Mediterranean Room

thestickman23
thestickman23
First Reviewer
2 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
1
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Not Worth It!

  • June 30, 2008
  • Rated 1 of 5 by I_Heart_SD from San Diego, California
My boyfriend and I went during restaurant week here in San Diego. Restaurants sign up to offer a fixed price 3 course meal. On would think a restaurant would sign up in order to bring in more customers...but the way we were treated by the staff would prove otherwise. When I made the reservation I specifically requested a table with a view...and was told they would note the request but couldn't guarantee, which I don't believe. I had made the mistake of telling them I wanted the reservation for restaurant week so it was partly my fault.

We went on a Friday night yet the restaurant was far from busy. They had maybe 7 tables at best while we were there. Two of the window seats were left empty the entire time we were there...we were seated against a wall adjacent to the hotel staff entrance/exit to the kitchen and were given no view of the ocean or the outside terrace. We spent the entire evening listening to the staff shout orders. We had 3 different people serve us, one of whom tried to give our first course to another couple. The people seated behind us requested a move to a table with a view and were given a curt "no" by the waiter who then left. You could distingush the "restaurant week" customers because we all dressed up while the hotel guests and "regulars" were dressed in jeans/tanks/caps. We watched in astonishment as two girls in jeans and sleevless tanks were given a seat by the ocean view!!

The food was only so-so...it wasn't bad but it wasn't worth the $40 we paid. I can't imagine paying full price (the salad I started with had no flavor and would normally have cost $13) for anything we ate. The paella was greasy and didn't have enough scallops or shrimp...the chicken was dry and the mussels tasted the way the ocean smells. I do recommend the creme brulee. Overall, skip this restaurant...even if you are actually staying at this overpriced and overhyped hotel. My boyfriend and I will NEVER set foot near this place again. I do agree with the other poster, George's is FAR superior, has a great view for everyone and the food is amazing!
Editor Pick

The Mediterranean Room

  • February 14, 2007
  • Rated 3 of 5 by thestickman23 from Saddle Brook, New Jersey
The Mediterranean Room

The Mediterranean Room is located in the La Valencia Hotel. This is the hotel’s mid-range restaurant. The views from the dining room give you sweeping scenes of the Pacific Ocean. If you would like to dine al-fresco you can sit outside on the Tropical Patio (this part of the restaurant does not have ocean views). The Mediterranean Room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have also heard that their Sunday Champagne Brunch is phenomenal.

Food – My wife and I visited the Mediterranean Room for dinner. The menu options were geared toward fresh seafood Mediterranean style (of course). To start I ordered the escargot served in their shell with a garlic butter sauce. I found the snails to be tender and not rubbery at all. The signature dish at The Mediterranean Room is the Paella Valencia, since I am a big fan of paella I thought “Why not give theirs a shot?” The paella was good, but there were more mussels than anything else in the dish. I would have liked to see a couple of more shrimps in the paella.

Decor – Like I mentioned earlier, the restaurant has beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, so I recommend asking the host or hostess for a table by the window. The furnishings were colored in gold, yellows, and browns, which gave the restaurant a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Service – The service at The Mediterranean Room was non-intrusive and friendly. I don’t like being asked continuously “How is everything?” One time is sufficient. I also thought the restaurant was short staffed that evening, but I was staying in the La Valencia hotel and was in no hurry to leave.

I recommend going to The Mediterranean Room only if you are staying in La Jolla, it is not worth the trip if you are visiting from elsewhere. The prices are relatively high, probably costing my wife and me about $125 with tip. Though the views are magnificent I would recommend going to George’s at the Cove, which is located down the road from the La Valencia.

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