Pamplemousse Grille

Excellent service as well as everything else…
1) Parking is easy. The shops are closed when the restaurant is open so plenty of available spots.
2) Seating– the service is pleasant and efficient
3) Service– We had some food allergies with our group. Absolutely no problem at all. So nice to be able to enjoy a meal out without worry. Outstanding service, frankly. Above and beyond. Thank you.
4) Food quality– exceptional. Timely service, well prepared, crisp presentation
5) Service #2– the fact is that there is service after the initial service– water refills, wine– second glass, how is the food, would you like dessert… All excellent.
6) Can we just sit and talk? Yep. Paid the bill, lingered, no problem. I appreciate a great conclusion to an outstanding meal. Yes, you can linger, you can chat with your friends, you can simply sip a bit of water at the conclusion of your meal and not feel rushed. Sweet. Thank you again.
Honestly, pleasant would be the best description of our meal, which does not really sound like much but with a group, food allergies, job stress, and all the baggage you leave behind to attempt to enjoy a night out with friends. pleasant really hits the mark and is exactly the perfect punctuation to a San Diego Saturday night– exceptional service, excellent food, and a relaxing but energetic time. really, really, pleasant… Thank you!

One of the best dining experiences in San Diego/​SoCal hands down. Shout out to Jeffrey, the Chef & Owner! Crispy onions, fish specials, the wine list and desserts (try the chocolate peanut butter bombe — you won’t regret it) are the best. I’m not a fan of truffle — too strong of a flavor for my delicate taste buds lol — but it’s no problem having the kitchen omit it when ordering. I look forward to many more amazing meals here in the future!

Came here for SDRW 2016 and absolutely enjoyed it. Staff is very attentive and courteous! Not sure what the regular prices are, but it’s a $ 50 prix fixe menue when it’s SDRW season.
I decided to get the lobster ravioli, lamb entrée and trio of sorbets for my dinner.
Lobster ravioli was simple in presentation, however full of flavor and delicious! The lamb was cooked to perfection and did not have an overwhelming «game-​y» flavor which some places tend to have when they serve lamb. However, I do have the say the star of that entrée had to be the truffle mashed potatoes. Oh. My. God. Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. Dessert was simple and clean, as I had imagined that with the appetizer and entrée, I’d be super full by dessert. The trio came in strawberry, pineapple and champagne. Very refreshing and strong flavor profiles on each one– you knew which was what.
Definitely would come back again! They pack left overs for you and you pick them up on your way out. Pretty nifty.

I love it when restaurants keep my water glass filled and tonight they did an outstanding job of this at Pamplemousse. The food is somewhat exotic and always outstanding. Love the sorbets that they bring between courses, and of course the sugar cookies shaped like little pigs when they bring the bill :) Waiters are very professional and attentive.

I can’t go to San Diego without going to pamplemousse. It’s that good. Everything is. My biggest remorse is that I don’t live in San Diego so I can’t eat there often enough. Other than my own inability to enjoy the food and atmosphere as often as I would like, I have no complaint.

Great special occasion restaurant in Solana Beach. We’ve come here for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with our families. They offer a great selection on the set menu.
We find the grill selections are usually better than the fish entrees. The truffle fries are amazing. There is a small bar area that is nice to go to for a quiet night out to grab a burger and a drink. They give out cookies to the table which is a nice touch at the end of the meal. Staff is very friendly and professional. Highly recommend Pamplemousse.

We loved our Restaurant Week dinner last week. A short wait despite reservations, which was not bad as they were really busy. Our server was excellent — provided great suggestions, checked on our meals and satisfaction frequently and was funny too! The food was AMAZING. I had the lobster ravioli for starters and it was so good and full of delicious lobster. The warm chocolate truffle dessert was YUM. Definitely going back, hopefully soon enough.

Came here for their $ 50 dinner offer during SDRW on a Friday night.
I got the lobster ravioli, duck confit, and pear Tarte-​tatin– all SO DELICIOUS!
My friend and I were seated immediately. The restaurant is a little bit crowded in terms of how closely the tables are to each other… I definitely could hear both the parties next to me clearly. When you walk in, there will be a bar on the left, and the restaurant itself is on the right.
The food here definitely deserves five stars. It came out quite quickly, and I really had a great time trying everything. The lobster ravioli was delicious– they really do not skimp on the lobster at all!!!
The duck tasted soooo good! Outside was perfectly crispy, and the meat itself was not dry at all.
The pear dessert was something I was a little on the edge about as I’d normally choose a different dessert, but because I saw the Unilocal reviews, I went with it and it didn’t disappoint! It kind of reminded me of an apple galette… The best way to describe it would be a moist pie type dessert. It isn’t super sweet and the crust/​breading was AMAZING. I seriously would come back just for the dessert hahaha
The reason for the four stars is because our waitress wasn’t very attentive. Although the restaurant was busy, I still do expect decent service… My waitress seemed to be in a huge rush, and looked almost annoyed when taking my order. Not to mention– her appearance wasn’t professional at all, as her hair was very messy and looked like it hadn’t been brushed.
Overall, had the service been better, I would have definitely given Pamplemousse five stars! Their food deserves a five star rating :)

I don’t understand how this place gets 4+ stars from so many people? Yes the food is good but not 4+ good, it’s not French cuisine more American, and it is not worth the $$$$. Maybe this restaurant was considered refreshing 5 years ago when this area didn’t have many upscale dining options but today their menu is tired and not worth revisiting.

Came for restaurant week and ordered my usual, the duck confit. I sure live on the edge. I’ve had their other entrees and while I like some of the fish dishes the duck confit has a special place in my heart.
I started with the foie two ways. Followed by the duck as entrée. I’m not a dessert person but the Pear dish here is delightful.
While I was disappointed there weren’t wine pairings we had no issue picking a bottle for the table which complimented everyone’s food. The service was great.

Bliss!
I could make this the shortest review in my writing history and leave it at that… but there is SO much more to say.
We were celebrating my mom’s 88^th birthday last night, right in the middle of Restaurant Week, not usually the best time for fine-​dining. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away from the moment we walked in. But that’s exactly what happened!
The young man at the front desk was welcoming, the aroma from the baker preparing the muffins and breads was welcoming, our excellent waiter Leonard was welcoming and the Restaurant Week menu had more inviting possibilities than I expected.
There were 4 of us dining and we each ordered different entrees. I know everyone was enjoying their own because NO ONE offered or wanted to share! I started with the Lobster Ravioli appetizer… and it was overstuffed with REAL lobster! I chose the duck entrée after reading some of the reviews here and have NEVER eaten a better duck! VERY crispy on the outside, and VERY juicy on the inside. How do they do it? And the Pear Tarte-​Tatin dessert was worth the trip!
Everyone at the table coveted their meal — the sea bass was «the best I ever ate,» the lamb Osso Bucco «melted in my mouth,» the Kobe burger was «absolutely delicious» and all of the sides got raves too.
I could go on and on about how the restaurant was PACKED, but we never felt rushed or ignored. Our waiter Leonard managed just the right tone of friendliness and professionalism, and took care of some of the special dietary needs of some of our party with a smile.
Do I have to wait for a special occasion to return? I sure hope not…

If you enjoy being insulted and threatened by staff, then I recommend the Pamplemousse Grille for all your personal abuse needs.
However, if you believe that restaurants are in the hospitality business, and unprovoked rudeness is an automatic failure in that respect, then perhaps you might want to try somewhere else.

One of my all time favorite restaurants in San Diego. Food is insane and staff are very friendly and helpful without being overbearing. My only complaint is that the ambiance is hurt by the tight seating especially the booths which seat four but really designed for two.

We do eat out and now I’m eating selected bread and dairy with fine dining. We were driving down PCH on Christmas Day and stopped in on a whim. It’s always great to find a restaurant where the owner and staff care so much. We just stopped in … This is true 5 star dining but among friends. A blessed, happy place with beautiful food of the highest quality.

Had the special, Blue Fin Tuna Sandwich (with Kim Chi and Bacon). The best sandwich I ever had. Ridiculous!
Best restaurant in San Diego County.

The Pamplemousse Grill is probably my second favorite restaurant in San Diego. I started coming here for happy hours about 2 years ago and it has been my go to after work spot ever since.
The main dining room offers some of the most delicious steak, lobster and gourmet burgers in San Diego.
Being greeted by Francesca at the front is a treat. A genuine happy and caring hostess with a personality worth mentioning!
This last visit I enjoyed a light dinner at the bar. Their Lolly Pop sushi roll is amazing. Crab surrounded in tuna topped with seaweed and fish eggs, 3 to a plate. Next came the wonton duck tacos. I am suppose to share these when I’m with people and never do. I believe they come 4 or 5 to a plate, but I recommend getting 2. And throughout the meal I was eating their truffle fries which are to die for. I don’t understand how no one else can make their fries taste that good.
Finished off everything with Kobe Beef sliders. Overall it was a successful outing.
Mike at the bar is awesome. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Their cocktails are mixed well and very tasty. I recommend their signature Martini on a warm afternoon. It comes with a sugar rim which ads just enough sweet to compliment the grapefruit and alcohol.
Check it out, happy hour is a must and the main dining for those special occasions!

The first thing I noticed was the mini cornbread muffins in the breadbasket and almost overlooked the rosemary buttery mini biscuits. Yummmmmm.
Had sashimi to start. Perfectly refreshing.
Grapefruit sorbet palate cleanser.
Our server Jerry was wonderful and explained all the things that were not on the written menu. There were exotic choices: truffle tasting and foie gras (legal again).
My buddy talked me into splitting the bone-​in-​ribeye surf & turf. The rare ribeye was perfectly pink-​red and marbled. **Truffle Fries** This is plenty for two.
There was a family celebration at the table next to us and I found their speeches and love for one another very heart warming and humble. This is a nice restaurant that is not at all stuffy. I love horseshoe shaped booths.
For dessert I had the lemon tart. The coconut meringue atop was particularly creamy, it would be tasty on its own and made even tastier with the toasted coconut shavings. The blackberry compote was so deeply berryish (the darker the berry… :)
They give you cute little piggy cookies too! Double dessert. Double piggy.

This is my favorite restaurant in all of San Diego. If I could afford to eat here for every single meal, I would 100% do it.
I’m not sure why people are complaining about the prices — it’s $$$$ on Unilocal and it’s not like there’s not prices located next to the dish on the menu.
CRISPY DUCK —
Amazing portion — I couldn’t finish this dish and ended up having to take it home. No complaints from me, this is honestly the best duck dish I’ve ever had in my life. Super moist yet with an amazingly crispy skin.
PEAR TARTE-​TATIN —
Match made in heaven. I didn’t expect this to be as delicious as it was but every component of this dish just seemed to work with each other to create an amazing flavor. It was warm and the match up of the berries and the gelato just complimented each other so well.
TRUFFLE FRIES —
Perfectly crispy with actual real truffles (not that truffle oil crap) sprinkled throughout. Not overpowering with truffle flavor yet the hints of truffle were perfect.
Overall, this place is a must try if you’re in San Diego.

Honestly, with all of these «get the truffle fries» comments on Unilocal,the truffle fries were just… okay. The main reason i gave this place 5 stars if for the service and the quality of our entrees!
Even though I had dinner here over 3 months ago, i still reminisce about my fish dish. All the ingredients just worked with each other and it was probably one of the best meals I’ve had here in San Diego. — my compliments to the chef!

Not worth it for the price! I had brought my wife here for Valentine’s Day, and the bill was $ 270 total, but I was a little disappointed the beef wasn’t very tender at all and wasn’t very flavorful either. I’ve had juicier Steak at aTexas RoadHouse! The waiter was great and very kind so that was one of the only reason that I felt happy with my experience there, besides being there with my wife! They gave us a small box with 4 pieces of chocolate with salted caramel topping on it and that I gotta say was better than the whole meal my friends. This was a little disappointing but you know what it? It is what it is Jack! Next time my wife and I will be staying home watching a good movie with better takeout than what we got from this overrated Applebee’s!
BOO-​YAH!!!