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  • Vela

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Vela
Vela
  • Address:
    Hilton Bayfront
    1 Park Boulevard
    San Diego, CA 92101
    Neighborhood:
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Cuisine:
    Contemporary American
    Price: $30 and under

Vela Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.velasandiego.com
  • Email: gregory.schry@hilton.com
  • Phone: (619) 321-4284
  • Hours of Operation: Breakfast Monday - Friday 6:30am- 11am
    Saturday & Sunday 6:30am- 12:00pm

    Dinner Sunday - Saturday 5:30pm - 10:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Contemporary American, Californian
  • Executive Chef: Neil Dandekar
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Counter Seating, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Smoking Area, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
  • Private Party Facilities: To make arrangements for private or semi-private dining; or for groups of 12 or more, please contact our Restaurant Manager directly.
  • Private Party Contact: Barrett Rickman (619) 321-4207

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Harbor Drive/Park Avenue
  • Parking: Valet
  • Parking Details: Three hours of complimentary self-parking also available.
    Complimentary valet while dining for Vela Society members.
A word from Vela
There’s something special about the coast that draws people to want to live near it, travel to it and celebrate it. One lives for satisfaction and finds it in simple things. Throughout the world’s coastal resort destinations eateries thrive on the finest products, grown locally where “from farm to… fork” is a way of life. At Vela, diners will enjoy the freshest meats, daily caught fish, locally grown market produce and home baked desserts with casual excellence.


Vela’s focus is on the use of the freshest, seasonal, local and sustainable products available to achieve modern interpretations of classic culinary traditions from the most desired coastlines of the planet.


From breakfast to dinner, Vela will surprise you at every turn.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerMost Booked 1000-Point Tables
Diner Reviews
  • "I typically choose a hotel with an onsite restaurant for convenience. Being so close to the gas lamp, I wonder if Vela is overlooked for local options. After a long conference, I decided to stay in, Vela did not disappoint. Our server was attentive in the right moments and offered good sugesstions from the menu. I'd return to Vela my next trip to SD."
    Dined on 2/27/2014
  • "Everything was perfect from hostess to food. Thank you would go again"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "The place was decent enough. Wouldn't really recommend it for Anything other than a nice place to eat for hotel Guests. If you're not staying at the hotel, you could Do a lot better for the price"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "I chose Vela for their Valentines Day special, and am SO glad that I did! I was seriously shocked that the place wan't crowded, especially after experiencing the restaurant. The service was attentive and terrific (thank you Adrianne!). The food was to-die-for! We enjoyed a butternut squash ravioli appetizer, a champagne-grapefruit sorbet, and as entrees seared main diver scallops and roasted duck breast. The food was positively exquisite! But then the dessert plate came out. It was not just a dessert, it was a variety of chocolate, mousse, creme brulee, "cotton candy," and more! (I had to share a picture of it on Facebook.) WONDERFUL experience! I can't wait to go back. Thank you to Vela for making a special occasion that much more special!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Went here with my girlfriend for Valentine's day and we had the duck and it was great. Had the ravioli as the first dish and it was great, so good that I used the excellent bread to soak up the sauce."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "This was an easy destination but after dining there, I feel I wasted an evening in San Diego. The food was tasteless , both items I ordered. I really wonder who was actually preparing the food."
    Dined on 2/4/2014
  • "The entire staff made our date very welcoming. Our waitress made wonderful choices for dinner. We were treated very well. Thank you for the excellent service."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "The view is great, the food was delicious and the service was first rate! Always great energy thoughout the hotel. I'll be back!"
    Dined on 1/23/2014
  • "We dined early on a Friday night.and the restaurant wasn't busy, though there was a large convention in the hotel. Our server, Vanessa was lovely and checked on us often. We shared the bruschetta, which was awkward since we didn't have service plates. We shared a wedge salad which thankfully had been split in the kitchen. The featured menu item was local black cod. It was offered in 3 different preparations. We each had a different preparation. In each case the fish was outstanding, but the sides were lukewarm or cold. It seemed they sat waiting for the fish to be plated. We enjoyed the dessert choices that came in little mason jars. A bargain at $4. Would we return? Absolutely. We live locally and the free validated parking is a perk."
    Dined on 1/17/2014
  • "The Hilton was an wonderful place to stay for the week of Christmas. Staff was nice, place is wonderfully clean. As to our 3 course Christmas Dinner at the VELA. Food was average, but tasty. Was expecting a little more for the main course. Filet steak was maybe 3 or 4oz that melted in your mouth. The Dungeness Crab Cake was size of a Silver Dollar. Was expecting chunks of Dungeness Crab meat in the cake. Wasn't happy with the size or taste. Our Daughters Salmon was huge and she said tasted wonderful."
    Dined on 12/25/2013
  • "atmosphere is good, with a fair variety of food items, only one steak option. so if you happen to like flat iron steak over fillet mignon ( which I don't) service was exceptional. for the price and the ambiance however. I would have rather chosen not to listen to 3 different couples screening 2 year olds. with that exception fine dining should not be held in a preschool environment."
    Dined on 12/26/2013
  • "Went to Vela on a business breakfast. The breakfast buffet was high-end quality and great tasting food. I had the french toast and it was heavenly."
    Dined on 11/18/2013
  • "The food was very good. The soup, salad, scallops, and black cod were all excellent. The cheeseboard is wonderful. Unfortunately, the service is not on par with the food. Even though there were only three tables other than ours, the server disappeared for long periods of time."
    Dined on 12/21/2013
  • "$14 salad and a dried up piece of 5 oz. cod for $50. I'll pass next time."
    Dined on 12/17/2013
  • "Painfully slow... Then they ran outa food. Yeah that bad.., and service was polite but bad. Took 30 mins just to get a bottle of wine, the wine wasnt sonoma either it was north coast.... Which is false advertising as north coast is one step above jug wine. What food we did get was edible.... But left hungry."
    Dined on 11/28/2013
  • "Bought the TravelZoo promotion - 3 course dinner for $58. Great value. The ambiance of the restaurant was mediocre. The views are supposed to be spectacular, but it was dark and foggy when we dined. Could not see anything. The lighting was way too bright and they were playing rock music over the loudspeakers - way too loud. The service is outstanding. Our waitress was extremely friendly and brought us 2 champagnes as she knew it was our anniversary. She was very attentive and helpful. The food was okay - good, but was it worth the 1-1/2 drive from north county for it? Probably not."
    Dined on 11/8/2013
  • "We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and they made our dinning experience wonderful! They provided us with a bottle of Champagne for our special occasion. We loved it"
    Dined on 11/2/2013
  • "We truly enjoyed Vela Restaurant! The scallops were some of the best I've ever tasted. Our waitress was terrific!"
    Dined on 10/31/2013
  • "The food was excellent and nicely presented. Our server Audrey and the staff were very attentive and welcoming."
    Dined on 10/31/2013
  • "This is our most memorable place for husband & I. he brought me here on 1st formal date. We came back for his birthday. Adrianne our server was the best. She was so sweet & made our night even more special. Food was great & ambiance. Always a gem to go back. From the moment you walk in it's as if we were family. Can't say enough about Vela. We love it!!!!!"
    Dined on 10/18/2013
  • "Fair or average pretty much says it all. Everything from service to food was OK. We had a large group of 12-14 , but the restaurant was not terribly busy. After an hour in chair I had to chase the food out of the kitchen as many of our guests had just flown from the east coast and were very tired. Manager should have put two waiters on table this size. Food was not bad, just OK, as reviewed by a few attendees. Appetizer board of select cheese and meat was very good and a nice hit to start off."
    Dined on 10/14/2013
  • "One entree was the cod and another the diver scallops and they were perfectly prepared. However, the accompaniments described were almost entirely missing. A tiny bit of mashed potatoes was spread on the plate like a bit of garnish, two tiny sprigs of broccolini, and two thin leeks no larger than a sprig of parsley, leaving the fish and scallops pretty much solo on the plate. Appetizers were tasty and nicely presented, but we did not care for the desserts. We took advantage of a discount coupon from Travelzoo; enjoyed our meal and the service was very professional. However, we would not return at full price for such skimpy entrees."
    Dined on 10/9/2013
  • "We were in San Diego for a conference, staying at the Hilton Bayfront - location of Vela - and wanted a quiet dinner on Sunday evening. It was superb! The food, the view, the service - the whole package. Our wait person Vanessa was very attentive which made everything all the better. Thank you for a wonderful trip , Vela and San Diego."
    Dined on 9/30/2013
  • "I found the restaurant through Travelzoo. We hadn't been to the downtown Hilton and ballpark area for years. The food and service were excellent. The waitress treated us to two glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary and she couldn't have been nicer. We had the cheese board for the appitizer and the Black Bass and Scallops for entrees. Both very good. For dessert, we had the Berry PanCotta and they inscribed "Congratulations" on chocolate. The view was beautiful and we took a walk along the marina after dinner."
    Dined on 9/29/2013
  • "Vela has a nice atmosphere for families and a nice view of the water."
    Dined on 9/19/2013
  • "Food was very good, specially the black cod dish. Tried the seared albacore tuna, also very good, but was not a fan of the rice and corn that accompanied the dish. I thought it would be better served with grilled vegetables. Service was very good as well, and the wine suggestions were really on the money."
    Dined on 8/20/2013
  • "Not bad. Fair view, service mediocre & food was OK"
    Dined on 7/21/2013
  • "food was awesome and server was very friendly would go again"
    Dined on 7/14/2013
  • "Had breakfast with some colleagues before attending a conference at the convention center. Easy walking distance. Breakfast was standard fare and the service was cordial and attentive. Nice views of the harbor. Take the walk down the docks to see the mega-yachts on your way to the convention center."
    Dined on 6/20/2013
  • "My wife and daughter reserved a table for the 4th of July buffet at the Hilton/Vela. they evening they only offered a $49 buffet described as a BBQ. I was very disappointed to find it a rather unappealing Mexican buffet with rather limited choices. I was wrong to expect a more traditional American BBQ spread on a most traditional American holiday. I should have read the fine print. Now I enjoy Mexican food for the most part but when I read BBQ I expect BBQ. They were kind enough to let us order off the pool menu. Although it took over an hour to get our meal it was tasty and our waiter was pleasant as was the host/mgr. In the future if you are going to offer BBQ please have some BBQ. Thank you."
    Dined on 7/4/2013
  • "Average food at above average prices. Convenient location if staying in hotel, but take the 5 minute walkto Gaslamp instead."
    Dined on 6/12/2013
  • "My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed Vela. The food was spectacular and the desert was truly memorable. The staff were pleasant and friendly and the dining area was very clean, airy and bright with nice views of San Diego Bay and the Hilton's gounds."
    Dined on 6/7/2013
  • "Very nice breakfast selection and very good service."
    Dined on 5/2/2013
  • "Outstanding food and variety. Wouldn't hesitate to return next year. Just a great time overall!!"
    Dined on 5/12/2013
  • "What I had was very good, but the wine prices were outrageous, and the kitchen was very slow. Would I recommend-yes and no. It is a very pretty place, but overpriced for the value."
    Dined on 4/24/2013
  • "This is a hotel restaurant that is somewhat of three faces for a shell of tables. The morning brunch buffet was very mediocre and very expensive for what you get. On the other hand, the dinner food and menu was excellent. However, the ambience is very blan and un impressive."
    Dined on 4/16/2013
  • "Vela was wonderful food and service, but the ambience is quite bland compared to the wonderful food a d service."
    Dined on 4/17/2013
  • "Pricey. Good food, but nothing extraordinary. Music is too loud. Service is generally good, but not always."
    Dined on 4/13/2013
  • "Pricey. Good food, but nothing extraordinary. Music is too loud. Service is generally good, but not always."
    Dined on 4/14/2013
  • "We selected this restaurant to begin a weekend of celebratory dinners for our anniversary and we were not disappointed. From the opening introduction by our server Michelle, who welcomed us warmly, to the complimentary glasses of champagne, through a wonderful dinner, and a complimentary dessert with excellent service with a smile - we had a wonderful dinner."
    Dined on 4/11/2013
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