Cellar Hand

4.6

142 Reviews

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Make a booking

2 people

17 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighbourhood gem
Charming
Innovative

Nestled in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, Cellar Hand embodies a commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. Through a farm-to-table approach, our menu showcases hyper-local seasonal fare. Our extensive wine list highlights the diverse terroir of California, serving as an extension of founder’s Pali Wine Co. Santa Barbara County winery. By fostering deep connections with local artisans, farmers, fishers, and stewards, Cellar Hand strives to be a destination where guests can savor the essence of California’s bounty in every bite and sip.

Enjoy our exposed kitchen, an indoor-outdoor bar, outdoor fire pits, and artwork by Nick Perr. Opened Wednesday - Sunday with daily happy hour specials and weekend brunch!

Dining areas

Additional information

Location
1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405
Phone number
(619) 876-4099
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Dinner Wed–Sat 16:00–22:00 Sun 16:00–21:00 Happy Hour Wed–Sun 16:00–17:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Experiences

Happy Hour
Multiple dates available
Enjoy 50% off all wine by the glass, beer, and sangria, alongside deals on bar snacks and our seasonal dips. This special offer is available Wednesday through Sunday, 4-5pm.
Brunch at Cellar Hand
Multiple dates available
Join us Saturdays & Sundays starting at 10am for decadent dishes including our house made brioche toasts, our take on traditional brunch eats, locally-sourced tea & coffee, and our handcrafted cocktails!

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm
Multiple dates available
Sun - 16:00 - 17:00,Wed - Sat - 16:00 - 17:00
When the clock strikes four, our prices hit the floor. Glasses of wine at half price, pair them with pitas, so nice. For a whole hour, be happy, in the Hillcrest sun. Join us at Cellar Hand—the evening’s just begun. Happy Hour, Wednesday - Sunday from 4 PM - 5 PM!

What 142 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

San Diego
Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cellar Hand in San Diego is a vibrant dining destination known for its "amazing food" and "locally sourced" ingredients. Guests consistently praise the "fantastic" service from knowledgeable staff and the creative shareable plates. With a stellar wine selection and a "wonderful atmosphere," it's perfect for date nights or special celebrations.

142 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing! I can’t wait to go back for their brunch.
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D
Dennis VIP
San Diego22 reviews
4.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We love this place. Wife had mackerel special. Very good. I had the burger (again) good but the bun should be less breadie a little softer. Cheesecake was to die for. We like the location and ambiance. Our Servers were great.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely loved it. Everything we had was so delicious. One of my eye popping faves was the Seared Scallop Crudo… omg. We want to come back to be able to taste everything else on the menu. Perfect ambience. And parking is not an issue.
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D
Derek
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on 8 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love the ambiance, the staff and the chefs selections! So many interesting and unique flavors! Such an amazing experience, especially for the adventurous tasters! Can’t wait to see what the chef comes up with next!
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A
Akhiterm VIP
New York City8 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a great time at Cellar Hand. Service was excellent and the food was great. Rabbit ragú was a stand out as was the Bluefin Nduja Toast and Garlic Toum. I’m begging them to put their chocolate dessert on the permanent menu!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Incredible food and wine selection. I have been several times and it never disappoints.
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G
George
Los Angeles15 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Outstanding and creative farm to table food. An excellent splurge option.
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C
CK VIP
Los Angeles6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Steven and our waitress took excellent care of us.
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d
dgcardiff
San Diego4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 1 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything really was exceptional. The service was friendly and attentive. Gaby was our waitress and she was great as was everyone else there. Food, we ordered all small plates and everything was delicious. Can’t remember everything we ordered but some things were the smoked fish, olives, crudo, blue fin nduja, blistered snap peas and all three dips, probably didn’t need all three dips but we did manage to eat them all :) Hard to name a favorite as it was all so good but the blue fin nduja. Was surprising, the flavor and complexity was interesting. In a very good way :) the mild spiciness of the nduja set off the richness of the tuna perfectly. Overall a lovely experience and look forward to going back some time soon.
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d
danny VIP
San Diego35 reviews
5.0
Dined on 24 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent variety of appetizers and small plates. Wine choices varied and fairly priced. No gluten free bread or crackers for dips. vegis suggested for dipping but then a $5 charge for a few slices of cucumber listed on check as “extra pita”. San dabs were a great special but “very boney”. The chef said its easy to just remove the remaining bones along the vertebrae. If its so easy why doesn’t the chef remove them prior to serving. Pleasant ambiance. We have more to explore.
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FAQs

Cellar Hand is rated 4.6 stars by 142 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

17 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405

Dining areas

Additional information

Phone number
(619) 876-4099
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Dinner Wed–Sat 16:00–22:00 Sun 16:00–21:00 Happy Hour Wed–Sun 16:00–17:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Cellar Hand

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Happy Hour

Brunch at Cellar Hand

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm

Menu

What 142 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cellar Hand restaurant rated?

Is Cellar Hand currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information