LEILA — Restaurant in San Diego

TLDR: Given the large number of poor reviews, I wanted to try LEILA a few times before forming and sharing my opinion. Fortunately, my experience has been exceptional, and it only got better with each visit. If you want fresh Persian food with a modern twist in an enchanted space, this is the spot for you!

I have now dined at LEILA a total of three times. Each time, I booked a reservation 30 days in advance on OpenTable. As a former New Yorker, I assure you this is the norm anywhere that's popular, and it's super easy to do. The first reservation was on opening night. We were seated at one of the booths directly near the entrance on the main level (to the left of the bridge). I was immediately enchanted by the decor and attention to detail, and I genuinely didn't expect the food to measure up but it sure did. The staff seemed to need more time to get better acquainted with the menu, but it was opening night after all, so we were not bothered by this. The second visit was with a larger party and we were seated upstairs. The vibes are a bit more casual up there, but it remains a great experience. The third time, we were seated on the main level in the tent below the upstairs lounge. They were very accommodating regarding an accessibility issue during this visit. Both the second and third times the staff were super knowledgeable, kind, and thoughtful (shout-out to Justin who served us on our most recent visit and was fantastic!). One tip I have for the staff bringing out the food is to make sure that tables are cleared off before bringing in the next course as that caused quite a commotion at our table.

From my experience and what I've heard from friends, there is quite a bit of controversy regarding who gets seated where. Some of us were told that upstairs seating is for walk-ins only. After three visits, I have never gotten the opportunity to sit in one of the center tables on the main floor, underneath the trees and lanterns, and neither have any of my friends. It's a bit of a shame, but it's my only complaint regarding this restaurant as there seems to be a preferred list of guests for this area.

While on the first night the music seemed to be a strange mix of club hits and older, traditional Persian songs, I think they've started to get a better soundtrack to match the vibe of the space. Our most recent visit included a mix of Persian, Arabic, and Reggae hits. Loved it!

Now for the food! Starting off with the breads, my favorite is the Naan followed by the Roasted Garlic Khobz. For Mazeh, I highly recommend the Salatim Platter to taste a bit of everything. My favorite item on the entire menu is the Green Tahini (so unexpectedly delicious). I also recommend the Majdouli Cheese. From the Garden section, I'm a big fan of the Gem Lettuce Fattoush. It tastes so clean and fresh, but be sure you like dill because there is a lot of it in the dressing. We normally order the Solanti Platter to share for dinner. We love the Beef Koobideh and Joojeh Chicken (order with toum). I prefer the Saffron Rice over the basmati. The Tah Digs are also great, but keep in mind that they are sweet if they are unfamiliar to you. I'm someone who enjoys simple desserts, so for me the Saffron Ice Cream is the perfect ending to a terrific meal (the pistachio comes in second). The tea and coffee are both flavorful and delightful as well.

Overall, each experience has been better than the last, and I will continue to come here and bring more friends and family for a lovely dinner...

Leila is a basic kebab joint dressed up in what could be Disney's interpretation of Morocco. The memorable atmosphere could nearly distract from the forgettable food if there weren't such a neatly continental difference between the two. Bottom line, take your kids here, not your date.

I'm from San Diego and I even did the whole wake-up-at-midnight-to-book out of excitement to try this place with my spouse and a friend.

On entering, I'd expect a Moroccan menu but it's exclusively dips, kebobs, and bread, which is to say, basic Persian fare. I love Persian, and I would have enjoyed an elevated interpretation (given the atmosphere) but that's not what we had.

We started with hummus and tahini dips, both came with bread. The naan tasted like foodcourt pizza crust at the edges, masked with spices and salt in the middle. It, and the dips, were fine. The pita that came with the tahini dip was nice, just small. There was no way we would have been able to finish the dips with the small amount of bread that came with them.

From there we had a feta dish that was served with four slices of cucumber, a quartered radish, and mixed sprigs of mint and dill. Nothing was flavored except the feta, which had similar, if not the same spices as the naan. Even so, the natural flavor of the feta was doing the heavy lifting, and I chuckled when I looked back at the menu and noted this was $21. We calculated the grilled olives were 50¢ each. They had grill marks but no taste of char, and were chewy.

Our main course was the $84 kebab platter featuring koobideh, joojeh, grilled veggies, and some dips. The joojeh (chicken) tasted mostly like chicken but you could tell in spots there had been a sauce sprinkled across. The beef was overcooked and chewy. I was happy to see cucumber yoghurt on the platter, but the cucumber was cut awkwardly large and with the yoghurt just coating them, it was missing the fresh tang I'd expect. The bread the whole thing was served on had no flavor, much like the other two sauces on the platter that I can't even remember.

Cocktails are tiki-inspired, we had two, and like many reviews we liked these.

When it came to wine, we found an unordered hodgepodge of bottles including new, old, and the very old world of winemaking (which is to say, Greece, Macedonia, Lebanon, Armenia, but maybe not Georgia?). There is no sommelier on duty to help navigate this list that is not organised by wine body, grape, price, or some other sensical enumeration.

Our server was really nice and attentive. We were never poured the welcome tea but we ran out of room to feel any more bemusement by the time we noticed, and that's how we...

Make your reservation at least 3 weeks out! I have a friend who tried to come here and she ended up waiting for a seat at the bar all night and never got to eat. There are two lines when they open, one for reservations and one for walk ins and both will be long by the time they open so if you chose to walk in then get there early. Walk ins are not garenteed! I made my reservation a month out!

My friends and I were seated right away. The inside is absolutely beautiful and stunning making you truly feel like you are not in America anymore. The music is good and really sets the mood and changes to setting to enhance your experience. The bathrooms also feel out of this world. The architecture is truly eluring to the Persian culture while also being so inviting!

We started off with the Tangier Twilight cocktail to share which came in a gorgeous pitcher that the server pours us in small glasses. They were served hot and it was very good. Also swerved with some candy and fruits on a cute little tower try.

For an appetizer, we ordered Hummus Bi Tahina, the Green Tahini and the Fire Toasted Cauliflower. The Hummus Bi Tahina and Green Tahini were served with naan and they were both absolutely amazing! The best Hummas I have ever had and I truly couldn't decide which one I liked more! The Fire Roasted Cauliflower was so fresh and flavorful and I really could have eaten it all night! It was delicious and done so well, again.. the best Cauliflower I have ever had..

For dinner, my wife and I shared the Braised and Grilled Lamb Shank and my friends ordered the Steak Kabob Shishlik. The Lamb Shank was served over the most beautiful mountain of saffron rice. I say mountain because it was so much rice! Not complaining though, it was delicious saffron rice with a layer of crispy rice from the bottom of the pan which I genuine enjoyed! The Lamb was so tender with amazing flavors that stayed true to the persian cuisine. The Steak Kabob was such a tender steak well seasoned and melted in your mouth.

Overall the food was amazing. Beyond any expectations I had. And I really think this is such an experience and worth the waiter eating here. We paid about $200 for four people and I think the pricing was absolutely fair....