuce. I stay away from the pasta, not because it's not good, it's just for lunch I try to go lighter. Turkey burger has roasted poblano which pairs well with the Mazama pepper infused vodka.

Dinner has the Hamachi with grapefruit and avo which pair surprisingly well together. I do not like the Seared Sea Scallops because they are atlantic. Nothing against that, but we've got comparably better local scallops and the forbidden rice to me adds nothing to the dish. Way too much going on with the puree and vinaigrette. I like my scallops clean and simple. House cured Ribeye is excellent and priced remarkably well considering it's aged which can make even choice closer to Prime.

Service is top notch, bartenders are top notch and overall it's impressive in every aspect.

I know that's a lot of info, but the highpoints are the Vodka selection, Japanese clam chowder, seared ahi salad, Japanese Hamachi, iced seafood platter. Those are now my go to and should...