Herb & Sea - Seafood restaurant in Encinitas - 131 W D St, USA

Octopus was better than the best chicken I've ever had, the pulled pork was incredible, and the tuna or fish dish we had was so clean. This place is a gem in encinitas if you enjoy seafood. Even the pizza we got was great, cocktails were top tier as well. Our server was very knowledgeable regarding what was good based on our palates. Can't wait to come back! Buddy enjoyed his birthday here a ton.

We had the best meal and service! My husband and I enjoyed almost everything including, oysters, salmon tartare, ceviche, scallops, filet, budino and lava cake! We were a little too much for our bartender to handle, but we will try our best to have minimal interaction with our servers next visit. We will do better to lower our volume, pick up on social cues, and the local culture in Encinitas. I write this with zero malintent, and rather a sincere self reflection, that future out of town guests might find helpful. The attention to detail for Celiac safe eating is top notch, and I can not adequately express my level of gratitude for the amazing meal I was able to enjoy. I highly recommend Herb and Sea!

I really enjoyed this place. Sat at the bar. Cool vibe. Had the shrimp and potato pizza. Amazing combo, despite how it sounds. The butterscotch bucatini dessert was great. Watching the kitchen and the raw/dessert bar from the bar was like watching an orchestra. Very impressive.

Had a trendy and hip dining experience at Herb & Sea in Encinitas, California, by Chef Brian Malarkey. The food was seasoned perfectly, and every dish in our party was impeccably cooked and well-balanced. Exceptional service overall, with the exception of the butternut squash pudding – would advise skipping that.

DELICIOUS- we had a great dinner experience here last night. We originally came for the lobster special- but then saw the rest of the menu and wanted to experience as much as we could. Our waitress was fantastic- and very patient answering our questions. Drinks are spot on. We had fresh oysters, kanpachi crudo, roasted oysters $ bone marrow, octopus, the branzino, the shrimp linguine, the barramundi, and a side of mushrooms. Can’t wait to come back!

Considering the advanced fanfare and accolades. Wasn't that impressed. Not a bad meal, but found restaurant had difficultly to identify themselves between wannabe locals spot or complete tourist trap. Our food was not terrible, but it definitely lacked "love". Service was as attentive as could be. Thinned, but not absent. Over 20 minutes for our bottle of wine....shouldn't that be a priority? Feel they closed super early, too, considering venue was packed at last call. Sure, my opinion isn't needed since making tons of money and 20 people waiting for my seat. Buyer beware, though, for serious diners. Totally neutral experience...glad I tried. Better options in area for similar prices.

Pros: Food was outstanding, service was perfect and very attentive, atmosphere was great. (Having Chef Malarkey actually there may or may not contributed to this - but it was my first time so can't confirm/deny it.) Cons: None, especially since we were a large party of eight and the staff handled it beautifully. Went in on a Saturday around 6pm and our large group allowed all of us to graze our way through a large portion of the menu. For drinks the "Razzle Dazzle", "Guavamente Bessame", "H&S Old Fashioned" and "Barrel-Aged Vieux Carre" were all tasty. The "Plancha Fired Whole Branzino" was fantastic, as was the special of the day the "Bluefin Tuna Collar" with veggies. We also snagged some tasty "Crispy Brussel Sprouts", a "Hamachi Crudo" (very good), and the "Spring Peas with Strawberries" (reads weird, tastes fantastic) and Two Fish Tartare (very good). The "Hoecake & Caviar" was good but some of the other appetizers were even better.

Oustanding service from RYAN, the waiter that knows how to treat his guests. Attentive, on top of things, making sure we were all pleased with the food and drinks. If you want to have a great experience, ask for RYAN.