The Oceanaire Seafood Room
400 J St. (Fourth Ave.) 
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San Diego, CA 92101
619-858-2277 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Open late Fri.-Sat.
- Valet parking
- Casual dressy
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 A boisterous crowd frequents Oceanaire, where a retro design exudes the feel of a 1930s-style oceanliner. Diners come to this downtown seafood spot to chat in person with reality TV star chef Brian Malarkey, formerly on Bravo’s Top Chef, and to enjoy his signature fish dishes. The oyster selection is impressive, and includes Malpeque (Prince Edward Island), Coromandel (New Zealand) and Bluepoint (New York). Classics like escargots en croûte or shrimp cocktail made with giant tiger shrimp are good starters. For entrées, we like the bold flavors of the pan-roasted Scottish Loch Duart salmon (served with lardons, roasted cipollini, mustard greens and Dijon beurre blanc) as well as the Mano de Leon hand-harvested scallops (red miso and shiitake mushrooms). The Drunken Local Harpooned Swordfish may have a silly name but is flavor-packed with its smoky almonds, port cherries and sage brown-butter sauce. Side dishes are immense, so remember to share. We’re not crazy about the gargantuan hash browns à la Oceanaire; instead we prefer the Yukon Gold mashers and salt and vinegar fries. Desserts are retro-Americana: selections include Key lime pie and warm cookies with milk. |
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