Best Date Night Restaurants in Escondido

Great food and atmosphere although the restaurant was busy so the food was slow at arrive. Even so, it was a great place to spend time with family.

This was our second visit to Animae. Last night we dined as a couple, and I think we enjoyed the dinner even more than with a group of 7. We were not distracted by the friends and conversations, and we appreciated the amazing creativity and innovation that Chef Tara is bringing to San Diego diners! We began with the Kampachi Crudo with Yuzu sauce as a cold starter, and it was excellent. We also had the Beet Salad from the cold starter section, and the beets were on a ricotta creamy sauce. Also Excellent! My favorite burst of flavor from both visits was the Hunan Lamb Chops which have Szechuan Peppercorns as one of the lively flavors, from the Hot Starters section. We ordered the Wagyu Fried Rice, and enjoyed it very much with the Lamb Chops and with the final meat course: Roast Duck Leg, with an Asian flavors sauce. We had the Chocolate Cremeux dessert, and it was also a show stopper! The table service was gracious, informative, friendly, and not irritating in any way. The scene inside the restaurant was very cheerful, and the room is dramatic and very arty! Animae is definitely our go-to restaurant for out of town guests who might have preconceptions that San Diego dining is not on an international level.

The dinner was delicious, I was looking forward to lamb but I guess they changed up their menu or it changes on a regular basis. I had fettuccine alfredo and my date had scallops. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The staff was very attentive and welcoming, the wine selection was very good, we both had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon that I had never had before, it was not the normal profile of a Cab Sav that I would enjoy (dry) it was sweet, but not too sweet and paired perfectly with the alfredo, it did not over power it. I will definitely be visiting again for special occasions or when I need to treat myself.

Attended on 12/17/2024. Attention to detail and Incredible service made this a great night. On Open Table, I listed what package I wanted and asked for a table near a window in the notes field and when I checked in they stated my requests and was working on them. Service was spectacular, The wait staff took their time ensuring our party had an understand of each item on the menu. The only bummer is when the Manager or someone like that stopped a busser right in our view and began to go over some issue with him. In my mind you do that in the kitchen and not in view of customers. Overall, the date night menu is a great value, oh, Avoid the Au Gratin potatoes. They made it into a loaf and it was cool. Au Gratin should have a sauce and a crispy top layer. Someone took a twist on it and no one wanted to tell them it was not a good idea. You now know.

This was our first time dinning at Collette’s. The food was delicious. We had the scallops and the steelhead trout. All the food tasted wonderfully fresh and was creatively prepared. Annie and all the staff were attentive and pleasant.