Louisa M.
Yelp
One star is being generous to this place. I ate here with a group of colleagues and while there were some positives, I mostly left here irritated, angry, and frustrated.
The staff was terrific. Friendly, efficient, and professional. Although we had a group of 12, the service was attentive and non-obtrusive. The staff isn't the problem here.
Neither is the atmosphere, which is modern and upscale (if a tad bit dated), with white tablecloths, comfortable plush seating, and trendy lighting. The setting would be lovely, if not for the too-loud music. Yes, it's jazzy music, but the volume was so loud that we had difficulty talking to and hearing each other, so we mostly gave up.
The food was mediocre and overpriced. I had the crab cake appetizer and lobster ravioli. The crab cakes were fine and didn't have much filler, but they weren't a standout at all. For a price tag right at $25, I expect a higher quality dish. The cakes were covered in too much sauce, but the accompanying salad was delicious.
My entree was a complete joke, especially for $42. My dish had just five raviolis and a lobster tail that was pathetic. It was barely the size of the tine end of my fork (see photos), and had very little meat. The filling in the ravioli tasted frozen and was not high quality. I'm surprised a nice restaurant would serve something this plain and uninspired. I could've made this dish at home for a lot less money. The other dishes on the table were met with lukewarm reactions too, especially my coworker's steak. He sent it back because it was too rare (I'm talking raw), and it came back well done. Ugh.
The major problem I had was with the wine list. WATCH OUT IF YOU ORDER A BOTTLE OF WINE.
I wanted to order 3 bottles of wine for the group and since I love wine, the menu was handed to me. The first choice I wanted, a VGS cab, was "out of stock." The server recommended another wine, a 2018 vintage Napa cabernet, and I said that was fine. When he came back over to open the bottle, he showed it to me and thankfully I stopped him before he could cut the foil -- he was trying to sneak an awful 2011 vintage of wine on me! I was really upset by this, because it felt shifty and dishonest. I think the restaurant must've gotten a great price on that wine and wanted to dump it on unsophisticated customers. They should be embarrassed to have a 2011 vintage of Napa cab on their menu, period.
After I refused those bottles, he suggested a blend from Paso Robles that was priced at $185. Nope, try again. I'm not paying that price for a red blend from Paso. Eventually he brought out a 2019 Cakebread cab that was fine, but also overpriced at $185 / bottle.
Here's a tip that all "nicer" restaurants should know: don't have wines on your menu that aren't in stock. Their excuse was "the new wine hasn't arrived yet." If that's the case, then reprint your damn wine list. It was printed on plain paper, so it would be easy to take inventory and update it, if not every day then at least once a week.
The vibe here is that the place was trying to squeeze every cent they could out of their customers. It's a shifty, dishonest way to conduct business, so be aware and pay attention. The worst is that once we sat down, the server came over and asked if we wanted "still or sparkling" water. He poured from bottles that cost $8 EACH. When we said "regular ice water is fine," he poured the still. That is an irritating, shady way to pad bills, and it's inexcusable.
Other things to watch out for: they charge a surcharge on top of the check (large parties also have included gratuity, so don't overtip), and smaller parties also have to pay a tip. That adds 3.5% to the menu prices, so be prepared.
There aren't many good places in the Gaslamp, but if you MUST eat in the area, then look for restaurants that locals like -- or at least look for a dining room that's busy and bustling. This place was 2/3 empty during a big convention and popular dinner time. It was startling easy to get a reservation. If you must eat here, may the odds be ever in your favor. Saltwater is a bust.
