The Prado at Balboa Park

Great place to enjoy lunch or dinner. The shrimp cobb salad was amazing. The portions were very generous and the service is pretty good. Unfortunately, even though I made a reservation ahead of time, I could not get the table that I wanted when I arrived. This is why service gets 4 stars.

Want wonderful service and delicious food? Our waiter was super helpful and was mindful of our theater time. We liked the steak sushi, the crab dip, and the beef with potato dish. I tried the Beetlejuice drink.

It's a very tourist destination but the location is great, food is good, and service is awesome. The tacos you build yourself and it's actually good that way! Kinda new flavors with the shredded cabbage but it works. Not authentic by any means but who cares, it was good. Sangria was OK- more wine vs. marinated fruit. Enjoy San Diego in one of the beat parks in the world one bite at a time!

This Jewel in Balboa Park offers ambiance, fantastic food, & great service. Thad a delicious, thick, spicy black bean soup with a "pressed" arugula salad. The arugula salad had strawberries, candied nuts, and a light flavorful balsamic dressing. My friend had the pasta alla Norma (pasta + sliced eggplant). This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.

Ambiance: 10/10 We sat outside on the back porch. Great umbrellas everywhere, if you don’t want to be in the sun you absolutely do not have to be. Very comfortable and pretty. Location is centered in Balboa park which is hard to beat. Food: 5/10 Birria Sandwich - the birria sauce was awesome. The meat was overcooked, which was sad. The French fries were good and the plate comes with ketchup so you don’t have to ask for it. The bread on the sandwich was good but the meat being dry was not fun. Fish Tacos - came deconstructed, so you could load up your taco (3 tortillas) in any way you wanted. Problem was that the fish did not have much taste, and was a bit overcooked. The main protein being a let down is a huge hit. Overall the meat standard knocked this review score down. Maybe try a vegetarian option.

This famous restaurant is famous for it's location. It's right smack in the middle of Balboa Park. The food was pretty good, though nothing spectacular. The service was great. Overall a good place to wind down and get your tummy full with a good meal while at the park

The dish arrived with an uncomfortably wet texture, more akin to a soupy risotto than the traditional, slightly crispy consistency expected from a well-made paella. The excessive moisture overwhelmed the rice, making it soggy and detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the dish had a pronounced fishy flavor that dominated every bite. Rather than a balanced blend of seafood and other ingredients, the strong fish taste was overpowering and left a lingering, unpleasant aftertaste, not sure if it's from the seafood that's not fresh or something else. However, the service was good and the waiters are very friendly.

Ambiance was nice and felt like I was transported to Spain. Crab dip was 5/5 highly recommended. Tried the fish and steak tacos and they were good portion size but were lacking flavor. Service was attentive.

Great place to enjoy lunch or dinner. The shrimp cobb salad was amazing. The portions were very generous and the service is pretty good. Unfortunately, even though I made a reservation ahead of time, I could not get the table that I wanted when I arrived. This is why service gets 4 stars.

Want wonderful service and delicious food? Our waiter was super helpful and was mindful of our theater time. We liked the steak sushi, the crab dip, and the beef with potato dish. I tried the Beetlejuice drink.

It's a very tourist destination but the location is great, food is good, and service is awesome. The tacos you build yourself and it's actually good that way! Kinda new flavors with the shredded cabbage but it works. Not authentic by any means but who cares, it was good. Sangria was OK- more wine vs. marinated fruit. Enjoy San Diego in one of the beat parks in the world one bite at a time!

This Jewel in Balboa Park offers ambiance, fantastic food, & great service. Thad a delicious, thick, spicy black bean soup with a "pressed" arugula salad. The arugula salad had strawberries, candied nuts, and a light flavorful balsamic dressing. My friend had the pasta alla Norma (pasta + sliced eggplant). This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.

Ambiance: 10/10 We sat outside on the back porch. Great umbrellas everywhere, if you don’t want to be in the sun you absolutely do not have to be. Very comfortable and pretty. Location is centered in Balboa park which is hard to beat. Food: 5/10 Birria Sandwich - the birria sauce was awesome. The meat was overcooked, which was sad. The French fries were good and the plate comes with ketchup so you don’t have to ask for it. The bread on the sandwich was good but the meat being dry was not fun. Fish Tacos - came deconstructed, so you could load up your taco (3 tortillas) in any way you wanted. Problem was that the fish did not have much taste, and was a bit overcooked. The main protein being a let down is a huge hit. Overall the meat standard knocked this review score down. Maybe try a vegetarian option.

This famous restaurant is famous for it's location. It's right smack in the middle of Balboa Park. The food was pretty good, though nothing spectacular. The service was great. Overall a good place to wind down and get your tummy full with a good meal while at the park

The dish arrived with an uncomfortably wet texture, more akin to a soupy risotto than the traditional, slightly crispy consistency expected from a well-made paella. The excessive moisture overwhelmed the rice, making it soggy and detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the dish had a pronounced fishy flavor that dominated every bite. Rather than a balanced blend of seafood and other ingredients, the strong fish taste was overpowering and left a lingering, unpleasant aftertaste, not sure if it's from the seafood that's not fresh or something else. However, the service was good and the waiters are very friendly.

Ambiance was nice and felt like I was transported to Spain. Crab dip was 5/5 highly recommended. Tried the fish and steak tacos and they were good portion size but were lacking flavor. Service was attentive.

All was great. The food, service and the ambiance. The calamari appetizer was beyond excellent

Staff was friendly and accommodated our large group. Food was excellent and it was a lovely atmosphere. Would definitely return.

Prado is one of our favorite places to go with out of town visitors because it is in a beautiful environment in the heart of Balboa Park. The bonus is that the food and service have always been very good. On this visit, it was only my wife and me. We shared the black bean soup, which is delicious. I ordered the grilled fish tacos - my usual. There is a big portion of a deconstructed taco with mahi mahi, cabbage slaw, chimichuri aioli and mango salsa. It comes with corn tortillas and beans. It's great to be able to create the perfect tacos, using the portions of ingredients I prefer. I washed it all down with their delicious mango iced tea. My wife had the eggplant pasta, which she enjoyed very much. Service was friendly and very attentive. And, the ambiance on the patio was so peaceful and beautiful. We had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

My wife and I had lunch here approximately a month ago we sat on the outside Terrace, a beautiful setting. The service was OK, but the food was marginal at best. Today we returned to Balboa Park and looked at a few other places for lunch. We ended up back at the Prado for the ambience, as it was another beautiful day and hopeful that our experience with the food would be better this time. It wasn't. Our waitress arrived promptly and took our drink orders, one beer and one lemonade. She also took our lunch order. 10 minutes later the food arrived with no drinks yet we had to ask for the drinks and they arrived at two different times from two different people. Well, the beer and lemonade were both good. The food was literally inedible. I had the mahi-mahi sandwich. It came on a stale bun that literally crumbled and fell apart in my hands, the pieces of mahi-mahi inside were dry and a very strange texture. It was completely flavorless. My wife had the "adobo chicken tacos" again zero flavor and really not worth even eating. The descriptions on the menu of both of our meals sounded wonderful but the food that was delivered to us tasted like cardboard at best. Salt and pepper didn't even help. The service was marginal also even though the outside patio was not completely full. When the waitress returned to our table, after a few minutes, she saw that we were not eating and asked if we would like some dessert I said no we'll just take the check . As our plates were still full she asked if we would like to have our food packed to go I told her I did not . The next question should've been "was there something wrong with your meal?" however, that question was not forthcoming ,only the check. When the check was presented, it came along with a suggested tip of 18% 20% or 25%. We won't be back to the Prado. If you're looking for ambience, it's great. Just order a drink and drink in the atmosphere. I wouldn't even order an appetizer. If it were not for the tourists that support this place it would've gone out of business long ago a restaurant should at least serve edible food.

Balboa park is the green gem at the heart of San Diego. It was developed in 1915 for the Panama California expo. They added a bunch of beautiful classical Spanish style buildings which (thank heavens) the powers that be kept. Subsequently those buildings have been developed into a complex of museums and restaurants. It's a must see for any visitors to San Diego. As a SD residents we visit often. The Prado is the flagship restaurant in a quite lovely location. Last night we ate there ahead of the carols by candlelight event in the natural history museum. The setting was terrific...the food not so much. We started by sharing the spicy calamari. The calamari was fried but not crispy. The best description I could come up with would be spicy soft leather. They were tasty for sure but the texture was weird. For mains I had the Prado Paella. I love me some paella (btw if you are visiting SD Cafe Sevilla on 5th does a great paella). The seafood was scant the fish was way over cooked the whole thing was bland and lacked the kind of complex flavor you should expect from $38 paella. My wife had the Chefs cut steak....which was rubbery. The sauce was nice but it did little to redeem the dish. The standout component was their layered potato. They were spectacular (saved an entire star) I would have gladly had a plate of them and called it good. We closed by sharing their German chocolate cake...which was dry...it's rare that my chocoholic wife leaves chocolate on the plate...we ate maybe 1/3 between us. No complaints about the service. So look...it was Sunday evening maybe we caught the kitchen on a bad night. Over all the food wasn't actually bad it was just very disappointing. Like many tourist heavy cities SD suffers from what I call conference cooking. Fancy venues pretentious sounding menus but boring sometimes bad delivery. They exploit the expense account crowd (after 4 martinis everything tastes better) and high end tourists. If you squint you can pretend it's great...but it rarely ever is. Ironically we used to live 50 miles north in Temecula. That's a fairly new city rightly famous for their wineries. The restaurants there have to earn their audience and I'd stack their offerings against the fabulous SD any day. I guess it is what it is...but if I were running the Prado I wouldn't rely on location and views to justify my pricy meh food.

Came here during the busy holiday season with no reservation. Fortunately they allowed walk-ins. I love the ambiance, it's very welcoming and festive. The employees were pleasant as well. The food was up there in price, as expected since it's one of the most popular places in all of SD. However, every buck spent was worth it. We ordered the chef's soup of the day which was a cauliflower soup, calamari and kids sea bass with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. Everything came out fresh. The ingredients were clean and fresh. Our favorite was the calamari due to it's delicious sauce. We could have drank the sauce alone, it was tasty and had a nice sweet kick to it. Cauliflower soup was so yummy, but overly salted. The kids meal was generous in size. The sea bass was cooked perfectly and didn't have too much seasoning. It was so good. I docked off one star due to service. Our waitress forgot our waters, we didn't get it until after our food came out. There were two large groups prioritized over us. My husband and I had to get another workers attention just to pay the bill. Other than that, everything else was superb! We would definitely come back again, but maybe during a less busy weekday.

This place was amazing. It was elegant in every way. It was beautiful with fine architecture building walls art and entire atmosphere. The servers were helpful and attentive. I love my Maui Maui meal. Everyone enjoyed the visit atmosphere and meal. I love this place in Balboa Park .

Ambiance TOP NOTCH. Super Romantic and Relaxing and Amazing Atmosphere. Service was good, but there were a few times when we had to flag our server down. Food was ok for the price. I've had fresh pasta and boxed pasta so for a $38 pasta meal, I had certain expectations and they fell flat. The food wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping and it was really oily and buttery. There were a good amount of clams, but like barely any pasta. It was the weirdest thing. It was just pasta, butter, and clams for $38. Sad part is that it wasn't even fresh pasta which I could get behind when it came to portions, but I literally went home still hungry. Dessert was interesting again. I was expecting a food orgasm and instead got a super dense, dry cake that had me saying, "Where's the milk?!" Glass of white wine, pasta, and a sliver of their version of German chocolate cake was $100. Super steep as I have been to places like Mister A's, Viggilucci's, and Ruth Chris that are better alternatives in my opinion. If you happen to be in Balboa Park visiting a museum and craving something more than just a sandwich than swing by, but I wouldn't be going out of my way to come to The Prado.

Ordered the fish tacos. While the plate looked beautiful the texture of the fish filets was more like chicken (dry & flavorless chicken).... The mango salsa, cabbage slaw, and green salsa did not have one grain of seasoning... lol. The service was great and the restaurant was beautiful but I would not eat here again.

The Perfect Holiday Spot in Balboa Park - OK, so the Prado is phenomenal ALL year round, but is magically spectacular during the Christmas season. Excellent service, upscale menu, exhaustive Craft Cocktail options and beautiful decorations. I LOVE this place and YOU will TOO!!!

The ambiance of the Prado is the big draw, with its beautiful Spanish architecture, mosaic tiles, fountains, and landscaping in the heart of Balboa Park. We had family in town and were showing them the park when they asked if we could grab lunch somewhere close. We decided to try the Prado and were seated outside on their patio. They have indoor and outdoor seating., but the outdoor patio is best for a nice day. Service: our server was great, explaining the menu and specials for the day, as well as checking in on us. Food: three out of four people in our party got the grilled chicken BLT. I opted for the side salad ($3.50 up charge), while the others got the French fries. The sandwich was just ok to me. The bread was very dry and it had a fairly thin piece of grilled chicken. The side salad was good and the french fries were perfect to me. My husband said the bread on the mahi mahi sandwich was a bit big for the sandwich and that it was just ok as well. Overall, I'd give it 4 stars because of the ambiance and service, but 3 stars for the food.

Beautiful ambiance. Perfect weather. Umbrellas over tables. Capable of taking care of allergies. Wonderful service. Loved the paella and spicy margarita. Definitely a vacation from life.

Superb. Visiting from New York, and it's my veggie day. Splurged on the cauliflower and black bean soup. The latter is a superstar, HUNTY. Inspired me to try making it at home. Excellent service. Sat next to the fountain on the back patio. And calm vibes for days. Now off to the zoo!

Ambiance: 10/10 We sat outside on the back porch. Great umbrellas everywhere, if you don't want to be in the sun you absolutely do not have to be. Very comfortable and pretty. Location is centered in Balboa park which is hard to beat. Food: 5/10 Birria Sandwich - the birria sauce was awesome. The meat was overcooked, which was sad. The French fries were good and the plate comes with ketchup so you don't have to ask for it. The bread on the sandwich was good but the meat being dry was not fun. Fish Tacos - came deconstructed, so you could load up your taco (3 tortillas) in any way you wanted. Problem was that the fish did not have much taste, and was a bit overcooked. The main protein being a let down is a huge hit. Overall the meat standard knocked this review score down. Maybe try a vegetarian option.

Great location and ambiance in Balboa park! However, thats where it ends. The food is just "meh". The tortilla soup is an abysmal and tasted like if you were eating a year old stale tortilla saturated in red sauce with no flavor. The risotto was decent, but for the price of it all one would expect better food. 3 stars us for location and ambiance.

It's easy to forget about The Prado. It's a San Diego institution, and there are so many new and interesting restaurants out there to try, but I have to say, our visit this past Saturday reminded me what a fantastic, top-notch restaurant it is. We made reservations for around 5:30 after the zoo closed and got there a tad bit early, but they graciously sat us before our time. The decor in main dining room of the restaurant is beautiful, but every room, including outdoors is great. Our waiter was Scott, and he was fantastic. Friendly, knowledgeable, caring. He took his time with us and gave us the run-down of vegetarian friendly options on the menu and pointed us in the right direction of a great wine. He checked on us constantly and always had a smile on his face. I'd have to say that Scott was probably one of the best waiters we have EVER had, and we eat out a lot. The food was delicious! Again, we are vegetarian, so our choices might differ from yours. We had two appetizers, the hummus and the Elote Cauliflower. Both were top notch as always. Our entrees, which we split amongst the three of us (myself, my hubby and our daughter) were the Mushroom and Truffle Risotto and the Pasta Ala Norma. Both were great, but the risotto was fantastic! We saved room for dessert and went with the German Chocolate Cake, the dairy-free Tropical Creme Brûlée and the out-of-this-world Tres Leches (like no Tres Leches I've ever had, but so great). We were in culinary heaven. The Cohn Restaurant Group owns The Prado, and they continue to know how to run a great restaurant, but the people working at the Prado, the chefs, the front desk staff and of course, our waiter, Scott are what really make it a memorable experience and a place we want to come back to. So, if you are searching for a great spot for dinner, lunch or just drinks and apps, don't forget about The Prado. Free parking and the beautiful Balboa Park make it the perfect spot.

Great spot for dinner right in the heart of Balboa Park. The Spanish architecture make a it feel like you're in another world. The outdoor terrace is perfect for enjoying the California climate. The menu offers a mix of Spanish, French, and American dishes with something for everyone. It's a bit upscale, but reasonable. The red wine short ribs were great comfort food - tender and full of flavor with the bordelaise sauce. Service was attentive and friendly.

I came for a private event hosted by my company. It was about 120. people. The event was after 6pm and I have to say the view was spectacular. I love all the lights outdoors and plants. For the event they had 3 bars opened plus a champagne wall that was amazing. Unfortunately I left my phone at hotel and didn't get pictures. The food was perfect. You have to consider that a huge group like this is hard to please but I was very impressed with all the food; quality and taste. I was surprised that the mini desserts did not only look good but tasted fenomenal. The staff was all very pleasant and helpful. The bathrooms can definitely use a bit of an upgrade but were cleaned.

We popped in here on a Balboa day for a quick snack during Happy Hour. The restaurant is stunning and there was loads of open seating. Our server was very friendly and fast. The happy hour menu is extremely limited. We ordered a margarita for me, a mule for my husband, and the fries and hummus to share. The hummus was great, we liked the crisps. The fries had cheese and bacon and were a huge portion for $8. They tasted great but lemme tell you, I had the worst indigestion after. Not sure I'd order them again. Our drinks weren't anything crazy amazing but we did enjoy them!

The patio is so stunning. It looks like you are in Europe! The weather was absolutely beautiful making for a perfect outdoor dinner. The decor and the view were stunning. I got the braised beef short rib. The mashed potato's were really flavorful and delicious, I like the short rib too but it was pretty fatty and tough. Usually short rib is falling apart and really tender! It was the best I've ever had but it was pretty good. The mashed potato's were the highlight. The drinks were yummy but were crazzzy sweet. I got the guava martini and mango margarita and both were just very sugary and tasted like juice. They were yummy, but a hangover waiting to happen. Overall we had a good experience here and if I was in the area I would stop by to grab a snack! I reccomend.

We dined at The Prado for the first time before a show at the Globe. We loved everything about the restaurant! The patio was darling with outside string lights and views of the park and the inside was lively and fun. Our server was very attentive and acknowledged the fact we were on a schedule to make it to the show. We enjoyed a variety of items including the hummus and crackers, the seasonal chicken tortilla soup, the paella and pork chop.

My girlfriend and I came here for our anniversary. We have some really bad allergies to dairy, and all weekend we were getting some pretty bad energy from other establishments when it came to accommodating this need. Not being able to eat on a special occasion really sucked. Maurice gave us the best anniversary dinner we could ever ask for. He made sure everything was dairy-free, he even gave us some dairy-free dessert at the end, and we even got a card from the entire staff. We were bawling actually, this was unheard of, he gave us more love than our own parents on one night lmao. No attitude, so so so nice and just a really down to earth guy. He is literally the coolest guy ever lol. 5/5 for the food 5/5 for the best vibes anyone could ask for 5/5 for the amazing people that work here 5/5 for Maurice, please give this guy a raise, he is just too cool, does so much for the reatauraunt and will probably just end up bringing people here because of his personality to be honest We live about an hour away and we're going to be driving down here very often. I think Maurice made us life customers haha Management, please please please make sure you keep your team here, you don't know how valuable something is until you lose it! Seriously!! @dppham96 ADD MEEEE! WYA MAURICE?!!

This is specifically to review a rehearsal dinner that was held at The Prado. We had a wonderful time on the 2nd floor of the Prado where we had light bites and drinks overlooking the outdoor dining space of the Prado. Once the dining room was set up and we were seated, the banquet staff went above and beyond to take care of everyone present. The presentation alone at dinner was phenomenal, all down to the precision of how the wait staff would time placing our plants in front of us. The food was all delicious. Steaks were cooked to perfection, and enough variety with desserts we could try. The Prado is definitely on my list of places I would love to come back and have a fine dining event here in the future.

Great service and good food! We went around 2pm (so after the lunch crowd rush), and it was super easy to get a table and it was a great view! Parking was also nearby at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion parking lot.

To begin, until last night, The Prado had been my absolute favorite, go-to restaurant for any special occasion since its opening. My husband and I have come here for anniversaries, birthdays, entertaining out of town guests, and during the holidays. We have even brought guests here on Thanksgiving. However, last night was the final time. It was around 4:00 when we chose to sit in the bar for a couple of drinks and appetizers, waiting for it to get dark to see the holiday lights throughout the park. When it came time to order, we ordered from the menu that was already at the table. The waiter informed us that this menu was not applicable on a Sunday, though most of the items were still available to order. Why would a happy hour menu be on a table, all day long, on a day when it isn't even usable? Odd. Anyway, we ordered items off this menu thinking, "How much more could the cost be over the happy hour prices?" It had already taken 10 minutes for our waiter to come to us; busy in the Cantina. My husband ordered a martini and I ordered a glass of red wine. The happy hour price for the wine had been $7. My husband ordered a martini, but this wasn't listed on the happy hour menu. However, other well drinks on there were $8 max. The appetizers we each ordered were $7 and $8 each. Even if the items were a bit more than happy hour prices, they would reasonably be a few dollars more, at most, right? So maybe $40 - $45 total at most instead of the $32. Imagine our surprise when our bill came to over $70! The prices were as follows, without tax: Martini: $19 Cabernet: $19 Queso dip: $13.95 Fish tacos: $15.95 The prices were over double for the drinks, almost triple. Really, $19 for a martini or glass of wine?? The appetizers were okay, but pretty simple. Folks must be getting numb to these price increases, but this is insulting. We realize that The Prado caters mostly to tourists, so probably isn't too concerned with retaining local clientele. Sadly, these prices were just too much of a shock and insult. We won't be back. I will say here that the ambiance there is still lovely and our waiter, Maurice, was excellent. This review is a reflection of the insultingly high "regular" prices over the happy hour menu prices, for a menu that was strangely on the table on a Sunday, when those prices aren't even offered.

I feel cheated at only discovering this place recently!! Everything about our experience was perfect! Went during restaurant week and it was easy to get a reservation. The staff greeted us very promptly and extremely friendly and professional. I ordered the beet salad and short ribs. The salad was really good. The short ribs and mashed potatoes were devine!!! I found myself eating them as slowly as possible just to savor the food. I don't often find places where the dishes are still stuck in my head and my palate long after my experience but that food was impressive and really delicious. Can't wait to go back and try other items. Loved everything about this restaurant!

Service and food - amazing! Luis and Andre did great at the bar. The potato and leek soup they recommended was to die for! The prime rib sushi was good, but would be better if they had wasabi and ginger. Love this place.

The service was okay. The food was mediocre. I went with my boyfriend and his family. My boyfriend and I don't like fancy food because of the small portions. We decided to share one dish because of the cost. Most the entrees were about $35+ here. The dish was $40. We got the pan roasted sea bass. The sea bass tasted like nothing. The corn puree and potatoes were tastier than the fish! The fish portion was 6 bites maybe, the size of a small wallet. We were annoyed and hungry afterwards. We decided to get fish n' chips afterwards. The ambiance was nice. The restaurant was big but few people dining. I wouldn't go again.

This is such a pretty restaurant overlooking the gardens at Balboa park . We ate lunch here right as they were opening . We ate outside the weather was perfect . The waitress was very knowledgeable & nice . We ordered the Mahi sandwich this was so good . The fish was cooked perfect very mild tasting & flakey it came with a ton of french fries . The fries were crispy & good . We also ordered the grilled 8 oz Kobe burger . This was a thick good burger it also came with french fries . The service was fast & the setting was so beautiful . I would recommend eating here while visiting the park . They only offer Pepsi products .

Came here after visiting a few of the museums and had lunch outside. The service is amazing and the food and drinks are good but is overpriced. Happy hour is only for indoor dining.

Nice atmosphere (sat on the patio), pretty good food (not amazing but good), delicious ice tea, nice service. We went on a weekend and didn't have to wait to be seated, the restaurant has a ton of seating. They were nice to split my kids meal for us. Great option if you want something by the museums!

Still delicious. The blood orange margarita didn't taste like a margarita but it was still good. The mahi mahi sandwich had too much bread to fish, but I was hungry and ate it up.

This was such a cute location for a restaurant. The food was fantastic and our server was quick and attentive. We enjoyed the beer salad, crab dip (an absolute must), and the surf and turf. The surf and turf was so good that I could have had another order of it. I would definitely return during another trip to San Diego.

Fabulous restaurant in the heart of the Balboa Park! Spacious with great interior and even nicer outdoor seating with a view and fountain side!!! Staff is very friendly with even the bus boy introducing himself to customers! I liked that as it added a touch of classiness! Menu is pretty good food wise and drink wise but I only had a salad. Cobb salad is absolutely great! I loved it. I asked for different dressing and that was easily accommodated! All in all - this is a great place to meet friends for drinks or dinner, or have even larger celebration!!!

Started our feast with crab dip and spicy calamari fries. Fries were a spicy kick, while the crab dip was a bit oily for my liking. But then came the main event: the pan-roasted sea bass. Cooked to perfection and seasoned like a boss. And can we talk about the presentation? Insta-worthy! Place was buzzing like a beehive, especially with a wedding party outside. Inside was packed too, but it added to the party vibe. Perfect for a Saturday night after a museum stroll. Staff were on their game, though our entrees took a bit to come out. Seemed like they were waiting for the perfect timing, but hey, we weren't complaining. They kept the water flowing and the drinks coming, so all good. Had a blast at The Prado. Great food, great vibes, and top-notch service. A few minor speed bumps, but nothing that dulled the experience. Count me in for another round at this Balboa Park hotspot!

We went to Prado for a birthday dinner. The night was made memorable by our server Wendy. She was incredible from the start to finish of the night. The food was incredible, I'd recommend the risotto, so good. We ate outside on the patio that made it even more special. Great time and can't wait to go back.

Excellent lunch with great service, good food, and a beautiful setting. The patio on a lovely day can't be beat, especially with paella and a Red Trolley Ale. We even had a cute squirrel on a nearby tree for company! Delicious, leisurely and rejuvenating. Highly recommended.

Nice restaurant while wandering through the Park. Food was good service spot on. Tiki hubby and I shared spicy black bean soup with a "pressed" arugula salad. The arugula salad had strawberries, candied nuts, and a light flavorful balsamic. Soup was thick and rich with a bite at the end.

Very good, nice atmosphere being in the park. Calamari was amazing!! They do it different, they dredge in rice flour and saute, so it's never chewy and nasty. Sauce was flavorful and spicy enough. Caesar Salad was one I would not do again. Lacking enough sauce and flavor. This is unfortunate as this should be top notch being in San Diego. Tacos. Very good. I love this style of making your own tacos. Flavorful and made me want more. Very good. Salsa could have been better and more cilantro. Otherwise all good. Will go back.

Great way to celebrate the New Year ... a week of Date Nights! Excellent value at $50 for two course dinner with a bottle of wine. We had a nice table in the solarium. Two of our favorites are still on the Date Night menu ... Mustard Crusted Pork Prime Rib (5/5) and Red Wine Short Ribs (4/5), along with Parsnip Mashed Potatoes (5/5). We again enjoyed the Pressed Arugula Salad (5/5). For our wine, we chose the Silvergate Cabernet Sauvignon.

What to say that hasn't already been said? I and my wife took my mother in law for her birthday and it was so great. Really easy to reserve spots online and they were even able to accommodate us when we arrived early. The food is top notch and the ambience in such a historic part of Balboa park is the icing on the cake. A must visit for anyone in town, either local or tourist.

As if this place needs a review. This is always a five star experience. The staff and the food are as good as possible. I've been coming here since the late 70's and never had a bad experience. I recommend mid-day brunch to avoid the predictable lunch/dinner crowds. Reservations are helpful but not always needed.

The main dining room at Prado Restaurant is very beautiful. There are dark woods and red banquettes---it has a very elegant feel. At lunch, the patio is very popular, although I prefer to dine in the main room at lunch or dinner. On a recent visit to Balboa Park, I was showing around some visitors from Philadelphia our beautiful park when we decided to stop by here for a quick bite. We did not have reservations, so we sat in the bar room, which you should note is open seating, so you do not need to stop in the hostess line, that can sometimes snake out the doorway into the courtyard. The bar room is very spacious, with both round and square tables, set with rattan chairs. The menu is in the bar room is more abbreviated than in the main dining room. They also offer wine flights from a special wine machine. Service by Emmett was elegant, kind and efficient.

I am late to reviewing and forgetting the servers name. She was from Maryland, and the reason we ordered more than just a pick me up coffee before the Japanese Friendship Gardens. Our server (delightful as can be and a great conversation partner) encouraged us to try the Spicy Calamari and Aquachile. It's not the best flavor pairings with coffee. So, stick with a bubbly libation when ordering these delightful dishes. The flavors, however, are divine. Fresh ingredients that remain high quality! We enjoyed a table overlooking the gardens and lucked into it without a reservation. Although, I recommend reserving in advance for optimal seating and table assurance.

We had a lovely meal on the patio at The Prado, and it was a perfect day to be outdoors. The setting is beautiful, with greenery all around and a relaxing ambiance that really enhances the dining experience. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, which was decent. Nothing extraordinary, but still satisfying. The sandwich came with a side of French fries--always a reliable choice, and they didn't disappoint. The service was friendly and attentive, and the overall vibe of the place was fantastic. If you're looking for a pleasant meal in a scenic location, The Prado is definitely worth a visit. I'd probably explore other menu items next time to see what else they have to offer.

I went to the Prato for Thanksgiving. I went with my whole family for, the zoo, but I have to say the turkey there was so amazing. I'm just so stoked on that service and best time ever.

Been eating here for well over 20 years and always enjoy it. Ate here last night after The Grinch performance at the Old Globe and tried the pumpkin soup and Paella. Both were good but very mild, which I prefer. Also tried the Calamari appetizer with the Korean sauce on the side. It was also very good, not too spicy. I really like the sauce on the side so I can control how much of that sauce I use. If it was poured all over the Calamari, it would likely be too intense for me and would make it all soggy. My son really enjoyed his fried chicken tenders and fries and my wife loved her salmon and short ribs. Great service as usual. Also love the ambience and decorations. Very warm and relaxing. Only downside is having to find parking that is kind of far away. I think they do have valet but it's not cheap.

Took a day with the family to go have a nice lunch. We ended up in Balboa Park. Very nice out here. We came across this restaurant. The staff were so kind and friendly, great service. The food was ok. I had ordered the chicken club which I was not too fond of the chicken. The bread was very good and the fries were by far amazing! Those were the star of the dish not the sandwich. My oldest daughter ordered the birria torta and that was very tasty and filling. She really enjoyed that and the fries. My 2 youngest daughters had the chicken tenders and fries and pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese which of course they enjoyed. My hubby ordered the paella. He really loved it! He was really looking forward to that the whole time. We ordered 3 different desserts--German chocolate cake which was very very rich and chocolately, kind of hard and not that great. We also ordered the pina colada creme brûlée which again he enjoyed a lot. Then lastly we ordered the tres leches and that was by far the best dessert! So tasty and we all very much enjoyed it! Overall, we would give it a try again. Thank you!

I would give this place a solid 3 stars. It was just okay both times I visited during lunch. Service was good both times. They charge a 5% service fee just FYI. Parking: they have lots of parking lots in the area but you have to get there very early in the day or you will be walking quite a ways from the back parking lot. They have Valet parking but only for dinner. You must have a reservation if you want to sit on the patio. On my second visit we made sure to make a reservation. It's pretty on the patio but unfortunately on the second visit we had a child seated next to our table who screamed the entire lunch. Not the restaurants fault but it definitely put a damper on the lunch. Almost all of the entrees were priced at $20+. The appetizers were also very expensive as well. Tried: calamari fries - good, but very small portion. Not really enough for a table to share. Burger - asked for medium and it was very dry. Fries were good. Cobb salad - just okay. The bacon was inedible. Rock hard pieces of over cooked bacon. Desserts: these were good, I think $11 each. There are so many good places right outside of the park area I would recommend instead. But if you are spending all day at the park and need a break it's a decent spot (and they serve alcohol!)