Aidan Owens is the Culinary Director for two prominent San Diego restaurants, Herb & Sea and Herb & Wood. He is recognized as a rising star in the culinary world, noted for his youth and rapid ascent. Owens gained...
Herb & Sea is a modern eclectic seafood restaurant in Encinitas, California, known for its focus on locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients. The menu features a diverse range of dishes including a raw bar, fresh local fish, wood-fired pizzas, and handmade pastas, complemented by a vibrant atmosphere and craft cocktails.
Customers consistently praise Herb & Sea for its "insanely flavorful" and "perfectly cooked" food, outstanding service, and amazing cocktails. Many consider it an ideal spot for special occasions, noting its popularity often makes same-day reservations difficult. Reviewers frequently highlight the quality of the seafood and vegetable dishes, with some mentioning it as a kid-friendly option.
Additional Details
The restaurant adheres to a "farm to table or sea to table" philosophy, emphasizing fresh, high-quality ingredients in its culinary offerings.
Vegetarian options availableVegan options available
Best Times to Visit
Herb & Sea is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday evenings. Due to its popularity, reservations are highly recommended, especially for weekend visits. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
5
We came for dinner midweek and were so pleasantly surprised at how good it is. We had the cabbage, the bone marrow, the mussel toast, and the shrimp as appetizers which were all insanely flavorful and perfectly cooked. For mains we had the snapper and the pork belly pizza which were both delicious. The snapper seriously had the best slightly crunchy crust, I can’t get over it. The cocktails were amazing too, I had the Sonora one with Tajín and I’d get it a million times over. The place is also super kid friendly which for us is important. Our server Ael was also so lovely and hospitable, she truly is the definition of ‘unobtrusive kindness’ in the service industry. That being said the hostess was pretty blase and not in a particularly good mood, which was the only part that didn’t match the rest of the restaurant. We’ll definitely be back though!
I almost don't want to make a review.....🤣🤣🤣 so I can keep this place just for myself😁 . I can't believe we didn't find this place sooner. Everything on the menu was farm to table or sea to table. The staff say they're known for there vegetable dishes and they weren't lying. We started off with 2 cocktails Peach,Peach,Peach, and 2nd D St. We tried something from each category, and we were not disappointed. We started with the Ceviche w/tarot chips, Embered Beets, house rolls, and Red Snapper. Then finished it off with Butterscotch Budino. Everything was amazing! We can't wait to go back.
We come here to our birthdays and when we have special friends or family. The food is amazing, well priced for what you get. Service is outstanding. Still amazed on our second visit. Every table is packed and hard to get a same-day reservation. Started with the dinner rolls - wow. I enjoyed the half baked red snapper and shared the carrots and mussel toast. Delish! Barbara wine was so-so, I’ve had better. Overall wonderful experience, will be back on the next t event we celebrate.
The baked oysters were straight-up amazing. Could’ve eaten a dozen more without blinking.
Shrimp scampi was another highlight: tender, juicy shrimp swimming in a rich, garlicky sauce that soaked into everything beautifully. No skimping on the shrimp or the flavor.
The red snapper stole the show for me moist, with a light seasoning that let the fish shine. Cooked spot-on, not overdone at all.
Cocktails were excellent across the board—strong, balanced, and creative without being fussy. The bartender clearly knows their stuff.
Only real miss: they never offered dessert or even brought over a menu. Would’ve loved to at least see the options—felt like we were left hanging there. A quick “dessert menu?” from the server would’ve been nice.
Overall, killer seafood and drinks make it worth the visit. Just wish they’d looped us in on the sweet stuff at the end. Solid 4.5/5—definitely going back.
My husband and I went to Herb and Sea last Saturday night. We didn't know what to expect but all the reviews we read were excellent. We've been disappointed before with highly rated restaurants, including those with Micheline stars and bibs. This restaurant beats them all. First, our server spent time walking us through the entire menu including the drinks and wines. At that point, we wanted to order everything on the menu! We ended up starting with the Trout Dip. I cannot even describe how delicious this dip was. I honestly wanted to lick the bowl clean. My husband ordered the Tuscan Ragu which was not only a large portion, but incredibly flavorful. One of the best pasta dishes he's eaten. I orderd the crudo trio which consisted of hamachi, salmon, and trout. This dish is an appetizer, but was a perfect size for me. Very well seasoned and so fresh. We also ordered the blistered peas and, OMG sooo amazingly good. The dish could have been a meal. We ended with a shared butterscotch budino and I cannot describe the creamy deliciousness of this dessert. The drinks were very good and had the appropriate amount of alcohol. Some restaurants water down their specialty drinks with lots of ice - not true at Herb and Sea. We keep thinking about our dinner there and wanting to go back very soon. The staff and chef are amazing. It's a busy place, but they manage to put high quality food out. This restaurant deserves a look from the Micheline experts.
