juniper & ivy

so we show up...20 people plus 2 more after about 20 minutes. we had a curtained off area, - booked in advance...but when we walked in, i thought we might have a dress code problem...but not a chance.to start, the service was fantastic. when you looked around the room the staff was always attentive and smiling...including the kitchen staff which you could see.wine was flowing, drinks were brought. thefoodwas really exceptional, always well served, presented, and the tastes were eclectic and friendly.even errors were well saved. there was a dessert missing, it was mine...they brought the house specialty...a kind of chocolate log, stuffed with frozen items, and wrapped in a perfect chocolate round cylinder, topped with warm milk chocolate sauce...was a revelation.

bestfoodi have ever eaten at a restaurant

the atmosphere is upscale but still comfortable and casual. cocktails were unique and sooo tasty! thefoodchanges frequently on the menu but everything we had was so delicious! it was so difficult to order because there wasn't one thing on the menu i didn't want to try!

"a ok"

solid experience and would be willing to give them a second go next time i'm in town. goodfoodmarred by a few missteps that add up over the night.

ordered the oysters, which were fresh and paired well with their prepared accouterments. every oyster had large flicks of shell in it. the lamb belly had a delicious flavor but was incredibly over salted. my biscuit was cooked perfectly on the outside but doughy and under done at the bottom.

both cocktails i had were great.

i was super excited to come here and when i did the hostesses were so rude as soon as we walked in the door. second, they gave us the smallest table they could find, which of course, i wasn't going to sit in. the hostess did nothing to change it until a really nice server approached us and saved the night. thefoodhere is very unique and with so many flavors at once, which can be a bit overwhelming. i had about 5 things to share from the whole menu and let me say that my favorite was a potato dish with chorizo and the bbq carrots. the restaurant is really nice and comfy and good food, but i definitely expect better service next time.

let me start by saying that juniper & ivy is my favorite restaurant in san diego.  they opened in march 2014 and i’ve been 9 times already.  we always seem to take new people with us each time, exposing them to the culinary delights that this restaurant has to offer.  this time we brought our friends marybeth, philip, and veronica.  i do love when we take an odd number of people because that means extra pieces for me…lol!  the restaurant is located on kettner between juniper and ivy (hence the name).  the first thing you notice is the ambiance; the space is very modern and has a lofty feeling but with wood accents that give it a very warm and inviting vibe.  you’ll also notice that it is very busy, this is one of a few new places in little italy that has opened in the last 12 months that is helping to invigorate the sdfoodscene.  the big open space of the restaurant and bar has one small downside — it can be a bit loud here.  if you are sensitive to background noise, ask to sit on the outside patio.

this is my very first 5-star restaurant review! i've given 5 stars to one bar and one coffee house, but c'mon, that's a much easier scale. i have to say i'm so delighted to have found a place that lives up to every bit of its hype!

my absolute favorite things we had were our first and last courses: the smoked biscuit to start, and the yodel for dessert. the smoked biscuit smelled like a campfire in the very best way possible, and every bite of the yodel was like a gastronomical treasure hunt -- you never knew what you were going to find inside the delicate chocolate shell! we decided to split several small plates, and they were all excellent. i absolutely loved the heirloom tomato with "feta ice cream" and the socal burrata with plums. we also split the sausage and prawn rigatoni; it was a bit on the al dente side for my taste, but that's totally a personal preference so i can't dock 'em for it :)

again, everything from thefood(most important, duh), to the service to the atmosphere and decor lived up to the hype. i went in to this meal feeling skeptical, and left a believer. if you live in san diego or are even just visiting, you have to put this place on your must-try list!

my friend alyssa (who used to write for this blog!) recently came back to san diego to visit with her husband, j, and her two adorable little ones. she made plans to go to juniper & ivy and invited me along! i’ve been interested in trying out juniper & ivy for so long and was glad to get the chance to hang out with my best good friend and to eat tasty delicious things. juniper and ivy is one of chef richard blais’ restaurants, in case you have no idea (though i bet you do). i’ve never watched top chef (i know, that’s probably weird for afoodblogger, but oh well) but i know there was a lot of excitement around the opening of this restaurant. the restaurant has a fun, open space and an open kitchen if you’d like to have a show with your meal. we had kiddies with us so we sat in a little corner. we got there quite early (about 5:30pm) and beat the crowds that evening.  instead of fancy white napkins, you get a kitchen towel. i wanted to steal it and take it home with me.  [ juniper & ivy menu ] i poured over the menu trying to figure out what it was that i wanted to order. minion had been here a few months ago and told me about a disappointing dish he tried, which was a pork chop. i scolded him and told him to not order pork chops in the future. most restaurants can’t seem to get pork chops right!  there were no pork chops on the menu this evening. the menu changes so often though that

completely worth the price of $85, for two. started off with the biscuit with smoked butter and the yellowtail tostada. best biscuit i have had outside of the best places in my southern foodie city (hmm, do i taste the buttery-richness of ritz crackers?). the yellowtail was fresh with a tasty shark sauce and bright micro greens.
we then had the octopus stuffed with risotto and the oxtail tortellini. the risotto stuffing and the octopus were both perfectly cooked, each a relatively difficult thing. the oxtail was served in an incredibly flavorful broth (brought to mind burnt-marshmallow smoke) that we savored spoon by spoon, but did tend to overpower the pasta-oxtail itself.
lastly we had the choc-caramel mousse... wow. a salty brittle, flakes of meringue cookie, fresh berries, under-layer of caramel and the richest chocolate mousse i have ever scraped from every corner of this plate. overall one of the bestfoodexperience i have had in years, with greatfoodand service, 9 out of 10. make a reservation, this place is packed!

amazingfoodand service. our waiter mike knew every ingredient of every dish. very cool vibe and setting definitely a great place for dates or special occasions.

good stuff. we got lucky with a good parking spot on a saturday night. keep in mind parking might be difficult, it is in little italy. anyway, thefoodwas great! definitely get the biscuit!! it's just one biscuit, but it's a big biscuit and the smoked butter on it is phenomenal. i would be content with just that. i got the butternut squash agnolotti. delicious. i love squash and pasta together to begin with, but it was really good. not too sweet. my husband loved his po boy, but didn't care for the carne asada. mainly because it wasn't hot. it's served at like room temperature. i didn't think it was bad...service was good. we sat at the bar and it took a while for anyone to take our order, but once they did, the service was great. the place is pretty, and seats more people than it looks. make a reservation though if you want a table.

as one can likely guess from their enormous bar, juniper and ivy take their drinks seriously. they have a very extensive wine list, which they have cleverly divided into "tried and true" wines for the more traditional and "leap of faith" wines for the more adventurous. in addition, they also have a few daily wine picks printed on thefoodmenu. they also offer a great collection of cocktails...richard blais has created a pretty great thing for himself at juniper and ivy and is obviously doing very well with it. the risk he took in building such a massive space is no doubt paying off in spades. fortunately, blais and his team manage to keep thefoodquality at the highest level and living up to his top chef reputation.

amazingfoodand service! high quality and great atmosphere. beet salad and grain/garden dish are phenomenal.

simple, complex, and utterly delicious.
all items were fresh and well-balanced.
if you enjoy modern american, i can't imagine being disappointed if you eat here. waitstaff lovesfoodand is highly attentive and engaged, ensuring you have a great dining experience.

service &foodamazing !! soltera drink is great! margarita meets mojito! corn app is simple with great flavor...

san diego cool. warm wood surrounds. staff is attentive and easy on the eyes.foodwas prepared with extremely high attention to detail. exceeded my expectations.
olives in a bag for app
shaved asparagus and san diego chicken were impressive to even this seattle foodie.

great place for friends at the bar or date to impress.

highly recommend

daveg