Seneca Trattoria

We went here yesterday for my friend's birthday dinner. Our server was Michelle, who was excellent, attentive and navigated us so well through the menu. We had the arancini, tuna tartar, focaccia bread and white sauce clam pasta with the banana bread for dessert. All were delicious and satisfying but the dessert had to be our favorite. Dynamic flavors and textures in one bite. We loved it! They really make it special when you let them know it's a celebration. The ambiance and design of this place is also so magical with so much attention to detail. I believe it was the manager who also came over to check on us with the rain and for the occasion. They really went above and beyond and we appreciated every aspect of the experience.

Seneca Trattoria delivered two consistently satisfying dinners in a row, making it an easy 4-star restaurant overall, with 5 stars for both service and view. The space is stunning, with panoramic city and water views that create a romantic, elevated atmosphere, and the team matches it with warm, polished, and genuinely attentive service over repeat visits. Over two nights, the Wood-Fired Prawns, Margherita Pizza, Gnocchi Pomodoro, and Wood-Grilled Costata were all flavorful, well-executed, and nicely portioned, showing a kitchen that’s confident across both pasta and wood-fired dishes. Cocktails were very good—balanced and creative—and pairing everything with a nice Brunello di Montalcino rounded out the experience and highlighted the quality of their beverage program. This is the kind of place that rewards coming back on consecutive nights: consistent cooking, excellent drinks, memorable views, and hospitality that makes a couple feel genuinely taken care of.

Unfortunately, the rumors I’ve heard of this place are true, it is just another overhyped Consortium restaurant. I will say, the overall aesthetic, location, decor, and ambience of the place are well done. It’s a clean restaurant with a unique look and great views. Pizza and pasta dishes were nothing special, not something I would go out of my way for to order again. Our group really enjoyed our appetizers, specifically the arancini and the garlic focaccia. The squash and burrata, wasn’t the favorite, again, nothing really special. The service is what really took a dip for our experience. We had a reservation for 7:30 and called hours before to update it to the notify we would be having less people. Seneca only had an automated system so we had to leave a voicemail, however, it’s clear that they did not check it or make the necessary adjustments, because when we arrived, the hostess did not know about our request and it took us nearly 15-20 minutes to be seated WITH a reservation. When we finally got seated, our server shortly took our drink order, however we did not see a trace of her for 30 minutes. This “service” continued on for the entirety of our dinner- extended wait times and our server was not checking on our table unless we would flag her down first. Given that this was a Tuesday night, the amount of time it took for us to wait for our orders when it was not even that busy was ridiculous.

and everything was amazing! The Panna Cotta Flip was absolutely delicious. We also tried the Dark Chocolate Nemesis Torte and the Pear Hazelnut Mousse — not very sweet, but still good if that’s your preference. The sunset view was incredible and made the whole experience even better. Seneca is owned by the same restaurant group as Born & Raised, Lafayette Hotel, and Morning Glory, and the quality definitely matches. Highly recommend for drinks, dessert, and a beautiful view!

One of the best places in San Diego! Seneca Trattoria is perfect for celebrations, with an incredible view and even better food. Everything we tried was amazing: the Carbonara, Linguine Nero Pasta with Clams, Wood-Fired Prawns, and Chocolate Espresso Martini were all top-notch. The staff is very responsive and kind. We celebrated our wedding anniversary here and were surprised with a couple of complimentary drinks and the best table with a view, even though it wasn’t guaranteed. Huge shoutout to Jaycee, our wonderful server, who made the evening unforgettable. Highly recommend this spot for a romantic dinner or any special occasion.