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Saint James French Diner is a restaurant and bar blending the utilitarian nature of the American diner with the subtle elegance of French bistro cuisine. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, the menu is hearty and simple, yet refined by nature, paying homage to roadside food halls in Southern France.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 678-1007
Website: https://saintjamesfrenchdiner.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.comresy.com
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Reviews
Laura Victoria
I stayed on the hotel connected to this diner for 6 nights. Due to my stay, I was able to taste some dishes from breakfast (omelette /french toast with bacon & hash brown on the side) and dinner( onion soup /toasted chicken with mash potato on the side-the plate includes the side, the Parisian burger). All was good, the staff was really attentive and kind. The atmosphere was one of my favorite things. My favorite table is near the windows, really nice. The food is a good amount, maybe for some people the chicken might need more season or salt and in regard to the Parisian burger it might be too messy for some.
… moreJosh Baltazar
Heard that this place had nice French food, always wanted to try it but today was the actual day. We had a reservation for 6 pm and were seated right away. Really nice server throughout the whole night, that was very memorable how helpful she was. For food we ordered the Bouillabaisse Boil (snow crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, fennel), Burger Parisienne (caramelized onions, american cheese, sauce bordelaise) and a side of Ratatoullie. The Bouillabaisse Boil was one of the best things I’ve eaten. Fair warning it is quite buttery and garlicy but those are two things that I love. Also a ton of seafood, in my opinion I thought it was worth the price. The Burger was really good as well, meat was high quality and nice flavor. Overall amazing dishes, great service and also a great vibe.
… moreTam
What a memorable Burger! The Steak Frites also special and cooked perfectly. Thank you Chef. Ryan was a pro caring for the whole front of house — from greeting us, shaking up some great cocktails, and offering on point service.
Definitely will come back for HALF PRICE 3-6pm!!
Bonus: Enjoyed my liquid dessert on the lovely rooftop.
… moreDefinitely will come back for HALF PRICE 3-6pm!!
Bonus: Enjoyed my liquid dessert on the lovely rooftop.
Patricia V Waldron
Small diner-style bistro associated with the Palihotel. Limited but interesting menu. All the rave reviews about the burgers are right on. It’s enough to share.
We sat at the bar. Volume level can be high. Note that they have 1/2 price bottles of wine and Wednesdays and happy hour 4-6 weekdays.
… moreWe sat at the bar. Volume level can be high. Note that they have 1/2 price bottles of wine and Wednesdays and happy hour 4-6 weekdays.
Samuel Baek
On our way into the city we had to make an audible and do last minute dinner plans and luckily, Saint James French Diner had reservations open for a Saturday night. Thinking it would be difficult to get one at a restaurant in the heart of the Gaslamp District I was surprised by how easy it was to get a reservation and after eating here, even more surprised by this isn’t busier than it should be. Let me tell you about this great French restaurant.
Atmosphere
Very classy vibes with a feeling matching that of an alternative history where the late 1800s/early 1900s chic of French design took over the world. Vertical slats of wood frame the windows of the entrance with round tables placed in front. Teal hues cover the upper half of the walls with white subway tiles and maroon booths occupying the bottom. The bar takes the back half of the dining room space and this square design is stacked with bottles all around the perimeter, shone brightly from below. It feels cool just to dine here and by association, so are you.
Food
The food here is mostly hits with a few misses. Let’s talk about the best stuff first. Both the Moules Frites and the Steak Frites are fantastic. Fantastic frites! With the Moules Frites, the mussels were cooked perfectly and the sauce accompanying was divine. An easily drinkable sauce perfect for slurping up with the mussels or sopping up with the savory, perfectly crunchy bread that comes with it, everything crafted to make this dish made it a work of art. As for the Steak Frites, the fries were fried to a golden brown with the type of crispness you hope for with a thinner cut potato. With a sprinkling of rosemary on top when it soaks up the juices of the steak and green peppercorn sauce these fries become the fries of dreams and memories. The steak is also cooked to your preference and I highly recommend you order it medium rare. It’ll cook slightly more with the green peppercorn sauce, but it makes for a delectable cut of beef paired with the best texture juxtaposition to it.
The middle of the pack stuff had to be the beef bourguignon and the beef tartare. The beef is slowly cooked and braised over hours and it is tender to the touch, easily breaking apart under a fork. The noodles were also cooked perfectly. Mixed together with the sauce the dish should’ve been perfect. However, for something that looks like it should deliver a strong flavor it is quite mild and in some bites, dry. Still tasty and easy to eat but a bit underwhelming in flavor. The beef tartare is also an interesting color of green and gray. I think it has to do with the mixture of horseradish in the tartare. It gives the whole thing a slight nose burning sensation, but when the chunks of beef do come out it is a ray of sunshine to the tongue.
The lows had to be the sides that came with our meal. Not that sides are meant to be the show stoppers but they were just adequate enough to accompany our dishes. The asparagus was well cooked and seasoned but nothing unique to it. The same could be said about the green beans. The ratatouille, though pretty visually, was a dish you could have skipped and you wouldn’t have missed a thing.
Conclusion
I love boutique hotels and the fact such an amazing restaurant as Saint James is connected to the Pali Hotel would make me a fan of the hotel even more if I was staying here. Rarely do hotel restaurants stand their ground on their own. But Saint James not only stands on its own two feet, but it is dancing in great food with a chic vibe. It’s hard not to smile when you sit in their dining space and even harder not to gravitate towards their bar. A perfect place for both casual dining and casual drinking, don’t be surprised if you linger longer than expected if you eat here. It can a pleasant surprise to the start of your evening.
… moreAtmosphere
Very classy vibes with a feeling matching that of an alternative history where the late 1800s/early 1900s chic of French design took over the world. Vertical slats of wood frame the windows of the entrance with round tables placed in front. Teal hues cover the upper half of the walls with white subway tiles and maroon booths occupying the bottom. The bar takes the back half of the dining room space and this square design is stacked with bottles all around the perimeter, shone brightly from below. It feels cool just to dine here and by association, so are you.
Food
The food here is mostly hits with a few misses. Let’s talk about the best stuff first. Both the Moules Frites and the Steak Frites are fantastic. Fantastic frites! With the Moules Frites, the mussels were cooked perfectly and the sauce accompanying was divine. An easily drinkable sauce perfect for slurping up with the mussels or sopping up with the savory, perfectly crunchy bread that comes with it, everything crafted to make this dish made it a work of art. As for the Steak Frites, the fries were fried to a golden brown with the type of crispness you hope for with a thinner cut potato. With a sprinkling of rosemary on top when it soaks up the juices of the steak and green peppercorn sauce these fries become the fries of dreams and memories. The steak is also cooked to your preference and I highly recommend you order it medium rare. It’ll cook slightly more with the green peppercorn sauce, but it makes for a delectable cut of beef paired with the best texture juxtaposition to it.
The middle of the pack stuff had to be the beef bourguignon and the beef tartare. The beef is slowly cooked and braised over hours and it is tender to the touch, easily breaking apart under a fork. The noodles were also cooked perfectly. Mixed together with the sauce the dish should’ve been perfect. However, for something that looks like it should deliver a strong flavor it is quite mild and in some bites, dry. Still tasty and easy to eat but a bit underwhelming in flavor. The beef tartare is also an interesting color of green and gray. I think it has to do with the mixture of horseradish in the tartare. It gives the whole thing a slight nose burning sensation, but when the chunks of beef do come out it is a ray of sunshine to the tongue.
The lows had to be the sides that came with our meal. Not that sides are meant to be the show stoppers but they were just adequate enough to accompany our dishes. The asparagus was well cooked and seasoned but nothing unique to it. The same could be said about the green beans. The ratatouille, though pretty visually, was a dish you could have skipped and you wouldn’t have missed a thing.
Conclusion
I love boutique hotels and the fact such an amazing restaurant as Saint James is connected to the Pali Hotel would make me a fan of the hotel even more if I was staying here. Rarely do hotel restaurants stand their ground on their own. But Saint James not only stands on its own two feet, but it is dancing in great food with a chic vibe. It’s hard not to smile when you sit in their dining space and even harder not to gravitate towards their bar. A perfect place for both casual dining and casual drinking, don’t be surprised if you linger longer than expected if you eat here. It can a pleasant surprise to the start of your evening.
Jordan Womack
The Burger Parisienne is one of my favorite burgers I’ve ever had. It was perfectly crafted and so flavorful – and very messy, but worth it! The garlic truffle fries it came with were the perfect compliment.
Reservations are recommended as even early on a Monday night the restaurant was pretty full. Week days 3-6 is happy hour with burgers half off, making a pretty incredible deal!
… moreReservations are recommended as even early on a Monday night the restaurant was pretty full. Week days 3-6 is happy hour with burgers half off, making a pretty incredible deal!
Ryan Naman
Yeah you deserve better photos for this review and I’m being lazy with it.
Happy Hour is one of the best and I can’t say enough for the quality of Cocktails and Service from the legend Christian behind the bar!
One of the best burgers in San Diego … but do yourself a favor and go during happy hour!
I’m sure I’ll be back sooner than later and I’ll take some better photos!
IG – ryanjnaman
AIM – ryanthelion619
ICQ – 105265310
All other socials and Pinterest’s are PRIVATE
… moreHappy Hour is one of the best and I can’t say enough for the quality of Cocktails and Service from the legend Christian behind the bar!
One of the best burgers in San Diego … but do yourself a favor and go during happy hour!
I’m sure I’ll be back sooner than later and I’ll take some better photos!
IG – ryanjnaman
AIM – ryanthelion619
ICQ – 105265310
All other socials and Pinterest’s are PRIVATE
QueenCole
Amazing in all categories. I happily spent 60 on myself (tip included) for a late dinner of beef bourignon and ratatouille with a bottle of soda. I wish I could bottle that gravy and save it for special occasions. The flavor and technique were brilliant.
When I asked what dessert I should order, the waitress immediately suggested the strawberry bread pudding.
I told her later that if I weren’t married, I’d have kissed her pastry chef it was so wonderful.
Staff are attentive and helpful. Food is French so care is taken in prep so it can take a little while to arrive but it’s worth the wait.
… moreWhen I asked what dessert I should order, the waitress immediately suggested the strawberry bread pudding.
I told her later that if I weren’t married, I’d have kissed her pastry chef it was so wonderful.
Staff are attentive and helpful. Food is French so care is taken in prep so it can take a little while to arrive but it’s worth the wait.
Jesus Ayala-Candia
Came out for a date night and got stood up, so I walked over to this hidden gem and both the staff and the food made a sucky night into a memorable one! The roasted chicken was so tender and juicy and I still had to get some soufflé. Special thanks and shout out to my server Samantha, thank you for being so kind and welcoming 🙂 10/10 will come back
… mores s
I finally found the best burger in downtown. It’s the Parisienne at the Saint James French Dinner.
First of all, the restaurant is stylish. I think more stylish than almost of all restaurants in Paris. I knew reputation of this burger. It’s over rated…No! It’s very very delicious! Taste likes Paris! I felt adult and gorgeous. Beef, sauce, and cheese make it special one. It’s not a just burger. It’s fancy French dish.
There are “Happy hours”, which you can take it discounted price dulling 3pm to 6pm in weekdays.
It connects America and French.
(The Parisienne Burger and Fries $16.15 at Happy hour)
… moreFirst of all, the restaurant is stylish. I think more stylish than almost of all restaurants in Paris. I knew reputation of this burger. It’s over rated…No! It’s very very delicious! Taste likes Paris! I felt adult and gorgeous. Beef, sauce, and cheese make it special one. It’s not a just burger. It’s fancy French dish.
There are “Happy hours”, which you can take it discounted price dulling 3pm to 6pm in weekdays.
It connects America and French.
(The Parisienne Burger and Fries $16.15 at Happy hour)