About Trust Restaurant

With so many great restaurants in San Diego, it takes a lot to stand out. But one place that dominates the San Diego dining scene is Trust Restaurant. With a regularly updated and seasonal menu, its as good as it gets for brunch, dinner, and happy hour.

Shared plates are the main jam here, with some of our favorites being the octopus fritters with bonito flakes, coal roasted carrots with pistachio butter, steamed clams in a spicy broth with grilled bread, chicken liver toast, or the braised oxtail raviolini. You can also go for a larger plate like the whole branzino, or a prime rib eye with chimichurri. Stop by during hour to get discounts on drinks, shared plates, and special items not on the regular menu like a smash burger. Despite how full your belly is, we recommend the milk and cookies pie for dessert, or their profiteroles with regularly changing flavors like banana creme, and chocolate.

Cocktails are crafty and delicious, with names inspired from places in Balboa Park such as the Zoo Place with smokey mezcal, or the Friendship Garden with bourbon and lemon. If wine is your preference, their sommelier is happy to help select a fine glass or bottle to accompany your meal.

The vibe is modern, chic, and elegant, where (nice) jeans and a polo are just as suitable as slacks and a dinner jacket, or your finest Sunday dress. A large open patio is available for seating outside, or you can join in their cozy dining room and catch a glimpse of the chefs doing their magic in the open kitchen. Our favorite spot is at the bar, because it’s good to feel like a local at such an establishment as Trust.

Best Parts

• Coal roasted carrots
• Oxtail raviolini
• High quality food with welcoming ambiance

Behind The Counter

Part of the broader Trust Restaurant Group, It’s worth mentioning that one of its sister restaurants, Cardellino, serves the best carrot cake in San Diego (save it for another time). With five restaurants in their portfolio, Chef Brad Wise leads the culinary experience for this San Diego based group, which is committed to bringing exciting, refreshing dining options to the city and its residents. Other elevated dining options include Fort Oak and Cardellino, an ice cream shop named Mr. Trustee, and a butcher and sandwich shop called Wise Ox. On the horizon is a French Bistro – which will be impossible to stay away from once open.

Do yourself a favor and try Trust, or any of the amazing places they’ve created in San Diego.