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Kettner Exchange, San Diego, CA
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Kettner Exchange

$31 to $50
Contemporary American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 35 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
Kettner Exchange boasts two levels of indoor/outdoor drinking and dining and Little Italy’s only rooftop patio with spanning harbor views. We feature Progressive American cuisine from critically acclaimed Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski. In 2019, Kettner Exchange was named to Michelin Guide's prestigious Bib Gourmand list. Kettner Exchange has proudly maintained this award every year thereafter. Originally introduced in 1997, the Bib Gourmand category highlights restaurants that serve high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less.


Order delivery or takeout

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Brian Redzikowski

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2023

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2022

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Bib Gourmand

    2021

From the OpenTable editors: Anchored by a striking 20-foot eucalyptus sculpture, this two-story, indoor-outdoor showstopper has been a Little Italy hotspot since opening in 2014. Snag a seat on the rooftop patio with swinging daybeds, a roaring fireplace, and bookable private cabanas for sweeping harbour views and inventive American dishes with Asian twists like Szechuan frog legs and spicy tuna and crispy rice with eel sauce from James Beard Award-winning chef Brian Redzikowski.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Asian, Californian
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00–15:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–22:00 Bar Mon–Wed, Sun 17:00–00:00 Thu–Sat 17:00–01:00
  • Phone number
    (619) 255-2001
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
    3. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2021
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Cross Street
    Grape St
  • Parking details
    Valet is available for $10.00 Cash or $12.00 Credit Card.
  • Entertainment
    Live Djs Thursday-Saturday + occasional live bands (call venue for nightly entertainment)
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Small Cabana Reservation

    US$10.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    This is not a Standard Reservation, please read below: *Mon-Wed evening Small Cabana Reservations have no F&B minimum but tax and 22% service charge will be applied. *Thurs-Sun evening Small Cabana Reservations have a $400 F&B minimum + tax and 22% service charge. *Sun Brunch Cabanas have a $200 F&B minimum + tax and 22% service charge. The Small Cabanas offers a space where groups of up to (6) guests are able to enjoy Kettner Exchange’s elevated cuisine and unique beverage program in a casual lounge style VIP setting. Guests may dine from the Lounge Menu till 10pm while being seated at the core of a lively open-air rooftop. Everything ordered will go onto one bill. Each reservation is for (3) hours maximum.
  • New Years Eve at Kettner Exchange

    US$150.00 per person

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Say farewell to 2024 in style at Kettner Exchange with a champagne tower, photo booth, live jazz, and DJs! Festivities will also include a 6-course tasting menu at $150 per person. Please note that only the New Year's Eve menu will be offered on this day, a la carte dining will not be available in the main dining room. An optional curated wine pairing will be available at $60 per person. No-shows or cancellations less than 1 day in advance may be subject to a charge of $25 per person. Tax, 20% service charge, and 4% surcharge will be added to all checks.
  • Private Chefs Table 12/8

    US$260.00 per person

    Prepaid

    8 Dec 2024 only
    18:00
    Not for public booking

What 1,332 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Contemporary American

  • San Diego

    Contemporary American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Kettner Exchange offers an extraordinary dining experience in San Diego's Little Italy. With a "great atmosphere" and "excellent service," it excels in creative, shareable dishes and inventive cocktails. The rooftop ambiance and live jazz enhance the vibe. Popular dishes include duck meatballs and lamb noodles. Perfect for special occasions or casual nights out.

1,332 Reviews
  1. David

    Miami

    45 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waitress, Skye was fabulous! Not only was she knowledgeable, but she had a personality that made the evening even more special. Kudos to the whole staff

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  2. james

    Los Angeles

    18 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Special thanks to the manager Sunday night who went above and beyond to ensure that I had a nice meal at Kettner! I came for the Whole Fried Snapper, which the restaurant was sold out of, and the subsequent dishes I picked didn't work out (the Roasted Eggplant was extremely salty, and the Grilled Chicken was bland). Per the recommendation of the manager, I got the Spicy Shrimp and Coconut Rice, which were much better. Due to the kindness of the manager, I will be back to Kettner Exchange when I visit San Diego again.

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  3. Lisa

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Honestly this place was hyped up so maybe expectations were too high. But service was extremely slow for the restaurant being so empty. Food was bit overpriced for size/value. Drinks were alright. Idk I probably wouldn’t go back.

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  4. JAMES

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were seated immediately. The table they sat us at was great and very comfortable. The food was excellent but the real star was our server Mandy. She went the extra mile to make our anniversary dinner special and memorable. It was a great experience.

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  5. Melanie

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went here to celebrate a 40th birthday. Enjoyed appetizers and drinks. Everything was great. Our server was also great and very knowledgeable about the menu. Loved that they have a valet right out front.

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  6. CLAUDE

    New York City

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent experience as usual! Can't wait to go back!

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  7. Sean

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall a great experience. I was entertaining some colleagues and a business partner in town for a conference as a local and they thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Several of our dishes were great. Most notably the hot oil seared salmon that our server recommended and spicy garlic noodles. I wasnt really a fan of the meatball and spicy shrimp plates (but I may be biased having had similar dishes in the past) We arrived almost 30 minutes and the host Erika was exceptionally welcoming and got us seated promptly which was awesome. Definitely would come back, great for a date night or entertaining guests.

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  8. Trifecta

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Glad I went, but not sure if I will rush to go back. The food was fine, but not out of this world. Be prepared to order several plates to share with others at the table. Not quite Tapas, but similar. Not a place I would have a business dinner as sharing plates is an intimate experience. Only negative was the margarita drink. Served in an unusually small “juice” glass.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a wonderful restaurant with an incredible ambiance that we’ve enjoyed for years, consistently delivering a great experience. It offers excellent value for a Michelin-starred establishment, and the food is always top-notch. We’ve dined here several times, most recently for my son’s 22nd birthday, and everything was on point, as usual—except for the service. Unfortunately, our server seemed distracted, paying more attention to the party next to us rather than our table. Our drinks went empty several times, and we had to wait unnecessarily to place additional orders. In the past, the service has always been impeccable, so I’m hopeful this was just an off night. That said, the food and ambiance were as outstanding as ever, and we'll likely return, but living in North County SD means we have many other excellent dining options to consider as well.

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  10. Arun

    Kansas City

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience at Kettner Exchange. I have been here three times over the past two years and it has always been wonderful. Majority of the menu is shareable, appetizer portion size dishes. This makes it a great place to come with friends, so you can try multiple dishes. Expect to order about 2-3 plates per person. The inside is well decorated, with a downstairs bar and restaurant, an upstairs open air bar, lounge type and counter seating, private cabanas (have minimum food and beverage purchase requirement) etc. it is dimly lit, so if you have a hard time reading, use your phone flashlight. The service is usually great, with them replacing plates with clean dishes as required as you go through the courses. Don't forget to make reservations ahead of time as they tend to get fully booked.

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FAQs

Kettner Exchange offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 255-2001.

Kettner Exchange is rated 4.7 stars by 1332 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 35 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Kettner Exchange

2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
    3. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2021
  • Cross Street
    Grape St
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00–15:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–22:00 Bar Mon–Wed, Sun 17:00–00:00 Thu–Sat 17:00–01:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Asian, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet is available for $10.00 Cash or $12.00 Credit Card.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Live Djs Thursday-Saturday + occasional live bands (call venue for nightly entertainment)
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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