Top of the Market - San Diego — Restaurant in San Diego

Service was fine (waiter nice, manager seemed disinterested), selection of fish, poor, crab cake, scallops and desert - bad...details below we show up at 8:15pm Sat ngt for dinner, they have (other than Scallops and Lobster) only 2 options for fish - Salmon and one other that I can't recall , they were out of the rest of the fish options...after telling our waiter I was disappointed being this was the "fancy FIsh Market" (Fish Market is downstairs and supposed to be the more casual restaurant), I would expect to have more than 2 fish options and asked if any fish from The Fish Market Downstairs could be accessed. The manager eventually came over and blurted out that they could get sea bass and ahi from downstairs and prepare for us upstairs, then quickly left. Waiter comes back and we order 2 sea bass dinners - he then tells us we can only get you 1...OK, we got 1 and the other meal would be scallops. We also ordered the crab cake appetizer - don't do it - $20 gets 1 crab cake and there were no lumps of crab and weak flavor (tasted like something you'd get at Costco). The sea bass was good, the scallop dinner - which alone was $48 consisted of 3 scallops (not large) and the 3 were undercooked and flavor was bland (and we typically love scallops). Then we had a desert, don't recall the name but the waiter recommended it (was top desert listed on desert menu I believe), regardless, it was not tasty, we each had a bite and had no interest in any more. When we got there, only about 40% of the tables were taken, we were at dinner in the Gaslamp the night prior and that was near capacity at the different restaurants we looked at. Maybe the lack of patrons at Top of the Market should have been a clue that what was once a very good place has really taken a drop in quality. Side note, wine was fine, cocktails mediocre and too much ice. Also, we sat ""outside" and the overhead lights were SO Bright, big detractor from the nice view. Extremely disappointed all around. We will not return. It's considered pricey and if the food was great, no problem, but for what we experienced there are tons of better...

I have to say of all places this was the worse experience I have had in a restaurant in a very long time.

I was there yesterday and took my service dog to the restaurant. I was greeted with a very unpleasant manner by both the hostess and a man who seemed to be helping seating people he was wearing a gray she had a beard and he shaves his head. He immediately started to question my disability and ruled me not disabled he started to ask me why my dog was a service dog. I told him that by federal law he is not allowed to ask what my disability is and he said almost yelling at me he is allowed to ask and my dog was not welcome there. I had given my number twice to the hostess and she repeated it back to me but somehow never texted me for my table after waiting for almost An hour I went inside to ask about my table had I not done that she would have never called me. All of them were rude and unpleasant due to the fact I have a service dog. I really simply put up with the treatment because my mom who is a cancer patient was very hungry and wanted to eat some fish. But man the entire experience was simply horrible the rude man kept checking on my table every 5 min to see if my dog was doing something wrong they refused to serve my my stake and told me I couldn’t have it because they thought it was for my dog I was forced to share my moms food. I was placed in a far corner away from everyone and was treated like as if I was a monster with a terrible illness all becaUe I have a service dog.

This will not be ignored under federal law this is not allowed and I will take further action. Against the restaurant and the employees who discriminated against us yesterday. Don’t eat here the treatment is traumatizing. I eat out all the time and this was by far the worse experience I...

When you dine at Top of the Market, be prepared for a symphony of flavors expertly crafted by chef Robin James.

Our crab cake starter was by far the tastiest crab cake ever (sorry, Maryland). It was flavorful, moist, and bursting with freshness and tanginess, devoid of the heavy breadcrumb filler that plagues lesser versions. One bite was simply not enough—I found myself yearning for seconds!

For the main course, I chose the scallop entree, and it was also exquisite. Each scallop was a testament to freshness and skillful preparation. Accompanied by fried mushrooms that defy description—reminiscent of shoestring potatoes but with an earthy twist—every component of the dish was executed flawlessly. The sheer size of the scallops left me unable to finish all four—a testament to their generous proportions.

The Brussels sprouts were a revelation in themselves, showcasing Chef James' mastery of flavors and textures. Against a backdrop of crisp white linens and an extensive wine selection, the dining experience exuded an air of sophistication and elegance.

Our server, Jonas, guided us through the menu with expert knowledge and attentiveness, offering great recommendations that enhanced our meal. And let's not forget the breathtaking views—the sight of sailboats gliding across the water lent an enchanting ambiance to an already unforgettable meal.

When making your reservation, be sure it's for Top of the Market, and not the more casual Fish Market downstairs. Despite the hour-long drive, I'm already eagerly anticipating my next visit to Top...