Paradisaea

Paradisaea We were warmly welcomed by the hostess who told us that we had been checked-in. I’m not so sure that anyone cares about this procedural matter. The desk was decorated with a large bouquet of Birds of Paradise certainly a hint to the restaurant’s name that was originally introduced in the 18th century by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. Is it coincidence that the Chef hails from Denmark and the manager from Sweden? A short while later we were guided to our table and briefly thereafter offered still or sparkling water that was promptly served. Tevonne(?) asst. server was the first to see if we were comfortable and her graceful demeanor and conversation that ensured was a fine testimony to the hospitality profession. Elisa Marie was our server and guided us through the menu is a comprehensive manner. She was not pushy but had a gentle persuasion that in our opinion works miracles. We ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cabernet Merlot which were excellent for the type of establishment. Here a compilation of our order and observations; Sourdough, rich and crispy baked served with a whipped butter. Easy to indulge in but don’t eat too much as there is lots of nice food to come. Steak Tartare, was made in the kitchen and not table side but a lovely experience. Chive sauce, egg emulsion and Japanese white radish accompanied the seasoned Tartare. Green onions, capers, mustard, herbs were all recognizable accompanied by slightly toasted north European style dark rye. Sage Carrot served with a buttermilk sauce made this a very rich exploit. Red Snapper was served with a fresh corn succotash in a contemporary version. The fish was very tasty and the portion closer to what one would expect in Europe. It suited us perfectly. Veal Milanese, I have to say that this was the first time that we experienced a European style veal dish that wasn’t beef but real veal! It was cooked to perfection and definitely a dish to be remembered. The portion was more than generous and would have sufficed for three. We ordered the Gateau Royal as dessert, which was a rich chocolate cream with a tiny cake layer in the bottom. Perhaps a lighter more mousse style (with some fine sugar dough layers) would have kept chocolate lovers happy and a tad kinder to the calorie count. In conclusion, this was a lovely experience of unpretentious genuine cooking of crossroads between Europe and America, while all accompanying sauces were delicious, perhaps serving them on the side would be welcomed by the lighter eaters. The nice atmosphere with superb service is surely memorable in a time where service is not always a given. The restaurant has bar seats, high tables near the bar, in-door restaurant seating and a lovely terrace with soft evening lighting. The bar had a great -somewhat convivial but contemporary sophisticated vibe. The interior itself had mainly hard surfaces where perhaps a bit more consideration for noise absorbing materials would have been beneficial. We will be back and we would recommend it to friends and family. Team Paradisaea, keep up a great job.

10/10 ⭐️ An absolutely fantastic experience at Paradisaea in La Jolla! Head chef Anders, who is Danish, delivers a true fusion where Denmark meets California in a perfect balance of elegance and creativity. The flavors exceeded all our expectations. We enjoyed the Sunday supper and had, among other dishes, the best confit duck we’ve ever tasted — served with a truly magical sauce. A special touch was that Anders took the time to come out to our table and talk with us about the food, making the evening even more personal and memorable. Our waitress Vanessa took good care of us. And the bar staff made us feel at home. An outstanding experience from start to finish — we will definitely be back!

Elyse Marie is the truuuuuuth as a server. She was bomb and so were all of her colleagues. The burger was an absolute delight, as was the Caesar and raviolis. The veal Milanese was fantastic and the pork chop was out of this world. The sundae was also delicious. Loved sitting outside on the patio. This is the second time I’ve been here and it was with a previous chef and the food is still outstanding and the service was phenomenal. Oh, the duck fat fries were meh.