Serenity Restaurant & Lounge

This place is closed down.

The name of this restaurant must be meant to be ironic, because my experience there was anything but serene. Granted, we ate here during Comic Con, but I’m only willing to give a place so much credit. My experience was so bad I made a Unilocal account just to warn others.
I came in with two friends; it wasn’t very busy and we were sat right away. We ordered a burger, two Stellas, two salads and an appetizer. It took us 15 minutes to get our beers. Two gentlemen sat next to us about 10 minutes after we sat down. They ordered 2 burgers, it took them about 30 minutes to get their food, and had been DONE EATING for a good 10 minutes before our server realized we still hadn’t gotten our food. It took about another 20 minutes for us to finally get ours, sans appetizer because they forgot that as well. The salads weren’t very good according to my friends, the appetizer was four wantons that were fairly decent, but my burger left much to be desired. The sweet potato fries were soggy and cold in parts, I don’t care for an excess of bun nor do I like Velveeta-​esque cheese when I’m paying $ 15 dollars.
Another table that sat down 30 minutes after us got up to leave after waiting 45 minutes for their food. They came back after a server chased them down and told them their food was ready after they left. I watched their poorly trained food runner go to the wrong table with food on four separate occasions. I suppose ours would be the fifth, since that’s who they blamed our missing food on. I asked to speak to the manager four times before he deigned to come over. Both his attitude and outfit were incredibly unprofessional. (I was dressed better and I was attending a comic convention.) Last time I checked, plaid shorts and a t-​shirt was not management apparel in an establishment that’s supposed to be higher class. Once I told him I was paying for the food only because I ate it and not because I enjoyed it at all, and after not apologizing once for the terrible service, he decided to give us a 20% discount. I can honestly say it was the worst time I’ve ever had at a restaurant in my life and I will NEVER go back.

I came here for a steak dinner and was not very impressed. Ordered the filet, which was just ok for that class of steak. Very small portions, which was kind of disappointing. The staff was nice and there was some very cool décor. They do have a lounge which I wasnt able to check out, but looked pretty cool. Also, in a very cool area, near the convention center in downtown SD. Overall I probably wouldnt come back for dinner, but might come back to check out the lounge.

Love this place! I was not too hungry to ofer a full meal but I was able to try the scallops as they are AMAZING!!! We sat at the bar which has a great view… I definitely come back. My only suggestion will be to get some yummy desserts otherwise it is great.

Winner — Best Crab Cake!
I can’t believe it, I have finally found a better crab cake than Oceanaire! For years I have been telling everyone that I know that there is no better crab cake on the planet than the one at Oceanaire… Well, now I will be saying that Serenity has it! Unreal.
The Serenity crab cake should just be called Crab (forget the cake — there isn’t any). I am not sure what they use to hold the jumbo chucks of crab together, but I think it is 99.99% crab and .01% pixie dust. You have to have the CRAB cake when you stop in.
LOCATION: The location is a little hidden, which makes it very cool. The vibe is great, and the view is fantastic. You can sit outside or inside, and there is even an upstairs area that has been featured on multiple television shows.
DRINKS: These guys make great craft cocktails. YUM! You can come in, sit at the round bar and watch all the tourists walk by. This is also a great place to meet up with friends when you don’t want to deal with the craziness of 5^th and 6^th Avenue. Once again, this is a somewhat hidden location, so once you find it, you will have your own special spot to hang out with friends.
UPSTAIRS: Be sure to check out the upstairs area. Picture an intimate club in Las Vegas with nice couches, chairs, a private bar and nice music. I like the idea of bringing some friends in, sitting upstairs with a craft cocktail in hand and feeling like I am on vacation (with no cover charge).
FOOD: I didn’t get a chance to eat much of their other food, but the patrons that I spoke with said it was delicious. I can vouch for the Crab cake — it is the best I have ever had!
If you are ready to try somewhere you have never been before, you have to try Serenity… just don’t be surprised when you become a regular.

Give this place another shot! Our first experience was terrible and similar to a lot of other reviews– good food, small portions, overpriced– but since we live a block away we thought we would give it another chance. The food was outstanding and we left stuffed! I think they really listened to their critics. Had the cioppino for an app and there were an abundance of shrimp, scallops, and fish. My entrée was a soft shelled crab over couscous which they specially made without chorizo upon my request. My boyfriend had the wild boar and it was 4 huge chops! Service was great although we were only 1 of 2 tables which can be awkward. I am looking forward to bringing some more business their way because they are heading in the right direction!

Hands down, bar none, without a doubt the worst meal I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a huge amount. First, allow me to say that it takes a lot for me to give only one star and there’s a large part of me that feels bad in doing so. This one star is not for the wait staff, the barbacks, or anyone working here who’s just trying to make a decent tip. No, I respect those people and can forgive a lot because I know this isn’t easy work. With that said, there is something seriously wrong here.
It took 90 minutes for our food to arrive. 90 minutes. Dinner reservations were at 7:30 and I have to be up for a meeting at 6:15 a.m. and am starving, therefore 90 minutes is inexcusable. I actually took that exact word — inexcusable — from our server himself, who was the first to point this out. Very decent of him. Points there.
The food is terrible. Just terrible. I ordered a small $ 18 plate of cashew chicken and honestly, I’ve had better Lean Cuisines (I actually like Lean Cuisines, so maybe this isn’t a fair comparison, but you get the point). My friend had the pineapple shrimp and it struck me the same as my chicken: amateur food at offensive prices. The two ounces of rice that came on the side was cold and hard. I thought this had to be a joke, but it was not. Worst of all, the amuse bouche, which is meant to tickle your tastebuds and give you a preview of the delicious fare you’re about to enjoy, was your run-​of-​the-​mill crab wonton. I like crab wontons, but they serve better ones in the freezer section of Costco.
When I came with my friends, the place was empty. It’s a huge space, the location isn’t the greatest and the competition is steep (Morton’s is next door and Gaslamp hot spots and better restaurants abound), so it’s no wonder their prices are high to be able to pay the rent. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re going to be able to pay that rent very long. This place will be gone before you know it and another will take its place. I just hope the nice wait staff can find jobs there.

This restaurant appeared to be a super-​swanky new hot spot, and, thus, we decided to take a friend there for her birthday dinner. I really like the location, near the harbor, upstairs in the place that used to be Galileo 101. Unfortunately the large TV at the bar and the old, unattractive booths took that swanky feeling away immediately.
Service was interesting. Our waiter at first seemed very interested in helping us, but shortly after realizing it was going to take us a little longer to decide on drinks and appetizers, he disappeared. He returned, but presented us with a very confusing choice, saying that we could either use our coupon for 20% off food or get ½ off the price of the bottle of wine, a Tuesday special. When I asked if we could order and just get the best discount, he became very uncomfortable and without actually telling me what to do, I had to male the choice prior to deciding what we were going to order.
The menu is very small, but the food was very good. At first it was difficult, as there are several things the birthday girl doesn’t eat, and they were out of a couple of menu items, including what we wanted to order. We ended up with an odd variety of items… sort of Asian fusion, but that title is a stretch.
All in all, the food was delicious and my friend got a free birthday dessert that we shared. We enjoyed the night, but with so many other restaurants around, this one is just not worth the price.

OH MY GOODNESS…
I was referred to Serenity by my friends who live downtown. I was at first skeptical because I was unfamiliar with the new restaurant, and and VERY picky when it comes to my food. But I have to say I will definetly be back! Lets start with the food… amazing! The menu is filled with a unique asian fusion cuisine that just overwhelms you (in a good way). The service from front of the house to back of the house was great as well. We felt right at home, and when the food came it is was plated so pretty I didnt want to eat it, for fear of messing up the presentation. Highly recommend this place to those who wants to really have a downtown experience.
Make sure to look upstairs for a table as well! We sat there and the view was to die for.

Great ambiance upstairs and great staff. The food was really good just a bit overpriced for the portion size. It has a nice view of the harbor. If you are looking for a special night out without having to wait in line then this is the place to be.

Where do I start…
I was excited to eat here after reviewing the menu online before hand but was greatly disappointed.
I ordered the lobster salad and my friend had the wasabi salmon. The lobster salad would have been fine except the dressing used had a «kick» to it and it really didn’t suit it. Also, the lobster was the smallest I had ever seen.
My friends salmon was cold, not sure if that was on purpose. The wasabi sauce were a mere six pea size dots along the side of the plate. In addition, the salmon was not cooked through.
We also ordered the basil potato gratin as a side and it was about a 3″ X 3″ piece, if that. Couldn’t believe it.
The service was great but the food is way overpriced and the atmosphere is far from «serene».

My fiancé and I live downtown, just a block away, and we were hoping Serenity would be a great ‘neighborhood spot.’ We frequent Downtown San Diego restaurants weekly, and have never felt so disappointed by a restaurant experience.
Recently, we dined at Serenity in a party of 8 to celebrate a birthday. We were all sorely disappointed. Specifically, the price point was not appropriate for the incredibly small portions. We have paid comparable amounts for our meals and dine at the nicest restaurants. All 8 of us left hungry and apalled that, for example, our mini crab cake appetizer was $ 15, which offered a small 2 bites. Or that the $ 28 Scallop meal came with 3 pieces and a few strings of asparagus, and tiny bowl of white rice. The curry sauce it was supposed to come with was barely enough to enjoy, and we ended up asking for more. There was not even bread offered. The restaurant was empty, and I would assume its for the very overpriced food, that was more or less like eating a few appetizer samples. Unfortunately, with Serenity being a neighborhood restaurant, I would never go back nor recommend it.
However, the quality of the food was excellent, which is where the 2 stars come from, and the service was average, the quantity was a joke. Customers don’t want to leave hungry.

This place isn’t worth it, and I doubt it will be open very long. I came here for a business dinner on a Saturday night with a party of 8. They sat us right next to the kitchen, and we weren’t even aware that there was an upstairs with a view. Considering there were only 3 other tables in the place besides ours (at 8pm on a Saturday night), it wasnt like there was no other place to put us.
We had drinks at the bar, and their specialty cocktails were good, and the staff was pleasant. Those are my two stars. The rest of the experience was just not good. The menu is limited and way overpriced for the quality. I ordered the beef with broccolini, my friend ordered the lemongrass shrimp, and the rest of the table ordered scallops, steaks, etc.
My beef was chewy and I had asked for it to be made extra spicy but there was no heat to it at all. My friend’s lemongrass shrimp was terrible… SO fishy. The shrimp tasted like they had been bought frozen at Ralphs down the street. She didn’t eat any of them… for $ 18? And the guy seated to my left had scallops that were so pungent I had to move away from him. Good quality fresh fish shouldn’t smell like that. Neither of the steaks were cooked to the correct temperature– one over, one way under.
The wine by the glass selection was terrible. They were out of at least 3 of the wines we wanted. I finally ended up with the lower end Pinot Noir, and it was so sweet… almost like the disgusting Yellowtail Shiraz-​Cabernet. You should have quality wines at all price points on your menu. And finally, after our server brought us a glass of wine, I heard the manager pull her aside and chastise her asking «who gave such a generous pour?»
Bottom line: if you want good quality food, try Lou and Mickeys a block or so down the train tracks. If you want good Asian Fusion, the Red Pearl Kitchen blows this place out of the water.

I was impressed by the food here. With all the terrible reviews my hopes were not high but I was pleasantly surprised. It was very slow for a Friday night but the location probably has alot to blame for that. Being far from the hustle and bustle this place is a little hidden gem. I can’t give it 5 stars because it wasn’t amazing but it was very good. I had the lobster salad, shrimp and pork dumplings, scallops, and steak. The steak was the real winner for me. It had tempura french green beans, a potato stack gratin, and eggplant that came with it, everything worked so well together. The Lobster salad was very fresh and all the ingredients were well balanced. I would come back here one day soon. I hope more people would give this place a shot because if they did they would not be disappointed.

My husband and I were in San Diego on our honeymoon and found a deal for Serenity on groupon. The article linked to the deal and Unilocal reviews sounded fairly good, so we went for it. Unfortunately, it ended up being a horrible experience.
The staff was very nice and the location and décor has potential, but we were literally the only people there, and the food and drinks were not good to say the least.
The cocktails menu is trying too hard. The dragon fruit drink was sicky sweet and the alchemist was garnished with an entire branch of rosemary, the scent was so overbearing i couldn’t finish my drink.
The pork belly was mush, our salad tasted like chemicals, the filet was well cooked but the sides were bland. We also ordered the Carmel bacon fried rice per a Unilocal review, but it was dry and by that point in the meal we had already given up.
They took the rice off our bill and the manager came over for feedback and gave us a free dessert coupon which was appreciated. They seemed eager to please and interested in our comments. Hopefully they can turn the cuisine around and get some more customers in there. If not, the location seems prime for a night club :) Better luck to the next guy.

Let’s start from the moment you enter this place. Absolutely beautiful décor of the restaurant! Very modern but no too fancy (too fancy — negative…) Love the touch of Asia in it. The fountain and the 180 degree view through the glass walls /​ceiling add even more uniqueness to the atmosphere.
The restaurant style is Asian Fusion — probably my favorite. The food, I can say, is made freshly to order. You can order anything from Thai to Vietnamese cuisine, plus, what you won’t get in a regular Asian restaurant, Serenity offers full bar service with various happy hours including late night happy hour even on Friday and Saturday (very convenient, huh?)
The location seems to be not as convenient as I wish it could be (parking and just driving there), but for a special occasion or if I’m there for some other reason, I’ll definitely stop by for a lunch, or a dinner, or a late night snack /​drink! Very recommend!

So many good thing to say about this place. Let me start my saying this is not somewhere you want to go if you are looking for cheap. This is somewhere you might want go on a date night or special occasion.
1) the location is prime, beautiful view of the San Diego Sky Line (sit upstairs if you can)
2) The food was amazing (crab fried rice with bacon, my heat be still!)
3) The drink are incredibly creative & delicious (my favorite was the pedi cab)
4) Our server, Ryan, was knowledgeable and accommodating (we had lots of questions)
If you haven’t checked this place out yet, do it now, before they get popular by word of mouth as I know they will.

I attended serenity on its soft opening evening and I definitely see this a quickly becoming a popular downtown hot spot. its got the vibe, the high-​end cocktails, and (from the limited food i tried) delicious spot-​on cuisine.
our visit was limited to a drink and app before heading to a club, and that little preview was a successful amuse bouche to coming back for a dinner. its got that dim and sexy mood paired with lively (but not loud) mainstream tunes. main dining area & bar, and upper lounge area with low tables * comfy seating + another bar — this is where we hung out. private reserve booths upstairs too.
cocktails: 3 out of 4 of us gravitated to the «tranquil alchemist» ($ 12) — vodka, pear eau de vie, st. germain, rosemary, agave syrup, lemon juice & club soda.
it was pretty much perfection to my cocktail standards. all ingredients organic and natural, it was refreshing and not too sweet with all the components complimentary and really shining. you taste the spirit and appreciate its strength but the quality is so high its not a «wow this is strong» reaction. just simply delicious. ive never had rosemary in a drink and it really worked.
the drinks took a bit (we were actually told it was the bartenders first time working on it — thats how new this place is!) but once you taste it you appreciate the time spent on it — comparable to the time spent at a place like el dorado (they are very up to par).
appetizer: we shared the crab cake and WOW that might be the best crab ive ever tasted. one bite in and i knew the rest of the menu has to be outstanding. everything is quality. no filler breading… just pure delicious crab.
the servers who attended to us were attentive and really professional. i forget our main servers name — super personable young girl with beautiful red hair — but she took great care of us and was fun to talk to.

This was my third time in here and the 1^st time I tried the food. We had already eaten, but decided to try the crab cake since so many people told us how good it was. I can say from experience now that it was one of the best crab cakes I have had. I never thought I would enjoy a crab cake as much as I do at Oceanaire, but this one was pretty comparable. The crab cake was all crab. There wasn’t any bread binding it together. When you took a bit the crab just flaked off. Even though we weren’t hungry, we had no problem scarfing it down. The crab cake has made me want to try other item son the menu. Within minutes we made plans to bring in friends and come back on Sunday to try other food items.
Onto the staff. Every single person I have met has been friendly and accommodating. I met several of the bartenders and chefs my first night in there. Almost a week later they all remembered my name and what I drank. I was extremely impressed.
I hope this place succeeds. They have a great atmosphere with a fabulous staff. It has a great view from the upstairs. The lounge upstairs in comfy and inviting. I love the leather couches and tables.
Kathy

I went here Friday night which I hear was supposed to be their grand opening. If I were them, I would reserve the word «grand» to describe desert canyons that are visible from outer space. My group was literally the only folks upstairs in the lounge — I’ve seen more nightlife at a graveyard.
Even still, I’ll offer a couple stars just based on the layout if the lounge. Despite the fact we were the only ones there, there was ample lounge seating perfect for cocktail parties and the like. Musically they were playing Pandora — I think — and even then they picked some crap stations.
Our server was friendly and cool. Their drink menu definitely leaned towards craft cocktails, however, it seemed that they’re still tinkering with some recipes. This was evidenced by a good chunk of their cocktails being scratched off their menus with a pen! Unless this place rethinks what it means to be «grand,» I’d say it’s too far a walk from other more established lounges downtown.