Pete Smells
Well run restaurant with good business model. Food good, prices reasonable, nice atmosphere. Only disappointment amoung 7 dishes was fish sandwich which was heavy on filler, light on fish. Lots of wannabe Housewives of the OC walking around if you dig that sort of thing. Big markdown for selling “Chilean Sea Bass” which is an endangered fish being illegally strip mined from the Southern Ocean. Delicious but unethical to eat or serve. So disappointing. Lots of creative NA cocktails which looked interesting. Weird that wine offerings do not include vintages; tough to know if price is reasonable.
… moreAvishai Adato
Nick’s Del Mar never disappoints! From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with ocean views, an inviting atmosphere, and top-notch service that makes every visit feel special. The menu is packed with fresh, flavorful dishes, from the perfectly cooked steaks and seafood to their famous fried chicken and house specialties, everything is consistently excellent.
The cocktails are well-crafted, the wine list is impressive, and the staff goes above and beyond to make sure you’re taken care of. Whether you’re here for a casual lunch, a date night, or celebrating something special, Nick’s Del Mar offers the perfect blend of upscale dining and relaxed coastal vibes.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for great food, great drinks, and great service.
… moreShiv
Great selection of drinks and plenty of option for dinner. The veggie burritos was delicious. The portion size was large. Speciality drinks!!!
I’ll definitely be back for more.
… moreFrida Kahlo
Nick’s Del Mar ALMOST has it all. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is really nice without being stuffy, the prices are on par with the quality of the food, and the servers are friendly. The only issue is that the service is a little…spotty? I’m talking about things like having to ask for water even though refills have been signaled by setting the empty glasses near the edge of the table, long waits between being checked on, and forgetting items here and there. It’s not a big enough deal for me to miss out on amazing food in a cute restaurant, but it does take away from the experience a bit. Still, the food is great! I highly recommend the salmon. ♥
… moreChris Barsoum
Food and vibes were excellent. The prime rib sandwich was delicious and equally as good was the rigatoni.
The one thing that bothered me is when we ordered the spicy Rigatoni which was $25, we were asked if we wanted to add chicken. We said yes but what we didnt know is that it made the dish $40. When we asked our waiter he said the chicken was an extra $14 (which didnt add up to begin with) even though if you were to add chicken to a salad, it’s only $8. He asked if we need a manager to which i declined. Not a big deal, but kind of annoying that we had to find out this way.
… moreZan Lee
Stopped in for my first time this past weekend and honestly really enjoyed it. I am from San Diego but live in Los Angeles now and this place really reminds me a lot of Honor Bar and Hillstone. It’s a really high-end traditional American cuisine in a really bright and open space. The menu has a lot of great options on it and our server was very polite. It’s inside a shopping center and there is a multi story free parking garage attached.
For my dinner, I chose the Classic Ribeye Melt and thought it was fantastic. The Parmesan crusted bread was one of the selling points for me and I thought it was honestly really good. All of their drinks were great and I already want to come back again soon to try more items. I would recommend.
… moreLisa Gipson
We love Nick’s Del Mar — have eaten there many times! Usually the service is awesome; food and drinks are always good. Favorite dishes include: buttermilk fried chicken (serves two as it comes with two full boneless chicken breasts; if we share, we order an additional side of mashed potatoes); Chicken piccata (again, a large portion with two boneless chicken breasts) — so good! The Chilean sea bass and blackened fish sandwich are favorites as well. I recommend making reservations, but they do take walk-ins.
… moreErik Adolfsson
We had a great experience at Nick’s Del Mar — the food and atmosphere are excellent. One piece of feedback worth sharing: we were disappointed to find that dogs aren’t allowed on the patio. In San Diego, dog-friendly patios are very common and a big draw for locals. It would be wonderful if management considered allowing well-behaved dogs in that beautiful outdoor space.
… moreMaria Mnatsakanova
Delicious – that’s the word I’d use if someone asked me to describe this restaurant in one word. I’ve been here three times, and every time, the food has been excellent – everything I’ve ordered has been very tasty.
I love Cioppino , enjoyed their meatloaf on a cold, rainy day, and was seriously impressed with their California salad, very, very good if you like sweet salads with nuts. Their famous Butternut Cake is also amazing.
I appreciate that Nick’s offers real, healthy food for kids: steak or salmon, just in a smaller portion. I also like friendly service.
As for the atmosphere, it’s not the main focus here. The space is simple, not much decor here, although the lighting is pretty, but i wouldn’t call this restaurant beautiful. If the weather is nice, outdoor seating is a great option, and it’s much cozier there.
… moreElka
Update 3/28/25 We made reservations for after 8. We were offered a seat at a bar table outside and asked for a table with chairs. First, we tried the asparagus with ranch. Then we tried the clam chowder which was tasty, although it could have been hotter. The broth was thinner than I like and some pieces of the clams were a little hard. It was homemade with pieces of potato. I had the chicken with mashed potatoes and arugula. Everything was fresh and delicious. I tried a Mescal Old Fashioned. The chicken sandwich was also delicious. We split the banana dessert and were pleasantly surprised by the chocolate layer.
There was a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. We tried the salmon and three bistro meal. The salmon was amazing and had this lovely tower of mashed potatoes. The soup was good, although it was about half a cup. We also tried an artichoke dip and chip appetizer. The dip was good. We sat at a booth close to the server station so there was a lot of sound behind us. There was a whirling brush glass cleaner that was fun to watch. It was great to see they are so careful to make sure lipstick and stains are removed.
There were two clean, dimly lit bathroom stalls and they had a place to hang your purse.
I hope to return to try dessert this time!
… more