Kingfisher in Golden Hill: The Duck Sells Out, and the Best Seat Is at the Bar

Overview

Kingfisher is at 2469 Broadway in Golden Hill, and it's the best argument in San Diego for driving past the restaurants you already know.

The kitchen's own description is "a modern and elevated take on Vietnamese food with French influences and a California sensibility" — which sounds like a lot of words until you eat there, at which point it's just accurate.

It opened in January 2022 and was added to the Michelin Guide that November, ten months later. San Diego Magazine named it a Critic's Pick among the city's top five restaurants in 2026, and both a Readers' Pick and Critic's Pick for Best Vietnamese.

Three things to know before you book, because they change the evening:

• The smoked dry-aged duck usually sells out before the end of the night. If you want it, go early or ask when you sit down.
• One dish is served only at the bar — a salt-and-pepper fish belly snack that doesn't come to the dining room.
• A 20% service fee applies to every check. Budget for it; it materially changes the total.

Where It Is

Golden Hill — not South Park, though they're neighbours, and not downtown, whatever some reservation listings say.

• 2469 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92102, at Broadway and 25th
• (619) 432-1014 · hello@kingfishersd.com

It took over 3,000 square feet that last housed Kafe Sobaka Restorant Pomegranate, with interiors by Ocio Design Group. The dining room is the part people photograph — gilded wallpaper, dramatic lighting, and a genuine sense of occasion for a neighbourhood block on Broadway.

Who's Behind It

Kim Phan, Ky Phan and Quan Le — the family behind Crab Hut, the Cajun seafood spot. Kingfisher was nearly three years in the making and got delayed by the pandemic before finally opening in 2022.

The current tasting menu is credited to Chef David Sim. Beverage director David Tye came from The Lion's Share, Prohibition and Sycamore Den, and his stated approach is "a lot of emphasis on providing a very welcoming environment" — which, for a restaurant this polished, is the right instinct.

What to Order

The signature is the smoked dry-aged duck. Dry-aged seared breast and confit leg, and it's flagged on the menu as limited availability for good reason — it tends to go before service ends.

Beyond that, the dishes that come up again and again:

• Beef tartare — a Vietnamese read on the bistro classic, with Thai chiles and crispy shallots
• Vanilla flan with Vietnamese coffee syrup, which has been called one of the best desserts in the city
• House-made egg noodles
• Squash and chanterelle congee — the vegetarian dish Michelin's inspectors singled out, topped with wild mushrooms
• Raw scallops prepared with the flavours of canh chua, which Michelin also named, though it rotates seasonally
• Salt-and-pepper fish belly — bar only

The house-made baguette with French butter is also flagged limited availability, so order it when you sit rather than later.

The Menu and Prices

A caveat first, and we'd rather give it than pretend otherwise: the menu we worked from is Kingfisher's own, but it's dated December 2025 and the menu itself says items are subject to change. Treat these as the shape of the pricing rather than today's exact figures.

Starters

| | |

|---|---|

| House-made baguette & French butter (limited) | $14 |

| Grilled Japanese eggplant | $24 |

| Grilled radicchio | $24 |

| Crispy chicken wings | $25 |

| Grilled baby broccoli | $26 |

| Kanpachi crudo | $29 |

| Crispy pig ear salad | $29 |

| Duck liver pâté | $31 |

| Beef tartare | $32 |

Mains

| | |

|---|---|

| Squash & chanterelle congee | $32 |

| House-made egg noodles | $38 |

| Local black cod | $45 |

| Roasted heritage half chicken | $55 |

| Wagyu skirt steak | $64 |

| Whole fried rockfish | $65 |

| Smoked Kurobuta pork collar | $74 |

| Smoked dry-aged duck (limited) | $86 |

Desserts run $11 to $18 — the flan is $15, black truffle ice cream $15, warm bread pudding $18.

Add-ons: Oscietra caviar at $17 for a quarter ounce, $30 for a half, $58 for a full ounce.

Two pieces of fine print that matter:

• A 20% service fee applies to all checks.
• Corkage is $30 per 750ml bottle, limited to two bottles.

The Tasting Menu

• $120 per person — four courses by Chef David Sim, a rotating selection of seasonal dishes
• Wine pairings optional, +$65
• Limited availability, for parties up to five or six depending on the platform

For a restaurant where two starters and two mains plus the service fee will clear $120 a head anyway, the tasting menu is reasonable value rather than the splurge option.

Reservations and the Bar

It takes reservations through both Tock and OpenTable, and it isn't reservation-only — but there's no published walk-in policy for regular service, so don't count on a table on a Friday.

Reservations carry a deposit, which varies by where you sit:

| | |

|---|---|

| Dining room (parties 1–10) | $20 per person |

| Heated patio (parties 1–4) | $20 per person |

| Bar top (parties 1–4) | $10 per person |

| Chef's tasting menu (parties 1–5) | $120 per person |

On the bar specifically — this is our recommendation.

It's a 23-seat bar, the full dinner menu is served there, the deposit is half what the dining room asks, and the salt-and-pepper fish belly is bar-exclusive. For two people, the bar is the better seat and the cheaper booking.

The dining room seats about 90. There's also a heated patio, fully open, as a separate reservation category.

Golden Hour and Nướng Nights

There's a happy hour called Golden Hour, running 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Golden Hour pricing isn't published, so that's worth a call if it's the reason you're going.

They also run Nướng Nights — a recurring collaboration series where guest kitchens come in and cook. Past editions have featured Lion's Share and Fishwater. Pricing isn't published for those either, and they're one-night events, so watch their reservation pages.

Hours

Closed Tuesdays. Every source agrees on that.

Beyond that, the published hours disagree, and we'd rather flag it than pick one:

• Most listings say 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Wednesday through Monday
• Kingfisher's own booking page says the kitchen and patio are open until 10:00 p.m.
• Sunday opening is given as either 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. depending on where you look

The likeliest explanation is that the kitchen closes before the bar does — which is normal for a cocktail bar and eatery. But if you're planning a late dinner rather than a late drink, call (619) 432-1014 rather than trusting a third-party listing.

Awards — Accurately

We're being precise here because this gets overstated constantly.

• Michelin Guide: added November 10, 2022. It is a Michelin Selected Restaurant listing — not a star, and not a Bib Gourmand. It was one of two San Diego County restaurants added that day.
• Eater San Diego: top prize in the 2022 Eater Awards.
• San Diego Magazine 2026: Critic's Pick in the top five restaurants overall, plus both Readers' Pick and Critic's Pick for Best Vietnamese Restaurant, and runner-up for Best Asian Fusion.

What it has not won: anything from the James Beard Foundation. No nomination, no semifinalist nod, nothing. If you see that claimed somewhere, it's wrong.

How to Go

• 2469 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92102 (Golden Hill, at 25th)
• (619) 432-1014 · hello@kingfishersd.com
• Closed Tuesdays. Otherwise from 5 p.m., kitchen to about 10
• Reservations via Tock or OpenTable, with a deposit
• Bar top is a $10 deposit and serves the full menu
• Mains $32–$86 · tasting menu $120 · 20% service fee on all checks
• Corkage $30 per bottle, two bottles maximum
• Street parking. No lot or valet
• Dress: smart casual

Good to Know

• Book the bar. Full menu, half the deposit, and one dish you can't get anywhere else in the building.
• Order the duck first if you want it. It sells out.
• The 20% service fee is automatic. Factor it in.
• Closed Tuesdays.
• The tasting menu at $120 is fair value against ordering à la carte.
• Corkage is $30, two bottles maximum.
• Golden Hour is 5 to 6:30 Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday — but prices aren't published.
• Call about late dinner. Kitchen hours and bar hours differ and the listings conflict.
• Street parking only. Golden Hill, weekend evening — leave time.
• It's Michelin-listed, not Michelin-starred. Lovely either way.

Why It's Worth It

Because it's doing something nobody else here is doing, and doing it at a level that got noticed within a year of opening.

Vietnamese cooking with French technique isn't a novelty — it's the actual history of Vietnamese food, and Kingfisher treats it that way rather than as a fusion gimmick. The result is a menu where a congee with wild mushrooms and a dry-aged duck and a beef tartare with Thai chiles all belong on the same page. Michelin's inspectors described the dishes as bursting with the herbaceous flavours typical of the cuisine, and that's the right note: it's elevated without being deracinated.

The room does a lot of work too. Gilded wallpaper, low dramatic light, a 23-seat bar as the centrepiece — it feels like somewhere, which is not a given on a Broadway block in Golden Hill. For an anniversary or a first date or the dinner you take someone to when you want them to think well of your city, it delivers on atmosphere before the food arrives.

And the bar is the move. Twenty-three seats, the full menu, a ten-dollar deposit instead of twenty, a cocktail list split into "minimalist" and "maximalist," and a fish belly snack that the dining room never sees. Two people at that bar on a Wednesday is one of the better nights out available in San Diego at any price.

The practical version: go on a weeknight, sit at the bar, order the baguette and the duck immediately because both are limited, get the flan, and remember the twenty percent when the bill lands.

Nearby: South Park and Golden Hill have more within walking distance than most people realise. For more neighbourhood finds, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kingfisher? 2469 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92102, in Golden Hill at Broadway and 25th. Some listings say downtown — they're wrong.

What kind of food is it? Modern Vietnamese with French influences and a California sensibility, in the restaurant's own words. Michelin categorises it as Vietnamese and contemporary.

Is Kingfisher Michelin-starred? No. It's been in the Michelin Guide as a Selected Restaurant since November 10, 2022, which is a listing rather than a star or a Bib Gourmand.

Has it won a James Beard award? No — and it has never been nominated or named a semifinalist either.

What should I order? The smoked dry-aged duck is the signature, though it often sells out. The beef tartare, house-made egg noodles and vanilla flan with Vietnamese coffee syrup come up repeatedly, and the squash and chanterelle congee is the vegetarian dish Michelin singled out.

How much does dinner cost? Starters run $14 to $32 and mains $32 to $86, with desserts $11 to $18. A 20% service fee applies to every check. Prices are from the restaurant's own menu dated December 2025 and are subject to change.

Is there a tasting menu? Yes — a four-course Chef's Tasting Menu at $120 per person, with optional wine pairings for another $65.

Do I need a reservation? It's not reservation-only, but there's no published walk-in policy, so book. Reservations go through Tock or OpenTable and carry a deposit — $20 per person for the dining room or patio, $10 for the bar.

Can I eat at the bar? Yes, and we'd recommend it. The full dinner menu is served at the 23-seat bar, the deposit is lower, and a salt-and-pepper fish belly snack is served only there.

Is there a patio? Yes, a heated patio, fully open, bookable as a separate category for parties up to four.

What are the hours? Closed Tuesdays. Otherwise from 5 p.m., though sources disagree on whether service ends at 10 or 11 and whether Sunday opens at 4 or 5. Call (619) 432-1014 to confirm a late booking.

Is there a happy hour? Yes — Golden Hour, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Pricing isn't published.

What's the corkage? $30 per 750ml bottle, limited to two bottles.

Is there a dress code? Smart casual, per its reservation listing. The restaurant doesn't publish one itself.

Where do I park? Street parking. There's no lot or valet listed.

What are Nướng Nights? A recurring collaboration dinner series where guest kitchens cook at Kingfisher. Past editions have included Lion's Share and Fishwater. Pricing isn't published and they're single-night events.