Saint James French Diner

Restaurant · Gaslamp

Saint James French Diner

Restaurant · Gaslamp

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Highlights

Casual French restaurant and bar serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 Get directions

saintjamesfrenchdiner.com

@stjamesfrenchdiner

$$$

Reserve

@eater

"Downtown’s chic bistro, which anchors the Palihotel, offers a rare happy hour that extends through the weekend. Featured Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., it includes half-priced burgers like the burger Parisenne topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and bordelaise sauce, as well as an $8 cocktail of the day and specials on select wines by the glass." - Candice Woo

17 of the Best Happy Hours to Try Right Now in San Diego

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@eater

13 San Diego Happy Hours to Try Right Now

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@eater

"Tucked in the historic Palihotel, the adorable “American diner meets French bistro” features standouts like croquettes, steak frites, and bouillabaisse boil. Weekend brunches include croque madame accompanied by bottomless mimosas." - Helen I. Hwang

21 Gaslamp Restaurants and Bars That Are Actually Worth Trying

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@eater

"Downtown’s new chic bistro, which anchors the Palihotel, offers a rare happy hour that extends through the weekend. Featured Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., it includes half-priced burgers created by executive chef Casey Lane, such as the burger Parisenne topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and bordelaise sauce, as well as an $8 cocktail of the day and specials on select wines by the glass." - Candice Woo

14 San Diego Happy Hours to Try Right Now

View Postcard for Saint James French Diner

@eater

"The hotel is opening in mid-May while a May 25 arrival is set for Saint James French Diner, its 40-seat, all-day restaurant anchor created by Palisociety Dining Group and its executive chef Casey Lane, who developed the brand’s Italian trattoria at its hotel in Silver Lake as well as a Japanese pub inside its West Hollywood location. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Saint James offers a menu that melds American diner culture with French bistro classics with dishes ranging from French onion soup and steak tartare to cod en papillote and a Parisian-style burger topped with caramelized onions and sauce bordelaise. Its weekend brunch features snacks like oysters and radishes and butter along with heartier plates like moules frites and croque madames." - Candice Woo

A Brand New Hotel Conveys French Bistro Fare to the Gaslamp Quarter - Eater San Diego

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Mary Brown

Google

Delightful French bistro with traditional French favorites done well. The steak frites was perfectly cooked and tender with a delicious peppercorn sauce and crisp fries accompanied by mixed lettuces. The butter lettuce salad was ample with a tasty tarragon cream sauce. The lettuce needed a spin in the salad spinner to remove excess water from the rinse -- it watered down the dressing. Decent wine list, nice selection of liquor at the bar. The atmosphere is lively with a cool looking interior. My waiter doubled as host and was very attentive, speedy, and paced the meal perfectly. Great place whether dining alone or with friends.

ARNOLD PREPEÑA

Google

I recently visited Saint James French Diner in Downtown San Diego for the first time, and it was an excellent experience. Our server, Cassandra, was incredibly polite and attentive, making us feel very welcome. Despite being a small place, the diner has a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The food was delicious, showcasing the best of French cuisine. Every dish we tried was well-prepared and flavorful. Overall, I loved this place and highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, Saint James French Diner is a must-try!

T Lewis

Google

This place is a treasure. Saint James impressed us in every way. The customer service was stellar (big shout out to Aaron & Shay). We had reservations and were seated & greeted immediately. Very few restaurants offer this kind of incredible happy hour: half price on all of their burgers and to top it off, they taste amazing! Definitely one of the best burgers I’ve had in San Diego. The Roadside Double is out of this world and the Burger Parisienne easily comes in second. The burgers are soooo juicy and flavorful. All of their burgers are double patties. The pomme frites were freshly hot and perfect texture. Cocktail of the day was also delightful but I can’t remember the name. We barely waited any time to receive our food. We even ordered another burger before happy hour ended. Next time we will check out the rooftop and even come back for brunch. Saint James French Diner is highly recommended!

Google

Spotty and slow service for two of my four visits. First time was excellent service wise. Second and third time I waited quite some time at various times. Final time service was better. Lovely surroundings, excellent ham sandwich with cheese, honey and a little mustard. Burrata was good the second time. Half off happy hour burger was excellent the third time. Half off such a solid burger is an excellent deal. I cannot recall being more disappointed in a long time with something I ordered - the French toast. Maybe this is the French way and my dislike is related to my personal preference - not it being a bad dish per se. I thought it would have a soft center. Instead it was thin, tough in texture, and it came with syrup poured all over it with a layer of syrup on the plate, too. As I saw the server bringing it to my table it almost looked like fried chicken out of the corner of my eye. I had a few bites and was done. The honey latte was good, but not $10 good.

Tony Freeman

Google

One of the best hamburgers I’ve had in San Diego. With Happy Hour pricing, arguably the best price performance for a sit down hamburger restaurant in town. One note: there were a lot of fruit flies in the restaurant. Enough that it was a minor annoyance waving our flies away. I took photos, but didn’t take off any points, nor would it prevent me from coming back.

Lisa Yee

Google

My husband’s birthday breakfast at Saint James was a HUGE success! It started with the best coffee we’ve had so far in San Diego. The French Toast and Croque Madame were the best we’ve ever had. It is truly a hidden gem, we will be back tomorrow!

D B

Google

Enjoying my stay at the Pali Hotel and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the flavor profiles and ingredients at Saint James which is next to the hotel. I had the Americain breakfast and it was really memorable. The guacamole and toast were just as exciting as the other members of the meal. I ate every bite, would totally come again. Very affordable with large portions. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

W Z

Google

In the chaos of the gaslight quarter, this hidden gem is truly a refuge with amazing food and a cozy atmosphere. The service is amazing, friendly, and unpretentious. Everyone we interacted with at the restaurant comes with a smile and really looked like they enjoy being here.