Saint James French Diner — Restaurant in San Diego

Tucked smartly into the Pali Hotel, the Saint James French Diner feels like a hidden chapter from another era--a place where Gatsby himself might have swung by for a late-night coffee or a post-party omelette.

Before you even think about ordering, take a stroll through the lobby. It's sexy. It's stylish. It's worth a slow spin. And if you're feeling playful, try guessing the identity of the distinguished gray-bearded man immortalized just to the right of the giant mirror behind the counter. (A little mystery to spice up your meal.)

Wall decor aside, the entire vibe here is pure throwback--roaring twenties charm with none of the clichés. Brass fixtures, rich wainscoting, the subtle glow of carefully curated lighting--it all whispers, never shouts. The kind of understated elegance that's rare these days.

But let's be honest: you came for the food and drinks--and they deliver.

Happy hour is an absolute gem: fifty percent off across the board. You can snag a juicy, gourmet burger for just $10. In today's world, where a sad drive-thru combo can set you back $20, this feels like winning the lottery. Bring a friend, split it if you want--it's big enough to share without a hint of drama.

And the bar? Run by a smooth, attentive gent who whipped up a custom "pick-me-up" for us--strong coffee with an even stronger pour of something extra. Because sometimes you're not just pre-gaming... you're pre-gaming for the pre-game. And when the prices are this kind on a weekday, who's counting?

I found myself back the next morning, unable to resist a Sunday bite. Coffee, a rolled omelette, and a croissant--simple, pure, and exactly what a French diner should deliver. Pro tip: get the croissant with the orange marmalade. It's a small moment of joy you'll want to stretch out as long as possible.

The coffee came out properly hot. The kind of hot that warns you to respect it. That's how it should be.

Service was already humming when I rolled in at 7:45 a.m., greeted with a smile and the kind of genuine energy that sets the tone for the day. I'm an early riser--I believe in grabbing the day by the lapels and getting after it. Saint James fits that ethos perfectly.

A place to start your morning strong--or end your evening with a wink and a...

I was so excited to go here for dinner with my girlfriend before a show at Petco park, I had my eyes on the burger after doing a lot of menu research before we went.

To say I was let down would be an understatement, from the very beginning it was one miss after the other. We sat down, the room was loud but that was expected with a typical brasserie. The service was the biggest let down here, our server took some time to come to our table. He took our drink order, they took quite a while to come to the table, however, they were both very good.

When we were ready to order, the server let us know that there was no burgers, we thought he was joking as his tone was odd. I assume this is because of their happy hour offering of half off burgers from Wednesday - Sunday, still, this was very surprising as this was what brought us here in the first place. Once we decided what we wanted to order as a substitute, we settled on the Croquettes, the Burrata toasts, the butter lettuce salad and the Filet.

From the time we sat down we waited 45 mins only to find out that the server had not actually put our order in and completely forgot our order....we were pissed at this point. He comped our drinks which was a great gesture, he told us that they could quick fire the food and that we could get this all pretty quickly.

When the food finally came out, it was great. The salad came out first, the dressing was great and it was the perfect size. The croquettes were a solid option and the star of the show was the burrata toasts. Sadly, the filet which we ordered medium rare, came out as rare and we had to ask them to re-fire the steak to our requested temperature (I hate having to do this, but it was necessary). When the steak came back, it was barely medium rare...so sad as the food that had come out prior was all really good. I know it's a new restaurant and there will be some growing pains but the service and food quality needs some help.

They need to staff the restaurant with more folks on a Saturday night, they two guys that were running around were visibly stressed and errors happen when you are understaffed.

I want to come back for the burger, I just hope they have...

On arrival, PaliHotel receptionist Eric recommended we make sure to try this restaurant, especially the burger and we heartily appreciate the tip because every meal we enjoyed here (5) was superb! It's worth dining in the restaurant for the ambiance and steaming hot, crusty french onion soup as room service can't compare (covering it for transport diminishes the crispy top).

Our servers Aaron and Shay were quick, polite, knowledgeable and attentive. Tuesdays and happy hour (3-6pm) boast half priced burgers, appetizers and drinks! The croquets with divine sauce competed with thesavory burger featuring fresh brioche bun and yummy sauce. Served piping hot as were all warm dishes, French onion soup delights the palate with wonderful flavors accented by comte cheese & homemade puff pastry, the best I've had. But wait, bursting last upon the scene was the crowning glory: the crème brûlée -- rivaling Europe's best! We couldn't resist enjoying one every day. It fares as well for room service as at table. Asparagus perfectly cooked and seasoned, croissants flaky and fresh, chicken flavorful with perfectly crisped skin and succulent sauce, pomme frites crispy and addictive, Kir Royal just right, water flask placed with us each meal kept us well hydrated. We had a list of restaurants to try...but why? We feared missing fantastic service, lovely ambiance and fantastic food....