Marina Kitchen Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in San Diego

San Diego seems to have very enticing reviews with very little support. Another highly rated establishment that resulted in a disappointing meal.

Located inside the Marriott hotel. You have to either pay $45 for self parking or $13 first hour then $7 an hour thereafter for valet. Since we were only going there for dinner, we opted for the valet. Note: if you validate your parking at the restaurant, you'll get a discount. How much? No idea as I wasn't told and only saw the sign at the valet upon paying. A bit annoyed bc I even told the valet attendant upon arrival that we are only there for dinner and he didn't mention the discount.

It's located on the far end of the hotel on the left when you enter. We made reservation via Google and were seated right away. It was around 530pm and the bar was very packed. The dining area was half filled.

We had the following: Honey walnut shrimp, brussel sprouts, octopus, grilled cheese& tomato soup, scallops and the ribeye.

Everything was actually very good except for the ribeye. The appetizers were all very delicious. The honey walnut shrimp is made with honey from the beehive at the hotels rooftop. The octopus was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a hint of spiciness. Brussel sprouts were also good but it was the least interesting dish of the appetizer.

The scallops were also perfectly cooked. The grilled cheese and soup were for the kids. The tomato soup was one of the best I've had and the grilled cheese was also very tasty.

Ribeye was requested to be cooked medium rare but it arrived medium well and mostly on the well side. It was returned half an hour later and it was no better. By that point, we have waited so long that we just wanna finish and go.

Our server was friendly and nice. The ambiance was actually pretty nice except for the loud crowd at the bar. The window overlooks the pool.

My word of advice, don't order from the grill and you...

I went to this restaurant for a late dinner. My previous experience at this restaurant was good, expect for the first night our waitress Brianna, wanted us to pay for our food 5 minutes after receiving it because it was time for her shift to end. What happened to allowing us to finish dinner than receiving the check? On Nov 28, I was treated poorly by the hostess at the bar,who told me I had to pay for my food first before I could eat in the lounge, so I decided to sit in the lounge to wait on a hostess to place an order. Well, I was ignored by three hostess in the lounge area, who helped the table behind me but ignored me, so after sitting there for at least 15 minutes, I went to the bar and placed my order. Let me add, I am an black female and the hostesses were another ethnicity. Also the table who they served without an issue, were also another ethnicity other than black. After receiving my food from the rude hostess from the bar, the same three hostesses continued to ignore me. I was so upset with my experience, I left the restaurant and contacted the manager from the restaurant about my horrible experience. Which he stated it was a simple mistake. The restaurant was not full,so there was no excuse for this type of behavior from the hostesses. I am from the south and I have never experienced everyday racism until I visited this restaurant. I contacted via Marriott corporate office about the incident but they only offered an apology and 10,000 Marriott points through email after, I asked someone to contact me via phone to discuss the incident. The lack of verbal communication shows me, they were not interested in discussing the incident nor care about their Marriott members, especially...

Burrata Cheese ($14) is served with tomato jam, speck, and toasted bread. The burrata is like a creamy cloud of cheese. It’s so soft and mild, it pairs well with the tomato jam and speck, adding both sweet and salty notes. The toasted bread is the perfect delivery vehicle for this starter. Rating: 5/5

Seafood Salad ($19) is Dungeness crab, rock shrimp, and Maine lobster atop gem lettuce and avocado green goddess dressing. It’s the perfect spring/summer salad to enjoy while overlooking the lush tropical pool area. The crab, shrimp, and lobster are cooked to perfection, each with their own unique flavor notes of sweet and briny flavors. The dressing has a nice flavor and lends itself nicely to the seafood, adding flavor without overpowering. Rating: 5/5

Brandt Beef Flat Iron ($26.50) is a grilled flat iron steak topped with herb butter and served with arugula salad and truffle fries. This has to be the best flat iron steak around! The steak has the tender texture of filet mignon but with subtle marbling. The knife cuts through like butter. The herb butter adds an herbal essence bringing out the sweetness of the beef. The truffle fries are so aromatic and highly addictive indeed; crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with truffle flavor and aroma in every bite. Rating: 5/5

Maker’s Mark Milkshake ($14) is served with maple lacquered pepper bacon. It has a creamy texture from the ice cream. The Maker’s Mark bourbon packs a punch but lends a caramel-like flavor to the shake. The added bacon shakes things up with a little bit of salty. This also won the “Best Dessert” at the San Diego Bay Food & Wine...