Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa seamlessly carries its Rancho-influenced design and style into its celebrated restaurants and lounges. The Adobe El Restaurant,
Mustangs & Burros, the Bodega Wine Bar and private Library Dining Room offer innovative cuisine, against a backdrop of personality and ambiance, indoor and outdoor seating and gracious service.

 

The Adobe El Restaurant sets the stage for the ideal dining experience:
an elegant yet unpretentious atmosphere with flavorful cuisine
combined with a distinctly Southern California flair.

 

 

The menu presents a range of innovative meat and poultry dishes embellished with locally grown produce, aromatic flavors, fresh seafood, mesquite wood fire grilled favorites, and delectable deserts. The focus of the succinct but wide-ranging menu is fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the dishes are fancy enough to gain interest, but not overworked. 

 

The outdoor patio, reached via steps from the back of the main room, is no less glamorous. Here, tables are set for diners. The patio is a popular setting for parties and events. We went to Adobe’s for lunch, but the manager told us
that there is a great band that plays on Fridays and Saturdays, and also there
is a wonderful bar that serves tapas and great Margaritas! Located in San
Diego at La Jolla, however the restaurant’s food is worthy of a trip in its
own right. The focus of the menu is on fresh, seasonal ingredients, the
dishes fancy enough to gain diners’ interest, but not overworked. 

   
Main Dininig Room                                           Mimosa      

The menu, refreshingly, isn’t too lengthy (a good sign, as it invariably means the kitchen is focused on doing what it does best). For lunch there are seven starters or what they call “First Impressions” and 10 entrees or “Last Impressions”, and a variety of great desserts.

Vegetarians will also enjoy eating here. Chef de Cuisine Joseph Jackson creates a very light and delicious food. We were seated directly overlooking the patio. Our server, was charming – friendly, chatty, but not obsequious, she knew that we were gearing up for the main event. We started by drinking their signature Mimosas, very light and great for a light lunch!

 
Corn and Poblano Chowder                   Seafood Soup (Daily Special)

First up were some appetizers, so we tried the Corn and Poblano Chowder, a delicious Adobe soup experience, made with Savory Golden Corn and Fresh Cilantro, and I tried the special Seafood Soup. Both soups were very good!

 
      Black Bean Empanadas                   Spoon Leaf Spinach & Pear Salad

We also tasted the Crispy Black Bean Empanadas, with Chimichurri Sauce, Grilled Pears, Hearst of Romaine, Queso Fresco. As with everything we ate that day, presentation was straightforward, the food left to speak for itself. The dish comprised with 4 empanadas filled with beans. Overall, the dish was rich but not sickly, although we concede that it definitely works better as an appetizer, I would also like to see that with a variation filled with chicken or meat!

We also ordered a very light and delicious Spoon Leaf Spinach & Pear Salad, with toasted walnuts, Belgian endive, blue cheese and truffle dressing. A nice salad that could also serve as an entrée.


Maine Lobster Louie Salad Sandwich, with Heirloom Tomato Stack


Side of Garlic Fries

Our first entrée was the Maine Lobster Louie Salad Sandwich, with Heirloom Tomato Stack, Watercress, Lemon Crème Fraiche with a cup of soup; this dish certainly provided a requisite piquancy. I loved the fact that there is lots of lobster meat inside the Croissant bread; I also ordered a side of garlic fries that went well with this dish.


Estancia La Jolla Prime Angus Burger


Side of Tempura Onions

My guest’s entrée was another signature Sandwich the Estancia La Jolla Prime Angus burger: And while the dish wasn’t exactly diet friendly, it wasn’t too rich, with Marinated Beefsteak Tomatoes, Brie Cheese, Garlic and Aioli, served with a side of Tempura Onions and fresh fruits. A great burger that was simply delicious.


  Fresh Fruits

We still had some room left for dessert. Indeed, the portion sizes at Adobe aren’t huge, which in our opinion is a good thing. Adobe’s dessert list includes the usual suspects such as ice cream along with rarer treats like a cheese plate. But our eyes were immediately drawn to the Crème Brulee Tart, with Raspberries which, thankfully, was yet another chef’s specialty that we simply had to try, in the name of research, of course. It was sweet but not sickly, a dentist’s nightmare, but a diner’s dream.

   
    Crème Brulee Tart                               Double Shot of Espresso

Adobe may have a notable cocktail menu, but its well-chosen wine list is worthy of a mention, too. It laudably focuses on California, featuring some interesting wineries from Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County, but the whole world gets a look-in (wines from France, Italy, Chile, and Australia are all listed). Also, they feature a wonderful dinner menu, and there will be a next time: with a kitchen that deserves as much praise as its drinking and nightlife scene, Adobe Restaurant should lure people in for a long time to come.


For map and location click Here!

For more information please visit their website at www.estancialajolla.com