The Kitchen @mcasd — Restaurant in San Diego

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Kitchen at the historical Scripps landmark, the MCASD, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The restaurant's ambiance perfectly complements the artistic surroundings of the museum and the best ocean views, offering a modern setting that' is perfect for a meal before or after exploring the galleries.

The menu is a delightful blend of contemporary dishes, all crafted with the freshest ingredients. I was particularly impressed with the attention to detail in every dish. The flavors were well-balanced, and the presentation was nothing short of art on a plate. Healthy and flavorful, their monthly culinary experiences, meticulously crafted by their chef—such as The Study of Peas and The Study of Tomatoes—are truly unparalleled in La Jolla. I especially appreciate that these dishes light and refreshing.

The service was impeccable; the staff were knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely passionate about the food they were serving. They were more than happy to offer.

The Kitchen also boasts an impressive selection of wines and craft beverages, carefully curated to complement the menu.

In addition to the fantastic food and service, the ocean views from the dining area are spectacular, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the meal. Overlooking the beautiful La Jolla coastline, it’ is the perfect spot to relax and soak in the surroundings.

Overall, The Kitchen at MCASD offers a culinary experience that is as inspiring as the art in the museum. It’s a must-visit for anyone in La Jolla, whether you’re a local or just passing through. Highly...

Very disappointed by our dinner experience, and I’m not sure that I’d ever recommend trying one of their special dinners again.

We had an okay start, seated 10 minutes after our reservation time(something I normally wouldn’t hold against a restaurant), because some other guests were taking a bit long with their meals according to the host(who seemed delightful).

I’m more inclined to believe that it was an issue with the kitchen, as we didn’t receive our first bite of food until 45 minutes after we’d been seated, and the second course 20 minutes after finishing that. This was for a prix fixe menu, no selections involved, a delay like that with an already late start is insane, with no offering of bread or even a comped drink to make up for the massive delay.

The food was also a mixed bag, I appreciate some of the risks taken, but only the first and last dish stood out, with the others ranging from decent to disappointing, with flavors that didn’t blend well, or just fell flat. Still, they were experimenting, it was interesting, and had the service been better I probably wouldn’t be leaving a review. A little insulting icing on the cake was that the server selected the 22% tip option themself after such a clearly poor experience. We switched it to 17%, but it felt pushy and very much unwelcome with how the rest of the meal went.

The cafe is great, their regular meals are enjoyable, but this special dinners was poorly...

If you're looking for a cool spot to watch the sunset while enjoying pretty good food and drinks, check this place out. The ocean views are gorgeous. I wish I could give it 5 stars, but the service was incredibly slow despite there not being many people there. Our appetizer that we ordered didn't come out until after we finished our meal.

The drinks were pretty good - I wouldn't say they were anything special. We ordered the mexican shrimp pimenton as our appetizer and the flavors went very well with eachother, but the shrimp was overcooked. We ordered the beet salad and roasted chicken as our main courses and those were both incredible - enough to make us want to go back!

Despite the slow service, I look forward to trying this place again. You really can't beat this spot for a beautiful sunset and...