Escape to a Sky-High Restaurant for a Taste of the Sea in La Jolla

Does a meal at a “sea-to-sky” restaurant sound tempting? If so, Sea & Sky, the newly opened restaurant inside the Hotel La Jolla, must go on your list of places to try. Find it in a newly redesigned space on the 50-year-old hotel’s 11th floor — where they keep the good views.

The menu was developed by executive chef Anthony Wells, who was previously at Juniper & Ivy and a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards 2022 for Best Chef, California and when it commanded recognition as a bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide. It is focused on fresh, local seafood — hence the sea.

At lunch that includes tuna smashburger sliders, yellowtail crudo, and shrimp ravioli. For dinner, look for whole Snapper with charred spring onions and green Romesco sauce, mussels in a garlic and cilantro butter broth, and wild King salmon with clam and artichoke chowder. There are also steak and surf and turf options, plus the restaurant will serve a daily breakfast. That menu includes baked eggs with chorizo served with warm tortillas and apple pancakes, while brunch will be offered on weekends with options including a brunch burger and a chopped salad with salami. The dessert menu has a charming churro ice cream “sandwich” with fuille de brik, cinnamon sugar, and smoked vanilla ice cream.

The space holds 100 seats in the dining room and bar. According to a press release, it includes an “enclosed show kitchen” that lets diners watch the action in the kitchen. It also offers floor-to-ceiling westward-facing windows with retractable panes for excellent sunset views and to let the gorgeous ocean breeze in. The bar top is patterned after the look of the sea glass and stones on the ground below.

Sea & Sky is open now, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is from 7 to 11 a.m., and lunch is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend brunch is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner is served daily from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations are not required, but if you want to ensure a table, you already know you need one.

Correction: Monday, May 5, 2024: 11:44 a.m.: This article has been updated to correct a menu item and with a new image.