MARKET Restaurant + Bar — Restaurant in Solana Beach

Would give this restaurant 6 stars if I could. One of the best meals we've had in years. It was like dining at a Michelin restaurant in a European city (which, as everyone who lives in San Diego knows, is quite hard to find in San Diego, even at the pricier restaurants with top reviews). We are big-time foodies, one of us with San Francisco roots, and have been lucky enough to dine in the major cities in the U.S. and abroad). Our standards are high, and very few restaurants in San Diego knock our socks off. This one did.

I don't even know where to start. There were 4 of us and we're still talking about it the next day. We shared all our dishes, so we were able to try a total of 12 menu items (between the starters, entrees and dessert), and there were also 2 "amuse-bouche". Every single thing we put in our mouth was delicious. They clearly use the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Each dish was prepared with tremendous skill, passion and creativity.

What we loved most is this chef obviously knows exactly what he is doing and lets the food speak for itself instead of trying too hard and covering up the natural flavors with too much pomp and circumstance. One of the things we've noticed with top restaurants (even with some of the Michelin star restaurants) is they try so hard to be "different" and "ultra-creative" that they opt for form over substance, and flavor suffers. Not here.

It felt like the entire focus at this restaurant is on flavor and making each dish utterly delicious and memorable. What we experienced was one dish after another containing a delicate and creative mix of ingredients that allowed the natural flavors to compliment and showcase each other. The presentation of each plate was gorgeous too, without sacrificing taste.

Another way it felt like a top European restaurant was the level of service. The large service staff worked seamlessly in tandem, anticipated our every need, were knowledgeable about the menu, made excellent recommendations, and without fail each and every one of them (even the people clearing our plates and refilling our glasses) were warm and friendly and very attentive. You can tell when the staff is invested in the restaurant and cares about your dining experience just as much as the chef. (Our server named Mike was friendly, engaging and highly professional. Every tip he gave us throughout the ordering was right on target, and he felt like an old friend by the time we finished the meal.)

Other pluses: The restaurant is elegant and well-designed, with very comfortable chairs, thoughtful table placement, and well-planned acoustics such that noise didn't carry. Even the person at our table who has trouble hearing had no difficultly hearing everyone throughout the dinner -- and this was on a Friday night when the restaurant was packed. Also, the portions were large (so large that they kindly gave us to-go boxes and we're excited to have the leftovers for lunch today.)

All of us give this restaurant our unreserved highest recommendation. It's worth every penny. A night and a meal we will...

The first time we tried this place earlier this yr we loved it. Second time on a recent revisit was a bit of a letdown in terms of timing, wine, and food. Nothing devastatingly bad, but for a high end restaurant, this night was a miss.

First off, the initial bubbly intro was so late we sat for a few minutes wondering if the amuse bouche was supposed to be eaten before they came to pour. Granted I relayed to the waitress that I wasn’t a fan of bubblies so she was nice enough to pour me an alternate white. But while we were waiting, the amuse bouche arrived and not being certain if the bubble was supposed to pair with them as we had gotten the wine pairing, we went ahead with it only for the drinks to finally arrive right after. I can’t recall going to a restaurant and not getting served the welcome wine before any food started to arrive so we sat there a little awkward and confused.

The appetizers were good to great with the hamachi being good and the flavor combos of the artichoke & burrata salad being excellent. The middle eastern influenced dressing on the artichoke salad topped with the prosciutto, olives, snow peas and fennel coupled on the side by the burrata on top of some fried noodles and mixed in a tomato compote had a lot going on but somehow it worked beautifully and was our favorite dish of the evening.

For the entree course, we paid the up-charge for both the lobster and dry aged steak. The lobster was good, nothing wow, nothing fancy (hard to screw up lobster), nothing to write home about but no complaints. But their 45 day “dry aged” steak which had us very excited was anything but dry aged and doused with a sauce, probably to disguise the fact it wasn’t dry aged at all. An utter disappointment as we are huge fans of dry aged beef, esp for the $50 upcharge. The entree portions were decent to big which was fine but then to (not) top it off, pun intended, we paid for the wine pairing and the pours were so small throughout the meal we couldn’t even enjoy a sip with every bite of the dishes esp as my wife and I were sharing each dish and trying each other’s wine. For paying $69 per person for the wine pairing, we would have been better off getting a single bottle instead.

To pour salt on the wounds, on a cool and rainy evening, where I was sitting was getting blasted with a steady flow of cold AC air. I usually don’t mind colder settings but had to keep my jacket on during the evening as did my wife who was getting hit peripherally with it as well.

Regardless, as an former waiter myself and knowing how hard of a job it is, we still left a 20% gratuity but the restaurant adding on the 4.5% surcharge nonsense every restaurant feels justified throwing onto a bill lately was a second serving of salt on the wounds and for spending over $500 for the evening, our second, and most likely final, visit was a...

The best restaurant in LA/SD in terms of location, food quality, service, bread, menu variety wine list, and value. People say this place is super expensive when appetizers are $13-18 and mains vary $26-50 with most around $34-38. Appropriate prices should be 40's-60's. Located 5 Minutes off the highway and next to RSF, with $5 valet parking the location is supreme.

The food here truly is UNDER priced, each dish envelops your pallet with exquisite, distinct flavors coupled with excellent portion size. The menu is always evolving and the master chef employs an excellent job of creating seasonal dishes. Anyone who dines in LA(Mastros, Chianina, BOA, TAO, 71&Above etc) or fine restaurants abroad will deeply appreciate the price/quality here. After eating at the top restaurants(Michelin star) in England, Paris, and (arguably the best in) Rome I would only eat at Aroma in Rome over the Market(and it is 1.5-3X as expensive). And that's because I'm dining while overlooking the Coliseum.

Which brings me to the view, which you do give up, however the interior and atmosphere is pleasant and trendy yet classical at the same time. It has a youth element to it but feels like old money simultaneously. Patrons young and old alike dine- alleviating the lack of vibrance that just having 70+ olds occupying a restaurant brings, which occurs frequently in and near The Ranch.

The Homemade corn rolls are the best, try them with a touch of butter and a squeeze of lemon. The main reason I come here are for them, the blue cheese soufflé, the honey goat cheese salad, and their soups. Amazing soups. Incredibly creative entrée menus. I had their Asian chicken dish the other day and it was better than the Asian chicken I had in Thailand.

Unless you're keen on a steakhouse, sushi experience or requiring a view; there really is no reason to eat at any other place in SD. When I am visiting my parents here I aim to go 2-3 times per week. I wish I lived in SD so I could eat here twice per week.

If you are visiting or have not attended, this is the one place to eat in San Diego and really...