Kettner Exchange

Came here celebrating Dianne’s birthday with 14 guests in a semi private room. Incredible service and every dish ordered was a new experience for my palate.
A sensory overload in a great way…
Design —
the interior is a feast for design, gorgeous and creative. The staircase is an artistic art piece all on its own.
Atmosphere —
if you like quiet, this is not the place for you. The first floor is very open and loud, thou the vibe is high energy. Second floor has more semi-​private rooms for larger parties, still loud thou it doesn’t matter because once you taste any of the dishes from the menu, you are lost in the complex flavors of each dish.
Food —
Big Eye tuna pizza a new experience for the foodies, I love the concept of a thin cracker like crust with fresh ahi tuna on a bed of micro greens. Cannot get enough and don’t feel guility eating the entire dish yourself.
Spicy shrimp — did someone say spicy? These bad boys are endless goodness for the mouth. Crunchy in a panko coat and the chipotle aioli sauce, wow! Can i have the recipe please?
Soft shell crab in a bun (special) — sweet meets savory, not a favorite because the legs of the crab sort of freaked my tongue out, spiky yet chewy. If you are being adventurous, go ahead, tasty.
Hot oil seared salmon — by the time i tasted this, I was on overload with joy. I prefer white fish and it’s a treat to eat salmon at perfection. This was it.
Kale salad — one of the best kale salads thus far. the fresh & dried fruit combination is a winning pleaser.
Desserts —
Salted Caramel mousse — this was the bomb. Flavors meld perfectly and texture is like a pudding mousse. The staff from restaurant brought it out as a gift to the bday girl.
Berry mascarpone — i would have enjoyed this dessert more b/​c I love mascarpone & berries. It tasted a little bit bland. The flavors did not stand out very much, it was missing something.
Service: wait staff very friendly and on top of their game. It was easy and the evening flowed, clean dishes were always on the table.
Am I going back here, absolutely!

Kettner Exchange, you have outdone yourself! I came here last night with a large group to celebrate our two dearest friends getting hitched. We were lucky enough to have their Event Coordinator, Chelsea, book us a dinner with a prefixed menu at their Chef’s Table. She was quick to get back to us and really made sure the printed menu and décor on the table were absolutely stunning. Seriously, the Chef’s Table is a must do! You are perfectly tucked into a beautifully decorated nook in the kitchen where it feels like the rest of the restaurant just melts away… its THAT private. And no loud kitchen staff here! We were able to talk the whole time and hear everyone across the table.
Our host, Steven Tuttle, paired all of the courses perfectly with both wine and cocktails from their menu. My absolute favorites were the Cenyth Cabernet Franc Rosé from Sonoma and the Piedrasassi Syrah from Santa Barbara. Our server Tempeste was so sweet and very knowledgeable about the featured wines and food. Kettner’s head chef, Brian Redzikowski, did an amazing job as well and all of the food items were extremely fresh and very unique. Great job guys!

Went here early before the evening craziness. As the night progresses this place becomes more a raging hipster club than restaurant. We sat in the small restaurant space downstairs next to the bar. Our service was attentive and informed. The beer list was diverse and appealing, and our food was delicious.
We will definitely be back.

Great atmosphere. Great crowd. Was there on a Saturday night and it was packed. Couples and singles. Drinks are a little expensive. I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir and they charged me 16.00 of which the waitress should have asked if that was alright.
Nice time otherwise.

Well, where should I start ?
Place is trendy, quite lively and extremely well decorated
I am biased I must admit it; see, when I go to a restaurant and there is not a single semi healthy option on the menu it really pisses me off… But oh well, I digress
We shared the kale salad which was drenched in dressing, had tons of almonds, apples and Parmesan. It was delightful but not very «salad-​y»
We also had the Brussel sprouts with the quail egg on top; they were good but not amazing
We also had the fried shrimp which I thought were pretty average
For our mains we had the pork chop which by itself gets the 3 stars !!! OMG simply the best pork chop I have ever had !!! Came with baby vegetables … Oh so perfect !!!
We also tried the curry sea bass which was pretty large and tasty but I don’t know I have had better currys at Lana Thai
The big miss of the night were the diver scallops which came with a flavorless coliflower purée
I had a mojito which was good but tiny !!! Boyfriend had a girly gin cocktail which he enjoyed immensely (lol). My friend had some kind of smoothie with Mezcal which he loved
Now, the service … Waiter was rather short tempered and impatient, he was irritated because I was not familiar with the farms where the ingredients come from (seriously dude ???)
He kept pushing us to order more wine … In the end, it got extremely busy and someone else took over which was more than perfect
We ended of having a few more drinks on the terrace but we left because it was simply too crowded
I’ll be back for the pork chop for sure

I won a gift card here at a work event over a year ago and finally had the opportunity to use it over the weekend. I made my reservation on
and was pleasantly surprised when we received one of the best tables in the house! Our table was right on the open window overlooking the bay so we could enjoy the ocean breeze. Our server was pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable, (I’m kicking myself because I can’t remember her name!). We each tried their two tiki-​themed cocktails; my husband had the Tiki Cross which was good, and I had the Kex Painkiller, which is easily one of my new favorite cocktails! It is a blend of 7 rums, pineapple, lime, passionfruit, and coconut juices. I should point out that when it comes to cocktails, I don’t love the taste of liquor, so anytime it is masked by the other floors of the drink, I’m pleasantly surprised. The Kex Painkiller is not only smooth and delicious, but it has a full two ounces of rum, making it mighty dangerous!
Now, onto the food. Since we had a rather large gift card, we went big. We ordered the Spicy Shrimp, Shishito Peppers, and Broccolini to start. They were all delicious, but the broccolini was by far the best with manchego cheese and a over easy fried egg on top. For our main course, we went with the server’s recommendation of the pork chop and it was absolutely incredible! It was tender and juicy and the chimichurri sauce was absolutely mouth-​watering! We also loved the carrots and mashed potatoes it came with. My only regret was not saving room for dessert because there were several items that caught my eye!
As for the ambiance, the décor and location are great, but, unfortunately, the bar scene gets very crowded and loud pretty early on in the evening. There was hardly room to walk to the restroom through the crowd of downtown dudes scoping the ladies out as they passed by. I know, this makes me sound like an old grump, but I selfishly wish the young single crowd didn’t love this spot as much as I did. I hope to be back soon for a Kex Painkiller or two!

Finally made it here after hearing about it for so long!
We came on a Saturday night around 10PM and luckily no line. My gf and I headed upstairs for drinks. It’s a great atmosphere and vibe, perfect for meeting up with friends.
Our drinks were good, but could’ve been a little stronger ;-)
We ate downstairs and got the double double burger — delicious! and the drunken noodles (good size portion, but a bit too salty!)
I’d definitely come back here to start the night again!

Hey, my friends and I love this place. And we are on our way there now! Kettner is where we begin and sometimes, end.

Been back a few times since my last review…
in March… had dinner here with a group of out of town friends.
i ordered probably or more of EVERY small plate on the menu.
Everything we ate was AMAZING…
favorites of the night were the ceviche & the salmon (OMG!)
returned again a few weeks later to celebrate bday’s for 2 friends.
we had a private cabana on the patio…
again…plates of apps rolled out one by one
prosecco, beer and cocktails were flowing
servers were super nice and and accommodating to our very large party.
they were happy to turn the television off for us (why would we want to watch TV here!!!)
they adjusted the heating lamps to our liking.
both visits were stellar and i will continue to return again and again…

I continue to visit Kettner Exchange, and each visit is equally wonderful. I had colleagues in town on business, so what better way to show off my amazing city then drinks and dinner at KE! We started with a cocktail by the fireplace downstairs… you know how chilly these May Gray days can be!
Now warmed up, inside and out, our hostess came back to bring us upstairs to our table. As requested when I booked my reservation, we were seated at a booth with a harbor view. Our server arrived promptly, gave us great menu options, and then my colleagues let me do what I do best… order shared plates for the table;-). We enjoyed some of my favorites, the fried chicken, shishito peppers, shrimp, big eye tuna pizza, pork belly, and kale salad, to name a few. Everyone LOVED the food! What’s not to love!
Toward the end of the meal, Treva (the manager I believe) came over to check on us. My colleague says «we want to meet the chef», and Treva said «sure»! So after our meal, we found Treva, and she walked us into the kitchen where we were able to chat with Chef Brian for a bit, and then got a tour of the kitchen and chef’s table. I got to chat with Brian about his previous work at Yellowtail, the vision for the big eye tuna pizza (which was Morimotto’s), and more. I LIVE to eat, and getting to meet and chat with the Chef makes it all the more fun!!!

I’m always looking for an excuse to go eat somewhere new, this one came under the guise of meeting a friend who just came in from San Francisco.
The interior is fashioned with wood, so instantly you get a warm albeit dark feel. I felt at home immediately.
Scanning the cocktail menu, I ordered something with spicy gin, and it was DELICIOUS. It wasn’t sweet, which made the spice come out even better.
We ended up only ordering tapas, because we weren’t super hungry. I ordered the duck meatball and brusselsprouts while my friend ordered shishito peppers and a fish salad. Peppers were good, but MY DUCK MEATBALL, THO. Surrounded by parmesan grits? I felt like I was back in South Carolina with this good eating. I almost ordered another one, but glad I didn’t becaudr my brain got the «I’m full» message a few minutes later.
More meatballs, but need to check what else they have.

5 stars for one of my favorite spots in SD! Kettner’s drinks, food, service, and ambiance are all amazing. As for drinks if you are looking for something light and fruity get the PD Collins (so yummy). Their food is mainly served in a shared plate style. You cannot go there and not leave without trying their burger! It tastes like a high class in-​n-​out burger and what could be more amazing than that? Their spicy shrimp is phenomenal along with their Brussel sprouts! I also had their Big-​Eye Tuna «Pizza» which in my opinion is not really a ‘pizza’ because its served on what seemed like a large cracker, but I’m not complaining because it tasted great!
I have been here multiple times and the service is always great! I recommend if you can finding a seat upstairs in their rooftop-​ish area to sit there!

Sure it can become a bit of a scene later in the evening, but this is California, even In N’ Out does. The lounge chairs and hammocks get taken early, so grab one if available, otherwise the seats aren’t bad. Try to catch the sunset over the ocean to the west if you can. Watch out for the airplanes that appear to be about to land on top of you from the nearby airport. Most importantly, sample some more local beer from the strong menu here and soak up the last golden rays of the sun as it sets. Once those very last rays are gone, you may be excused to leave. The beer menu isn’t enormous, but there are some good finds on it. The service is super friendly and checks in often. The atmosphere is out of this world though. No wonder those lounge chairs are so hard to get. I’d never leave either.

Oh San Diego, I have missed you so much! I came back to visit after several months, and my friends took me to Kettner Exchange, or KEX. I was impressed by the spaciousness of this whole place, and I immediately thought how great it would be to host a huge social event here, whether for a personal celebration or an industry association fundraiser. The views are fantastic, and the vibe is super chill.
We ordered three things off the lounge menu. First was the Big-​Eye Tuna «Pizza» which is like a giant ahi tuna crisp. Would recommend as a shared appetizer. Very fresh and tasty. I also enjoyed the Beet Cured Salmon Poke. Filling and flavorful. My favorite was the Weiser Farms Brussel Sprouts. I have fairly pretentious standard of brussel sprouts, and these were among the best ones I have ever had. Would recommend. The sunny side up egg was a delightful addition.
The service was great. The drinks were great. I would definitely come back here on a date or with another group of friends. Very classy spot to hangout, whether you’re on the top floor patio or downstairs inside the restaurant.

Classy comfort.
At the moment, this seems like the right kind of hot spot without a line around the corner, which is great. Once people catch wind of these Unilocal reviews, anything can change.
My friends and I just stopped by here for a drink or two. The bartenders are definitely cool. I’ve been to places where the bartenders, although very talented and hardworking, may be a little pretentious at times. These bartenders were great.
The crowd was nice. A lotta chic fellas, plenty of decked-​out ladies. People often wonder where all the attractive people flock on a happening Friday night. Well, I think this is that place.
A fireplace and chairs near the entrance, lounging area on the other side of the fireplace, bar on the far side, dining tables to cover the rest of the 1^st floor, a 2^nd floor full of dining tables, and an outside «rooftop bar area» at the other part of the 2^nd floor. The bar areas seem to have a different vibe from the rest of this place. Dimly lit throughout, patrons throughout having a great time… it’s starting to seem like a novel come to life.
I like this place a lot. That is all.

Anyone who is anyone in Little Italy will already hear about this popular hip restaurant/​cocktail bar/​club «with the telescope» on Kettner Blvd. Kettner Exchange is the shiny new toy on the block and raved by all my hipster friends, especially their «melt-​in-​the-​mouth» Pork Belly. Warned by their slightly higher prices, I was eager to try it out with my fiancé!
From calling in to make a reservation to arriving at the scene, I couldn’t help but feel like one of the The Roxbury brothers trying to get in a nightclub and blending in.
I must admit, the architecture, interior design and décor is mind-​blowingly trendy, probably any metropolitan dream studio. Windows are strategically placed so people from the exterior of the building can look into the clean kitchen. The furniture are kind of like a hybrid of wood and leather-​like material. The use of putting a tree in the middle of the restaurant connects modernity back with nature. All the digital thermostats on the wall gives me a finger itch to press it.
For dinner, we ordered several small plates to get a variety of tasting:
— Pork Belly (two orders): 3 pieces per order. This is a popular item at a popular restaurant, so we felt the kitchen staff probably did not have enough time to tenderize the pork belly to perfection like we expected. We ordered two separate plates, and the first plate was easy to cut into but the second plate was tougher. So it makes me question the quality control from batch to batch.
— Fried Chicken: One thing is for sure, Kettner Exchange is not a fried chicken place. However, the use of mint leaves on a bed of rice gives a lot of credit to how Vietnamese-​food is influencing American taste buds.
— Pig Ear Wrap: These pig ears are fried to perfection. But in my opinion, the wraps were missing some kind of cooling sauce to balance the fried-​texture. And the use of blue cheese sprinkled on top is just a disaster.
— Brussel Sprouts: The fried egg on top (sprinkled with cheese, again. But this time it works) completely made this dish. Creative and cute. Unfortunately, the more you reach the bottom of the bowl, the brussels sprouts are just swimming in a pool of oil.
— Salmon Sashimi: They really tried, but again, Kettner Exchange is not a sushi place.
— Spicy Gallagher: My fiancé had really good things to say about this. Sweet, pink, refreshing with a slice of watermelon on the rim… great summer drink.
Our server Julie was attentive, and also rushed, asking if we wanted a box for our food when we were still eating. hmm… Overall, it was an interesting Friday date night. What I loved most about this place was the architecture. But sadly this is a restaurant and not Williams-​Sonoma, so I can only subjectively judge it based on the food.

Had such a blast here last night, chillin’ with the homies on one of their lounge tables downstairs by the open window that opened up to the hustle and bustle of Downtown San Diego!
Our server was equipped with the perfect amount of assertiveness, without being overly annoying.
The bar ambiance was chill, and somewhat in the slow side, for a Monday. Friends say that the crowd is usually happening here on the weekends– so it was weird to see that there were only just a handful of patrons here last night. One might think that the interior of this bar/​lounge is too dark, but I think that the mood they were trying to go for is supposed to be more dim and intimate.
Drinks are reasonably priced and I would definitely recommend this place to chill and enjoy Downtown!
P. s. Bathrooms are clean.

I’m not sure I can fully review this place, since I just came here on a Saturday evening for a drink on the out door patio upstairs but I will go off of that.
Note: they do have dinner service and a very large space.
I had heard about this place and saw a few photos, it looks great. It is. The entire design is beautiful, modern, and fun. On the street walking up you can see through the windows into the kitchen, full length windows. I thought that was unique, but felt awkward standing there watching them cook too long (is it weird that I was scared I’d see someone like sneeze into their hands and keep cooking? lol). Anywho, it’s an nice design and everyone looked very clean inside :)
We got there and immediately walked upstairs. They do not allow outside food or drinks, so you will have to check those leftovers from dinner at the front. It’s ok, because it’s pretty small upstairs and tight s you will want your hands free.
There is ample lounge seating that’s reserved and dinner seating on the patio, but at a certain time (i think around 10pm) they take out all the seats unless you have a table or finishing dinner. No bar stools. There is a lot of security around too, which is nice just in case anything gets out of hand but it’s a pretty classy place.
Drinks are fun, huge, strong, and priced well for what you get.
My only complaint is the space. It’s pretty tight in there. People are dressed classy (everyone was in my favorite color – black, dark colors). Good music. Nice atmosphere. Would love to come back for dinner. I could see this as a nice date place to get dinner or grab a drink.

Loved it here! I would recommend this place for a birthday, dinner party, are any get together!
We were able to grab a spot on the roof so we did not have to wait. The ambiance is super hip and trendy! The drinks were delicious and the food was great too! All the servers are very nice and accommodating.
I wish there was one closer to me in OC, I would be a regular! Nice addition SD!

I absolutely adore this restaurant! Loving the vibe & the ambiance!
My girlfriend tried to book a table for 8 people but the restaurant wanted a $ 400 tab on the table to reserve!!! No way Jose! So, we just winged it & came in on a Friday night & found open seating at the bar/​lounge area which was perfectly fine. There is a rooftop that is beautiful & overlooks Little Italy. Customer service at the bar was excellent but when we moved over to the open seating table, our servers were antsy for us to leave.
KPX (Kettner Painkiller) — Sweet & fruit but surprisingly strong!
Spicy Shrimp — A must order! Crispy & flavorful!
Short Ribs, served with tortellinis — Yummy! Melts in your mouth goodness. The tortellinis were just delightful, I wish there were more! The dish is served with foam, like soap foam, but do not worry it is just decoration & tastes like nothing lol.

The service is slow… the coconut soup is fantastic, the crab salad is ok, the new york steak is wonderful perfect for two, nice presentecion and flawor, but the bathroom is horrible and dirty

Its the hot spot of the moment… Friday night, super crowed… More like a Club/​restaurant… The food is ok, nothing to be crazy about… Super noisy with young and beautiful girls all over the place (which is always nice). We share the Tuna Tacos, Sashimi, tempura, and some porkbelly tacos… i had the pork chop, was pretty good, comes with a hot sauce that goes perfectly with the chop. Make your reservation
Weeks in advance.