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Saint James French Diner, San Diego, CA

Saint James French Diner

4.5
4.5
287 Reviews
$31 to $50
French American
830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101-6307

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 14 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
This American diner meets elegant French bistro is open Monday–Friday for Breakfast and Lunch, every day for Dinner and Happy Hour, and on the weekends for Brunch. With a full bar and an approachable menu, locals and travelers can indulge in a variety of French-inspired classics, from shared mussels to ratatouille and burgers.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 07:00–11:00 Sat, Sun 07:00–10:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–15:00 Happy Hour Daily 15:00–18:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Catering
    For catered events please contact us at <br /><br />BONJOUR@SAINTJAMESFRENCHDINER.COM<br /><br />619.678.1007
  • Private party facilities
    For private events please contact us at BONJOUR@SAINTJAMESFRENCHDINER.COM619.678.1007
  • Area
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Easter Brunch at Saint James French Diner!

    US$41.00 per person

    20 Apr 2025 only
    Join us for a one-day-only brunch celebration featuring tasty brunch favorites and cocktail specials! Sunday, April 20th from 10am-3pm. Limited seating – reservations recommended!
    Easter Brunch at Saint James French Diner! photo

Offers

  • Daily Happy Hour!

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - Wed - 15:00 - 18:00
    Daily from 3pm - 6pm. $4 Beers, $6 select wines by the glass $8 cocktails, and $10 burgers all night long! Served 3pm-6pm.

    Daily Happy Hour! photo
  • Society Brunch Club!

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - 10:00 - 14:45,Sat - 10:00 - 14:45
    Join us for Society Brunch Club Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm. Make your brunch sparkle with Bottomless Mimosas or a Saint James Combo! Cheers to you, San Diego!

    Society Brunch Club! photo
  • Tuesdays All Night Happy Hour!

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - 15:00 - 20:30
    Make Tuesday's your spot! $4 Beers, $6 select wines by the glass $8 cocktails, and $10 burgers all night long! Served 3pm-10pm.

    Tuesdays All Night Happy Hour! photo

What 287 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Most Booked 1000-Point Tables

  • San Diego

    Most Booked 1000-Point Tables

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Saint James French Diner offers a charming, vintage-inspired atmosphere and delightful French cuisine. Guests rave about the "fantastic Parisienne burger" and "perfect French onion soup." Happy hour is a hit with "great value" on burgers and cocktails. Service is friendly, though occasional delays occur. A must-visit for French food lovers!
287 Reviews
  1. Dr. Michael VIP

    Philadelphia35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful, small bistro – style restaurant in downtown San Diego. Wonderful staff, excellent food. My only complaint is they have a relatively limited wine selection.

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  2. Tishmall

    Austin3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I entertained a small group of women from out of town for a business lunch meeting and it was perfect! The service and food were exceptional!
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for the lovely review! We're so glad to hear your visit was a success and that everything came together just right. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jaime VIP

    San Diego19 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 30 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Slow service (at 5pm) from the kitchen, food was served cold and returned twice. Chefs and cooks need more training.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your feedback, and we apologize for the slow service and issues with your meal. We take your comments seriously and will work on improving our kitchen efficiency and staff training. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Steve VIP

    Orange County4 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Terribly mismanaged operation. Only one server for 6 occupied tables. She was overwhelmed and disjointed. Food was seriously overcooked and the sides were cold. Place could have hope, if they could garner a restaurant consultant. Concept is fun and inviting, the decor is decent too. Very disappointing experience overall.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear about your experience. We take your concerns seriously and will work to improve both our service and kitchen operations. We appreciate your input and hope to have the opportunity to provide a better experience in the future.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Sergio

    San Diego104 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 28 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great option in the gaslamp. The menu is limited, but everything was delicious.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed the food and had a great experience. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Marivi

    San Francisco3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 27 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    I adore this restaurant's decor and laid back vibe. My husband and I shared stuffed mini bell peppers, French onion soup, Moules Frites and a side of asparagus. The bell peppers were deliciously sweet; the Moules Frites were well seasoned and easy to share; the asparagus was fine, nothing to scream about, but the biggest disappointment was the French onion soup. It looked wonderful in its footed bowl with the cap of pastry, but when we broke through the puff pastry, we realized the soup itself was lukewarm to room temperature. On the other hand, the bottle of rosé we ordered because it was a Wine Wednesday special was superb. I would consider going back just for the decor, but my husband is less enthused because of the cold soup.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the decor, the rosé, and some of the dishes. We sincerely apologize for the cold soup and appreciate you bringing it to our attention. We hope to have the chance to welcome you both back and provide a better experience next time.

    Is this helpful?

  7. George

    San Diego2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was ok but very noisy and crowded restaurant. We asked server specifically about quality and size of the mussels (moules ) to make sure they were a healthy size but when they arrived at the table they were small and shriveled (exactly what we asked about and wanted to avoid )
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear the noise and the mussels didn’t meet your expectations. We take your comments seriously and will work to improve both the dining experience and our communication with guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Molly

    Central Coast5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I had a wonderful time at brunch with great food and aycd mimosas. If you can’t find street parking (I couldn’t) it’s $30 for two hours in the parking lot. That made it a much more expensive brunch than anticipated. Plan ahead!
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food and mimosas. We appreciate your feedback on parking and will keep that in mind for future guests. We hope to welcome you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Doug VIP

    Kansas City88 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great little restaurant with outstanding food and service. Their happy hour is great too.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed both the food and service, and that our happy hour hit the spot. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My girlfriend and I really enjoyed our first time at the French Diner before heading to the opera. We sat in the window seat and enjoyed a delicious endive cesar salad, bass dish and rosemary fries. And of course a nice glass of wine. The waitress was attentive and we were out in time to walk back to the Civic.
    Saint James French DinerResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad to hear you had a great experience before the opera and enjoyed your meal. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you both back for another visit soon!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Saint James French Diner is rated 4.5 stars by 287 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 14 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Saint James French Diner

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101-6307

Additional information

  • Area
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 07:00–11:00 Sat, Sun 07:00–10:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–15:00 Happy Hour Daily 15:00–18:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    For catered events please contact us at <br /><br />BONJOUR@SAINTJAMESFRENCHDINER.COM<br /><br />619.678.1007
  • Private party facilities
    For private events please contact us at BONJOUR@SAINTJAMESFRENCHDINER.COM619.678.1007
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