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Kettner Exchange, San Diego, CA
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Kettner Exchange

$31 to $50
Contemporary American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 42 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Lively
  • Hot spot
Kettner Exchange boasts two levels of indoor/outdoor drinking and dining and Little Italy’s only rooftop patio with spanning harbor views. We feature Progressive American cuisine from critically acclaimed Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski. In 2019, Kettner Exchange was named to Michelin Guide's prestigious Bib Gourmand list. Kettner Exchange has proudly maintained this award every year thereafter. Originally introduced in 1997, the Bib Gourmand category highlights restaurants that serve high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less.

Order delivery or takeout

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Brian Redzikowski

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2023

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2022

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2021

From the OpenTable editors: Anchored by a striking 20-foot eucalyptus sculpture, this two-story, indoor-outdoor showstopper has been a Little Italy hotspot since opening in 2014. Snag a seat on the rooftop patio with swinging daybeds, a roaring fireplace, and bookable private cabanas for sweeping harbor views and inventive American dishes with Asian twists like Szechuan frog legs and spicy tuna and crispy rice with eel sauce from James Beard Award-winning chef Brian Redzikowski.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Asian, Californian
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Bar Mon–Wed, Sun 5:00 pm–12:00 am Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–1:00 am
  • Phone number
    (619) 255-2001
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
    3. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2021
  • Neighbourhood
    Little Italy
  • Cross Street
    Grape St
  • Parking details
    Valet is available for $10.00 Cash or $12.00 Credit Card.
  • Entertainment
    Live Djs Thursday-Saturday + occasional live bands (call venue for nightly entertainment)
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Small Cabana Reservation

    US$10.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    This is not a Standard Reservation, please read below: *Mon-Wed evening Small Cabana Reservations have no F&B minimum but tax and 22% service charge will be applied. *Thurs-Sun evening Small Cabana Reservations have a $400 F&B minimum + tax and 22% service charge. *Sun Brunch Cabanas have a $200 F&B minimum + tax and 22% service charge. The Small Cabanas offers a space where groups of up to (6) guests are able to enjoy Kettner Exchange’s elevated cuisine and unique beverage program in a casual lounge style VIP setting. Guests may dine from the Lounge Menu till 10pm while being seated at the core of a lively open-air rooftop. Everything ordered will go onto one bill. Each reservation is for (3) hours maximum.
  • Chef's Table March 12th

    US$260.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Mar 12, 2025 only
    This experience is available for parties of minimum of 1 guest up to 8 guests maximum, at $260 per person tax and gratuity included. ** All purchases are final sale.

What 1,407 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
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Contemporary American

  • San Diego

    Contemporary American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Kettner Exchange offers an eclectic dining experience, boasting "amazing food," a "great atmosphere," and "attentive service." The menu features inventive small plates with Asian influences, perfect for sharing. Guests praise the "creative cocktails" and ambiance, making it ideal for special occasions or a night out. Highly recommended for food enthusiasts.

1,407 Reviews
  1. Christine

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My boyfriend and I came here for Valentine’s Day and the courses were amazing. We loved every dish that was part of the fixed menu and the waiter was incredibly nice.

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  2. Andrew

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Took my wife here for Valentine’s Day pre set menu. Was delicious. She got the wine pairing and Andrew our waiter was so knowledgeable about all the different wines with every course. I got an Old fashion and was so yummy. Just a great date night and loved the atmosphere and Andrew was an incredible waiter. Will definitely be back!

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  3. Nhi

    VIP

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Valentine’s Day Dinner had a 4% surcharge and a 20% surcharge for a prefix menu. Im ok with the 4% surcharge but 20% for a party of two on a more expensive prefix menu is ridiculous. I’d like to tip based off the service I received if it’s only for two people. Waiters were grabbing the empty plates as soon I took the last bite and coming up to us as soon as the next dish was served asking us how the meal was. We didn’t even get a chance to properly taste the plate yet. We felt extremely rushed and were interrupted frequently in conversation. Portion sizes were small and the tenderloin was over salted. We did enjoy the two small appetizers though. I’d like to come back since their everyday menu looks tasty but not sure if we will based on the experience we had.

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  4. nathan

    VIP

    Baja California

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, great service- we will be back. We will be back.

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  5. Brent

    VIP

    Dallas

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Overly greasy food, poor service, adult beverages in glassware fit for a kids menu…avoid

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  6. Alex

    Vancouver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great vibes and tasty cocktails. Servers and guests were super friendly.

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  7. Paul

    VIP

    San Diego

    37 reviews

    3.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is very good but there is quite a lot of salt used in everything. For the portion sizes, prices are extremely expensive. You will need to order many dishes to be full by the end of the meal. The two of us (2 guys) ordered 5 dishes and still not completely full. We ordered the spicy tuna crispy rice, whipped ricotta, crispy potatoes ($16 for 6 small round potatoes), lamb noodles ($26 for a very small amount of lamb) and grilled chicken ($32 and nothing but chicken on the plate). We also ordered a few cocktails ($20 a piece) which were excellent. Total with tip was $266. Good food, but in my opinion there are better options available and not worth the hefy price tag.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Nancy

    San Diego

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    The overall experience was more exhausting than it needed to be and was overall negative. From the reservation process to hearing that we had to hit a certain "minimum" based on our seating preference with a only party of six to a 22% gratuity plus 4% service charge, and that we could be limited to the time we were there. Please don't offer live music and then expect people to leave based on your convenience. Policies are not guest friendly in any way, overall a very pretentious environment👎👎👎👎

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  9. Leah

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The music here. The cocktails. Everything is 10/10!! Lady love drink was perfect. The DJ was such a vibe & loveeeee the house music! I wish every place played music like this 😭

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  10. Lizeth

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Friendly staff all around, excellent server who spent the extra minute to go over the ENTIRE menu with me to let me know what I could order with my dietary restriction. Now for the food, every single dish was beyond what we expected. The presentation and flavors were phenomenal! Drinks were delicious, and they even offered some tasty nonalcoholic options.

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FAQs

Kettner Exchange offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 255-2001.

Kettner Exchange is rated 4.7 stars by 1407 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 42 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Kettner Exchange

2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
    3. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2021
  • Cross Street
    Grape St
  • Neighbourhood
    Little Italy
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Bar Mon–Wed, Sun 5:00 pm–12:00 am Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–1:00 am
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Asian, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet is available for $10.00 Cash or $12.00 Credit Card.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Live Djs Thursday-Saturday + occasional live bands (call venue for nightly entertainment)
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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