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Delicious food inspired by daring nostalgia - Books + Records, San Diego, CA

Books + Records

4.7
4.7
367 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 11 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.
    Chef's 5-Course Tasting Menu Photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 367 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."

367 Reviews

  1. Margaret

    Los Angeles

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined 2 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?

  2. Brian

    San Diego

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 6 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.

    Is this helpful?

  3. nayyar

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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 4 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

    Is this helpful?

  4. James

    San Diego

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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?

  5. Brie

    Seattle

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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!

    Is this helpful?

  6. 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

    Is this helpful?

  7. 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!

    Is this helpful?

  8. 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?

  9. 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?

  10. Barbara

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    great flavor combos. ube NA beverage was outstanding in depth of flavor. deconstructed duck tacos tacos were tasty! loved the artichoke salad.
    Books + RecordsResponded on November 13, 2024
    Barbara, I am pleased our flavor combos stood out to you! Chef Ryan is an artist and very creative, I can't wait to pass this great feedback along to him and the team. Best, Brooke

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Books + Records is rated 4.7 stars by 367 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Books + Records

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.
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