Addison — Menu Guide

The tasting menu

There is one menu: a ten-course tasting reported at $398 per person on the restaurant's official site — the current figure, replacing the $385 reported in mid-2026 coverage. Because the menu is tasting-only, there are no individual dish prices to list; the $398 covers the full arc of the evening. Optional supplements — a caviar course add-on and a wagyu upgrade on the quail course have been reported by diners — exist, but their prices are not published, so we don't report them. Ask when booking.

Signature dishes

The cooking is precise, French-rooted, and quietly playful. Courses are presented as a sequence rather than a list to choose from, and the lineup evolves — but these are the signature preparations the restaurant is known for, described in our own words:

• Chicken liver churro — a savory twist on the fried-dough classic, finished with bitter chocolate. Rich, crisp, and the course that tells you the kitchen has a sense of humor.
• "Eggs and rice" — Koshihikari rice and a smoked sabayon topped with reserve-grade caviar. Comfort food rebuilt at three-star precision.
• Tom kha goong with king crab — the Thai coconut soup reimagined sweet-and-sour, built around generous king crab.
• Kinmedai with crab consommé — golden eye snapper in a clear, deeply savory crab broth. A study in restraint.
• Uni chawanmushi — sea urchin folded into the silky Japanese savory custard.
• Barbecued squab — the game course, cooked over fire.

The Champagne Lounge

Part of the 20th-anniversary redesign, the Champagne Lounge is Addison's more casual counterpoint — and notably, it's walk-in only, first-come first-served. The Tartelette Menu is reported at $198 per guest, with optional Champagne pairings at $175. For diners who can't land a dining-room reservation months out, this is the realistic way into the building: arrive early, put your name down, and don't treat the walk-in policy as a fallback — it's the actual system.

Why it's famous

Addison is Southern California's first and only three-Michelin-star restaurant, holding the rating across the 2024, 2025, and 2026 guides. Chef Bradley holds the Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef title, and the wine program carries the Wine Spectator Grand Award with a cellar reported at roughly 10,000 bottles. The dining room itself was redesigned for the restaurant's 20th anniversary — the Addison you'll walk into is a new version of a two-decade institution.

What we'd order

With a single tasting menu, the choices are about how you frame the night, not what you pick:

• The full ten courses, no shortcuts. This is a three-star room; the menu is composed as one piece. Skipping courses defeats the point.
• Say yes to the caviar supplement if offered. The price isn't published, so confirm it before you commit — but the kitchen's caviar course is consistently the one diners remember.
• Budget for the pairing. Reviewers consistently note that the wine pairings are pricey — which is also the point of a Grand Award cellar. A $398 tasting with a full pairing puts dinner for two near or above four figures.
• Can't get a table? Do the Champagne Lounge. The $198 tartelette menu is the best consolation prize in San Diego dining.

Planning your visit

• Book months ahead. The dining room serves Tuesday through Saturday evenings, and reservations are released far in advance through the restaurant's official website. Last seating is reported around 8:30 PM.
• Verify hours when booking. The official site's operating details were not fully confirmable at research time — confirm the evening's schedule with the restaurant.
• Plan for the full evening. Ten courses at this level is a three-plus-hour commitment; don't stack plans afterward.
• Dress the part. Official dress-code guidance wasn't retrievable; a dated third-party listing suggests jacket-preferred territory — treat this room as formal regardless.