The Victorian at Hill Street

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I found The Victorian at Hill Street on TikTok and had to check it out — and it totally lived up to the hype! I’ve been a couple of times now and each visit has been such a great experience. The cocktails are so unique (they use alcohols I’d never even heard of before!) and it’s so fun trying something new each time. The appetizers have all been delicious, and the owner is incredibly kind and welcoming. The bar itself is so cute — cozy, classy, and full of charm. It truly feels like a special place, unlike anything else around, and I can easily see it becoming a longstanding favorite in the neighborhood. ✨🍸

Such a cute dinner spot!! The staff is so incredibly kind and attentive. The restaurant itself is beautiful and great for pictures. I ordered the Peri Chicken and it was amazing! One of the best pieces of chicken I have had, it was so moist and not dry at all. It was a huge portion of food that I ended up taking some leftovers home. Will be back here. Thank you to the kind staff and wonderful chef!

The re-opening of such a historic building comes with some understandable expectations and was really impressed with what I saw! The look & feel is quite intimate and it’s clear how much thought they put into making the space feel really cohesive and nice. Definitely worth checking out!

C- Experience at Best I went into The Victorian with high hopes. The photos online show a gorgeous bar, and the name itself evokes a sense of elegance and old-world charm. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t match the expectation. First big letdown: despite the bar’s beautiful setup, they don’t actually have a liquor license yet. That means no hard alcohol, which was a huge disappointment. The menu was underwhelming. There was nothing particularly unique or exciting about the offerings, and for what I paid—over $100—I left hungry. That’s never a good sign. I started with the pickles. They were just below average. For my entrée, I ordered the vermilion fish at $34, which came with… a piece of bread and a few sliced tomatoes on top. No sides. The fish itself was fine, but nothing memorable, and at that price point, a side dish should be a given. The waitstaff clearly seemed new and inexperienced, which I understand in a soft opening, but it still affected the overall experience. The most awkward moment came when a woman next to me mentioned she was with the press. My server then pointed at my plate and told her, “Instead of the sourdough, I’d recommend getting tortillas.” That would have been nice information to have before I ordered—especially since I was never given that option. Instead, I got to feel like the example of what not to do. Overall, I’d call it a C-minus experience. I know it’s a soft opening, and I truly hope they work out the kinks. But I’ve seen many businesses come and go at that location, and unless they make some big improvements, I’m afraid The Victorian might follow the same path.

Such a great vibe, Oceanside needs this place! I’m addicted! It’s a really awesome spot for going nuts and ordering a bunch of wine and shareables; but also just to grab a glass of bubbles and dessert (seriously, that chocolate ganache cake). Really well put together food, you can both impress the snobbiest people of eaters, and the least snobby of eaters- without having to deal with a snobby atmosphere. There are carnivore, omnivore, a veggiesaur (vegetarian) options; and the kitchen is pretty mellow about accommodating diets. All around great place- can’t wait to try brunch!!!!

Exceptional in all ways. The owners renovated the house with love and integrity. As O’side locals do. Fantastic team. A place that embraces you. Don’t be surprised if you find hours have passed whilst planting yourself at The Victorian.

Absolutely loved it! The vibe is so authentic and wonderful. The restaurant sits inside a beautiful, quaint, and charming Victorian House with a stunning bar and a few warm stone tables. Asthetic is a 10/10 for me because its design is classy, sophisticated and seemingly a natural extension of the real reason this vibe hits, the people who conceived of this restaurant and who run it. The chef and the front of the house bring it to life with their passion and commitment to quality. Massive shout out to Matthew (also the bartender) who delivered flawless service and couldn’t have been a better representative of the place, This guy produced the most beautiful, delicious and well executed cocktails I’ve had in a long time and did it without access to spirits (waiting on liquor license, which they should have soon). I can’t wait to see what he creates with a full bar! Let’s talk food. The chef is a serious talent. I’m an instant fan and can honestly say the tuna carpaccio is the best I’ve ever had. The mariscos and prawns were rich and satisfying with thoughtfully layered flavors. Easily some of the best food I’ve had in North County, especially at the price point, which isn’t cheap but delivers excellent value. Listen, you gotta try this place. Everything I had was fantastic and everything on the menu looks great. At the very least go to the bar, order a velvety glass of white wine and two or three orders of tuna carpaccio, followed by a slice of the burnt basque cheesecake. Life is good.

We ordered most of the vegetable dishes and they were all really delicious - very well balanced with lots of fresh herbs and gorgeous sauces. Wonderful wine list, as well, with more off the beaten path options. The cocktails were also a very creative use of no hard liquor license - look forward to trying more of them! Only drawback was that it felt a little expensive for the area and likely limits how often we'll visit and invite local friends out to meet us. Maybe a couple meat entrees under $30 or serve them with more sides? Would love this spot to stick around!

Brunch at the Victorian is a must! This OCEANSIDE Victorian house has a feel of a speakeasy with the relaxing environment, friendly staff and delicious food and you won't be disappointed!

Came here with a large group, for a friends birthday, and had an amazing time! Matthew, who was our server, and bartender, was the absolute best, sharing about the history of the place and was so fun and patient with our talkative group. We got starter dishes to share and drinks all around and I was pleasantly surprised by everything. My favorite drink was the Mary Shelly but if you're looking for a savory/unique drink, get that Ema Saiko, I've never had anything like it. 3 food items that I WILL be coming back for: Tuna Carpaccio was truly just perfect. Laffa and Tahini, for the buttery bread. And as someone who has notoriously never like cheesecake, the Basque Cheesecake has made me a hypocrite because it was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I know that the food is a little pricey but this really is one of those restaurants where it is absolutely worth it.

We wanted to make a holiday reservation but learned The Victorian closed. The Pour House owned it but it seems like they 'poured' money into months of planning, and architectural renovations, only for it to close due to a celebrity chef with a bad attitude, and a limited menu with high prices. It's a shame that it was a waste.

We came here for dinner after the Del Mar races. There was live music out on the patio, which set the mood perfectly. Hubby ordered the roasted corn lemonade and I asked for a mocktail. The bartender made a very refreshing one! His lemonade needed a little more sweetness. The plates were made to share, so we agree on the tartare, tomato salad, and NY steak. Everything was delicious and beautifully plated! The tomato salad was light- it had a nice mustard and olive vinaigrette dressing. For dessert, we chose the burnt basque cheesecake! He liked it more than regular cheesecake. This one was a good one, as I've been searching for an authentic one that wasn't too burnt LOL. I could do without the olive oil on this one though. Overall, I had a really nice time here and can't wait to come back to try their other menu items.

We were sad to see the previous restaurant go (their food was amazing not sure why they didn't make it). But I love the new decor. Interesting menu choices. We enjoyed everything we got. I look forward to trying their breakfast.

We had such an amazing dinner here! Matthew was our server and he absolutely made the night -- so attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. Even though the bar isn't a full bar, he crafted incredible drinks with the ingredients they have, and they were spot on. The food was outstanding. The NY steak with béarnaise sauce and potatoes was cooked perfectly, and the tuna carpaccio was absolutely exquisite. Every bite felt thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. I will definitely be back -- this is officially a new favorite of mine! UPDATE: went again last night for I'd say my 3rd time and sat outside, it was lovely weather even after sunset and I really enjoyed the booth tables. I had to come update my review and mention Shelby was so thoughtful and kind - people like her and Matthew (and the INCREDIBLE chef) are what makes this place really special. I could have talked to her all night long. I genuinely think this is the best restaurant in Oceanside and will continue to come back any chance that I get

From the minute, you walk through the door, you feel like you've gone back in time.! We were offered our choice of tables by the host, and we sat at a nice corner table in the bar. Our server/bartender Matthew, greeted us and told us about the daily specials and his signature drinks. The special was a small plate served with three perfectly cooked scallops on a pumpkin bur Blanc sauce. It was amazing! I highly recommend this restaurant for a date night! Every part of our evening was just fantastic...

The Victorian at Hill Street was recommended to us by some friends, so we decided to give it a shot. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and - as Oceanside natives - well versed on the history of the historic building and the surrounding area, which is something we really appreciated. We had the Laffa & Tahini and Tuna Carpaccio appetizers, which were just right as starters. Visually appealing and very tasty. The Little gem Salad was the perfect second course. The Zarsuela de Mariscos was amazing -very savory, which my wife really enjoyed. I had the Filet Mignon, which was served medium rare and buttery tender. We finished things off with the Burnt Basque Cheesecake, which my wife said was "the best cheesecake I've had in years." The cocktails were great, and that lemonade - a must try. Overall, definitely worth a visit!

Just had a wonderful introduction to the Victorian last evening with friends; what fun. The food was remarkable in flavor and presentation. The service was caring and cordial, as we are a talkative crew. Great atmosphere created by this 1888 Victorian home, from the same year that Oceanside became a city. Beautiful courtyard; booths and tables with umbrellas, add to its comfort. Looking forward to the market and brunches that are planned.

Atmosphere was charming so I am giving two stars for that, Limited menu. So so quality. High prices.

Amazing flavors paired to perfection. And what a cool vibe in the victorian house, beautiful details. Service was very good really wanted to make our experience great.

It was such a pleasure dining at The Victorian during their grand opening tonight! Delicious food, friendly and accommodating staff, and beautiful space. Plus they use many ingredients from local farms. Our favorites were the carrots, steak, carpaccio, and cookie (still warm!). One of our friends doesn't drink alcohol and the bartender added a few ingredients to their roasted corn lemonade to make a mocktail for her. It tasted a bit like cream soda it was sooo good. We loved the live music too -- Jazz singer Erika Davies and accompanying music. Excited to have this great spot in the neighborhood!

I've been waiting for this spot to open and it has not disappointed! The restaurant is just a feast for the eyes - I love everything about the decor. The food is just as delicious. Do not miss the roasted corn lemonade - sounds bizarre but it's incredible!! The staff are so friendly and welcoming. I love everything about this place and can't wait to come back!

We had some family in from out of town and decided to try The Victorian for brunch. Everything was great. Good sized portions and reasonably priced. We tried the chicken and waffles, country hash and Ahi tuna salad. All were terrific. Beautiful sunny day sitting on the porch. Wait staff were very attentive. I would definitely recommend for brunch.

Fantastic meal! Service was perfection. Mathew is wonderful. Very attentive, charming, and helpful. The food was AMAZING. Highly recommend the Laffa & Tahini to start- the pistou in the center was so herbaceous and tasty. The laffa bread is buttery perfection. I would love to have a vat of the broth from the Zarzuela de Mariscos to take home. That with the grilled bread, that could become a go to comfort food on the couch!! The seafood in the Zarzuela was delicious. The tomato salad with the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and that mustard vinaigrette- YUM. My MIL had the special... scallops with a pumpkin beurre blanc, she loved it. I tasted the beurre blanc and it was spot on. Husband had the filet that look amazing. DIL had the peri-peri chicken. She said it was spicy but really, really good. We all LOVED our food. We had a couple of the cocktails at the table- a Veso Spritz- I will be back just for this one, and the Ema Saiko, which my picky husband loved. And the finale... dessert. We did one of each- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cooke, Burnt Basque Cheesecake with a berry fruit sauce, and the Chocolate Ganache Cake. Even after a lighthearted argument, we could not come to a consensus - they were all so very good! The place is charming and very pretty. Only detractor is, sitting outside, there is a lot of street noise- but the restaurant can't control that. We highly recommend this restaurant. And will be back very soon!

We stopped by the Victorian on Friday 10/17 to grab a drink and possibly an app before meeting up with some friends for dinner and I was pretty disappointed due to the behavior of one person. There's a lot of potential here. Very nicely decorated, great bar, wonderful Victorian style. The bartender was great, the wine was good. Shortly into our stay, the head chef started berating her sous chefs using the F word as a pronoun, adjective and verb. There is a portal window between the kitchen and bar that allowed for all of us in the restaurant to hear. I've heard less profanity out of a drill sergeant. She was loud enough for the bar and table patrons inside to hear. Extremely unprofessional. The bartender tried to bandaid fix it with the table near us excusing her behavior because she was recently on Hell's Kitchen and she's actually nice and fun to be around. We won't find out because we won't be back. In between F bombs she told her sous chefs she doesn't know why she even hired them and to get their S*** together. The tirade went on for 5 minutes at least. If I were a business owner I would want to know if my employees were acting like that.

Absolutely loved it! The vibe is so authentic and wonderful. The restaurant sits inside a beautiful, quaint, and charming Victorian House with a stunning bar and a few warm stone tables. Asthetic is a 10/10 for me because its design is classy, sophisticated and seemingly a natural extension of the real reason this vibe hits, the people who conceived of this restaurant and who run it. The chef and the front of the house bring it to life with their passion and commitment to quality. Massive shout out to Matthew (also the bartender) who delivered flawless service and couldn't have been a better representative of the place, This guy produced the most beautiful, delicious and well executed cocktails I've had in a long time and did it without access to spirits (waiting on liquor license, which they should have soon). I can't wait to see what he creates with a full bar! Let's talk food. The chef is a serious talent. I'm an instant fan and can honestly say the tuna carpaccio is the best I've ever had. The mariscos and prawns were rich and satisfying with thoughtfully layered flavors. Easily some of the best food I've had in North County, especially at the price point, which isn't cheap but delivers excellent value. Listen, you gotta try this place. Everything I had was fantastic and everything on the menu looks great. At the very least go to the bar, order a velvety glass of white wine and two or three orders of tuna carpaccio, followed by a slice of the burnt basque cheesecake. Life is good.

Thoroughly Enjoyed golden hour 3:30+ Cocktails were a work of art and had great conversation with the bartender about his creative process! Looking forward to his fall creations next.

Fabulous! Super fun ambiance and interesting menu. We shared our three entrees and there was more than enough food for the three of us. The Basque cheesecake was the perfect ending. Truly wonderful evening!

Why is this place closed?? I get that things happen, but when you have a reservation, at the very least a sign on the door would be appreciated, especially since we were coming here to celebrate a birthday. Not cool to pull up to a dark and closed restaurant, in what was suppose to be a special occasion.

A Hidden Gem with Historic Soul: The Victorian at Hill Street If you're looking for a place that feels like a cozy escape wrapped in elegance, The Victorian at Hill Street is it. Nestled inside the beautifully restored Wetzel House--a landmark dating back to 1888--this spot blends old-world charm with fresh, modern flavors. From the moment you walk in, you're greeted with warmth, character, and a vibe that's equal parts romantic and relaxed.

Last night was spectacular. Upscale family vibes with lots of warmth and detail put into every piece of the experience. From the decor to the drinks to the food. We had a very nice evening with delicious cocktails, several small plates, and a dessert.

Friends and I had a delicious dinner at The Victorian at Hill Street in Oceanside. My Vermilion snapper was amazing; cooked with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, herbs, and spices. The salmoriglio sauce was light and tasty, and a large portion that I didn't think I would finish. But it was so delicious I couldn't stop! The roasted carrots were cooked perfectly; not crunchy, not soft but just the right amount of texture. To finish off the Chocolate Ganache cake was divine. My friends raved about their dishes as well. The meat and cheese plate, Prawns, little Gem salad, and Brunt Basque Cheesecake were all a hit. The place is all brand new after an extensive renovation. Today I learned Chef Lisa who prepared all the dishes is going to be on Hells Kitchen Season 24 with Gordon Ramsay.

Reading other great reviews for The Victorian at Hill Street and unfortunately, our experience was the opposite. We never got to try the food, so I am not able to leave a review for that. I was intrigued by the history of the Victorian house. We had a 6:15 pm reservation and we were seated right away. We looked at the menu deciding what to order, a very limited selection. We waited for 15 minutes without even so much as a greeting from a server. Nothing. There were only four other tables occupied in our area and two servers. She walked right by us several times and didn't even make eye contact. The limited menu, high prices, and zero service were a huge disappointment. Feeling invisible, we left without eating. I mentioned our frustration to the hostess on our way out, and all she had to say was, "Thanks for letting me know."

The food was not only delicious but stunning to look at! The real star of the night, though, was the bartender. His drinks were so beautiful and honestly made the whole experience what it was. Already looking forward to my next visit!

Didn't get to try it because we were turned away since we had a dog. It would be nice if they added that information to their website or yelp since most places are dog friendly outside but not this place.