Herb & Sea has been on our list for a while, and we finally made it happen on a rainy Friday night in Encinitas.
We went in hoping for a cozy dinner, a good drink, and a fun atmosphere – and for the most part, it delivered.
The place was busy, festive, and fully in holiday mode, which honestly added to the experience.
We grabbed drinks, loaded up on appetizers (our favorite way to order), and settled in for the night.
Here’s the full breakdown of our experience, from the atmosphere to what we’d actually order again.
Location
📍 131 W D St, Encinitas, CA 92024
🔗 https://www.herbandsea.com/
Herb & Sea is located in the downtown Encinitas area. For the most part, there’s easy street parking and the area is very walkable.
Herb & Sea Review
First Impressions & Atmosphere
Right when you walk in, Herb & Sea gives off such a good vibe. They were playing the perfect soundtrack – 90s hip hop, early 2000s hits, and some current stuff sprinkled in. Basically, a millennial playlist that made me very happy.
Since it’s the holiday season, the bar area was fully decked out.
And when I say decked out, I mean floor-to-ceiling holiday decor.
Absolutely over the top in the best way. The rest of the restaurant is normal, but honestly, arrive a little early and grab a drink at the bar first. Even if you’re not eating there, the holiday bar alone is a reason to stop in.
I also personally love the cozy vibe here. However, one thing about me, now that I’m 37 with questionable eyesight – I cannot do dark dining rooms anymore. I need lights. Bright lights. At this point, I’m in my “turn on a flashlight to read the menu” era. It is what it is.
This particular Friday was busy. We thought it might be quiet because it poured all day (rookie mistake), but nope – the place was packed.
We didn’t mind. The energy made it feel festive. Lots of families, friends, cute holiday outfits everywhere. Everyone was in full holiday mode.
Drinks
We started with drinks. My husband ordered an Old Fashioned (classic). I went for a mocktail called Luke, I Did It Again – already iconic. It was a hibiscus lemonade and it was stunning and super tasty. Drinks were great overall. Easy win.
Food Review
I wanted to order every appetizer on the menu (as usual), but I had a small amount of self-control… and by that, I mean we only ordered four. We love grazing and honestly could make a meal out of appetizers any day.
Here’s what we tried:
1. Ceviche – Sai Fukushima
tangerine, tomato, black lime, charred green onion oil, taro chips
We absolutely loved this one. It was different from any ceviche we’ve had.
First surprise: tomatoes. I never see tomatoes in ceviche, so at first glance it kind of looked like a bruschetta situation with thick-cut cubes of white fish.
It threw me off visually, but the flavor? Amazing.
The charred green onion oil added so much depth and brought out this savory richness in the tomatoes. Everything worked together so well. And the thin house-made taro chips were the perfect crispy chip to go with it. Fresh, bright, balanced – this was a winner.
2. Beef Carpaccio
filet mignon, caramelized onion dip, arugula, pecorino, pine nut, breadcrumb
Okay, tell me why I was confused when this arrived. I love beef carpaccio – I could eat it as a meal. But neither of us actually read the description (this becomes a theme), so I wasn’t expecting… basically a carpaccio Caesar salad.
It was loaded with grated parmesan, smashed croutons, and underneath the beef was a layer of what tasted like Caesar dressing – but it was actually a caramelized onion dip.
I really enjoyed it, but my husband thought the dressing was a bit too heavy. I get it, with thin beef and delicate arugula, a lighter hand might’ve brought better balance. Still, I liked it. Just… know that it’s a dressed-up carpaccio.
3. Johnny Cake & Caviar
brown butter corn cake, smoked striped sea bass rillette, honey butter
This is where my lack of reading comes back to haunt me because I saw “caviar” and immediately hit order. I didn’t realize a Johnny Cake is basically a cornbread pancake. My husband knew. I did not.
But WOW – this was delicious! The pancake was thick, slightly sweet, with that grainy cornbread texture that I love. I assumed the topping was a whipped butter with caviar, but it was actually a smoked sea bass rillette (again… reading menu descriptions would be helpful for me).
On its own, the rillette was a little fishy, but when you spread it over the sweet pancake? Perfection. This was my husband’s favorite dish of the night.
4. Roasted Oysters & Bone Marrow
pernod, kale, lemon, gruyere, breadcrumb
This was the dish my husband was most excited about… and unfortunately the biggest disappointment.
The presentation was beautiful, but flavor-wise it missed the mark. Instead of the rich, buttery bone marrow we love, this was just oily. Like, everything was covered in oil, and the marrow had zero flavor.
The oysters were buried under layers of cheese, kale, and breadcrumbs. They were totally lost. It ended up tasting like a heavy spinach dip with a tiny whisper of oyster. We didn’t finish it – it was simply too heavy and too oily.
Final Thoughts
We were bummed the big dish of the night didn’t deliver, but overall we still had a nice evening. The drinks were great, the music was fun, the energy was high, and the holiday bar decor was everything.
Would I recommend the bone marrow? No. But the ceviche and Johnny Cake were hits, and I’d go back to explore more of their raw seafood options – especially the agua chile and crudos.
Have you eaten at Herb & Sea? What did you order and love? Do we need to go back and try your favorite dish?
Let me know in the comments – I always love hearing your recs!
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About the author: Hey there! I’m Julia, a passionate theme park and travel writer. My love for theme parks has fueled my obsession with sharing tips and adventures for years. Join me as I uncover the magic of San Diego and beyond!
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