Marketplace Café

This is a hidden gem in downtown San Diego! I’m sure everyone knows Nordstrom’s has cafes but this café had a small rooftop patio with a view of downtown, the Coronado bridge and the bay.
The food was also very good. We ordered a beef dip which was very tasty. The chicken tomatillo soup was good and spicy. Worth a return trip.

They’re located on the top floor of Nordstrom Horton Plaza. The website describes Marketplace Café as «Our contemporary food marketplace is perfect for a casual meal, offering wonderful menu selections, including soups, salads, sandwiches, specialties and desserts to satisfy a discerning palate. Beer and wine are available.»
This Marketplace Café is the loneliest of all the San Diego Nordstrom locations. Usually there’s a line and a busy dining area. But here, no. There aren’t display cases modeling the variety of sandwiches, salads, and entrees they have. I was telling friend they don’t have as many items to choose from here at Horton Plaza. No matter as he wasn’t paying and I had a gift card to burn. The gentleman taking our order that day was friendly and knowledgeable.
You order, they print out a receipt you put on to your table, and they bring the food out to you.
We ordered:
Roma Tomato Basil:
— I used to think the soup tasted like Prego sauce but maybe my taste buds changed a few years ago as I know think their tomato soup is pleasant. It’s a very tomato-​forward soup: not creamy and it’s left a tiny bit chunky. I love that it’s always served mouth burn hot. But honestly, the best part of this soup are those buttered parm crostinis.
Chinese Chicken salad:
— This was a nice sized salad for $ 12+ and it was incredibly fresh. The ginger sesame dressing didn’t drown the baby greens and the toasted almonds were the perfect low-​carb crunch for this Chinese chicken salad.
Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri:
— The $ 18 price is hefty for casual food but you are getting a nice quality skirt steak for this entrée. They were kind enough to give me all asparagus for the vegetables. You can request the doneness of the steak. They did a beautiful job preparing the steak medium rare on this visit. The steak cuts nicely with the (steak) knife they give you. But you *MUST* try this dish just for the cilantro lime vinaigrette sauce that’s on the side for this entrée. It’s so puckering delicious and adds a heightened flavor component to the steak and grilled vegetables.
Chicken Club with Maple Glazed Bacon:
— The cashier recommended this sandwich to friend. There was plenty of sliced chicken breast in this warm sandwich. The avocado was nicely ripe and the maple glazed bacon had a nice chew to it. Potato chips are served on the side.
Cookie Royale:
— This royale cookie here at Marketplace Café was DA. BOMB. There were dark chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, coconut inside this crispy on the outside/​chewy on the inside cookie. You know when you have a memorable cookie in hand when you close your eyes like a weirdo and make that ‘mmmm’ sound when eating something in public. This cookie even trumped my beloved crostinis I mentioned earlier.
Service was so so. Our drinks were refilled only when we tried to make eye contact with someone in the empty restaurant. But we appreciated how he would bring out extra condiments if we asked. Our meal was under $ 60 (with tip) so it’s easy to spend quite a bit of money here for a casual meal. But the quality of the food is excellent and the portion sizes are fair.

I love coming here for their salads… and the view!
It’s the best place to stop for a quick lunch while you’re shopping. Much better than any of the options at the food court. There is always plenty of seating and the wait staff is very friendly.

Nordstrom Café, you’re alright by me.
I’m super into:
Your apple chicken salad
Your ordering process
Your menu options
Your friendly staff
Being able to settle into a booth after shopping and relax
How mommy/​family friendly you are
Parking Validation
I’m not so into:
The dirty coffee mug I got — oh lipstick that stays on forever!
The slow table service
The lack of alternative milks (no soy or almond)
Lack of parking! I had to be on the top top level in the sun.
A-​OK is where I’m at with my last visit, but I think it will be a regular meet up for some downtown ladies and I who lunch once a month or so. Keep eyes open for a possible review update!

I love the market place café. This is my place to go for a good salad at lunch. The other offerings are less delicious, but man oh man… The salads…
This is not the place to go if you’re looking for a quick lunch. It’s also not the place to go if you’re looking to budget your calories, though calorie counts are helpfully offered on the menu. But if you want to sit down with a friend and have a reasonably sophisticated lunch menu in downtown San Diego with a view, it’s a lovely place to go.
You start by ordering at the front and paying your tab up front. Make sure to bring change for your tip though because you never get a chance when you initially sign in. Once you’ve ordered, you sit down and someone comes to pick up your receipt and provide you with the beverages that you’ve just ordered.
Soon after, the waiter brings your utensils and then your food. Usually the wait time is around 10 minutes.
Of the items I’ve had, my favorite is the Salmon Nicoise. It clocks in at 650 calories. The salmon is usually cooked just right. The dressing is a light vinaigrette. The mixed greens are tossed with lightly steamed green beans, fresh tomatoes, crispy roasted potatoes, capers, and olives. I love the contrast between the sweetness of the salmon and vinaigrette compared with the salty brine of the capers and olives.
The Asian glazed chicken salad is also nice and fresh. It also comes it at around 650 calories. This salad features more textures: you can contrast the tender chicken and light mandarins with the crispy cabbage and wontons. It’s not overdressed. Most importantly, the dressing is light and refreshing rather than the sickeningly sweet gobs of dressing that normally accompany such salads.
The kids menu (yes, I’m guilty of ordering from the kids menu) features a pasta with tomato sauce dish that isn’t worth the money. Get the tomato soup instead (if you can have lactose). That’s actually worth the money. Still, the spaghetti with tomato sauce is bland enough to satisfy most picky children. So perhaps in that sense, Nordstrom’s goal is met.
Lunch ends with a small mint chocolate brought for each guest and the bill as a helpful reminder to leave tip.
So come for the salads. Stay for a little view. And maybe perhaps make a purchase on the way out.

Marketplace Café is always our favorite go to Café. It is conveniently located inside Nordstrom. Their Café is like a cafeteria style. Very casual perfect for lunch, snacks or dinner. Today we came here for quick shopping few of my «Kate Spade» obsession kitchen accessories ;) and refuel our long walk from the Gaslamp. As usual we just want to grab quick bites so we shared our usual fave blackened Salmon Caesar salad. But they have really good selection of healthy soup and salad, Pizzaz, pasta and sandwiches. CS is always excellent, staff are very friendly and attentive. Overall, fresh and healthy delicious food, decent place, decent price. And this location has the gorgeous view of downtown SanDiego. Beautiful outside seatings. And oh don’t forget the cakes and Crème Brûlée !hmmm Deliciousness! yum!

The very best French dip sandwich… best in town for sure if you want a killer French dip this is the spot and grate view on top of that count me in every week!

Food is excellent, views from the top floor of Nordstrom Horton Plaza are great, service is friendly and efficient. Probably one of the better places to grab a tasty soup, salad, sandwich or entrée for afternoon or early evening dining Downtown! Not a huge fan of ordering at the counter and waiting to be served but Nordstroms does it right!

I am a current cook in the café. The food is very good. We also serve breakfast for those of you who don’t know. Stop on by to the café you won’t be disappointed!

I can’t believe I found a salad that is ACTUALLY WORTH $ 15. The Niçoise salad here was phenomenal. It’s been a long time since I have had such a delicious, healthy, and satisfying meal at a restaurant! I wish I could have lunch here everyday. This is definitely a hidden gem in the mall!

The closest place to heaven. Love the lunch here. Very open area with plenty of tables inside or out
Great view from the windows
Love the way you can mix and match the salad, soup or sandwich.
The food here is like the store all items are prepared by Nordstrom’s and they are 1 class. The service is A+++
Everything is fresh and the soup changes everyday day.
You order at the front and pay, find a seat and the they bring everything to you and wait on you thru out the meal. Mike was my sever and they were very busy, but he never missed a step.
Come a little early like 11:45 am and you will get right in. Come at 12:00 and be prepared to wait a little for a good table. You can be in and out in 45min perfect for that 1 hour lunch my boss gives me!!!
The price is a little steep, BUT WELL WORTH IT!
Enjoy! Thanks Nordstrom’s.

Yummy in my tummy! I love this place. I shop very frequently at Nordstrom and always noticed they had a Café, but didn’t realize it was an actual restaurant. Thankfully, my friend Shanel S. showed me the way! Ever since, I’ve been addicted. From their Salmon Caesar to their sandwiches and tomato soup. Yumm! I’ll even admit that I have to get a cookie to satisfy my sweet tooth while picking out a cute new blouse. Service is also really great. I prefer coming here over the food court in the mall. It might be a little pricier, but well worth it.

Always a peaceful oasis in the mall for a lovely lunch. They serve salads, sandwiches, soups and pastas with daily specials. Really can’t go wrong. Had the cilantro lime chicken salad today, and it was wonderful. My friended ordered the cranberry turkey panini, and it was surprisingly good; especially loved the tasty, thin multigrain/​seeded ciabatta bread it was served on. Service is always so gracious. A lovely place to take a deep breath, take in the views and enjoy lunch with friends.

My wife and I have always been a fan of Nordstroms Café. Good food and good quick service when you are in a hurry.
One thing I didn’t really appreciate at this particular location was the fact that when I went to the counter to tell them my wife’s food wasn’t what she ordered, I saw the cook in the back shoveling food in his mouth while working at his station. I thought it was a little odd, but I kind of forgot about it. Until we were walking out, I noticed two other employees standing at the counter also eating, and I could hear one of them using expletives. As a business owner, that is a huge deal in my opinion. Not only is that tacky, but it’s also a health department code violation.
The food however was delicious and our waiter was very pleasant and helpful.

I ordered the Shrimp Thai Salad and asked for a Crostini. The salad was good, but half the portion they use to give you. The Crostini was hard, stale, thin and old. It looked like a week old Crostini. Like it had sat over the counter for a week.
I think this Nordstrom’s Café has changed management and/​or the cooks because they use to give you more generous portions and the Crostinis were fresh baked and delicious.

Horton Plaza leaves quite a bit to be desired when it comes to dining options. In my search for something filling and light, I passed on the food court offerings. This left my options for lunch down to the trusty Nordstrom Café.
I cautiously ordered the salmon Niçoise. I was afraid that my salmon would be dry, or worse, slimy. My fears were for nothing. My salmon came out perfectly cooked and was deliciously seasoned.
The view from the dining room overlooks downtown, the Coronado bridge, and the bay. If you are looking to get away for a relaxing lunch hour and not break the bank, swing by here.

California grilled turkey sandwich was really yummy: crusty grilled bread, delicious turkey, avocado, melted cheese, and perfectly cooked crispy bacon… the Side Salad (instead of chips) was my way of feeling less guilty about the buttery carb, but then, life is short… enjoy it, right?
Service was nice at this Nordstorm Café. Window views were lovely too. This café seems to cater to many business people in the area. It’s upscale in feel due to the clientele, and the servers were attentive.

Any Nordstrom café is amazing really. I just didn’t like how small the menu was at this certain location compared to the fashion valley location. The angel hair pasta was cooked perfectly though! You also get a really good view of downtown if you choose to sit outside at this location which is perfect on a good day out.

I have loved the Nordstrom Café since I was a kid and my mom would bring us there for lunch. Not much has changed over the years, I am still going there and loving it! I frequently meet friends for lunch since I work downtown. My go-​to is the Cobb Salad. Every once in a while I’ll order the half turkey sandwich, salad & Roma Tomato Basil soup. The soup is outstanding! The server’s are always attentive and friendly. Before I leave no matter what I MUST order a chocolate chip cookie. They are perfect and full of layers upon layers of chocolate chunks. A. MUST! I get an extra one to take home for my kids to split as well.

I eat here at least once a week. The manager is very professional and cares about customer service and food quality.
The waiters are cool, most of the time they seem nervous, they should have fun and serve with a smile :)
I had the sweet potato jalapeño soup it was excellent. Not hot nor spicy, just right!
Great place for lunch.

I would always go to the Nordstorm Café in Fashion Valley. The food is amazing. I love the bread they serve with the tomato basil soup and they always serve me some at the one in fashion valley, so I asked for it here and they brought me plain bread with butter
They have an outside patio with an amazing view Nordstorm café is my go to place when I want lunch that won’t be I heavy.

I think this is the best Nordstroms café is san Diego. The service is always friendly and quick. The food is amazing. Trust me I eat here enough to know.
The view isn’t bad either. On a sunny day I really enjoying having my meals outside on the patio over looking the busy downtown streets if San Diego.
Favorites to order are the apple and goat cheese salad or the salmon angel hair pasta.

I don’t usually pick anything in a mall to eat if I can help it. But this place would be 5 stars if it were a little cheaper.
I had a delightful chicken pesto sandwich and tomato basil soup. My friend & I split a pumpkin cupcake for dessert. They even had Mighty Leaf iced tea.
My favorite part, however, was one of the staff who was so… I don’t know. He just seemed to like it and like us and it made the experience so much better. He gave us dessert advice, rang us up, and was just super fantastic all around.
We had a great lunch with attentive service.

Great place for lunch. It’s relatively quick and comparable in price to other $$ restaurants at lunchtime. It’s good for groups because you pay for your meal first at the register, so no fumbling for the check afterward.
I’ve always ordered the salads — chicken and pistachio; really tasty and fulfilling.
It gets really busy and loud at lunchtime; if you can snag a seat on the small patio, good for you. There’s a nice view of the city and, on a sunny day, it’s really beautiful. Otherwise, if you have a party bigger than 2 – 4 people, it’s kind of hard to hear one another inside.

This place is heavenly. I’ve been there for lunch twice now and it’s quiet, peaceful, clean and has a beautiful view overlooking the city. The waitstaff are always polite and on point. The best part is that the food is high-​quality and delicious, but reasonably priced.
The first time I went I had the angel hair pasta with salmon, which was creamy, lemony deliciousness. Today I had the french dip sandwich and tomato basil soup — also tasty. My boyfriend is stuck on the cobb salad.
It’s a lovely little oasis in Horton Plaza.

My friend and I got hungry while shopping, so we decided to get some food here. I got half of a spicy chicken sammy with a side of salad to hold me over until my dinner in a couple hours. The service is excellent for a café, but it is Nordys… so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to be treated nicely. We ate outside and enjoyed the view of downtown.