Books + Records

4.7

422 Reviews

$31 to $50

American

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 25, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 19 times today

Good for special occasions
Great for creative cocktails
Great for live music

Global inspired American cuisine, craft cocktails, and weekend brunch in an upbeat atmosphere, with live music.

Chef Ryan Stickel is serving up San Diego's freshest food takes in an art deco meets mid-century mod warehouse space. With a tenured run on both Eater's Heat Map and list of San Diego's Hottest Cocktail Bars, the food and drinks are both guaranteed to delight your senses.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Location
2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 422 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Books + Records delivers a vibrant dining experience with "amazing food," "great service," and standout live music. The menu features creative and eclectic dishes, complemented by inventive cocktails. While the ambiance is lively, it can get loud. Overall, it's a "fantastic spot" for a fun night out or a unique brunch experience.

422 Reviews

S
Stephanie
VIP
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing…the steak was perfect! Happy hour is great too
Is this helpful?
J
Jeanette
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing food and amazing drinks but what really sets this place apart is the service! Great staff!
Is this helpful?
A
Austin
San Diego
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Live bass and piano music set an amazing scene for a dinner date for two. Our server Kasha was very informative and attentive. A manager came by when we ordered a dessert that was no longer available so he gave us a free other desert and offered a free drink. Above and beyond. Food tasted great and was exactly as described. Ultimately the bill came in lower than it usually does at a restaurant of this magnitude. Would highly suggest others come to books and records.
Is this helpful?
D
David
VIP
San Diego
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic restaurant. Excellent food and exceptional service. Live music is a really nice Plus.
Books + RecordsResponded 6 days ago
Hi David, Fantastic, Excellent and Exceptional is such a compliment! This is exactly why we do what we do. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review and I am so happy you had a wonderful time.
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E
Erica
VIP
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Booked this for my parents for Valentine’s Day and they absolutely loved this restaurant! They went on and on about how wonderful the music, ambiance, food, cocktails and waitress were! They can’t wait to go back and highly recommend!
Is this helpful?
D
Darrin
San Diego
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I love Books + Records. It gives me Bankers Hill neighborhood charm with an elevate upscale vibe.
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M
Mark
San Diego
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a wonderful Valentines Day dinner. Great service and ambiance. The live music was very nice. The main dishes were cooked to perfection and very flavorful! Best filet I have had! The beet salad was very good as well. The Shrimp bao and the Vietnamese coffee cheesecake were not particularly good, and the tiramisu was tasty but had strawberries and no coffee flavor... so how is that tiramisu?? It was a lovely, memorable evening overall though and we plan to go back again.
Books + RecordsResponded 6 days ago
Mark, Thanks so celebrating such a special day with us! I'm pleased that overall your experience was lovely and memorable. I so appreciate the feedback and I am sorry the Shrimp Bao and Vietnamese Coffee Cheesecake missed the mark, I certainly wish that was not the case but so happy it did not taint the experience, we can't wait to welcome to you back in the space!
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J
JUDY
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time for us at this restaurant. We did a pre-fix Valentine’s Day menu, food and cocktails was great, service excellent as well as the ambiance. Looking forward to returning and trying the regular menu.
Books + RecordsResponded 6 days ago
Hi Judy! Thanks so much for choosing us to spend such a special day with and I am so glad we met expectations! Come check us out for Happy Hour Wednesday - Sunday 5:00 - 6:30, or live music every Thursday - Saturday, or even Brunch Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 2:00 :) Thanks for taking the time to leave such a kind review.
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T
Terri
VIP
San Diego
13 reviews
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on February 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Awesome food and service! Menu is changed up occasionally so you’ll experience new flavors every time.
Is this helpful?
G
Gabriel
VIP
New York City
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Shared dishes among 4 of us. So delicious! Don’t sleep on this restaurant.
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FAQs

Books + Records is rated 4.7 stars by 422 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 25, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 19 times today

2202 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

Cross street
Ivy St & Fourth Ave in Bankers Hill
Neighborhood
Banker's Hill
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Californian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Sam Deckman
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://booksandrecordsbar.com/
Phone number
(619) 795-1000
Catering
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.
Private party facilities
For information regarding PRIVATE EVENTS & CATERING visit BooksAndRecordsBar.com and select the "Private Dining" Tab.

Books + Records

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

What 422 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Books + Records restaurant rated?

Is Books + Records currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information