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Herb & Sea, Encinitas, CA

Herb & Sea

4.6
4.6
2926 Reviews
$30 and under
Californian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 44 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Lively
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
Blending classic East Coast culinary traditions with a modern Californian sensibility, Herb & Sea is Chef Brian Malarkey’s venerable companion restaurant to the much-loved Herb & Wood in Little Italy. Quickly becoming one of the most sought-after tables in town, the concept shines with a menu that focuses on simple, clean, bright flavors. Located steps from Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, the vibrant space is housed in a 1920’s art deco building that has been restored to its original glory.

Daily operations are helmed by Executive Chef Aidan Owens. The menu includes a mix of raw bar staples, fresh seafood, meat dishes, and roasted vegetables. A variety of pizzas and pastas round out the offerings, alongside dessert and a dedicated kids’ menu.

The spirits program is bright and playful, emphasizing citrus and floral notes that utilize the same ingredients found on the menu. The wine list offers a similar sense of whimsy, highlighting labels meant to complemen

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Seafood, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Convenient street parking is available. The entrance is located between West D Street and West E Street on the East side. You are more than welcome to call the restaurant, (760) 704-8300, if you have further questions!
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Brian Malarkey and Sara Harris

Experiences

  • Dudley Market x Herb & Sea

    Mar 20, 2025 only
    On Thursday, March 20th, we're excited to welcome Chef Gabriel Lindsey and CDC Danny Miller of Dudley Market in Venice, Los Angeles for a special one-night-only collaboration. Together with Chef Aidan Owens, the chefs will craft an à la carte menu celebrating the best of locally sourced seafood and seasonal ingredients. Expect vibrant dishes like Aidan’s Local Rock Cod Crudo with orange, sour grape, pickled mustard seed, and castlefranco, alongside Dudley's Baja Kanpachi Crudo with lime leaf ponzu, radish, and bay leaf oil. The two will also come together to create exclusive, one-night-only dishes that merge their distinct coastal influences. Join us for an evening where L.A. meets Encinitas, a celebration of sustainable and ingredient-driven cooking.
    Dudley Market x Herb & Sea Photo
  • Easter Brunch

    $68.00 per person

    Apr 20, 2025 only
    Gather your family and friendsto join us at Herb & Sea for a pre-fixe brunch for the Easter Holiday. Pricing will be $68 for a 3 course brunch experience. We are looking forward to hosting your Easter holiday!
  • Mother's Day Brunch

    $68.00 per person

    May 11, 2025 only
    Celebrate your mom at Herb & Sea! We are offering a pre-fixe brunch menu to spoil your mom on her special day. The pricing for the menu will be $68 per person. We are excited to host you and your loved ones on this holiday.

What 2,926 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • North San Diego

    Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Herb & Sea offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food" and "outstanding service." Known for its imaginative menu and creative cocktails, it's a perfect spot for special occasions. While the noise level can be high, the restaurant's vibrant atmosphere and "locally sourced" dishes make it a must-visit for food enthusiasts.

2,926 Reviews
  1. TracyD VIP

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Really slow service and loud Staff nice and food good but pricy Staff attentive to allergies though… cute restaurant but had high expectations… not met

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  2. OpenTable Diner VIP

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Celebrated my bday here and had an amazing time and Nick our waiter was amazing. He had great recommendations. The food and drinks were amazing.

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  3. Martine VIP

    Denver14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We ate here twice! The service the first night was very good as was the food. We started with a shrimp cocktail- fantastic perfectly cooked shrimp and delicious sauces- the cocktail red sauce smoky, spicy,a hint of sweet and a pinch of herbs- delicious! Caesar salad too heavily dressed and way too much anchovie. Halibut a bit overcooked sat on a delicious orzo studded with chorizo and lots of paprika. Pasta with shrimp and caper ,toasted crumb and Italian chilies delicious! Brownie dessert yummy served with pistachio gelato which hardly tasted of pistachio especially pared with the dark chocolate brownie and ganache top. Last night, we started with lamb meatballs yum but overly salty, another try at the Ceaser we asked for easy dressing but it was soaked and again way too much anchovy. Roasted carrots so spicy my taste buds screamed, followed by a delicious red sauce with beef like a traditional meat sauce and a curly pasta wonderful. Because we were there the night before they served us a delicious olive oil cake with pear, a perfect caramel, and a delicious vanilla gelato. What can I say, pasta perfection, dessert chef very very good.Attention to detail and very goo d service makes this a great restaurant in Encinitas.

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  4. Monique VIP

    Detroit2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We could not have asked for a better, more fun, more delicious dinner to celebrate my son-in-law’s birthday. He is a chef so I obviously wanted to impress him. The food was great and the service exceptional…..mission accomplished!

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  5. Heather VIP

    San Diego11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ajay (AJ) was an incredible server. He was kind, attentive, really helpful with the ordering process. Everytime we come here the service is impeccable. A rare find and nice to have excellent service. Food delicious as always.

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  6. Jennifer

    San Diego7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service and food!! Would highly recommend.

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  7. Shoshanna

    San Diego6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Last minute late reservation on a Thursday. I can’t remember our servers name but blondish, tall handsome fellow was professional, patient and attentive. Greeted us with champagne as we celebrated our galentines date. We were there well pass kitchen closing but he never rushed us. Even encouraged us to have dessert. Food was incredible. Drinks were strong and delicious. 10/10 experience. Thank you Herb and Sea

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  8. Banita

    San Diego49 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    I have been coming to the happy hour between five and seven for a few months now. It is a pretty amazing deal with a Smashburger, three oysters, french fries, and a glass of sparkling wine or champagne. All for $20. However, in the months, the burger quality has gone down and they are microwaving the bun. I really wish they would make it fresher. However, it seems that all the tables get filled up and the only way they can mass produce. This is to use the microwave. A little disappointing. The number of fries on the plate I’ve gone down as well. Oysters are always yummy. Service is hit or miss. Busboy/Bus girls are a bit rude to grab your plate so they could turn the table. Overall, a fun time, but not the best food quality for happy hour. However, the regular menu is quite delicious.

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  9. Donna VIP

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    10/10 can’t wait to go back. The mussel toast was something I’m going back for!

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  10. Mort VIP

    San Diego32 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wow, our server was wonderful and we really enjoyed the food. The flavors were a combinations of bright citrus and and savory. Certainly a neighborhood gem for a special occasion with a great bar scene. Atmosphere was fun, a touch loud, but it’s tough to read the menu and bill in there, just need a bit more light. We will be adding this to our shortlist of places to visit more often.

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FAQs

Herb & Sea is rated 4.6 stars by 2926 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 44 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Herb & Sea

131 W D St, Encinitas, CA 92024-3516

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Seafood, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Convenient street parking is available. The entrance is located between West D Street and West E Street on the East side. You are more than welcome to call the restaurant, (760) 704-8300, if you have further questions!
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Brian Malarkey and Sara Harris
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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