Books + Records

Name: Books + Records
Address: 2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
Telephone: (619) 795-1000
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.7

4.7 (479)

$31 to $50

American

2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 43 times today

About this restaurant

Great for creative cocktails
Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions

Global inspired American cuisine, craft cocktails, and weekend brunch in an upbeat atmosphere, with live music.

Chef Ryan Stickel is serving up San Diego's freshest food takes in an art deco meets mid-century mod warehouse space. With a tenured run on both Eater's Heat Map and list of San Diego's Hottest Cocktail Bars, the food and drinks are both guaranteed to delight your senses.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Location
2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 479 people are saying

Books + Records 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

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Books + Records offers a "great vibe" with "fantastic service" and "amazing food." Guests enjoy an eclectic menu featuring "innovative dishes" and "impressive happy hour." "Live music" adds to the lively atmosphere, making it a favorite for "date nights" and "special occasions." Despite occasional noise, it's a must-visit for "delicious cocktails" and "memorable experiences."

479 Reviews

M
Mikayla VIP
Phoenix / Arizona1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely the best experience tonight! We mentioned our reservation was to celebrate a birthday and the staff went above & beyond for it. We were greeted with a signed card from the restaurant & the waiter surprised the birthday boy with a fun drink! The food is always 10/10 - everything on the menu is spectacular but tonight was really special. Truly one of the best spots in San Diego!
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A
Alexa VIP
Orange County4 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Went for the live music on friday night (harder to find in SD than one might think) and stayed for the food and drink because it all worked SO well together. The crowd seemed like it was a mix of friends, families and couples. The energy was cozy and upbeat. Cocktails and shareable plates made it incredibly easy to spend a couple hours here and not even realize it!
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L
Lorraine VIP
San Diego16 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Books & Records has great energy and really good and eclectic dishes. Something for everyone. Our waiter, Dalton, was perfect - funny, knowledgeable and attentive. We had a lovely evening and will return soon.
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C
Coco VIP
Portland / Oregon23 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Love B&R! Great vibe, happy hour, service, innovative, music. My partner loved his skirt streak and I enjoyed the shrimp aguachile. Our sever Francisco was excellent. Anderson and his team have created a great spot to enjoy life together.
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C
Consuelo VIP
London20 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We are very grateful for the service we received, the delicious food (the prime rib and aguachile were the best), and the very pleasant atmosphere. We highly recommend visiting this restaurant in San Diego. We Will be back very soon.
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D
Daisy VIP
San Diego32 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We have been loving Books & Records! We were former Banker's Hill people. Very happy for the additional food items like Burger, Schnitzel and Bao buns. On Wednesday we were pleasantly surprised Wednesdays is happy hour all night long. We love sitting at the bar or bar area. We were celebrating our children's close on their new home. First time being served by Pasha and his attention to service was excellent! Chris made my cocktail which Francisco crafted a couple of months ago and nailed it. It was so good my family ordered it for their second drink. Go Chris and thank you Francisco!
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J
Jason
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined on May 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and great service. When we asked the server for recommendation’s he was spot on
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T
Tammy
Orange County1 review
1.0
Dined on May 23, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
The food was actually horrible. I don’t know how the chefs made the food but the bucatini pasta was hard. The steak was too charred and there was no good balance. The wagyu tartare was way too sour and the flavors did not blend well together. Definitely not worth the price at all.
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M
Matthew VIP
San Diego12 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Came here for my anniversary with my partner and was pleasantly surprised to find out it’s all-day happy hour on Wednesdays—such a treat! I loved the margaritas, the chicken bao buns, and the s’mores brownie dessert with ice cream. Our server, Posha, was very attentive, which made the experience even better. The place did get busy and loud as the night went on, so I’d recommend making an earlier reservation if you’re looking for a more relaxed vibe. Great spot to meet up with friends too. Definitely coming back!
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L
Lauren
Los Angeles1 review
5.0
Dined on May 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such good food, very nice and accommodating server Dalton, great ambience, drinks were strong. Happy hour all night on Wednesday, Definitely making this our new date night spot.
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FAQs

Books + Records is rated 4.7 stars by 479 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 43 times today

2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Books + Records

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 479 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Books + Records restaurant rated?

Is Books + Records currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information