Fishmonger’s Market Happy Hour
This article is Fishmongers Market Happy Hour. It is a review of my dining experience at the Fishmonger’s Market Seafood restaurant in San Diego.
This happy hour review is part of my San Diego Spring Adventure.
Fishmonger’s Market
Fishmonger’s Market is an authentic, European-style fish market and dining destination in San Diego.
The restaurant offers a European-style seafood bar. The menus offer excellent choices of seafood options that bring many back time and time again.
Celebrity Chef Frankie, known as “The Bull” in culinary circles is in charge of the kitchen. The chef showcases tasty lunch and dinner selections such as the Fishmonger’s Paella, Salmon Carbonara, and Chocolate Covered Tuna. His decades of experience as a seafood buyer, second-generation fishing captain and international chef come into play with every dish he’s created.
You can take fish to go or enjoy lunch or dinner at their restaurant.
Check out Fishmonger’s market on TripAdvisor for more information and other guests reviews.
Location
The Fishmonger’s Market is located within 57 Degrees, Mission Hills’ expansive wine retail and storage facility.
The restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating.
The tables and chairs were setup neatly and had attractive table settings.
The exterior area had a cool fire display and you have a partial view of the airport.
The external wall was decorated neatly with lights and plants, which gave the restaurant a nice feel.
Happy Hour Experience
My wife and I arrived at Fishmonger’s Market for happy hour and dinner and were greeted by the server promptly who invite us to a table.
The server welcomed us and presented menus and provided water.
The server provided an overview of the restaurant features including crudo and fresh seafood.
The server also provided a basket of fresh bread with olive oil.
The server suggested wine with dinner and suggested the Aveleda which is a light white. He said it would go well with the seafood.
My wife and I accepted, and we ordered a bottle to share for happy hour.
The wine was served shortly. The server presented the bottle and allowed a tasting prior to pouring the glasses.
The server suggested we sample some of the crudu. The server said he could select a variety for us from the menu and we accepted.
Crudo
The crudo was served about 10 minutes after we ordered.
The server prepared four options for us and they were presented in a decorative dish shaped plate.
The four options were Cuttlefish Caprese, Cherry Hamachi, Salmon with Green Apples and Chocolate Covered Tuna.
Cuttlefish Caprese was served neatly with heirloom tomato, micro basic and garlic oil and ginger salt. The crudo had an excellent taste and flavor. The bite was fresh, and it had a mild flavor.
The Cherry Hamachi was served with candied cherry, sea bean chili sauce, watermelon radish, serrano honey vinegar and smoked salt. The ingredients blended together and the cherry gave it a sweet bite that mirrored well with the fish.
The Salmon with Green Apples was fresh salmon was cut thinly and it was wrapped around fresh shaved green apples. The apples were crisp and they had a good taste and they went well with the salmon.
The final crudo was Chocolate Covered Tuna. This dish was surprising because you would not think that chocolate would go with the tuna, but it actually goes very well. The dish is served with blood orange, dark chocolate shavings, hot honey, sirracha, micro mini and ginger salt. The blood orange muted the tang from the chocolate and the honey and sirracha further made it a good flavor. The tuna was fresh, and it had a great taste.
All of the crudo options we sampled were excellent. The pairings of the ingredients is imaginative and they all went well.
We enjoyed our happy hour at Fishmonger’s Market so much that we decided to stay for dinner!
Entrees
For the entrée course at Fishmonger’s Market, we ordered the fish of the day, sea bass and stuffed calamari.
The server suggested a starter and we requested the lobster mac and cheese.
The lobster mac and cheese were served first.
The lobster mac and cheese were hot, and it was rich and creamy and it was bold in flavor. The lobster was cut up throughout the creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked well, and it had a good taste. The dish was rich and creamy, and it was bold in flavor.
The Sea Bass was served elegantly on a bed of rice with veggies on one side of the plate. The sea bass was grilled, and it was seasoned with pepper and salt, which added to the mild flavor of the fish. A light mango sauce was served on the side that went well with the taste of the seafood. The rice was seasoned well, and the vegetables had a good taste.
The stuffed calamari were served hot. The calamari were tender, flavorful and it was stuffed with ricotta cheese, shrimp, scallops and herbs and was served over polenta. The shrimp and scallops had an excellent taste and they were mixed well with the cheese and spices. The dish had a tomato sauce that also enhanced the flavor of the stuffed fish. The polenta was mild in flavor.
The portion size for both dishes was large and they were presented well.
The server checked back with us after serving the entrees and he kept the table maintained.
Departure
After we finished the meal, the server offered dessert or other drinks. After we declined, he thanked us, and he cleared the table.
The server thanked us for dining at the restaurant and he wished us a good evening.
The estimated cost of the meal was around $200.
Overall
My wife and I both enjoyed our crudu and meal at Fishmonger’s Market. The dishes were imaginative and creatively presented. The portion size was generous. The server made good suggestions and he made us feel welcome. The atmosphere with the fire display and outdoor seating was enjoyable. Overall it was a great evening.
Note: Fishmonger’s Market generously hosted my guest and I for a complimentary happy hour. The views expressed in the article are my own. I would return on my own even if they had not offered the complimentary happy hour. I was connected with Fishmonger’s Market thanks to San Diego Tourism Authority.