Best Date Night Restaurants in San Ysidro

Well now. It was a romantic date night and Animae was the Choice. Parking is $20 just know that. On arrival we weee greeted by three lovely ladies and they were most welcoming. We were escorted to our table (the very first table off the lobby and right next to a service station. So not the best, but o chose to let it be and see how it goes. How it went was marvelous. The staff was very quiet and courteous and the service staton was not noisy at all. Being the first table by the lobby and right next to the bar made it a bit more noisy, but nothing to complain about. The server was great. She knew the menu and when we were chatting about menu items she hit it out of the park with recommendations. We ordered some drinks and -low - in your face fantastic. $18 each or more so the tab runs up pretty quickly. The crudo and the cucumbers were a delight. The mains, the filet and the tomahawk pork chill were a 10 out of 10. The sides- the potatoes and the wagyu fried rice were stellar. Probably the best Fride rice we’d ever had. Really. We did not have dessert as we were full. When anyone got up from the table, the server put the chair in place and re-folded the napkin and laid it on the table. A nice touch. This is a high end of high end places. $395 all in for two. 100% worth it. If there was one thing I would change is that I would lay cocktail napkins or a coaster because our drinks would sweat, make a water puddle on the table and then drip on us both as we raised them to our mouths. A smallest of small nits to pick. Near flawless.

The team there as always provided outstanding service. Very welcoming, attentive and so fun. Unfortunately the food was a little underwhelming (my chicken was dry and my friends’ side dish was cold). However, the holiday decorations were so fun and festive. Had a great evening celebrating my friend’s birthday!

Surprised when we showed up and saw they had a live band playing. Awesome surprise, wish they would’ve stayed longer.

Bert was our waiter. He was amazing. He brought such a good energy and showed up within minutes of us being seated. The food is always super tasty and clean. I had the lunch special with half flatbread (pesto ch) and Caesar salad. My husband had the steak tacos. He said they tasted like filet mignon. I’m surprised he didn’t lick the plate. We had the cheesecake for dessert. High recommended.

Service is friendly, fast, and very thorough. Used plates, glasses, and flatware are quickly removed and replaced. The beverage and wine service are well done. The food was very good. It is a bit on the high side for what it is, but not outrageously so. And the quality of the service lives up to the restaurant's price point. My wife and I dined at Seneca on our wedding anniversary. The staff made note of that, and each person who served us wished us a happy anniversary, and the restaurant gave us champagne gratis. We would recommend Seneca to any interested diners.