Leu Leu

Leu Leu is a gem in the Encinitas food experience. From the start, the hostess was very friendly and the ambiance is relaxed but has a subtle speakeasy vibe that makes it feel special. A big shoutout to our server, Natalie--she walked us through the entire menu with great detail, making sure any allergies were accounted for while also pointing out her personal favorites. She was friendly, funny, and genuinely made the night more enjoyable. The rest of the staff was just as welcoming--prompt service, perfectly paced dishes, and always a smile when food and drinks arrived. Drinks-wise, Leu Leu doesn't serve cocktails but offers a solid wine list, local beers, and a refreshing Aperol Spritz mocktail. I went with an IPA while my girlfriend had the spritz--both excellent choices. Now, to the food - Marinated Castelvetrano Olives A standout snack. The tapenade-style marinade added a rich, savory twist. Leu Leu's Fabergé Egg | A unique play on beef tartare--crisp breading, flavorful tartare, and nori sheets to wrap it all up. Creative and delicious. Bluefin Tuna Crudo | An absolute must-order. The tuna was unbelievably fresh, and the lemongrass-coconut marinade was bright and balanced. The housemade tostadas made the perfect base. Crispy Chicken | Another must-order. Generous portion, perfectly crispy, with a tikka masala-style sauce that packs just the right heat. 14oz Pibil Lamb Shank | Rich, tender, and deeply flavorful. A hearty dish that's worth sharing. It's a pricier night out but honestly, for the quality of the food, portion sizes, and level of service, it feels justified. This isn't your everyday dinner spot--it's a place for a date night, special celebration, or even just a pre-dinner drink and appetizer if you want to get a taste of the experience. For two beers, a mocktail, and five dishes, our total came to about $200 before tip. Highly recommend Leu Leu. Thoughtful service, incredible food, and an atmosphere that feels both fun and elevated.

We really enjoyed our experience at Leu Leu. The food was delicious and featured a lot of bold flavors, reminiscent of a home cooked meal. They offer a small, curated menu. We sat on the patio which has a quaint and intimate ambiance, and the interior has a really cool, funky vibe. There are a few minor kinks that need to be worked out, but overall we were impressed and looking forward to our next visit!

I was debating whether or not to give leu leu 5 stars just because of how uncomfortable the hostess made my table & I, however everything else was absolutely incredible so I couldn’t knock of points just because of one person! My group of five went to try leu leu for my sisters’ birthday (06/25/25)! The food was delicious, we got the pan con tomate, rip & dips, crudo, fabergé egg, crispy chicken, lamb shank, and the wagyu char siu! All exceptional! The chefs are amazing!!! Our server Alec was a joy! He was super sweet, attentive, and enthusiastic! He definitely goes the extra mile to make the experience a great one. The hostess on the other hand… She has really poor customer service skills & lacks professionalism. Throughout our dinner, she kept walking around & staring awkwardly at our table. The worst part is, when our server brought our check, we had our cards in waiting for him to come grab it, she came to our table & said that she needs to seat another group so we had to leave… I told her how we were about to leave just waiting for our server to come get our cards & she’s like “Oh I’ll do it”! It was honestly super disappointing considering there was a table of three right next to us who had been there wayyyyy longer & had just ordered drinks. She didn’t say anything to them. Super uncomfortable experience dealing with her. Other than the hostess kicking us out, everything else was great. Highly recommend leu leu!

Loved the entire experience, the vibe, the menu, the food, the atmosphere, the decor, and the staff. Would recommend the sea bass, the duck, and the rip n dip. Only thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was being told we needed to sit outside (there wasn’t anyone inside) because all the tables inside were for 2 people only. Couldn’t you put two tables together? There were heaters outside though, so that was nice. Other than that, I highly recommend this spot. Come hungry, drink, and stay a while.:)

Review: Leu Leu – A Hidden Gem Worth Discovering Leu Leu is a delightful new spot with a warm, elegant interior that perfectly blends style and comfort. From the moment you walk in, it feels special. The food is just as impressive. Every dish we tried was crafted with care, but the standout was the Fabergé Egg—a stunning, imaginative dish that lives up to its name in both presentation and flavor. It’s a perfect example of how Leu Leu elevates classic ingredients with creativity and flair. Whether you’re looking for a special night out or a unique culinary experience, Leu Leu is not to be missed.

A true hidden gem that delivers Michelin-star quality—without the impossible wait for a reservation. The space was designed by the same creative minds behind The Waverly, and it shows. It feels like dining in a chic, rustic living room—warm, stylish, and effortlessly cool. The atmosphere has a relaxed, vibey charm that makes you want to linger. The staff couldn’t have been friendlier and fit the Leu Leu vibe perfectly—attentive without being overbearing. And the food? Absolutely phenomenal. Highlights for us included the shrimp taquitos, the surprisingly standout salad, and the wagyu—so tender it practically melts in your mouth. Paired with a fantastic bottle of French wine, the entire evening felt indulgent in the best way. Perfect for a date night or an intimate dinner with friends. We’ll absolutely be back.

We read about this new spot in Leucadia because it is getting a lot of attention due to Chef Claudette’s high profile on Top Chef. We tried booking via Resy and it seemed full each night, but we were able to get a table after a cancellation. Showing up, I now understand why it is often full - there are not many tables to begin with. The restaurant occupies the corner of a renovated old motel that now includes a number of businesses, including this tiny restaurant. There are probably a dozen small tables outside and another dozen inside, so total capacity is quite limited. However, that’s not always a bad thing. Inside the vibe is trendy and intimate and outside it is similar, though outside seating is right up against the adjacent apartments, so some bamboo fencing would be a nice upgrade to the ourdoor ambience. On the food side, we were not sure how to tackle the menu and ended up with one of their “cold” dishes and two of their “hot” dishes. We passed on the “rip & dip” section as it seemed like that would fill us up with the other things we wanted to sample. The “Faberge Egg” was our favorite of the evening, an asian take on a deconstructed Scotch Egg. The meat - a tasty waygu tartar - was piled under the egg, which was wrapped in susho rice and set on top. The dish came with some seaweed wrappers so you could build small tacos/rolls with all of the items, and the taste was awesome. For our “hot” dishes, we went with Duck Confit and Pipil Lamb. The duck was shredded and was very juicy, sitting in a pool of whipped black beans. The taste was outstanding but I would have loved small corn tortillas or some nice bread to pair with it, rather than the dense tamal cubes. The pibil was a first-class lamb shank with a great flavor. I now see that bread and tortillas are on the side dish area of the menu and I think they should be recommended by the servers. Overall I enjoyed the evening at Leu Leu but I would have preferred an inside table - we asked but the vacant tables inside were not all being used because of a server load issue. We’ll return once the initial wave of attention subsides and try of the other creative dishes. It is a nice addition to the north beach restaurant lineup.

Was there for their Easter Brunch, and I must say, I have never seen a more beautiful presentation of foods and pastry’s. The prefix was unique, savory, filling, unexpected and delicious. The vibes of the staff, were very warm, joyous and welcoming. I know this is an odd comment, but I was obsessed with back door speakeasy style entry, the bathroom is a work of art, the attention to detail, and classical designs of the in house, inspired me for my own home designs. Very well done, but most importantly the food you can taste the generational traditions of the Chef. I love this place! For how tiny it is, it sure does pack a huge punch. Bravo!

Instant Favorite! The Vibes were on point, the service was super friendly (thanks Alec & staff) and the food was exceptional!!

Vibes vibes vibes. This place is built on em. The decor, lighting, and live dj create a comfy/moody lounge you'd love to hang in for hours. The service is attentive, accommodating, and friendly, plus Natalie gave us a great rundown of the full menu, which includes some very tasty wines. The food itself certainly wasn't bad but leaves plenty to be desired. The crab tostada was especially over seasoned which was a shame because it seemed quite fresh. All in all, this is closer to a 3.5 than a 4, certainly glad we checked it out, and hopeful the food will improve.

This was my second visit to Leu Leu's. My first time was during opening weekend, and while it didn't quite hit the mark, I saw some potential and was hopeful things would improve. I really wanted to give it another shot. There's a lot to like about the experience: the atmosphere is beautiful. The service has also been consistently attentive and friendly. Their wine selection is solid and complements the ambiance well. Unfortunately, the food continues to fall short. We ordered several dishes and found that most were overwhelmingly salty. The rip and dip, garden salad, and chicken karaage were all far too heavily seasoned, to the point of being difficult to enjoy. The shrimp taquitos weren't salty, but they didn't taste particularly fresh. We paid for extra bread, and it was cleared from the table when we weren't paying attention. Ironically, the highlights of our meal were the tuna crudo and the ice cream, both of which didn't require much cooking. I sincerely want to see a great dining option thrive in North County, and I was really rooting for Leu Leu's to be that place. While there are some strong elements here, the food unfortunately just hasn't kept pace. At this point, it's probably not somewhere I'd return, but I truly hope they continue to refine and improve.

After blowing up on instagram I fell for the hype and went last week. Overall it was a mixed experience. Starting with the hostess- she spent a while tapping away at the iPad after informing her we had a reservation. Finally she said, oh we have your table inside and tonight we have a DJ which we ask you to pay $20 for. Ok well we did not know about the DJ nor did we have preference on seating since it was the only reservation available. After a few awkward beats she said ...or you can sit outside (which we preferred). I thought it was weird that the place was booked solid but there was room to move us around. The food was actually really tasty- the crudo in tiger's milk was the highlight- but the crispy chicken and shrimp rolls were good too. Wine were small pours. Overall there was a general sleaziness to the place with all the upselling. There's a section of add ons on the menu that could only be ordered if you got one of the main dishes (example: if you got the $27 bread and dip service, then you can order extra bread or another dip for an addl cost vs just getting a small dip or bread on the side- not allowed).

This mysterious spot, a blend of music lounge and fusion restaurant, feels like a secret worth sharing. We finally got lucky and snagged a last-minute table. Tucked away in a mall in Leucadia, it doesn't look like much from the outside, but step in and the vibe shifts immediately. The host was incredibly attentive, turned on the heater for us while we waited and even offered a glass of sparkling wine. A lovely start. We ordered the Rip & Dip (50/50 roasted red pepper butter and toum). The Prager Bros bread and escabeche veggies were the perfect delivery system for the dips. The toum with pistachio dukkha? Bright, bold, and addictive. Then came the Fabergé Egg--Wagyu tartar wrapped in sushi rice and fried, served on seaweed. A clever little gem. (Though I do wish the seaweed had been just a bit crispier.) For mains, the Pibil Lamb Shank was fall-off-the-bone tender. A splash of lime really elevated the flavor and cut through the richness beautifully. The Baja Sea Bass Shawarma hit all the right notes, bright, spicy, and comforting. We finished with Ponyboy, a wild mashup of passion fruit, lime, turmeric, cheesecake, and a miso tahini cookie crumble. It sounded exciting but ended up being my least favorite of the night. A little too chaotic for my taste. Still, the chef is creating something special here--vibrant, cozy, and wildly creative. Worth the splurge. Worth the wait.

The limited sized menu and size of kitchen will constrain how successful this place will be. Also, from a dining experience, there is a big difference between sitting inside (only a few tables but very cool decor) versus outside (alley/parking lot with heaters that hit half the diners and loud train noises multiple times per hour). The dips are great, the tuna crudo was middle of the road, the egg/tartare gets high scores for presentation and creativity but it was a little too acidic for my liking. We shared the lamb shank which was good but a little dried in some some spots and fatty in others. The service was friendly and well informed.

The yelp community seems to have mixed feelings about Leu Leu. We took a chance and were not sorry. I can only speak for myself and my family but I have to say the experience we had was superb. Natalie, our waitress, was an absolute sweetheart. She and the rest of the staff took amazing care of us. Their hospitality was truly top notch. Took a few minutes for us to get seated but the courtyard was very nice. We sat under this cool old tree on a beautiful evening. We started with a bottle of wine and some small bites and apps. The pan con tomate was so delicate. The rip and dip with red pepper and toum spreads was one of our favorites of the night. The dips were unbelievable flavorful and well executed, the bread was very good, and the house pickles were awesome. Could have eaten that dish 3 times over. Also had the crudo which was a bit on the small side but the sauces were just unreal. Came with jalisco style toastadas, which are by far my favorite kind of tostada and one which I've never seen used at a restaurant. Nice touch! Finally, we had the rock crab ceviche which was so nice and refreshing and really well done. For mains we had the lamb shank and the duck confit. Really really enjoyed the lamb shank. Fall off the bone tender and with a great sauce. Also really liked the mushroom pickle thing they had going on. The duck was good, really liked the sauce, but not quite as impressive as all of the other dishes. Lastly, we had a passion fruit sundae with sesame miso caramel which was tangy and nutty and delicious. Overall great experience. Super excited to have Leu Leu in the neighborhood. Will definitely be coming back with my wife and some more of our friends.

So my daughter surprised me & brought me here (on a Thursday evening) for an early Mother's Day celebration. She made a reservation a week in advance, after she heard me say this was an up and coming spot and I wanted to try this place out. We were seated inside. Our waiter, Alec was very knowledgeable, provided excellent recommendations, was attentive and welcoming!! We started with the rip and dip 50/50 (whipped feta and pistachio dukkha) served with artisan bread and vegetables in escabeche and crudite, so delish and enough leftover to try with our main dishes. We also ordered the tuna crudo and oh so fresh & flavorful!! After we had our fill, we ordered our mains. My daughter got the pibil lamb shank, served with calypso beans, wild mushroom pickles and corn tortillas. It was flavorful and this one is good for sharing or if you come with a big appetite go for it!! As for me I had the Baja sea bass shawarma, that was paired with a spicy tomato sauce and olive and cucumber salad and ((ohhh maaah gaaah)) I could eat that everyday, it was perfection and my favorite of the two!! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about my dining experience at Leu Leu!! The restaurant is very quaint and beautifully decorated. The service was excellent, friendly and pleasant. The food!!!! So fresh, healthy, flavorful & delicious! This will be one of my all time favorite restaurants and I highly recommend it. If I can give it 10 stars, I would!! Hoping we can get a selfie with Chef Zepeda next time.

Every single dish was a delight! Our party of four found each dish unique and delicious - the egg, the mole, the sharma - unexpected and amazing!!! Can't wait to return!

Let's address the elephant in the room: Leu Leu's tiny and the primo seating is all inside in the even (tinier) space. I've seen a lot of pearl clutching about the outdoor patio ("you can see the bathroom entrance!", "the train's so loud!", "it's cold!"), my two cents? It's great! Yes, we got seated near the bathroom and it wasn't ideal, but they're trying to make do with the space they have. ‍ Yes, you can hear the train but that's true of any restaurant on the 101. ‍ All that said, the decor and vibe is thoughtful and cozy. The staff are excited to be there and seem genuinely happy to be working on Claudette's team. And the food's different and delicious! Interesting flavors, twists on familiar dishes, etc. It's refreshing to have a new and original option amidst the myriad run of the mill offerings we have in North County. I'll be back to try the rotating menu, and hopefully snag a seat inside.

Unique and eclectic. We got to meet celebrity chef Claudette! She was absolutely working her butt off, on the front lines serving food, and took the time to speak with us. Highly recommend!

I went to celebrate my anniversary at Leu Leu's and it was not the experience I was hoping for. We made a 5pm reservation and were the 2nd people in line as they open at 5pm. We requested to be seated inside but were told unfortunately inside reservations are never guaranteed. No problem, we took our seat in which was the 1st table by the front door. We expected a full house to justify placing us in front of the doors that kept swinging by us as we ate but the restaurant was empty. Not to mention that it was suppose to rain today and we were seated outside with no covering. Luckily it was not a problem as the rain started as we left. Our server also encouraged us to look at the restaurant inside to see how cute it was as we got seated by the front door outside looking at a view of a bush. Our server was kind but not very knowledgable of the menu and thought it would be a good idea to use a Clorox wipe to clean our table in between our dinner and dessert. Let's get on to the food. When you pay $250 for dinner you expect a certain caliber of food. We ate Spicy Pan Con Tomate, Leu Leu's Faberge Egg, Baja Yellowtail Crudo, Rock Crab Ceviche Tostada, 14oz Pibil Lamb Shank, Baja Sea Bass Shawarma, and the Vacation Mode Ice Cream. The food was fine. Some good (Baja Yellowtail Crudo, Rock Crab Ceviche Tostada, Vacation Mode Ice Cream), some bland (Lamb Shank), and some weird (Spicy Pan Con Tomate, Faberge Egg, Sea Bass Shawarma). Let's talk about that Sea Bass that had no Sea Bass. It was a falafel mix pressed into a square. The flavor was good but the texture was ......interesting. Our server described it as a Sea Bass (meat) loaf. I came excited to try a new restaurant and left disappointed. Maybe it is my bad that I thought this would be an experience that would be comparable to Animae, Callie, Kingfisher, etc. It definitely was not.

My husband and I love Vaga, are big fans of Claudette, and were so excited about this meal. No matter how badly we wanted to like this meal, my goodness, were we underwhelmed. Food was under-seasoned, generally meh, and overall just very disappointing. Would not go back.

Sitting outside off PCH for a pricey meal is just not for me. Food is creative for sure and we enjoyed most of our choices. Crispy chicken and the beef tartare were excellent.

Can't say enough good things. Absolutely delicious food made with attention to all details. Presentation, taste and spices just perfection. I love the small menu, everything is fresh. Servers are so attentive and personable. It is a small place and very well decorated and put together. Both inside and outside sitting is wonderful. Can't wait to go back. Reservation is hard but once you try this place you know why.

Ambiance and vibe is great. Love the tucked away feel. I was excited to have somewhere new in the neighborhood. However, charging people an extra $20 to sit inside is crazy. I probably wouldn't have cared as much if they let you know this was the case in advance, but they just tell you when you check in. It's not disclosed on their website or when you make a reservation. I am all for supporting the dj but come on...Our waitress was awesome but the woman at the host stand was like the least friendly person which was not a great start to our experience. Food was okay and expensive small portions. Definitely more of a drink and a snack type of place. Ceviche was the best thing on the menu.

I have been wanting to go here since it opened- I was hoping it would be my new favorite spot The salad was delicious- I will throw that positive out there We were seated outside right in front of the bathroom. We could literally see people going in and out and the staff cleaning it occasionally. I have no idea why a restaurant with these prices would have a table literally on top of the bathroom. The door is slightly see through so we could actually see people in there when the door was closed too! Absolutely unappetizing. I hope this restaurant will take this table away after the review so this doesn't happen again. Sad part is there was a good table away from the bathroom we could have sat in that we asked about and were told it wasn't available. Other negatives - we ordered a cheese schnitzel appetizer special - basically a mozzarella stick and it was $35! And a glass of wine off the menu was $25. I don't mind paying high prices for a great dinner but these prices were way beyond the value and I really felt taken advantage of One other thing- if you are sitting outside being a coat. It was freezing and our heater didn't work

I am so sorry to have to leave a bad review for this place. We've been in Leucadia for over 20 years and have been dying for a new, great restaurant, or even a take out spot with killer food. We can walk to Leu Leu!! But tonight, I am sorry to say, disappointed. Location: great, ambiance: great, wait staff: great, food: not great. That one unfortunate element is the cornerstone of a restaurant and damn did it miss. We had the salad and the scotch egg (that's what it is) for colds and the lamb shank and wagyu as our hots. The salad was probably the highlight but was HUGE on the garlic. Overpowering. The egg which was breaded, over a layer of beef tartar was......forgettable, and sort of gross. The Wagyu Char Siu was way overcooked and the sauce (which is a mole even they call it char siu) was overpowering. The cabbage and additional vegetables were lost in it. Finally, the lamb shank literally had no flavor. Zero. We put as much of the sauce as we could on to it and it just had no flavor. I would love for this business to make the necessary changes to what happens in the kitchen, but I suspect we won't see Leu Leu in a year. Very sad. Why can't Encinitas step it up in the food department???

Easter Brunch here was incredible. Service was top notch and the location has a great five. Can't wait to return for Dinner service.

This was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had! We are foodies and when I say foodies I mean our life revolves around good food. Our young adult children are the same so when they said they wanted to take me to a restaurant for Mother's Day I hesitated because we typically avoid restaurants on holidays. But I agreed since Leu Leu sounded so promising. Let me say that this was one of the worst restaurant experiences we've ever had. I'll start with the food. It was terrible! It was a prix fix menu, and as my son mentioned if you were going to do a prefix menu, it better be extra extraordinary, this didn't come close and they charged $150.00 for a three course menu per person (more on that in a moment). The first offering was carrot soup (yes carrot soup as a choice for $150.00). The soup was bland and the only thing interesting was it had foam but that was also bland. If you chose to not do the soup and preferred the hamachi good luck, it was less that 1/2 tsp of fish wrapped in greens with a dipping soup that was so sour from too much lime it made our cheeks hurt. Next was a choice of cod in a banana leaf and the cod was so dry I had to check to see if it was supposed to be smoked cod... but it wasn't it was just dry and terrible. Finally the last offering we chose was the WAGU beef rib that was the size of a child's fist and it was covered on black mole sauce served on a salad size plate. The final kicker- they said this was four courses (you know for the $150 per Person) and the server told us that for dessert we could go into a room and choose from a bunch of offerings. Come to find out the desserts and chocolates are not house made and came from SUZIES DESSERTS!!! We were a party of five so $750 for the five of us for this 1 star food experience. They added a 20% top charge for a large party (since when is 5 people a large party) and with our wine and beer and tax the bill was $1014.00. Now, I have had many meals in this price range from Michelin experiences with elevated food service and offerings and I happily paid that price. This on the others hand was a joke! Finally, let me talk about the server. The first thing she said when she came to our table was that it was Mother's Day and they we're offering free "bubbles" to the ladies at the table and then instead of taking my daughters wine glass and filling it she asked me and my daughter to hand her our glasses touching the bottle on the edge of our glasses. The service was horrible. The servers had never been trained in fine dining. The server told us that she was going to number each one of us and gave us a number 1,2,3,4 etc and that's how we had to order when she took our order! In between our courses instead of replacing our silverware, she would ask us if we wanted new silverware when it was clear our other silverware had been removed. Like are we supposed to eat with our hands? And the silverware was clearly brought in from a second hand store with mis-matched pieces. My husbands soup soon was a teaspoon and he had to borrow mine. She continued to interrupt our evening, and was loud and frankly obnoxious, and intrusive. When we left my daughter's boyfriend stopped at In-n-out, before they come back to the house for games. This restaurants needs so much help. The chef is not refined enough and they teased patrons into believing her food could be worth the price she is charging. It's NOT. The patio was dirty, the service obnoxious and the food horrible. We were stunned to be quite honest. Needless to say we will never return. There are so many 5-star experiences that are worth $150.00, per person and this was not one of them. I read it on the faces of the guests that were walking out, this was so disappointing and shocking.