Amaya at Fairmont Grand Del Mar

Review summary

1. E

   Egbert

   VIP

   Seattle

   40 reviews

   2.0

   40 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   While the Christmas Eve dinner at Fairmont Amaya featured excellent food, the overall experience was severely disappointing and felt entirely overpriced at $210 per person. The food quality was commendable, but the service and attention to detail fell far short of expectations for a fine dining establishment. Plates were not warm, which detracted from the presentation and enjoyment of the meal. The staff seemed poorly trained or uninformed about the dishes. For instance, when I inquired about the amuse-bouche, the response was simply “amuse.” Further questioning yielded no additional details. The service was surprisingly casual and sloppy. When dessert was served, the spoon was not properly placed but instead dropped onto the table. My second beer was poured haphazardly into a glass, with the remaining beer in the can left on the table—hardly the level of sophistication expected at this price point. The lack of tablecloths also diminished the atmosphere, making it feel less refined. Such details matter, especially during a holiday dinner with such a high price tag. In conclusion, while the food itself was enjoyable, the experience was marred by inattentive service and an overall lack of professionalism. For $215 per person, diners deserve much better. I cannot recommend this experience for those seeking a polished and memorable holiday evening.
   

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2. D

   Dave

   VIP

   San Diego

   4 reviews

   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   We called about the special Christmas menu before we made reservations. They emailed me the menu on 12/9. $219 per person for a 3 option 3 course meal. We got to the restaurant 20min before our res time, they said they will seat us closer to our time. 5 min after our time they sat us at probably the worst spot in restaurant. That nobody was sitting in. The menu was completely different from the one they emailed me. We were looking forward to the prime rib… My wife had the gnocchi and the lobster. Gnocchi was not good, lobster was, but such meager portion. Mother in-law and I had the uni toast and the duck. Both were not good. Duck was tough and rubbery and too well done. They couldn’t even get us a real steak knives to cut it with. Mom in-law barely even ate anything. Waiter didn’t know what dishes had tree nuts (son has nut allergy) So overpriced for the quality of food and customer service. Gratuity was included $1,200 for four, 2 bottles of sparkling water, 2 glasses of wine. Could have got a better meal at an average restaurant for a third the price.
   

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3. R

   Renaye

   Denver

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was terrible. Ruined my Christmas Eve. I wanted to treat my family to a nice lunch. We arrived on tome for our reservation and had to wait for everything. We weren't seated for almost 40 minutes and had to wait to be acknowledged even though the restaurant appeared empty. Water took 15 min Drinks 20 min Food arrived cold. Oysters were very expensive at 45 per half dozen and were milky. We complained to the very disinterested manager who wanted us to suggest a way to solve our own problem This place is stunningly beautiful but they should be ashamed of themselves. My husband and I both worked in the restaurant business earlier in our lives so any effort to improve or make things right would have resulted in a much better review. They clearly didn't value us as customers even though we spent about $100 per person. We would have spent more but were too disgusted with our treatment to stay for dessert.
   

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4. M

   M

   San Diego

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Had to wait almost 30 min in spite of having a reservation. Then the food order took almost 45 minutes to come. So overall really bad service.
   

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5. J

   Jose

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing food and beautiful ambiance during the Christmas season. Best of all the service received by Ignacio.
   

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6. A

   AYad

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was great and so was the food , hotel was decorated nicely with Christmas lights
   

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7. J

   Jeffery

   VIP

   Denver

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food, service and a beautiful setting. We will be back.
   

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8. A

   Angela

   San Diego

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   I took a party of 9. The ambience is wonderful. However the breakfast potatoes were old. The main server, an older gentleman was snippy with some of the ladies.
   

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9. G

   George

   Los Angeles

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 17, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amaya is a truly amazing experience that you don't want to miss if you appreciate great service, delectable food and exceedingly tremendous ambiance.
   

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10. F

    FRAN

    VIP

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    The waiter was excellent. The service over all was good, but there was some lag time to get our main dishes out and we got there early. That to me is something that needs to improve.
    

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