We booked a table for 7pm but were not seated until 7:20 which was disappointing. The food was very good and we enjoyed the Prix fixe menu. Also no signage on the outside of the building makes it tricky to find!
ChristineD
It took over 45 minutes for our salads to come. The vegetarian pasta was not very good and the scallops were chewy. For what was supposed to be fine dining it was very mediocre. 
Alicia P
I was treated to my birthday dinner here last weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. Situated on the second floor of the Kimpton Alma Hotel, Chef Neroni envisioned an intimate , "Mad Men" chic, "James Bond-esque" space, and I think he accomplished that.We sipped cocktails with 80s inspired names like Fantasy Island, Rick James and Magnum PI. I had an Alma G&T that was a little on the sweet side. But our server Aria took care of that by adding a little soda water. Aria answered all our questions and made sure that we had everything we needed.We ordered the tartare, kale and citrus salad, lobster bucatini and whole fish. We enjoyed the meal overall! The beef tartare, although delicious, I felt the meat's flavor was hidden by the seasoning. The bucatini was perfectly al dente with a nice amount of lobster pieces. The kale and citrus salad with beets was perfect. It cleansed the palate, dressed with a light citrus vinegrette. Lastly, and the pièce de resistance was the whole fish, which barely fit in the serving dish! The local bass was de-boned and was half dressed with schug, a paste made with cilantro and half harissa, made with red chili's!! Wow, two very different flavors!! It was served with freshly made blue tortillas and Indian rice. We initially mistakenly thought the rice was undercooked. But now realize the crispness was intentional.Lastly, I ordered the basque cheesecake for my birthday treat! It was delicious, topped with meringue and served with a side of horchata ice cream! It certainly topped off a great meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ammar Al Zhrani
My dining experience was truly outstanding. The cuisine was both innovative and delicious. The Beef Cheek, in particular, was expertly prepared. The ambiance was warm and inviting, and our servers, Aria and Ryan, provided impeccable service. I highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to returning soon.Note: all my order was made as recommended by Ryan and Aria ?? I loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cindy Wang
Date night has never been better especially when it’s at The Desmond The beautiful restaurant is located in the chic Stay Alma The Desmond focuses on using fresh seasonal ingredients to create elevated and creative dishes. Everything is made in house including their pastas as well as their beautiful desserts created by the amazing pastry chef Kari. Special shout out to Ryan and his staff For the impeccable service.? Bread service: warm fluffy rosemary garlic focaccia bread with whipped ricotta? Octopus al Pastor: tender harissa marinated octopus, avocado salsa, pickled onions on a tostada? Sweet potato gnocchi: flavorful duck confit, candied pearl onions, madeira sauce Lobster bucatini: charcoal pasta, uni butter, huge chunks of lobster? Braised beef cheek: unbelievably tender, guajillo tomatillo salsa, grilled avocado? Warm chocolate cake: gooey melted center and baileys ice cream? Lemon hibiscus tart: toasted meringue, berry coulis
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Valentine's experience was the worst dining experience of my life; no exaggeration. Every dish was bad. No combos between savory, sweet, and sour. Just one at a time. Meat savory? Sauce savory. In fact, everything was savory. Terrible music. Not even remotely romantic. Just hip hop. Never coming back again.
JabariB
I want to say that the customer service was good but for us that where it stopped. Came here for Valentine's Day and when we made our reservation online 3 days prior, it gave the choice of the Valentine's Menu OR A La carte option. To our surprise when we arrived they said the chef was only doing the valentine menu. This was extremely disappointing as we didn't get the food options we thought we were going to have. Also there was no other nice venue to go dine so last minute. To say the least we were not huge fans of the condensed valentine menu. Was expecting a nice dining experience but we were heavily disappointed. Will not be returning here.
Sara Usmani
Waitress was nice. Fun vibes. And food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Mark Williams
Both times I've been to the Desmond I've been treated the same. Both times the restaurant had less than 7 couples at different tables. I was there with my beautiful girlfriend who is white, I'm African American. We were the best dressed couple in the restaurant, but yet when we were shown to our table. We were ushered past all the white couples who were sitting in the front section. We were seated in the back room behind a pillar next to the cashier station. We sat there enjoyed each other's company and vowed to never come back to The Desmond. The racial discrimination by the staff was quite obvious to us and the other patrons. The Desmond management and staff should stop this racial discrimination practice that is still prominent in many fine dining establishment in SD.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Virginie Drouot
Little gem in the Gaslamp District, away from the crowds, upscale. Love the atmosphere and the decor, the staff and service are really nice and most important the food is DE-LI-CIOUS. The sweet potato gnocchis are a must, and the Budino dessert to die for. Can’t wait to be back.
We had the most amazing dinner! Randi our server was attentive, helpful in making suggestions, and ensured we had the best experience! The food was phenomenal- the carrot agnolotti was spectacular, the orange and kale salad was perfectly seasoned, and the whipped ricotta appetizer was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. And you have to try the Crème Brûlée- the sugar was just the right thickness and caramelization! Ambience was hip but quiet and just right for friends to talk and catch up. For the quality, the price was very reasonable.
The atmosphere was great, the Staff was superb, the cocktails were wonderful, and the food was amazing - BUT... the service was incredible and RANDY was outstanding in every way. Personable and friendly and a terrific server. We had a lovely evening and would return over and over again... <3
Peter Fuzesi
Absolutely love the Desmond - had dinners here several time and service and quality of food is top notch all the time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachael P.
Lovely dinner, great ambiance, funky playlist, and wonderful service! We loved the octopus appetizer, the Beef Cheeks and gnocchi. All the sauces were very tasty and added a nice element to the dishes. Aria was a phenomenal server, she was friendly and described all the dishes perfectly! Highly recommend.
Jean
We were overnighting in San Diego at the Kimpton Alba and decided to take advantage of in house restaurant, The Desmond. Upon entering I was taken aback by the cavernous feel of the space and the lack of warmth in the decor. The staff and the food were the best part of the evening. Our waiter was friendly and explained the menu's options. I had the octopus tostada which was amazing, a creative presentation of tender octopus and greens. My husband and I both had the scallops, again perfectly cooked. We passed on dessert but the wine we had at staffs recommendation was perfect. Also had a nice conversation with manager who stopped to talk. Still feel ambivalent about decor but I'd go back for the menu.
We booked a table for 7pm but were not seated until 7:20 which was disappointing. The food was very good and we enjoyed the Prix fixe menu. Also no signage on the outside of the building makes it tricky to find!
It took over 45 minutes for our salads to come. The vegetarian pasta was not very good and the scallops were chewy. For what was supposed to be fine dining it was very mediocre. 
I was treated to my birthday dinner here last weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. Situated on the second floor of the Kimpton Alma Hotel, Chef Neroni envisioned an intimate , "Mad Men" chic, "James Bond-esque" space, and I think he accomplished that.We sipped cocktails with 80s inspired names like Fantasy Island, Rick James and Magnum PI. I had an Alma G&T that was a little on the sweet side. But our server Aria took care of that by adding a little soda water. Aria answered all our questions and made sure that we had everything we needed.We ordered the tartare, kale and citrus salad, lobster bucatini and whole fish. We enjoyed the meal overall! The beef tartare, although delicious, I felt the meat's flavor was hidden by the seasoning. The bucatini was perfectly al dente with a nice amount of lobster pieces. The kale and citrus salad with beets was perfect. It cleansed the palate, dressed with a light citrus vinegrette. Lastly, and the pièce de resistance was the whole fish, which barely fit in the serving dish! The local bass was de-boned and was half dressed with schug, a paste made with cilantro and half harissa, made with red chili's!! Wow, two very different flavors!! It was served with freshly made blue tortillas and Indian rice. We initially mistakenly thought the rice was undercooked. But now realize the crispness was intentional.Lastly, I ordered the basque cheesecake for my birthday treat! It was delicious, topped with meringue and served with a side of horchata ice cream! It certainly topped off a great meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
My dining experience was truly outstanding. The cuisine was both innovative and delicious. The Beef Cheek, in particular, was expertly prepared. The ambiance was warm and inviting, and our servers, Aria and Ryan, provided impeccable service. I highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to returning soon.Note: all my order was made as recommended by Ryan and Aria ?? I loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Date night has never been better especially when it’s at The Desmond The beautiful restaurant is located in the chic Stay Alma The Desmond focuses on using fresh seasonal ingredients to create elevated and creative dishes. Everything is made in house including their pastas as well as their beautiful desserts created by the amazing pastry chef Kari. Special shout out to Ryan and his staff For the impeccable service.? Bread service: warm fluffy rosemary garlic focaccia bread with whipped ricotta? Octopus al Pastor: tender harissa marinated octopus, avocado salsa, pickled onions on a tostada? Sweet potato gnocchi: flavorful duck confit, candied pearl onions, madeira sauce Lobster bucatini: charcoal pasta, uni butter, huge chunks of lobster? Braised beef cheek: unbelievably tender, guajillo tomatillo salsa, grilled avocado? Warm chocolate cake: gooey melted center and baileys ice cream? Lemon hibiscus tart: toasted meringue, berry coulis
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Valentine's experience was the worst dining experience of my life; no exaggeration. Every dish was bad. No combos between savory, sweet, and sour. Just one at a time. Meat savory? Sauce savory. In fact, everything was savory. Terrible music. Not even remotely romantic. Just hip hop. Never coming back again.
I want to say that the customer service was good but for us that where it stopped. Came here for Valentine's Day and when we made our reservation online 3 days prior, it gave the choice of the Valentine's Menu OR A La carte option. To our surprise when we arrived they said the chef was only doing the valentine menu. This was extremely disappointing as we didn't get the food options we thought we were going to have. Also there was no other nice venue to go dine so last minute. To say the least we were not huge fans of the condensed valentine menu. Was expecting a nice dining experience but we were heavily disappointed. Will not be returning here.
Waitress was nice. Fun vibes. And food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Both times I've been to the Desmond I've been treated the same. Both times the restaurant had less than 7 couples at different tables. I was there with my beautiful girlfriend who is white, I'm African American. We were the best dressed couple in the restaurant, but yet when we were shown to our table. We were ushered past all the white couples who were sitting in the front section. We were seated in the back room behind a pillar next to the cashier station. We sat there enjoyed each other's company and vowed to never come back to The Desmond. The racial discrimination by the staff was quite obvious to us and the other patrons. The Desmond management and staff should stop this racial discrimination practice that is still prominent in many fine dining establishment in SD.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Little gem in the Gaslamp District, away from the crowds, upscale. Love the atmosphere and the decor, the staff and service are really nice and most important the food is DE-LI-CIOUS. The sweet potato gnocchis are a must, and the Budino dessert to die for. Can’t wait to be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We had the most amazing dinner! Randi our server was attentive, helpful in making suggestions, and ensured we had the best experience! The food was phenomenal- the carrot agnolotti was spectacular, the orange and kale salad was perfectly seasoned, and the whipped ricotta appetizer was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. And you have to try the Crème Brûlée- the sugar was just the right thickness and caramelization! Ambience was hip but quiet and just right for friends to talk and catch up. For the quality, the price was very reasonable.
The atmosphere was great, the Staff was superb, the cocktails were wonderful, and the food was amazing - BUT... the service was incredible and RANDY was outstanding in every way. Personable and friendly and a terrific server. We had a lovely evening and would return over and over again... <3
Absolutely love the Desmond - had dinners here several time and service and quality of food is top notch all the time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely dinner, great ambiance, funky playlist, and wonderful service! We loved the octopus appetizer, the Beef Cheeks and gnocchi. All the sauces were very tasty and added a nice element to the dishes. Aria was a phenomenal server, she was friendly and described all the dishes perfectly! Highly recommend.
We were overnighting in San Diego at the Kimpton Alba and decided to take advantage of in house restaurant, The Desmond. Upon entering I was taken aback by the cavernous feel of the space and the lack of warmth in the decor. The staff and the food were the best part of the evening. Our waiter was friendly and explained the menu's options. I had the octopus tostada which was amazing, a creative presentation of tender octopus and greens. My husband and I both had the scallops, again perfectly cooked. We passed on dessert but the wine we had at staffs recommendation was perfect. Also had a nice conversation with manager who stopped to talk. Still feel ambivalent about decor but I'd go back for the menu.