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Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Full () - Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

4.5
4.5
1462 Reviews
$30 and under
Californian

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
8:00 PM
Booked 10 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Dobson's Bar and Restaurant is a hidden treasure in the heart of Downtown San Diego/Gaslamp Quarter. For the last 40 years, this has been the hot spot for business lunches and frequented by many local and nationwide celebrities. Paul Dobson, the namesake for Dobson's bar and restaurant, is one of America's few professional Bullfighters. The food is California cuisine with a touch of Italian, French, Spanish and Asian cuisine. One thing that both local San Diegans and Zagat can agree on is that this is one of the top restaurants in San Diego. Due to the limited seating and popularity, reservations are highly recommended. Owner Paul Dobson "works a room better than Sinatra", which explains why this "local tradition" downtown remains, "after all these years", a "high-powered, hobnob spot"; the Cal kitchen "serves up delicious, innovative food, along with old standbys" ("have the mussel bisque and think of heaven").

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, French, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Martin San Roman
  • Catering
    We offer catering for private events. Please call the restaurant to inquire about details.
  • Private party facilities
    Dobson's proudly introduces our new Private Dining Planning Department! Your ideas and our expertise will create just the right menu. You can even rent the whole restaurant for your private event!!! For more information please contact us directly.
  • Private party contact
    Marcos Luciano: (619) 231-6771
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine

Experiences

  • Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's!

    $59.95 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Join us every Monday night 4 to 9 pm. 8 oz Filet Migñon and 4 oz Wild Lobster Tail Au Gratin Mashed Potatoes Fresh Vegetables Bordelaise Sauce Butter and the Choice of Dobsons Famous Mussel Bisque or Caesar Salad for only $ 59.95 plus tax
    Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's! Photo

Private dining

What 1,462 people are saying

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant is a charming French-style establishment that exudes a "great atmosphere" reminiscent of a "small European bistro." Known for its "outstanding mussel bisque," the restaurant offers a "cozy" dining experience with "excellent" food and "impeccable service." A must-visit for pre-theater dining.
1,462 Reviews
  1. Nancy

    San Diego13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Went before a Sunday night show at Civic theater, the filet strognoff was great, as was the escargot and bread service. Had a salad that was awesome as well. The place is nice, and quiet. Good for dinner before a show. I ordered an Americano I never received....and had to bolt for the show. But not a big deal. Drinks were great, had martinis and old fashioned that did not disappoint.

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  2. Rosa VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoying dobsons for over 30 tears. Thank you for being consistently wonderful 👏

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  3. Deborah VIP

    San Diego26 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were seated in the back in our own little room with curtains . It was perfect once my partner reminded a waiter that were seated . The drinks , food and service were excellent . Great location as we were heads to the San Diego Civic Theater for a show .

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  4. Michael VIP

    Las Vegas24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    First of all I love this restaurant. The food is delicious. Both the mussel bisque and onion soup are the best you will find anywhere. Not just San Diego. I mean anywhere. The employees are great. The history of the building and the story is irreplaceable. However, the place needs a deep clean/refresh. Very dirty looking and unkept. We sat at our favorite bar seats backing the window. One of the doors to the beer cooler is off the hinges and rusted out,the bartender just leans it against the cooler to close. This restaurant feels like it is physically spiraling downward.

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  5. Jeff

    Warwickshire11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, this French style bar and restaurant has great atmosphere. You could be in Paris. The waiters are very friendly and hospitable, and the meal was excellent.

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  6. Edward

    Philadelphia870 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Great spot for pre-opera or pre-theater dining with good food, reasonable prices and prompt service. Dobson’s Mussels Bisque en Croute, served with a splash of sherry, is the best soup in the nation; one of these days I’m going to order it as a starter, main and dessert.

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  7. Sherri VIP

    San Diego8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food. Impeccable Service. Outstanding French pressed coffee.

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  8. Randall VIP

    San Diego59 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a business friend come in and had to go to Dobsons. Atmos- outstanding. Food- stellar. Service- hard to find any way it could have been better. Muscles with the curry broth are a must (with the fresh bread for diping). All food was superb and we felt like they truly cared about us. A great place for just about any occassion.

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  9. Ellen VIP

    San Diego159 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Miguel was a great server. Food is good and good value. Charming lunch place.

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  10. Art

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always love coming here. Food and service is always top notch! Cant wait to go back!

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FAQs

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 231-6771.

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant is rated 4.5 stars by 1462 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation


Booked 10 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

956 Broadway Circle, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, French, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Martin San Roman
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    We offer catering for private events. Please call the restaurant to inquire about details.
  • Private party facilities
    Dobson's proudly introduces our new Private Dining Planning Department! Your ideas and our expertise will create just the right menu. You can even rent the whole restaurant for your private event!!! For more information please contact us directly.
  • Private party contact
    Marcos Luciano: (619) 231-6771
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  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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