The Whaling Bar Reopens at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla | Eater San Diego

"After closing in 2013, the beloved cocktail lounge reopened on Friday, February 16 within the La Valencia Hotel, returning as a favorite hangout of locals and celebrities since its 1949 debut. Operated by SDCM Restaurant Group, the renovated space by LA-based Schoos Design pairs emerald tufted booths and brass pendant lights with the resurrected 20-foot nautical mural “The Whale’s Last Stand” by Wing Howard, which was preserved in four pieces. Cooked in an open kitchen by executive chef Brian Redzikowski, the lunch and dinner menu ranges from caviar and blini to a Caesar salad with parmesan-filled “Twinkie” croutons, a lobster roll, duck meatballs, and the chef’s signature bao filled with rioja-braised short rib, plus playful items such as a picture-perfect “hamburger” made from cake and ice cream. Beverage director Eric Johnson has revived the historic Whaler cocktail (cognac, coffee liqueur, Irish whiskey, and homemade ice cream, dating to 1965) and also offers luxe drinks like truffle-infused Old Fashioneds, a coconut-rum, ube, lime and mint daiquiri, and the Parm to Glass (parmesan fat-washed vodka, fino sherry, housemade dry vermouth, and olive brine). The new version is a glamorous boost to La Jolla’s nightlife while nodding to the bar’s retro origins." - Candice Woo