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Callie Restaurant

Name: Callie Restaurant
Address: 1195 Island Ave, San Diego, CA, United States, 92101-7230
Telephone: (619) 255-9696
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.8

$50 and over

Mediterranean

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 50 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Innovative
Great for creative cocktails

Callie represents Chef Travis Swikard's debut solo project after spending a decade working alongside the esteemed Chef Daniel Boulud in New York City. The restaurant’s name, "Callie," comes from the Greek word "kallos," meaning "the most beautiful," and embodies its blend of Mediterranean cuisine with local ingredients and terroir, from sea to land from San Diego, Swikard's hometown. In 2022, Callie was acclaimed as one of America's top new restaurants by Esquire and Robb Report, and received both a Bib Gourmand and a Plate from the Michelin Guide. Callie is a dedicated supporter of Feeding San Diego, having contributed over 1 million meals to those in need in San Diego since its launch. Swikard is set to open his second restaurant in La Jolla in 2025.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Chef Travis Swikard

MICHELIN Bib Gourmand
2024
MICHELIN Bib Gourmand
2023

From the OpenTable editors: Chef and San Diego native Travis Swikard is an alum of iconic restaurants like DANIEL, and that pedigree shines at this sophisticated Mediterranean spot named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America in 2022. Feast on plates like lemon saffron linguine or harissa-grilled lamb chops, or go all-in on a five-course family-style tasting menu. Either way, a meal in the inviting space decked with blue tiles and lush greenery feels like a lively dinner party on every visit.

Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Mediterranean
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 255-9696
Website
https://www.calliesd.com/
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
1195 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101-7230
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2024
2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
Neighbourhood
Downtown / Gaslamp
Parking details
Our parking garage is located in the building, but because of the one way streets downtown, the entrance is on 11th Avenue between J St and Island Ave, on the right. The parking garage has a sign '1155 Parking' over top and is through LAZ. For security purposes, the gate will be down when you pull up, you will press the kiosk for a ticket. Once you've parked, take the elevators in the center up to the lobby and be sure to get your ticket validated by a host. Validation is good up to three hours.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wine

Experiences

Thanksgiving at Callie
US$90.00 per person
Nov 28, 2024 only
Gather with friends and family at Callie on Thanksgiving Day as Chef Travis and his team prepare a shareable feast with many of your traditional holiday favorites and Callie influenced seasonal takes on the classics. We will be serving a 4 course family style menu at $90 per adult. A 2 course children's menu will be offered for children ages 10 & under at $40 per child. Please note that only the Thanksgiving Feast will be offered on this day, a la carte dining will not be available. Please inquire about any dietary restrictions. No-shows or cancellations less than 1 day in advance may be subject to a charge of $10 per person. Tax, 20% service charge, and 4% surcharge will be added to all checks.
Mediterranean Feast - Parties of 7 & 8
US$75.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Mediterranean Feast - Parties of 7 & 8 For the ultimate dining experience, choose The Mediterranean Feast, a 5-course, family-style menu priced at $75 per guest. This menu, curated by Chef Travis Swikard, provides a full culinary journey from spreads to dessert. While the Feast is required for parties of 7 or 8, it is also available to all guests without advance notice. When booking, please let us know of any dietary restrictions so we can accommodate them. To secure your reservation, a credit card is needed, but no charge will apply unless you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice or do not show up. In those cases, a $10 per guest fee will be charged to the credit card on file.

What 173 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Mediterranean
San Diego
Best Food

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Callie Restaurant in San Diego offers an exceptional dining experience with "phenomenal" Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Guests rave about the "best lamb rack ever," creative menus, and outstanding service. While some note the noise and automatic gratuity, the flavors, high-quality ingredients, and "impeccable" service make it a top choice for special occasions.

173 Reviews

A
Alexandra
Inverness
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very friendly staff - exceptional good food! We had a great evening at Callie’s
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C
Chantal
Montreal
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing fresh food. Great atmosphere. 2nd time here and did not disappoint!
Is this helpful?
D
Dayle
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is a very comfortable and welcoming restaurant. The staff are friendly and professional and very personable. The food was excellent and carefully prepared and presented. The bar provided excellent cocktails and service as well.
Is this helpful?
D
Dr. Stephen
San Diego
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food here is always excellent. The Sommelier was especially helpful. We needed a little more wine to finish dinner rather than another bottle, so we ordered two glasses of wine and expected to share the two glasses between the four of us. Somm anticipated what we were going to do and brought us four new glasses and then divided the pour between the four glasses! That was excellent service! Thanks!
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L
Larry
San Diego
34 reviews
vip
5.0
34 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
i’ve dined here eight or 10 times over the years just brought someone new last night and he raved about the entire experience: food service creativity. We got the tasting menu and as usual the Alna and the Kampachi were huge hits early on. The subtlety combined with sharp notes took what could otherwise be very straightforward and made them rich. It was all excellent but as usual the Leppo chicken is Callie’s feathering the cap for that experience. Why doesn’t have a Michelin star is beyond me? Perhaps it’s the more casual approach to dining, but the food is easily Michelin quality for my taste by far away the best food in San Diego south of Addison
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M
Mel
Las Vegas
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely ambience and delicious food! Every bite was terrific!
Is this helpful?
R
Robert
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very happy with our meal. The duck was excellent, the lobster and fettuccine was excellent. Uni on toast with truffles to die for. We flew in to try this and another restaurant in Carlsbad. Both excellent.
Is this helpful?
C
Cheryl
Los Angeles
172 reviews
vip
5.0
172 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food here is fantastic. The wonderfully puffy pita that comes with the hummus starter is a delight. The Aleppo chicken is outstanding. One of the best chicken dishes I've ever had. If you think chicken isn't "special" enough to have in a nice restaurant, let this dish change your mind. We also had the lamb chops, which had some char to them, tasty and delicious. We had the "beets & roses" vegetable dish as a side to the chicken and lamb, and the flavors went together perfectly. Our server Bethany did an excellent job advising us, and the service team was very attentive while not being intrusive.
Is this helpful?
P
Prachi
Phoenix
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food combined with an attentive service. We were here for dinner at 5.30pm and the service was fast, mostly. The dishes looked great and tasted amazing, and the quantity was decent too. If we had to nitpick on something, it would be the slightly underwhelming desserts both in quantity and presentation. A small steel container? Come on, you can do better than that for what they're charging for it. 20% gratuity and a 4% surcharge, okay, it's San Diego, we get it. At least they were pretty upfront about it.
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L
Luis
Chicago
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Buena opción para ir a cenar , la comida rica y diferente
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FAQs

Callie Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 173 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 50 times today

Experiences are available.

1195 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101-7230

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2024
2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
Neighbourhood
Downtown / Gaslamp
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Mediterranean
Dining style
Elegant Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Our parking garage is located in the building, but because of the one way streets downtown, the entrance is on 11th Avenue between J St and Island Ave, on the right. The parking garage has a sign '1155 Parking' over top and is through LAZ. For security purposes, the gate will be down when you pull up, you will press the kiosk for a ticket. Once you've parked, take the elevators in the center up to the lobby and be sure to get your ticket validated by a host. Validation is good up to three hours.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wine

Website
https://www.calliesd.com/
Phone number
(619) 255-9696

Callie Restaurant

Make a reservation

Why they're an Icon

MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

Additional information

Experiences

Thanksgiving at Callie

Mediterranean Feast - Parties of 7 & 8

Menu

What 173 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Callie Restaurant restaurant rated?

Is Callie Restaurant currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information