Books + Records

4.7

368 Reviews

$31 to $50

American

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 1, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 35 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighborhood gem
Great for creative cocktails
Lively

Global inspired American cuisine, craft cocktails, and weekend brunch in an upbeat atmosphere, with live music.

Chef Ryan Stickel is serving up San Diego's freshest food takes in an art deco meets mid-century mod warehouse space. With a tenured run on both Eater's Heat Map and list of San Diego's Hottest Cocktail Bars, the food and drinks are both guaranteed to delight your senses.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Location
2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Chef's 5-Course Tasting Menu
$75.00 per person
Dec 5, 2024 only
Join us for the Record Room Tasting at Books & Records on Thursday, December 5th. Featuring a five-course dinner of globally inspired American cuisine prepared by Chef Ryan Stickel, crafted to surprise and delight! Enhance your experience with an optional wine + cocktail pairing, perfectly curated for each dish. Dinner is $75 per person and $50 for the beverage pairing. Don’t miss this exclusive evening of unique dishes, some of which you may never be able to experience again! Please note that cancellations within 48 hours of the event may result in a charge.

What 368 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

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Books + Records in San Diego is a vibrant dining spot, praised for its "delicious food," "creative cocktails," and outstanding service. The live music adds a "wonderful ambiance," though some find it a bit loud. Ideal for brunch, happy hours, or special nights out, it promises a "unique and enjoyable atmosphere."

368 Reviews

B
Bernardo
Dallas
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What an incredible restaurant!! Food is magazine worthy and mixology as well! Incredible flavors to share with people. Will definitely go back soon!
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M
Margaret
Los Angeles
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food. Great service!!!! Excellent Happy hour menu. Also tried several regular menu items.
Is this helpful?
B
Brian
San Diego
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We needed a brunch place for out of town visitors last minute. The food was amazing. Our server was wonderful and patient with us. All of her recommendations were fantastic. The vibe was great too. Excellent overall.
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n
nayyar
San Diego
4 reviews
vip
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
One thing that’s very annoying is that if one person gets there little early there is no reason for restaurants to not seat people till everybody in party is there In my opinion it’s rude and totally unnecessary-
Books + RecordsResponded 5 days ago
Hi there, I am so sorry to hear that this common restaurant practice tainted your experience. There are a multitude of reasons behind this policy and why it fits our space. Due to the nature of our live music program, we offer a 90 minute dining window to accommodate as many music lovers/foodies as possible. While we also do our best to fulfill guest requests, seating 20 mins early would likely cut into the previous reservation's allotted 90 minutes. According to my notes we were able to still seat your party 5 mins early which truly is a win in our book! I hope this provides some clarity as we'd hate to deter any guests from dining with us again in the future. I'm glad you seemed to enjoy your experience otherwise! Brooke Chief of Staff
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J
James
San Diego
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love books n records. Sat right next to the musicians and the music was fabulous and NOT too loud. The people at the bar had that one person whose voice is like daggers in your ears. lol. Literally nobody’s fault he cracked me up. The food is great and unusual and always sometime different there. The burger and Mac n cheese. Please KEEP them in the menu. Omg wow! Delish. The service is always top notch and not over the top. Like you have space. The decor is great and the wood really helps with acoustics.
Is this helpful?
B
Brie
Seattle
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful all around! The food was spectacular as was the service, great ambience. We were 40 yo and on a girls weekend - go here, you’ll live it!
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K
Kylie
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
10/10 the happy hour was amazing and the decor was so cute
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L
Lise
San Diego
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Vibe, live music, fantastic food and service!! A not to miss experience!
Is this helpful?
J
Juan David
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Still a favorite around the neighborhood! Service was impeccable and the food out of this world! Everyone should get the Brussels Sprouts!
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B
Brianna
New York City
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing food and ambiance - and our server Dalton made our dining experience even better. Attentive, friendly and overall on point. Came for dinner on a Friday and there was live music. Sea Bass was incredible. Overall, a great way to start the weekend!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Books + Records is rated 4.7 stars by 368 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 1, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 35 times today

Experiences are available.

2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Books + Records

Make a reservation

Additional information

Experiences

Chef's 5-Course Tasting Menu

Menu

What 368 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Books + Records restaurant rated?

Is Books + Records currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information