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The Wellington Steak & Martini Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Steakhouses Nightlife Bars Lounges Steakhouses, Lounges [Edit]
729 W Washington St(between Eagle St & 7th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
Neighbourhood: Mission Hills
(619) 295-6001
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
153 reviews for The Wellington Steak & Martini Lounge
Review Highlights
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"The fries and mac and cheese were HEAVEN." In 35 reviews -
"The sweet potato fries were crispy and excellent though." In 9 reviews -
"definitely get the banana cream pie." In 5 reviews
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153 reviews in English
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Review from Yui T.
San Diego, CA
4/24/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Raspberry truffle tini.... Youre the best martini i've ever had.. :) (coming from a girl who HATES martinis the most.. They're too strong for my taste)
The 3 course dinner is a fantastic deal..
Salad was awesome and it was a huge portion.. :) the salad dressing is especially great! I usually hate blue cheese the most.. But the kind of cheese they use but in this salad goes well together with the salad creating an awesome flavor.. :) the cheese really melts in your mouth..
Comes the beef wellington that i was waiting for.. Pay attention to the beef texture.. The pastry? It tasted awesome!! The sauce and green veggies were awesome.. Veggies were cooked to perfection..
Comes the dessert... It wasnt that great at the first bite and i hate pistachio ice cream.. I really wanted to hate the ice cream but i couldnt.. It tasted awesome too.. The crumbs, the pistachio, it came together.. Create a disneyland in your mouth.. Haha
Highlight is definitely their signature wellington. Yes i'll definitely be back for more wellington and martinis :) -
Review from JNadene A.
San Diego, CA
4/30/2012
Quoting from another reviewer "Like all the other reviews say- it's small, romantic, and pricey. Great date spot if you are celebrating something special." Just don't come in too dressy. It is a dressy spot, but I felt my date and I were a little too over dressed. There were guests in their with jeans and nice t-shirt - that doesn't count. The atmosphere was nice, a bit too small for me. When I first walked in, I thought I went in the wrong way! There was no host counter or anything, you're immediate in the center of the whole thing! The place was super dark too with flickering lights.
Other than that, the food was good. I liked it a lot. the pasty of the beef wellington was nice and buttery. My date didn't agree too much, but he said it was good. The veggies were great. -
Review from Meghan M.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
4 of us went for a celebration this weekend to the Wellington. It was all of our first times. I had a Cosmo and a long island. The Cosmo was weak but the long island was like a mojito and a long island had a baby- it was absolutely delicious.
We got the cheese board and the crab cakes. Cheese board-amazing, crab cakes-ehh just okay.
My boyfriend and I split the beef wellington and the fish special-both were awesome!
Like all the other reviews say- it's small, romantic, and pricey. Great date spot if you are celebrating something special. -
Review from Sherman T.
Palm Springs, CA
5/21/2012
Great place for a special date or occasion, service and food is fantastic!!!
-
Review from Kris S.
San Diego, CA
4/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable
It has that nice "romantic atmosphere"(whatever that means).
But surprisingly this place is a little small. But that's how it was, when it was the Blue Lotus.
My date was complaining that the place was too dark (In hindsight, I didn't want to see her anyway).
Besides that. The food was good, a little on the pricey side, but hey you pay to play here.
At The End: My wallet was empty, my horrible date didn't even say thank you, and she walked away with a full gut of mammal tendons and muscle! I know she was eye ballin' that last piece of bread, "No,...no you can have it." she said. "Ummm! This bread is SO delicious!" I closed my eyes in ecstacy. Yeah! I'm glad I took that bread! -
Review from Ana B.
San Diego, CA
5/24/2012
We reserved a table for a nice Friday night dinner after wanting to try Beef Wellington for sooo long. The first thing - bar was really dark and the whole restaurant is small, so have that in mind if you are big company. It reminded me more of a night club than a restaurant, but this is my opinion. Drinks were great, we enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner as well. We both had the Beef Wellington which we came for, it was.. a little bland. The beef itself was cooked perfect and I am guessing their steaks are good too, but for a $200 something bill I really expected more. It just wasn't a satisfying experience for me and didn't leave me with the feeling I want to go back.
-
Review from Tamara R.
San Diego, CA
4/18/2012
Dark & sexy..this is a place to frequent when you are newly dating, dabbling, or investigating new favorite places to hide.
Don't expect to have a well-lit menu/food/drink because you won't find it here.
Folks come to be quiet, romantic, on-the-sly...
Enjoy :) -
Review from Meagan D.
3/20/2012
I took one star off in defference to the BF who still believes that Donovan's wins the steakhouse race (out of the places we have eaten.)
I, however, believe Wellington is the hands down winner of steak. Unlike the upscale chains, I didn't have a single complaint about my meat, the sides, anything at all really. My steak was perfect. My sauce (I opted for the red wine) was perfect. His steak was perfect but he wasn't exactly a fan of the chimichurri sauce. I think the green color bothered him (he hates green things like whoa.) My mac and cheese was divine and the home grown veggies were delicious. The mashed potatoes were tasty as well. I heard the mushrooms were good, but I didn't try them. I'm not a fun-guy lover.
I will say that I was almost shocked by the size of the place - it's tiny! But do not let that keep you away - just make reservations because chances are you'll need them. Also - ladies! If you're wearing cute heels tread carefully. I slipped a few times because the floor is slick (I have the same problem at Red Door so I purposefully wore my heels with rubber on the sole, but it didn't help much).
Fellas, if you're looking for a place to get your steak on and make a good impression. Go here. Just make it a special occasion because it's not a cheap date, unless it's a Sunday and you want Beef Wellington. Then you'll impress and save with the three course $40 meal.Listed in: Wine me, dine me...
-
Review from Julia E.
San Diego, CA
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend was craving steak so we yelped steakhouse. We made reservations. We arrive at the place and it indeed is VERY small. Cool, i say, more personal and romantic...NOT. The lights kept flickering annoyingly, almost like they were going to turn OFF. The waiters/waitresses weren't very attentive and even the food wasn't anything for me to brag about..
However, I would only go back there for their mac-n-cheese side order. It was so damn fantastic.
After we paid for the meal, as we were leaving, no one said 'good bye' or 'come again' like any decent restaurant would do. And the search for the best steak continues.. -
Review from Laurence H.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Small old-school steak house in San Diego. A friend raved about this place but I rate this place as average.
-
Review from Jamie M.
Moreno Valley, CA
4/18/2012
I took my husband here for his birthday. The food and service were amazing. We had the cheese plate and braised pork cheek for appetizers. The pork melted in our mouths and was bursting with flavor. My husband had the ribeye and I had the filet. Both steaks were cooked to perfection. My husband even liked the peas that were part of the vegetable side....he NEVER likes peas. Finally they brought my husband a chocolatey birthday surprise. It was a perfect meal.
It is a small space, but we thought it was perfect for a special occasion. If you are in San Diego, you must go here!! -
Review from Yoshi R.
San Diego, CA
4/29/2012
Love it, love it, love it!!! Need I say more?
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Review from Jeccica K.
San Diego, CA
4/10/2012
Went on a Monday night so it wasn't busy. Very intimate, small, dark, and classy. There are only about ten tables which means faster and more personal service.
Me and my four other starving girlfriends ordered two Wellington Steaks with two sides with a 6oz fillet minion and another Top sirloin with mash potatoes, sweet potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, chef's veges, and the famous mac n cheese.
We got all the steaks medium rare, I advise you to be specific about the temperature of the steak when the server asks you because some parts of the steak in the middle was very soft and too pink we had to Togo some home couldn't handle all the rare pink business.
The steaks are thick and not too salty. It's perfect with the garlic dip sauce and ask the server which sauce best compliments with the steak. They will tell you and just listen if you are new at steak dining.
Overall, great dining experience. Not really a young and hip vibe because the jazzy music and the dim lights will give you that extra kick in that food coma towards the end of your meal.
Steak was great. Good quality. Main Dishes run from $28-$38. It's a luxury meal. If its someones birthday they top it off with a Belgium Chocolate mousse topped with a cute raspberry and whipped cream. It was creamy, thick, and salivating. -
Review from Erika G.
San Diego, CA
4/12/2012
Meh!
I am 29 years old... with that being said, Id like to tell you that i couldnt even read the menu it was so dark. I felt like one of those old blind, def people that complain.
I was super excited about eating here bc Ive heard such great things from people and all of the reviews on yelp.... but they all let me down.
Between 6 of us we pretty much ordered everything on the menu.
The food wasnt good by any means, but it wasnt disgusting either. The service was poor, our drinks took forever and our bill was MASSIVE.
If you want steak I say go somewhere else, the steak was by far the biggest disappointment of the night. There are so many other places in San Diego that have such good food, try those instead.
This place is good if you are going on a date with a guy you dont like, that you dont want to look at, or prefer to see him in the dark and if you want him to spend his hard earned money on a mediocore at best meal.
Im sorry wellington, I really wanted to love you but it just didnt work out... I still love the Red Door though.
Xo, -
Review from Jared G.
3/18/2012 Seated via OpenTable
When a restaurant names itself after a specific entree, you kind of expect it to be awesome. With that in mind, this place should be called "ambience". Dont get me wrong, if you're looking for a romantic, cozy, swanky, lounge-y spot with great service to get your post wine/dine swerve on, this is it. The Beef Wellington was fine- flaky crust, juicy cut of beef. The sauce seemed lacking, and it wasnt as flavorful as I would have hoped.
The proscuitto wrapped scallops were interesting, but a bit overcooked and dry. Again, a bit of a let down.
On the other hand, the service was excellent, the wine list was great, and the jazz duo rocked.
When it comes to fine dining, I'll definitely shell out some serious coin without batting an eye, but a restaurant labeled "$$$" should be on the money, not just expensive.
Check this place out on restaurant week. -
Review from Steve K.
San Diego, CA
5/8/2012
Always wanted to try this place and finally did the other night. I'll start with the positives:
Very intimate, cool, and dimly lit interior. The place is small but the tables and decor are very nice and remind me of being in Manhattan. Great martinis and i cannot express enough how great the service was from everyone in there. Very attentive staff and they take pride in their work.
Now the bad news...
The food was horrible. Maybe the best part of my meal was the bread with the salad second. Very poor cut of steak and cooked entirely wrong. I ordered a ribeye and it looked like a cut youd get at Sizzler. A good steak will have a light crisp on the outside and be tender in the middle. When you see criss-cross grill marks on your steak you know its gonna be bad. A ribeye should not be chewy on the outside! My girlfriend ordered scallops and they werent even seared on the outside. Probably microwaved. Even dessert was mediocre.
My grades
Service - A+++
Drinks - B+
Food - D
Ambiance - B+ -
Review from Sandra C.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent food--we had 8oz filet mignon with mac cheese and mushrooms as sides and cesar salad; and the Sunday prefix dinner of beef wellington, vegetables, wellington salad, and brownie sundae. Food was tasty. Mac cheese everyone craved about turned out to be true. (This is the same mac cheese served at the neighboring restaurant The Red Door, owned by same husband wife team).
What would make it 5 stars? Serve hot bread instead of crackers; put more cesar dressing in salad and have anchioves (not paste) available; and season the mushrooms with garlic and truffle oil.
Service was excellent--friendly, professional, and pleasant.
This is a small place, a little dark inside, and the lights flickered off and on several times.
We would definitely come back to eat here! -
Review from sitara s.
San Diego, CA
5/4/2012
This place is amazing! The filet mignon was to die for especially when paired with the peppercorn sauce and the dijon roasted potatoes. The side of vegetables could have definitely been better - we just got a few snap peas and some carrots - nothing very fancy
The spinach dip was also very very good as they gave different types of crackers/bread to go with it.
My only complaint was the drinks - I got a mojito and it was really weak and did not have much flavor either -
Review from Ryan A.
San Diego, CA
1/20/2012
Was looking forward to this place after a beaming review from my friend.
We had reservations for 5:15 pm, but got stuck in traffic. We called to let them know we might be late, "As long as you're done by 7:15 it's OK because we have the table reserved," was the answer. OK. Fine. We were late, we get it. But we arrived at the restaurant at 5:32 and mentioned our reservation. "We have to seat that table at 7:15," the hostess said, again. We got the point. Who couldn't finish dinner in 2 hours anyway?
The restaurant is small, dark, loud, and cold. The service is slow and rushed at once. Nonetheless, they didn't take our order until 5:50. Someone came by and put a small basket on our table without saying anything. I uncovered the basket to find baked flatbread.
Our drinks came out. They were excellent. The one redeeming quality, and the only reason it didn't get one star. But everytime they started the dishwasher, the lights dimmed. This happened over and over again.
The food came out. Not worth the price. Not even close.
I had the Beef Wellington, which came with veggies. The veggies were way undercooked. My carrots were raw. The beef wellington seemed pre-made (as in pre-frozen, stick in the oven and cook). They put some mushrooms between the beef and the dough which turned out to be nasty mush. They were clearly canned. The beef needed salt (of which there was none). It was supposed to come with a wine sauce; it must've had a tablespoon of sauce on the side. Overalll, disappointing and not worth the price. Not even close.
Skip this place. Just skip it. Seriously.
We left at 7. Just in time. -
Review from Zildheam D.
San Diego, CA
2/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
First things First: EXCELLENT service!
Everyone here is extremely professional and genuine.
The restaurant is very small, make reservations!
Great martinis and good food.
Here is our experience:
Ordered the pork cheek appetizer- Devine.
I ordered the scallops which i found to be on the
average side and over priced for the amount you get.
It was good, just not the best scallops i've ever had.
Boyfriend had the wellington (i should have had the wellington)!!!
This is served medium rare but it came very dry and well done,
the staff took care of it without a fuzz and we received apologies
and complimentary drinks. The second wellington we received was
perfect, moist, delicious and wrapped in a puff pastry, surrounded by
a thin layer of mushroom. You must order the wellington if you go here,
i did not and later regreted it. -
Review from Jennifer L.
La Jolla, CA
2/5/2012
I went for my 21st birthday dinner and it was such a great experience. I originally made a reservation for Sunday, but they said they were going to be closing for Superbowl Sunday, and because they felt bad canceling on my birthday the manager gave me free appetizers and desserts as well as a complimentary birthday martini. All on the house. Now this is EXCELLENT service.
The food was amazing. We all ordered the 6 oz. filet mignon with 2 sides, which was the perfect amount of food. The steak was perfectly cooked the way everyone ordered it.
I would recommend the mac and cheese it is so rich and creamy and the season veggies for a good balance. The butter sauce was also really good and paired nicely with the steak.
I would skip on the mashed potatoes and mushrooms. They were good, but not as good as some of the other side options.
The martinis were also delicious, but very strong so be prepared for that.
The desserts were very chocolatey, sweet, yet so good. Indulge if you have room after dinner (:
The reason why I didn't give it a full 5 stars is that the food took a long time to come out. Maybe it was because we were all starving, but that wait took a long time. Also, the restaurant itself is very dark for a romantic chic feel. I personally like restaurants to have light so I can see what I am eating, but if its feel the ambiance I guess its ok. Also, the place is very small maybe 10 tables max? So make a reservation before you come because all the tables were full when we were there!
Overall, great experience would come back again. Such a good deal $28 for a filet mignon with 2 sides and GREAT service everyone was so friendly and thoughtful. -
Review from Cindy A.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2012
This place is very dark, very small, and very romantic. It seems like the perfect date place. They have top notch steak and of course the Beef Wellington, which is what I had. It comes out medium rare, and very tender. It was delicious. The vegetables they served with it were cooked to perfection, crisp and tasty. The puff pastry was divine. I ate the whole thing, no leftovers!
The cocktail list was impressive and I had a hard time deciding on which to order. Everything was good, from the service to the comfortable seating to the food and drinks. It's a great place to get dressed up for and enjoy a romantic date night. Of course you need to be in the mood for steak as there isn't much else on the menu. I'm a huge fan of steak so no problems here. -
Review from Rafa D.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2012
Ok I have to admit it: this is a "Restaurant Week" review. This may mean nothing to you, but personally I don't give "Restaurant Week" reviews as much weight as the "any other week" reviews. That being said - I think the review is reflective of my experience. First off, the service and seating were spot on - so I'm not bagging on this venerable joint for that.
I had never been to THE WELL, so after reading Yelp reviews and the resto's own website claiming a sexy, intimate steak and martini place I had some pretty darned high expectations ("San Diego Magazine says "sexiest steakhouse"). The place fell short - sorry fellow Yelpers but I think you've oversold this place (err, maybe San Diego Magazine's fault). The place is small, not cozy or intimate, just small. I WAS feeling sexy this particular visit but THE WELL didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't get a romantic vibe from this place.
Here's the good stuff: The Wellington steak is pretty darned good. Even though it was RW, 2 of my friends ordered it for a small upcharge and I'd say it was worth it. The waiter recommended the 10 oz. Charolais New York Steak which I found lacking in flavor. It wasn't a very good piece of meat although it was cooked to the right temp. I think everyone's steak was cooked to their liking/preference so the kitchen staff is muy bueno. I should have stuck with the 6 oz. organic/grass fed steak but went with the waiter's recommendation. All the steak options are on their regular menu so they are fair game for comment and review. By far, not the best steak place in San Diego.
I think the desserts were "off menu" items so I won't really recommend/not recommend those. I did enjoy the peanut butter chocolate thingie and I tried a dining partner's white chocolate creme brulee which was quite delicious.
Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves but when we walked out of the place we weren't wow'd as we were expecting....we walked out satisfied. Maybe I'm just not an intimate space dining type guy but I can actually point to small establishments that I've rather enjoyed so honestly I think THE WELL is just overhyped. I think the "bang for the buck" quotient is off at this place.
I'm glad they have such positive reviews on Yelp and I wish I could be one more 5-star nail on the proverbial coffin but alas, the voice of dissention is sweet and I'm glad we are able to voice our opinion in this theocracy called YELP. -
Review from Chris P.
San Diego, CA
Diggin' the dark. Like most others have mentioned, small intimate setting. Still well spaced tables and bar, though. We went there the night before Valentine's Day for a semi-early dinner and there were only a couple other people in the restaurant but it started to fill up as time went on.
Started off with a Dirty Bombay Martini and Uptown Cosmo. The classic martini's happened to be on special for $8 each if I remember correctly. Good amount of alcohol in the drinks it seems.
Their Homemade Crackers were tasty, not too cheesy, and not too filling. Went well with our drinks.
Crab Cakes were a little spicier than most I've had but it was a welcome difference.
Jumbo lump crab, roasted bell peppers, kalamata olives, sun dried tomato, sweet basil dressing. Good stuff. Probably still prefer cranberry to their bell peppers but we enjoyed the cakes.
The Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops w/ veggies was cooked perfectly. I believe the menu does change a bit every once in awhile so when you go it might be Applewood Bacon Wrapped Scallops. I actually really liked that it wasn't bacon and really enjoyed the prosciutto.
I'm not a big Beef Wellington fan (I know, I went to a place called "The Wellington" and I'm not even a big beef wellington fan.) but the filet was cooked just right (medium rare) and the Cremini mushroom duxelle, puff pastry, and Madeira-Mushroom sauce all went very nice together. I wouldn't say that their wellington made me a fan of wellingtons... BUT I will say that the overall execution of this dish (and the other food we ate here) has made me a fan of their cooking skills in general.
And, yep, the Mac & Cheese side dish was very good. Be sure to try it out.
Wrapped things up with the Mini Banana Cream Pie which, by the way, is not mini. It's not mini for two people anyway. Came with a Graham Cracker-Walnut Crust, Chocolate & Caramel Sauces. It reads like it might be too sweet but it really isn't. Just the right amount of sweetness. Just the right amount of banana.
I'll definitely be back to try another one of their steak entrees. Service from the time we stepped into until the moment we were leaving was on point. I think someone here on Yelp mentioned that they were told that things move a little slowly here, purposely. I'd have to agree with this but it's far from being extremely slow and I actually kind of liked that things weren't moving at too frenetic a pace. We were really able to enjoy each others' company and relax in the ambiance. -
Review from Lisa W.
Can you say "eating in the dark"? I bought a coupon from bloomspot for the 3 prix fix meal for 2 people. It was a great deal! I've been wanting to try to this place and the opportunity was just right.
The place is not hard to miss, it has "Wellington" in big words (yet I still missed it) It was still really sunny outside, so when we opened the door into this place, it was like night! The place was so dark, my eyes had to adjust for awhile. It was hard to read the menu. The food was good. I got the Wellington salad, which was good. Then I got the shrimp scampi. It was good, but the portion was small (it's the coupon size), there were only 3 shrimp for 2 of us? Why not just put another one. I guess that was a big deal, but it was good. The entree part was plentiful though. I got the organic filet, which was really tender and good. Cook perfect and seasoned well. My sides were sweet potato fries and the sauteed mushrooms. Both were good. I also tried the macaroni and cheese and finished about half of it from the bowl. And how did I know that mac & cheese was good? My stomach started hurting after! And for me, that just means it's made from real cheese, I'm lactose intolerance! So it just means, it was rich in cheese and was it really good.
Service wise-it was slow, not the best service I had at a "fancy" 3 dollar sign place. It took the service a while before he actually took our drink orders then orders. And food coming out was so slow. I was half way done with my wine before the salad even came out... How long does it take to make a salad? And it wasn't busy when we came, there were only 3 other parties. Also I asked for ketchup for my fries and it never came. If the food wasn't good this place would have gotten a 2.5 or 3. Service was poor. -
Review from Frank D.
San Diego, CA
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is the only place I know I can get a beef wellington!
Super dark in here. The one thing that bothered me is that the lights kept going dim and bright, dim and bright. They need to get an electrician to come in and examine that, not a good thing.
Anyway, excellent beef wellington. I had a great experience here.
The gentleman whose name starts with a V and i cant pronounce, treated us with so much care and profesionalism. Good date spot! -
Review from Jennifer P.
San Diego, CA
1/17/2012
Cool space. Small and quaint. Great service. Large portions.
My steak was amazing, sides were good, dessert was okay.
Easy parking was a plus! -
Review from Amy D.
San Diego, CA
4/1/2012
I definitely had high expectations for this place after reading all the awesome reviews but was completely disappointed.
I took my husband (a very non picky eater) out for date night.
We both loooooove steak! Did somebody say steak??? Lol
Unfortunately we both were not impressed with anything but the service and decor. Steak wasn't anything close to even good. For the cost I expected something better than Outback, but honestly it was more like Denny's.
I hate having to write a bad review, but I was so mad after spending $135 bucks on dinner (even during happy hour, we both ordered only one drink) and left thinking I should have just made dinner at home.
The specialty drink was too sugary, pinot noir was ehh, their wellington overrated, filet was sad and in the end left us not wanting to order dessert, I LOVE dessert!!! One of my favorite courses fo sho! We went through the drive-thru instead at McDonalds to get some soft serves. -
Review from Michelle B.
San Diego, CA
1/16/2012
Small, romantic, and delicious.
The waiter was perfect. He knew his job and actually seemed to like it!
We started with Lemon Drops before ordering the Crab Cakes.
The Crab Cakes were the second best I have ever had. They were browned on each side and not sitting in a pool of grease (yeah). The crab was fresh and there was little or fillers. You have to try them.
We both ordered the Beef Bourganion which was by far the best I have ever had. I was disappointed it was served with fusilli and not tagliatelle. For a side I had the vegetables which were in season and also not sitting in a pool of butter (another yeah).
Desert was the Fruit Cobbler. It was served at room tempeture, had a streusel topping and a small scoop of ice cream. Since the cobbler was not steaming hot the ice was not a pool of sugary cream (yeah again).
There is a small bar that seats maybe 6 people. -
Review from H L.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2012
We came here for restaurant week. The atmosphere was like walking into a ballroom. Black drapes on all the walls. Chandeliers hung above, though the place was extremely dim.
We were served this amazing flat bread. For my appetizer I selected the Creole Shrimp - white shrimp sautéed with onion, celery, green bell pepper & garlic; finished with cajun spices, white wine & cream served with a crispy three-cheese polenta cake. This dish was amazing, with hint of heat and spice. For my main course I had the 10 oz Charolais New York Steak with a maitre'd butter sauce. Side of asaragus spears and sweet potato fries. The meat was nice and tender, perfectly cooked. For dessert I had the Raspberry Panna Cotta. The food was amazing, well seasoned. The service was amazing.
This is a very small restaurant, I recommend making reservations ahead of time. People were turned away at the door because all the tables were reserved. At most I think this restaurant seats less then 30 people. The service is amazing. -
Review from jennifer c.
Stateline, NV
Updated - 2/23/2012
My first review was supposed to be 5 stars,not 4 stars.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/18/2011
This is one of my all time favorite places in San Diego.It is dark and mysterious and very cozy.I… Read more »
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Review from Brian K.
10/3/2011
Cute, dimly-lit, 10-table restaurant with a lively atmosphere.
Perfect to take a date or out-of-towners to show them a different side of San Diego. I took my mother out for a celebratory dinner and we both loved the experience.
I generally prefer a dry- or wet- aged, corn- or grain- finished steak that's been graded Prime. I prefer it cooked over mesquite, heating it to achieve a rare or medium-rare finish and use only sea salt and freshly-ground pepper. Wellington will not serve it to you this way =(
The farm-to-table movement says my preferences are a no-no.
The MOST important thing to realize about Wellington is that if you're used to "steakhouse"-type steaks, you may be sorely disappointed here. It's not that either is inferior but just different; keep an open mind. For one, the steaks are neither buttered nor salted. If it's too bland for your liking, ask for salt or béarnaise .
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Steak tartare: sour with too many capers; it was so minced that it felt like tuna salad. Total dud except the Sadie Rose Bakery bread!
Beef Wellington: was hoping it was traditional with pate. Still satisfying.
Filet mignon (chimichurri sauce on top): some would call this bland but you get to taste the beef and the sauce in their intended forms.
Mac n' cheese: creamy and delicious.
Roasted potatoes: average.
Sauteed mushrooms: delicious, I sensed cheating (truffle oil)
Mini banana cream pie: nice finish to our meal; not too sweet.
Cakebread '06 Syrah: I brought this special bottle from home. -
Review from Christina B.
Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
1/16/2012
My boyfriend and I came here on Sunday which coincided with restaurant week. While I love restaurant week I was disappointed that The Wellington didn't offer it's namesake on the restaurant week menu. HOWEVER, according to the website there is a Sunday menu that DOES offer the infamous beef wellington. I mentioned this to the server and she brought the menu out for me. Ask and ye shall receive!
Anyway, beef Wellington is served rare so if that's not something you fancy then I wouldn't recommend it for you. That being said, sucks for you because it is amazing! The filet itself is lightly salted and encompassed in a delish mushroom duxelles (traditional beef Wellington has a liver pate, I am not a fan of organs so thank you for making this item more palatable) and finally wrapped in a buttery crisp pastry. Side veggies were okay, not amazing but whatever. If I was the chef I'd toss out the green beans, sugar snap peas and broccoli. Get on the bandwagon and just offer the bacon brussels sprouts. They were tasty!
Lastly, the martinis. Again, you can't go to a restaurant and not have their namesake... I tried the cucumber martini. I'm no martini connoisseur but I liked it. I thought that the cucumber syrup was refreshing and that the drink was strong.
I deducted a star because of the too dark decor. While it is romantic and intimate and hides the ugly couple sitting next to you ( kidding) it's a little too dark. I recommend putting in a larger candle in a white or clear votive to help reflect light. Also, the chandeliers are gorgeous but they need to bring in an electrician to fix the power surge flickering. I felt like I was at the haunted mansion at Disneyland!
In conclusion, yes I recommend this restaurant. Despite my gripes I'd come back again and again. -
Review from Ron K.
Santee, CA
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
My wife and I brought her mom here for dinner on a Sunday night. Small, cute place with excellent food. The service wasn't bad, but also wasn't great. I can't say it was negative but a little bit more enthusiasm and attention would have made it five star.
We took advantage of the Sunday Night Special, $38 for three courses. Salad, Beef Wellington, and Dessert. The food was superb. The portions were perfect. The wellington itself was to die for. Tender and delicious.
The drinks are pricey, which was expected, but they do offer some very unique martinis and some classic cocktails. At $10-$15 for a drink though, you should be prepared for that up front.
The restaurant is small, make a reservation and ask for a booth (there are only two) and enjoy the experience.
One final note, one of the booths is right by the door. If you have an early reservation it can be a bit annoying to have the door open and close. It's very dark inside and when the door opens the sunlight blinds you. -
Review from Victoria F.
Chula Vista, CA
4/23/2012
This place really surprised me. I went here for my 5th year wedding anniversary. We originally had reservations at the Valencia hotel La Jolla for a private deck over looking the ocean. However, because it was raining they called to cancel our reservation, so we had no where to go for our anniversary. So we searched for nice restaurants that would take last minute reservations. We stumbled upon Wellingtons. They took our last minute reservation for an 8:30pm on a Friday. We walked in and were very skeptical. The place is tiny. We sat at the bar had a couple of drinks and wow they really know how to make a martini! We were chatting with the bartender, he was awesome and funny. Finally we sat at our table in the corner and ordered. My husband ordered a soup of cream of bell peppers and the beef wellington and I ordered the 6oz organic filet Mignon and a salad. OMG I couldn't believe how good the food was! It was so tender and seasoned exactly right. The service was impeccable. The decor is nice and elegant. Highly recommend this place for steak and martini's.
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Review from AJ M.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2012
Wow, worst service ever. After waiting for a table for 20 minutes. We sat and waited for a server to even acknowledge us for about 40 minutes. When he finally did it was because he saw us getting up and walking out. I told him we'd never be back, and we never will.
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Review from Leonard H.
San Diego, CA
3/21/2012
Very romantic setting for a restaurant. Dim lights and soft music set the tone for a nice evening. The food is excellent and the service is awesome. My medium rare Fillet Mignon was perfectly cooked.
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Review from Mo T.
San Diego, CA
3/5/2012
I absolutely love this place! My then fiance and daughters came here for my birthday and we had an awesome time. The service was great and very patient with 2 little girls.
I'd definitely suggest the macaroni and cheese, probably the best I've had anywhere. My daughters just salivated and still bug me to this day to bring them back to this place.
I ordered the beef wellington, which was quite a treat. very tasty! The very first time I've had it after seeing it on hells kitchen. It was all that!
This place is Definitely a must! -
Review from Fatn F.
San Diego, CA
9/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
So the reason why I wanted to try this place was because of Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsey. I always see the chefs make Beef Wellington so I finally turned to my husband and told him that I wanted to try it. We found this place and it had very good reviews.
I decided on a 3-course meal that was reasonably priced at $38. This included: Course #1 - Wellington salad. It included all my favorite things in a salad. Nuts, cheese, good dressing and mixed lettuce. The dressing was a creamy balsamic vinaigrette. Very tasty. Course #2 - Beef Wellington. This was the first time I had ever had this and it was AMAZING!!! The puff pastry had some finely chopped up mushrooms underneath it, then there was a juicy filet which was cooked perfectly(medium rare to medium). It also had a mushroom sauce and the one side was asparagus. Course #3 - ice cream sundae. The Ice cream was pistachio and it was on top of a moist brownie. The whole thing was covered in chocolate syrup.
I was so stuffed at the end of my meal, but I was so satisfied that I did not care! I will definitely go back to this place. The ambiance was very romantic and quaint. Music was not loo loud either. -
Review from Merry G.
San Diego, CA
3/9/2012
I went there last night for a girls night out and was very happy with the experience. From the outside you really cant tell if its successful or if you are going to be the only people there. I was please to see an almost packed house. I had the cucumber martini that was deliciously dangerous. All the food was excellent and I even had the my first brussel sprout and liked it. I will definitely return to The Wellington.
