Residents of the picturesque seaside village of La Jolla—just 25 minutes north of downtown San Diego—have always had epic ocean views, but not a lot of excellent dining options. That’s changed with a spate of recent restaurant openings, and modern French steakhouse Le Coq is the latest to join that list.
“People in La Jolla are really excited to come in,” chef Tara Monsod says. “There’s a lot of fresh blood coming to this area.”
San Diego’s first-ever James Beard finalist in the Best Chef: California category (for Asian-inflected steakhouse Animae), Monsod is back at Le Coq with Top Chef regular Brian Malarkey and Christopher Puffer of Malarkey Puffer Collective, who are known for fostering culinary talent in the San Diego area.
At Le Coq, you’ll find more of those Asian-influenced steakhouse sensibilities but with French food front and center in a sprawling, historic building.
Read on for what to expect at Le Coq, and make a reservation on OpenTable.
What to eat
Monsod spent two weeks researching and staging in France ahead of opening Le Coq, where the food is “French-forward with a focus on California produce and a little bit of [an] Asian twist in the background,” she says.
That means you’ll find dishes like duck breast with tamarind purée and Monsod’s take on creamed spinach, where she swaps the leafy green with wakame. And of course there’s some of the best steak in town, which you can order with classic sauces like béarnaise or make it extra-fancy with freshly grated black truffle or caviar.
Seeing as this is a French restaurant, you won’t want to miss top-notch versions of dessert classics from pastry chef Laura Warren—the pistachio Paris-Brest and a decadent chocolate gateau stand out.
What to drink
You’ll find plenty of twists on French classics among the cocktails, too. Think a boulevardier with bourbon and a Calvados 75 that swaps gin with pear brandy. If you’re going for wine, know that you’ll get to choose from a wide range of French and Californian options, many of which you can order by the glass.
Plus, the N/A drinks aren’t an afterthought—pick from fun choices like a Fauxtini with spirit-free gin or the spicy pineapple and jalapeño-based Verte Bonne Vie.
Where to sit
The cavernous, dark, and moody space feels like you’re walking into a secret supper club from the 1970s. “It has a bit of a psychedelic vibe,” Monsod says of the space that’s in a historic 1930s building that was once a car dealership and previously home to Puffer Malarkey’s acclaimed restaurant Herringbone.
At Le Coq, you’ll want to grab a seat at one of the luxurious velvet booths surrounded by soft lighting and lacquered wood accents, all designed by the restaurant group in collaboration with the design firm WORKIND Studio.
Or post up at the circular stone-top bar that seats 36 and gives you a birds-eye view of all the action in the dining room.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. She is the former editorial director of Tasting Table, and her work has appeared in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and many other publications. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
