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The Prado at Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

The Prado at Balboa Park

4.6
4.6
7866 Reviews
$30 and under
Californian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 77 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Located in San Diego's Balboa Park, in the Historic House of Hospitality, The Prado offers historic charm and California cuisine.
Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm Sun 11:30 am–7:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 557-9441
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    John King
  • Catering
    Prado Catering<br />The Prado also offers full service catering at various museums and other locations within Balboa Park. Please contact our catering department for additional information.<br /><br />Experience our Award-Winning Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Menus<br />Professional Staff-Synchronized Service.<br />Full length table linens, gold chiavari chairs and porcelain china.
  • Private party facilities
    The Prado, located in the historic House of Hospitality in the center of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park is known for its world-class California cuisine, unparalleled ambiance and excellent service. From intimate gatherings to grand affairs, the Prado has it all to make your event unforgettable!
  • Private party contact
    Event Manager: (619) 557-9441
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    6th Avenue
  • Parking details
    Free public parking lots available throughout Balboa Park.
  • Public transit
    Visit Balboa Park using the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), with easy access from the downtown and Mission Valley areas.<br /><br />Review the times for route Routes 120 (Fashion Valley), Route 7 (Smart Corner) and Rapid 215 are the main bus routes through Balboa Park<br /><br />
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Daou Wine Experience

    Nov 7, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024
    Daou Wine Package Add a bottle of Daou Wine to your table prior to your arrival. Payment will be added onto final check.
  • Holiday Brunch with Santa

    $79.95 per person

    Dec 22, 2024 only
    Enjoy some good old fashion family fun with our holiday brunch with Santa and Friends. Experience the holiday cheer at balboa park and enjoy seasonal favorites and bottomless mimosas brunch at the Prado in our historic Ballroom transformed into Santas Workshop. Come join us for a one of kind experience that will kick off the holiday season. We have limited seating availability from 10 am-2 pm inside our Ballroom *All reservations have a 2 hour time limit. We kindly ask that your experience does not exceed this time in order to seat other reservations on time. Adult $79.95 per person and children $19.95.
  • Christmas Eve

    $79.95 per person

    Dec 24, 2024 only
    Christmas Eve Celebration Enjoy a special preset menu at the Prado in Balboa Park. We will be serving a 3-course meal for $79.95 per person for adults and $19.95 for children, excluding tax and gratuity. We have seating availability from 4-8 pm inside our dining rooms or outside on our heated garden terrace. All reservations are not table specific and we will do our best to accommodate your requests. Outdoor reservations have no weather back up. Standard seating is inside our dining room. *All reservations have a 2 hour time limit. We kindly ask that your experience does not exceed this time in order to seat other reservations on time.

What 7,866 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Prado at Balboa Park is an elegant dining gem, perfect for a special occasion or pre-theater meal. "outstanding service" and "beautiful outdoor patio" settings elevate the dining experience. Guests rave about the calamari and sea bass dishes. While some note menu repetition, the ambiance and attentive staff make it a San Diego favorite.

7,866 Reviews
  1. Amy

    San Diego

    84 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    84 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Seasonal soup of cauliflower and cheddar with a drizzle of mascarpone curry was so delicious I’ll have to go again soon. Our server was fabulous.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Stan

    San Francisco

    48 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful date night dinner! The sea bass and veggies is excellent! Great value with a bottle of wine! Lovely Christmas decorations in the Prado to boot!!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Richard

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The setting on the patio is wonderful. Our server was really good and very personable. I ordered the ribeye and it was not a good cut and did not taste great. The other 2 at the table commented that their food was mediocre also.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Mike

    San Diego

    18 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    After two attempts cook was unable to cook their usually very good burger at a medium rare or medium doneness, came back pretty much well done. Waiter was very apologetic and removed cost from bill and provided my choice of free desert. My wife’s salad with salmon was done just right. We ate and will continue to be regulars at Prado. I’ll just stay away from their burgers.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Erica

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved our waitress, Brittney! Will definitely be back!

    Is this helpful?

  6. angel

    New York City

    34 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s a lovely setting to have a nice lunch or dinner. We’ve been there many times it’s always one of our favorites.

    Is this helpful?

  7. melissa

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing as well as the service. I would definitely go back!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Ellen

    Hawaii

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very pleasantly surprised that with the restaurant being almost full, noise level was not at all a problem. Service was excellent, fast and we did not have to wait long for the next course. My son-in-law and I are picky eaters but we had not just sumptuous meals but appetizing looking as well. From the starter salads to desserts, I the experience as an overall 5 stars.

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  9. Frank

    Orange County

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Four of us ate at the restaurant on Thanksgiving. We very much enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff was exceptionally hospitable and friendly. Unfortunately, all four of our main courses were poorly prepared and not very good.

    Is this helpful?

  10. david alejandro

    Mexico City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    El especial de thanksgiving estuvo delicioso. La Sopa de tomate y el pavo espectaculares. El lugar muy bonito

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Prado at Balboa Park is rated 4.6 stars by 7866 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 77 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Prado at Balboa Park

1549 El Prado, Suite 12, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    6th Avenue
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm Sun 11:30 am–7:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Free public parking lots available throughout Balboa Park.
  • Public transit
    Visit Balboa Park using the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), with easy access from the downtown and Mission Valley areas.Review the times for route Routes 120 (Fashion Valley), Route 7 (Smart Corner) and Rapid 215 are the main bus routes through Balboa Park
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    John King
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (619) 557-9441
  • Catering
    Prado Catering<br />The Prado also offers full service catering at various museums and other locations within Balboa Park. Please contact our catering department for additional information.<br /><br />Experience our Award-Winning Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Menus<br />Professional Staff-Synchronized Service.<br />Full length table linens, gold chiavari chairs and porcelain china.
  • Private party facilities
    The Prado, located in the historic House of Hospitality in the center of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park is known for its world-class California cuisine, unparalleled ambiance and excellent service. From intimate gatherings to grand affairs, the Prado has it all to make your event unforgettable!
  • Private party contact
    Event Manager: (619) 557-9441
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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