Dobsons Bar & Restaurant

Dobson's Bar and Restaurant is a hidden treasure in the heart of Downtown San Diego/Gaslamp Quarter. For the last 35 years, this has been the hot spot for business lunches / Dinners and frequented by many local and nationwide celebrities. Paul Dobson, the namesake for Dobson's bar and restaurant, is one of America's few professional Bullfighters. The food is California cuisine with a touch of Italian, French, Spanish and Asian cuisine. One thing that both local San Diegans and Zagat can agree on is that this is one of the top restaurants in San Diego. Due to the limited seating and popularity, reservations are highly recommended. Dobson's is a power central at lunchtime -- downtown lawyers, politicos and other Eminent Type Personages have done business here since the early '80s while breaking through the pastry crust on the famously delicious Mussel Bisque. If you think you have no place here, polish your shoes, show up and be proven wrong: Dobson's is renowned for being an exceptionally comfortable place to hang out. Wood-paneled walls and stained glass lend dignity to the rather narrow room, lending the atmosphere of an old fashioned men's club. (Don't for a minute think that women aren't a presence, too). Within a block of the Civic Theatre, Balboa Theatre and the Lyceum, Dobson's also draws theater-bound patrons at dinnertime, when the menu includes pan-roasted Chilean sea bass or a chicken breast stuffed with ripe olive tapenade. Be sure to make reservations as table seating is limited -- at lunchtime you'll find plenty of people eating at the bar. Between lunch and dinner, you can choose from a "small menu" of appetizers and sandwiches, from 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.