Cellar Hand

4.7 (152)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405

Make a reservation

2 people

May 4, 2025

May 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 31 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Innovative
Good for special occasions

Nestled in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, Cellar Hand embodies a commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. Through a farm-to-table approach, our menu showcases hyper-local seasonal fare. Our extensive wine list highlights the diverse terroir of California, serving as an extension of founder’s Pali Wine Co. Santa Barbara County winery. By fostering deep connections with local artisans, farmers, fishers, and stewards, Cellar Hand strives to be a destination where guests can savor the essence of California’s bounty in every bite and sip.

Enjoy our exposed kitchen, an indoor-outdoor bar, outdoor fire pits, and artwork by Nick Perr. Opened Wednesday - Sunday with daily happy hour specials and weekend brunch!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 876-4099
Website
http://www.cellarhandhillcrest.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405
Neighborhood
Hillcrest
Cross street
University Ave. and Normal St.
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Happy Hour
Multiple dates available
Enjoy 50% off all wine by the glass, beer, and sangria, alongside deals on bar snacks and our seasonal dips. This special offer is available Wednesday through Sunday, 4-5pm.
'Build Your Own Bouquet' Brunch
May 10, 2025 only
Find the perfect gift for Mother's Day while enjoying Hillcrest's best brunch on Saturday, May 10! Our besties from Cork & Stem will be on site help you build a bouquet for the motherly figures in your life or pick your favorite pre-built bouquet to go! Prices for bouquets, personalized or not, range between $18 - 60. Brunch will feature our seasonal menu, 'mom-osas,' and so much more. Plus, enjoy our special prix-fixe Mother's Day brunch for Sunday!
Brunch at Cellar Hand
Multiple dates available
Join us Saturdays & Sundays starting at 10am for decadent dishes including our house made brioche toasts, our take on traditional brunch eats, locally-sourced tea & coffee, and our handcrafted cocktails!

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm
Multiple dates available
Sun - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM,Wed - Sat - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
When the clock strikes four, our prices hit the floor. Glasses of wine at half price, pair them with pitas, so nice. For a whole hour, be happy, in the Hillcrest sun. Join us at Cellar Hand—the evening’s just begun. Happy Hour, Wednesday - Sunday from 4 PM - 5 PM!

What 152 people are saying

Cellar Hand reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cellar Hand offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food" and a "stellar wine selection." Guests commend the "friendly and attentive service" and appreciate the "creative and fresh" farm-to-table dishes. Highlights include the seared scallop crudo, rabbit ragú, and bluefin nduja toast. It's a "hidden gem" in Hillcrest.

152 Reviews

n
nikom VIP
Las Vegas30 reviews
3.0
Dined today
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We order rockfish crudo, delicious the marinade just right. The garlicky dip about 3-4 tbsp dip with a pita . Not impressed. 1 pita for sharing dish. The whole fish was fresh and delicious. The chicken highly recommended by the waitress taste like salted chicken with some yogurt dressing. Over salted not impressed. My husband commented to the server and took half of the order home. We order the $17 glass of Pinot is ok.
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L
Louise
Austin1 review
5.0
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, great service. Each dish is unique and flavourful. Highly recommend.
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D
David VIP
San Diego81 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely wonderful. Food was amazing with wonderful wine selections. Our waiter Johnny was a helpful delight. Highly recommend.
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A
Angelynn
New York City4 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 3, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent service paired with stellar food made for a memorable first time experience here. Can't go wrong with anything off the menu- we ordered a special and something off of almost each section plus drinks both cocktail and non-alcoholic. Faves: tuna nduja toast, rib eye, and the carrot cake made extra special by not including the pistachios so our daughter could enjoy it with her tree nut allergy.
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D
Denise
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cellar Hand was awesome, start to finish. We came for brunch and everything was delicious! From the french press coffee to the brioche toast with ricotta, jam and basil, it was all a 10/10 for me. I am already thinking about my next brunch trip so I can try more of the menu. The vibes are also excellent, staff is so friendly and sweet (obsessed) and the decor inside is so pretty, calming and you really feel like you're somewhere else (not that I don't love Hillcrest). I can't wait to come back and try dinner here too. I really hope this place goes far, it is definitely a new favorite.
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D
Drew
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on March 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic meal and great wine pairings. We ate the whole menu and loved every minute of it
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MA
MandyA VIP
San Diego4 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely place, intimate in the best way, food was interesting with bold flavor choices that we all enjoyed and enjoyed talking about. Wine list was well curated. Service was well tailored to the table, just enough support without being intrusive. Get the dips, the ribeye was excellent as was the rockfish
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B
Barbara
San Diego7 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This place is a hidden gem. Fabulous food and great ambience. Wine is stellar. Service fantastic!
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S
Sam VIP
San Diego22 reviews
3.0
Dined on March 16, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I just got to San Diego and I was looking for breakfast places, CELLAR HAND was one of the places I had to try. I ordered the breakfast eggs veggies potatoes and jam. My disappointment were the eggs, too small of a portion and undercooked.
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B
Bonnie VIP
San Diego15 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
The food and service were excellent! The house cab blend was very smooth and reasonably priced. The pork chop was AMAZING!
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FAQs

Cellar Hand is rated 4.7 stars by 152 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Booked 31 times today

Experiences are available.

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
University Ave. and Normal St.
Neighborhood
Hillcrest
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.cellarhandhillcrest.com/
Phone number
(619) 876-4099

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat

Cellar Hand

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Happy Hour

'Build Your Own Bouquet' Brunch

Brunch at Cellar Hand

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm

Menu

What 152 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cellar Hand restaurant rated?

Is Cellar Hand currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information