Le Coq — Restaurant in San Diego

Let me just start off by saying there a few things that keep this space from being a functional restaurant. The music is way too loud for a not very busy Wednesday night. It’s very dark in the dining room floor, and especially in the restroom which makes it very difficult to see or read the menu—even for a couple in their early 30s. If it’s going to be that dark, my suggestion would be to have adjustable lamps or candle lights at the table.

What was extremely disappointing is the fact that we came here for our wedding anniversary. Even when we came for the first experience the happy hour food was good, but the customer service at the bar was lackluster. Therefore, we assumed that because we are dining in via reservation that our experience might be better.

Our server was not personable at all. No acknowledgement of our special occasion and when it came time to ordering our food and drinks it seemed as if he was trying to rush us. He only checked in on us once about 15 mins after our food arrived to ask us if the food tasted good. He also failed to ask us if we needed anything else as he rushed by. We had empty cocktails at the table and it would have been appreciated if he stopped to take the time to ask us if we would like another. I will give credit to the guy filling the water, because he must’ve filled our glasses at least 6 times.

The food was hit or miss. Some items were acceptable and some subpar for what you would except from a 4 star French restaurant. The crudo was good and probably the standout out of all the meals with the onion tart also being a good dish. The Denver steak and fried potato was okay—tasted a little bland and the steak was chewy. We ordered a baguette and had to tear it apart with our bare hands, because our server only gave us butter knives which was clearly not cutting through the bread. The ice cream was very icy and the Taiyaki tasted like a cold stale pancake. You’re better off going to Somi Somi if that’s what you’re craving. For the price tag, you would expect high quality food and stellar customer service. Instead we got fairly forgettable food with equally forgettable, if not out right offensive, customer service. For this price tag you could pretty much go anywhere else in San Diego and receive a much more...

Le Coq in La Jolla – For Those Who Know: I don’t normally write reviews and I’m definitely not a fan of the negative culture so common today. Positive reinforcement when deserved, none when it’s not. But something didn’t add up between the reviews I’ve seen and my actual experience at Le Coq, plus the undeniable track record of the exec team and Chef Tara Monsod. So here we are...

Ambiance – Scarface Meets Rolling Stones: Le Coq is stunning. A 1930s auto hangar transformed into a dark, glamorous space with towering ceilings, bold decor, and a packed house of interesting and eclectic people. It’s edgy but elegant, the kind of place where you know you’re in for something special the second you walk in.

Service – Sharp & Personal: Our waiter was on point. My wife’s allergies? Noted and handled immediately. The whole staff struck the perfect balance, polished, friendly, and fully dialed in. No pretense, just real service.

Drinks – Thoughtful, Elevated: Cocktails were creative and well-executed. The wine list? Smartly curated. We split pours to try more pairings and each one hit just right. No fluff, just quality in the glass.

Food – Flexible, Show-Stopping: Every dish was a highlight and perfect to share. We asked for them to come out one by one so we could pair each with a split pour and really savor. The waiter mentioned they had just brought in a fresh 200 lb Bluefin that morning and the Tuna Tartare was a show stopper. The flavors, the textures, the execution – all spot on. This is the kind of place where you can enjoy the plates in any order, and they’ll still shine.

Bottom Line: Ignore the noise from people chasing Instagram clout on a fast-casual budget. Le Coq is fine dining at its best for those who actually understand it. After dinner, I messaged friends... you need to go. Chef Monsod has the golden touch and Le Coq is just her latest win. If you get it, you get it. If not, maybe it’s not for you. 5...

Our daughter sho is a private chef in San Diego made Christmas Eve reservations. We were excited as we are “foodies”! They had previously eaten here and were impressed. Well, Le Coq really missed the boar last night! We waited 47 minutes to br seated. Our reservation was for 7, we arrived at 6:55 and were seated at 7:42 with no comfortable place to seat or stand to wait. We were offered a 2 oz pour of modest sparkling wine while we stood by the bar. It was as incredibly loud. We were finally seated. It was a nice booth and the waitstaff was prompt. We ordered wine for my wife and cocktails for our daughter and her fiance. They came in a timely manner and were good. We ordered from the choices on the fixed menu. The first course arrived in a timely manner. We shared. 2 of us ordered the Jamon (Spanish ham) salad and 2 the shrimp. They were both good but the second course arrived before i was finished with the first. Waitstaff apologized and things slowed down. Second course was Onion tart For 3 of us and fried oysters for me. The onion was very good. There were 2 oysters and they were “ huge and somewhat mushy. Certainly not the the one of the dozens of elegant types easily a available. The final course was Chicken, swordfish and filet mignon, 2 filets, one chicken and one swordfish the chicken was fair, the swordfish was delicious and the filet was ordinary.. my vegetables were cold. The dessert choices the my wife and daughter chose were “sold out”. There were 4 choices. Were did enjoy the alternatives, but my wife is not a chocolate lover! Overall it was an evening of good service, once we were finally seated, with relatively ordinary and, in several instances, poor food. It was expensive at ove $700 for the 4 of us. We live in Seattle and travel extensively. We love great food, Sunday, in fact we ate at Fauna in Baja, a fabulous tasting menu! I hope the restaurant takes this as constructive. We, likely ...