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James' Place, San Diego, CA

James' Place

4.3 (1114)
$31 to $50
Contemporary Asian
2910 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92093

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for groups
Unfortunately, James' Place is not serving sushi currently.

James’ Place is a high quality and moderate price dining establishment. Specializing in Asian fusion cuisine, with a large variety of appetizers, and a nice selection of entrees.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Asian, Unspecified, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–7:30 pm Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    James Holder
  • Catering
    James' Place Prime and Seafood offers on site and off site catering
  • Private party facilities
    We offer a Private screened in dining area that can fit up to 18 people, or the out side patio can be reserved for up 32 people for sit down dining, you can also reserve the entire restaurant.
  • Neighborhood
    La Jolla
  • Cross street
    Gilman Dr.
  • Parking details
    Free on Weekends $2 on weekdays after 4:30pm.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 1,114 people are saying

James' Place 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

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.6Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
James' Place offers a "spacious and clean" ambiance with scenic views, ideal for pre-theater dining at La Jolla Playhouse. Guests appreciate the "high quality and nicely presented" food and "friendly and attentive wait staff." While some note "variable" experiences and high prices, many praise the "excellent food and service."
1,114 Reviews
  1. Charlotte

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service was great, everyone was accommodating and helpful. The ambiance was spacious and clean with beautiful scenery looking out into a eucalyptus forest on one side of the restaurant. I had a lycee martini that was delicious as well as potent. The salmon dish had flavorful sides but the salmon was a bit dry with not much flavor. I had the bread pudding for dessert which was really tasty.

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  2. Robin VIP

    San Diego24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been to James Place three times. The reason is not because it's close to the theaters but because the food, drinks, and service are excellent! This time I ordered the Bunless Kobe Burger. It was huge and the meat was cooked to perfection. I could only eat half of the burger. I brought it home and ate it the next night. Now, I want to go and order it again. My partner order the flatiron steak prepared in a tepanyaki skillet. There were grilled vegitables and a bowl of the best tasting garlic rice as a side. He loved it. We both ordered cocktails and, typically at other restaurants, the drinks are 'watered down' or lack the amount alcohol described on the menu. The drinks we ordered were not only perfect, but had the appropriate amount of alcohol required for the drink - and tasted great. My partner is a self-described expert on mixology and he was very satisfied with his drink. The wait staff were all very friendly and attentive. Our server was always checking to see how we were doing but did not pressure us. We love the comfortable chairs that could be moved in a 360 degree format; which was great to look around outside the restaurant' s many windows. We have already booked our next visit for a September event. We highly recommend this restaurant and the staff who prepare the amazing food.

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  3. Joyce

    San Diego1 review

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    This is my 3rd season of subscribing to LaJolla Playhouse. Before every play I ha ve gone with my party of 4 to James Place for dinner. For the first 2 years, it was absolutley terrific. It was clear at the end of last season that something significant occurred in the kitchen. The fish is still great and fresh, but there has been drastic changes in the menu, and the food does not seen to have the same spectacular presentation and wonderful cooking that I have gotten used to the last 2 years. We miss the sushi that was part of the menu the first 2 years. Also, it seems like there are fewer waitstaff working on the nights when I now come to have dinner before a show. I am not sure how to understand the changes that have occurred, but I think that my personal rating of this restaurant has experienced a drastic decline in the presentation from the dinner menu. I hope that the restaurant is able to recapture the previous excellence that made James Place an outstanding dinner venue. Otherwise, it is hard to see myself and others continuing to use James Place as our pre-play dinner destination.

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  4. Julie VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We almost always have dinner at James’ Place before attending a Sunday evening performance at the La Jolla Playhouse. Recently our favorite has been the bunless Kobe beef burger and we both had it again last night. It was perfect. Ordered drinks and edamame to start. The table next to us ordered the poke tacos and crispy rice appetizers, among other things, like the Chilean sea bass, and they looked amazing and the customers seemed to enjoy it all. Our waiter, Elvis, was attentive and friendly and made sure we had our food and drinks in a timely manner. Ended our dinner with a nice glass of tawny port wine before heading to the show. It’s very convenient to have the onsite dining with consistently good food and service - makes for a perfect evening out.

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  5. Karen

    New Mexico4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    There were three of us and we decided to share the short ribs entree which coupled with individual beet salads was very filling. The short ribs were melt in your mouth delicious especially with the mashed potatoes. Cocktails were also very well done. We finished with a share of the bread pudding…highly recommended. Overall was a great meal and the service was above and beyond.

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  6. Kirsty VIP

    San Diego9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We have eaten at Jame's Place on numerous occasions. The food quality and service is highly variable. They seem to turn over their chef and servers very frequently. They have a captive audience of La Jolla Playhouse patrons, but they really should raise their game.

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  7. David

    California Central Coast8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great place to catch drinks and a meal before a show at the Playhouse. Food was high quality and nicely presented by friendly and attentive wait staff. Will definitely return.

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  8. Joe VIP

    San Diego16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Anthea is a great server. She knows her product and ensured we had everything we needed. We noticed their menu is shrinking (fewer choices), and prices are on the rise. James Place is still a good choice for dinner prior to a play at the La Jolla Playhouse.

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  9. Kay

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this place. So convenient when attending a play.

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  10. Thomas VIP

    San Diego8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great way to dine before La Jolla playhouse !

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FAQs

James' Place is rated 4.3 stars by 1114 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. La Jolla

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today
Google Map for James' Place

2910 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92093

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Gilman Dr.
  • Neighborhood
    La Jolla
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–7:30 pm Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Asian, Unspecified, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Free on Weekends $2 on weekdays after 4:30pm.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    James Holder
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    James' Place Prime and Seafood offers on site and off site catering
  • Private party facilities
    We offer a Private screened in dining area that can fit up to 18 people, or the out side patio can be reserved for up 32 people for sit down dining, you can also reserve the entire restaurant.
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