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The Whaling Bar

Name: The Whaling Bar
Address: 1132 Prospect St, San Diego, CA, United States, 92037-4533
Telephone: (858) 551-3758
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.6

Visa Dining Collection

$31 to $50

Californian

1132 Prospect St, San Diego, CA 92037-4533

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 19, 2025

11:00 PM

Booked 20 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Charming
Great for creative cocktails
Romantic

Rediscover The Whaling Bar in La Jolla, blending historic charm and modern luxury. Once beloved in the La Valencia hotel, it's back after ten years, mixing its rich legacy with today's elegance. Known for its cozy atmosphere and top-notch service, it's been updated for contemporary tastes without losing its heritage essence. Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski, with a background in America's top kitchens and Iron Chef America, leads the culinary journey, offering a menu that combines classic and innovative approaches. The Whaling Bar invites both old fans and new to enjoy luxury and become part of La Jolla's ongoing story.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Brian Redzikowski

From the OpenTable editors: La Valencia Hotel’s iconic cocktail lounge is back and better than ever, thanks to a reboot from San Diego's prolific SDCM Restaurant Group. With emerald-green banquettes, arched windows, and brass pendant lighting, the intimate space’s decor is a nod to the bar’s midcentury heyday. Led by executive chef Brian Redzikowski, the menu is equally glamorous—think lobster rolls and braised short rib baos, plus the restaurant’s original signature cocktail, the Whaler, a twist on Irish coffee.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary European, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Martini Hour Daily 4:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Bar Thu–Sat 10:00 pm–12:00 am
Phone number
(858) 551-3758
Website
https://www.lavalencia.com/dining/the-whaling-bar
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
1132 Prospect St, San Diego, CA 92037-4533
Neighborhood
La Jolla
Parking details
Valet
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Whaling Bar Happy Hour – Drinks & Light Bites
Multiple dates available
Join us at Whaling Bar for Happy Hour from 3:00 – 5:00 PM! Sip on a curated selection of crafted cocktails, wine, and spirits while enjoying a selection of light bites before dinner service begins at 5:00 PM. We look forward to hosting you—cheers! Details: * Beverage service and light bites available from 3:00 – 5:00 PM * Full dinner menu begins at 5:00 PM

What 134 people are saying

The Whaling Bar 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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Whaling Bar boasts an "amazing experience" with a stylish ambiance and "excellent service". Known for its tapas-style menu, standout dishes include the "kale salad" and "Philly bread". Guests rave about the "great vibes" and "friendly staff", making it ideal for celebrations and date nights.

134 Reviews

J
James
San Diego2 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Nice staff and place, but hella expensive and the appetizers were not good at all, especially for the price point
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T
Tana VIP
San Diego71 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We decided go to the Whaling Bar after reading a review about the changes made to the Bar/restaurant. The food and service were excellent. We had shared plates, cocktails and wine having a Girls dinner..
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L
Lizette
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our server was awesome! All her recommendations were great! I will totally recommend!
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S
Sarah
Chicago / Illinois1 review
2.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Meh. Drinks we’re good. Food was pretty good. I’d go again if in the area but wouldn’t go out of my way to go here again
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n
noor VIP
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
we had a wonderful experience yesterday due to the service! thanks for a great evening
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R
Raymond
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely remodel , food was outstanding . Our waiter was a delight and treated us like royalty as we celebrated our wedding anniversary. ❤️ La Jolla❤️
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D
Dasha
San Diego16 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Oh My to Oh Wow. The remodel is great and has a fun new upscale vibe. Staff welcoming and accommodating and the food....let's pause here...deserves an award and standing ovation. Portions are tapa style and meant to be shared. Everything we ate was over the top yummy. Highly recommend the carmel pudding.
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D
Doug VIP
Idaho4 reviews
2.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Nice vibe at the restaurant, good waiter. We dine out a lot and my wife is gluten free. It is never an issue. The kitchen made her gluten free halibut, we asked for some butter…the waiter was very apologetic but said “no”. Tater sauce, “no”. Anything to make the piece of dry fish a little better? The answer was “no”. The nice waiter apologized again, and said the kitchen said” “no”. This experience was a first for us, we haven’t heard no that often, ever. There was no rudeness involved, we were too dumbfounded to respond and the waiter was genuinely uncomfortable. If you’re gluten free or have any dietary restrictions, go somewhere else. If you like $25.00 Martinis, this is the place for you.
1 person found this helpful
I
Isadora VIP
San Diego22 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I have loved the Whaling Bar since it opened. The walnut bread and the Cesar with the yummy Twinkie croutons are an addiction. Only two things I feel sad about: there are no variety of Cabernet choices by the glass. And that one choice is almost 30$ for the glass. A bit goug-ey. And the recently changed the menu taking off some favorites. So I’ll always return but maybe just for the salad and the bread for now.
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S
Sarkis
Los Angeles2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Awesome vibes and tasty food, shoutout to Alex for being a great help and accommodating for my gf’s gluten allergies
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FAQs

The Whaling Bar is rated 4.6 stars by 134 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 19, 2025

11:00 PM

Booked 20 times today

Experiences are available.

1132 Prospect St, San Diego, CA 92037-4533

Additional information

Neighborhood
La Jolla
Hours of operation
Martini Hour Daily 4:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Bar Thu–Sat 10:00 pm–12:00 am
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary European, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Valet
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.lavalencia.com/dining/the-whaling-bar
Phone number
(858) 551-3758

The Whaling Bar

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Why they're an Icon

Additional information

Experiences

Whaling Bar Happy Hour – Drinks & Light Bites

Menu

What 134 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Whaling Bar restaurant rated?

Is The Whaling Bar currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information