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Animae, San Diego, CA
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Animae

$50 and over
Contemporary Asian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 70 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Fancy
  • Great for creative cocktails
ANIMAE’s eclectic West Coast cuisine, layered with Asian influences, comes to life under Celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey. Applying a California cooking style to ANIMAE’S traditional coal-fired oven and grill, Chef Malarkey’s menu is as thoughtful as it is refined, elevating local produce and seasonal ingredients to create a lively and progressive culinary program.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Brian Malarkey

  • Award icon
    MICHELIN Plate2022

From the OpenTable editors: Filipino American chef Tara Monsod takes fusion food to the next level at this groovy Art Deco space. Expect opulent riffs on classics like crispy pig ears and kare kare—Monsod is one of the few chefs in the country putting Filipino food on the fine-dining stage. The approach earned her numerous awards, including a prestigious MICHELIN Plate.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Asian, Californian, Steakhouse
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 432-1225
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    The Great Gatsby-meets-Madmen-meets-The Matrix interior is a fantastical futurist’s journey, transporting diners to the Shikoku firefly forest in Japan, an event venue that’s both ethereal and theatrical. ANIMAE is the perfect space to host and celebrate your special events.
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Cross Street
    Pacific Highway and West Broadway
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 3,340 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Animae stands out with "phenomenal service" and "exquisite, seasonal dishes" that embrace a fusion of Asian and Filipino flavors. The ambiance is "beautiful," and the staff is notably "attentive and friendly." Highlights include the wagyu fried rice, short ribs, and unique cocktails, ensuring an "unforgettable dining experience."

3,340 Reviews
  1. Alejandro

    VIP

    London

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Llegamos sin reservación nos pidieron 30 minutos de espera por lo que reservamos por open table al momento aún así nos dejaron en espera 30 minutos sin respetar la reserva nos sentaron 15 minutos después de la reserva que acabábamos de crear la hostess fue algo grosera ya que nos mandaron a la sala de espera y a pesar que las personas que esperaban les ofrecían bebidas a nosotros nos tuvieron esperando los treinta minutos y nadie se acercó por que parecía que la señorita se molestó bastante por que reservamos en el momento lo que creo que ya estuviéramos muy incomodos toda la cena fuera de esa mala experiencia que no te esperas en cuando vas a cenar rico y a disfrutar en pareja la cena y el lugar excelente lo que nos ayudó un poco a quitarnos el mal sabor de boca Es lo que una sola persona puede dañar a un equipo y a un lugar me imagino que fue mala suerte de ahí todo más excelente muy recomendable

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  2. Andy

    VIP

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    I guess every restaurant can have an off night. the bartender was very curt with people at the bar. Our waitress was very attentive until the food came. We had questions but she never came by until the appetizers had been cleared. I got the opinion that our table of two wasn't as important as her larger tables. The swordfish seemed to be salty which was surprising. We were going to order dessert but it took the waitress so long to come back that we just decided to go to Seneca for dessert and an after dinner drink. We loved the restaurant atmosphere and will come back. We are chalking it up to just an off-night.

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  3. John

    VIP

    San Diego

    122 reviews

    5.0

    122 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great date night dinner at Animae. We started with the crudo and a cucumber salad. After that we had the chicken and the short rib. As always everything was delicious and the service was great. We look forward to our next visit.

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  4. Kimberly

    VIP

    Dallas

    54 reviews

    5.0

    54 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wow! Hats off to the chef and pastry chef. My goodness!! The food was amazing! We travels to San Diego (from Dallas) for a girl’s girl weekend with my sister. So glad we made reservations here. The food we knew would be good but didn’t know how good. Flavor profile was beyond! We had the Kamachi, cucumber salad, brocollini, lamb chop and short ribs! Divine! For dessert, we were so full but because this was sort of an early bday dinner for my sister our lovely waitress Bonnie brought us a matcha shortcake. Soooooo good. I was sad we didn’t have room to get anything off their dessert menu. I can only imagine how delectable that would have been. We had mage reservations and it was still a well occupied place. Filipino flavors with a twitch, so good.

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  5. Rhea

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, drinks, and experience all around! It was our first time there and we will definitely be going back. Everything was amazing- we got the Taiwanese chicken, crispy potatoes, wagyu fried rice, and short rib kare kare. Turon tart for dessert was delicious!

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  6. Dianne

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing, definitely worth the splurge! Servers were very thoughtful.

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  7. Matthew

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Tessa was incredible. Ask for if you get the chance. Five stars

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  8. Catherine

    Omaha

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved our experience at Animae! The food, ambiance, and service were outstanding! This was one of our favorite dining experiences ever!

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  9. Brett

    Richmond

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We enjoyed our dinner at Animae! It's a city-vibe, Asian fusion restaurant that is well worth the epicurean experience. Because of the Asian inspiration, the dishes tend to be spicy, so it's a good idea to ask your waiter the level of spice on each dish you want to try.

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  10. Jonabelle

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Celebrated my bday here! Everything was great! Good food, Great service and Great Ambience! I will be back

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Animae is rated 4.7 stars by 3340 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 p.m.
Booked 70 times today
Google Map for Animae

969 Pacific HWY, San Diego, CA 92132

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross Street
    Pacific Highway and West Broadway
  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Asian, Californian, Steakhouse
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (619) 432-1225
  • Private party facilities
    The Great Gatsby-meets-Madmen-meets-The Matrix interior is a fantastical futurist’s journey, transporting diners to the Shikoku firefly forest in Japan, an event venue that’s both ethereal and theatrical. ANIMAE is the perfect space to host and celebrate your special events.
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