Bertrand At Mister A's

01/30/09

Consistently one of the Best Restaurants in San Diego

by danram9 at Citysearch

First time I went there was in the late 80's when I was eleven and the maitre'd made me put on a jacket from their coat closet. It was a very proper place back then and surprisingly it was rumored to be owned by the mob. Recently the formality has eased but it is still a very fine restaurant and one should wear a coat though it is not required.

Over the last few years we have gone there often for family occasions. Twice I?ve had the Beef Tenderloin with gorgonzola cream sauce. By far my most favorite on the menu. And surprisingly filling. Others in my party have had the duck and the salmon, which I sampled and both were excellent. The appetizers I?ve tried were the Lobster Bisque and the oysters on the half shell, which were served with a delicious cocktail sauce. And I?ve had a number of different salads, each unique with their various accoutrements. My mother said that the foie gras was exceptional though she was upset after I told her how it was made. I for one plan on getting it next time. Sorry PETA

I do have to say that I was disappointed in the bouillabaisse which seemed too loaded with mussels and other undesirable fish.

Service is excellent and the various staff is attentive and accommodating.

Besides the food, the true highlight of Mr. A?s is the panoramic evening views from the dining room. Mr A?s sits a top a building that nears downtown and the airport. The atmosphere is genteel yet the elegant setting is calming and pleasant. If you are in search of a fine dining experience at a classic restaurant then I recommend Mr. A?s.

• Pros: Food, Atmosphere, View, Service

01/20/09

Boycott this restaurant to help stop animal cruelty!

by bobs91919 at Citysearch

The Animal Protection and Rescue League asks you to boycott this restaurant to help stop animal cruelty.

Mr. A's continues to serve fois gras, the liver of ducks or geese which have endured weeks of force feeding, performed by jamming large metal pipes down their throats and filling them with massive quantities of food. This is the equivalent of forcing a 150 pound human to eat 60 pounds of food per day.

The livers of these poor birds swell up to ten times their normal size, inducing a disease that veterinarians call "hepatic lipidosis". These fattened, diseased livers are served as foie gras.

Please call Mr. A's and inquire if they are still serving fois gras. If so, then please let them know that you choose to patronize restaurants which do not engage in this horrific cruelty.

Your call will make a difference!

• Cons: Animal cruelty.

07/25/07

Generally great food, not worth the money, though

by amberelise40 at Citysearch

My boyfriend & I spent the weekend in San Diego to celebrate my birthday. We live in Chicago. On the eve of my b'day my boyfriend took me to Mister A's. At the time of reservations, he asked for a nice table as that we were celebrating. Well, we initially showed up 15 minutes late because we could not find valet. (Being from Chicago we just assumed valet would be available at the entrance.) I'm told they DO have valet, but it's at the back of the building (based on their address.) Funny thing is, we drove by that garage entrance TWICE and didn't see a booth, sign or valet person. We found meter parking.

We waited about 10 minutes and then were seated. There were a few empty tables so I'm not sure why we waited so long. Not to mention, we were NOT placed by a window, but were placed directly next to the bar. A large group that was waiting to be seated commadeered a 4 seater next to us, some standing because there were not enough seats and chatted loudly over drinks. I honestly think we were given the worst seats in the house as punishment for my boyfriend having the audacity to ask for a nice table. (We were given a glass of champaign as apology for the loud group.)

We ordered the mac n cheese as an appetizer. I personally love truffle sauce (Rockit's truffle fries in Chicago are to DIE for), but this mac n cheese was TERRIBLE. It had WAY TOO MUCH truffle sauce and nothing much else. The waiter did give this to us for free after we were asked how we liked it and we said we did not.

The veal medallians entree was very good and I do recommend that. I ate every bite and was extremely pleased. The food wasn't as good as you find at Delirio's in La Jolla, but still good. The creme brulee was the best I've ever tasted. So, all in all, the food was quite good, but for the price it should have been!!

I should mention the service was fantastic. We were served by Chase and were sure to give him a big tip. We loved him!

All in all, though, not worth the money.

• Pros: FANTASTIC SERVICE, mostly great food
• Cons: hard to find valet, expensive, some bad seating

01/09/07

Very disappointed

by jcjc77 at Citysearch

My friends and I went to Mister A's as part of San Diego's restaurant week. This is a week where San Diego's best restaurants serve a 3 course meal at a set price to attract new diners. My friends and I love to fine dine and we chose Mister A's as a new place to try.

I have been reading the reviews of Mister A's and was very excited.

The good : The views and ambiance are amazing. The restaurant is on the 12th floor and has a panoramic view of the downtown and San Diego harbor. They have excellent window seating as well as an outside patio to enjoy a drink before or after your meal.

The service is also very good. The staff gives you a real fine dining experience and is very attentive to the diners.

The bad : The food was very disappointing. I expected the chef to impress us and want us coming back for more. I ordered the Kobe beef, as this is a type of meat that I don't get to indulge in much. To my surprise, the meat was cold and the bernaise sauce was bland. The steak was also too tough for me. I realize Kobe beef is supposed to be cooked rare (I've had it before), but I was surprised that I wasn't asked how I would like it prepared. The potatoes were also undercooked and didn't have much flavor. I ate about 6 bites of the main course.

The desert was okay, I had a creme Brule. But in the end, the rave reviews did not meet my expectations and I will not be coming back. For the amount of money I ended up spending, I felt ripped off. Go there for the ambiance and a drink but enjoy a meal at some of the other fine restaurants in San Diego.

• Pros: Ambience, view, service, wine
• Cons: Food

12/08/06

Perfect service and perfect food

by chantelll at Citysearch

Love this place. Most incredible service of any restaurant in san diego.

Wow, if you want a dinner to remember go to this place.

And the view is like no other, over looking all od San Diego.

I had the seafood. Deserts are the best also.

Must try this place. Men wear a suit, woman dress your best!!!

Go Go Go

• Pros: Cant say enough good things about this restaurant
• Cons: none

09/18/06

Good service, average food, wholly disappointing

by 88sd at Citysearch

A few friends and I were very excited to check out Mr. A's as we'd heard nothing but the best reviews from everyone we'd spoken to. Yes, the service was good and everyone we encountered was friendly- but I expect that from all servers so this was not exceptional. But for a Friday evening the lights were not dimmed enough and one of the menu's we received was missing a page. Additionally, I could hear the servers chatting about what they were going to be doing later that evening which detracted from the overall experience. The food was OK- good quality but not outstanding. The wine list was extensive and impressive and we did enjoy a nice bottle. We had all ordered different entrys and we all thought we'd had better. What I enjoyed the most was the fine china and tablecloths- as those were out of the ordinary. Save yourself the trouble, go to their outdoor dining area and order drinks to enjoy the view, which was beautiful.

• Pros: Beautiful view
• Cons: Averge food at above average prices

08/31/06

IMPECCABLE view and environment, EXTRAORDINARY service, OUTSTANDING food

by delich8 at Citysearch

My girlfriend surprised me by bringing me to Mister A's for our anniversary. It will forever be one of the best experiences ever! The second we walk up to the lobby, we are greeted by friendly hostesses and a beautiful environment and promptly seated. We were very fortunate to have a large table at a corner of the terrace with a beautiful view of the bay and downtown; utterly breath-taking. The entire staff was very professional yet very friendly, especially our server Brad. We ordered the Lobster Bisque, Halibut, and Kobe Flat Iron Steak, and for dessert the Creme Brulee. The food was absolutely perfect; very flavorful and cooked perfectly. When dessert came out, Mister A's presented us with a complimentary dish of cookies and delights with "Happy Anniversary" written out in chocolate on their fine dining-ware. The bill is everything we expected it to be with the kind of service, food, and environment you get, but very much worth it. At the end of dinner, our server even volunteered to take a picture for us, not just one, but multiple-a very nice touch. As we were heading down to the parking garage, another party, total strangers, bid us goodnite as well as the valet attendant..all out of the kindness of their heart. Even a guy heading up to his office! These are the kinds of fine people you will come across at Bertrand at Mister A's.

Mister A's is the ultimate in Fine Dining; this is a restaurant very capable of being very arrogant, very stuffy, very discriminatory and it would all be very understood if it were, however it most definitely is not. Too many restaurants boast their restaurant as being the best, with the best food, best service; at Bertrand at Mister A's they are thus far, the only ones to live up to it, in all its entirety.

• Pros: EVERYTHING. view, service, food
• Cons: ...having to leave.

Special-occasion spot embodies fine dining with a classic steak and seafood menu, impeccable service and unrivaled views of the city.

by Erin Chambers at Citysearch

The Scene
Small tables for two set against floor-to-ceiling windows outline this four-star dining room--San Diego's version of the Rainbow Room. A wide balcony patio wraps around three sides of the square building with views spanning from Balboa Park, to the harbor, to Coronado. Service in the bar and the dining room is a career for many of Bertrand Hug's staff, who make it a point to deliver on their four start rating.

The Food
The classic, pricey and elegant menu is one worthy of the most special occasions. Lobster bisque with Chantilly cream or black truffle macaroni and cheese start a meal with rich, deep flavor, while steak and seafood dominate the main courses (there is only one vegetarian option). Follow steamed Maine lobster or beef tenderloin with chef's special white and dark chocolate mousse bars for a decandent finale.