Candor

Bravo Bravo! Hospitality and food through the roof! Came in with my roommate (we're in hospitality) and we both agreed, Candor by Giuseppe has got it! We were greeted by Sofia and sat along the bar. The ambience is warm and inviting with beautiful art hung along the walls. We opted for a week night evening on Tuesday, perfect timing as most La Jollans are asleep by 8pm. For beverage I stayed with Giuseppe's hometown white, which just arrived, supposedly the first bottle the bar opened! Bright and refreshing. For food, we started with the roasted eggplant over a romesco; this paired beautifully with the Capolemole! My roommate said some crunch would've been a nice texture add on; I enjoyed the olive oil and mint. Then we dug into the clams and mussel's. Perfect amount of spice. Rolling along, the branzino. A must! The white flesh was moist and delicate. Potatoes were crisp and the warm green goddess sauce rounded the dish off. To end, a special dark chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream. Will definitely be back. I hear wine Wednesday's are awesome! J P.S. You have to try the matcha coconut rum cocktail, soo good.

We found this place by chance and I feel so incredibly lucky that we did!! The decor, ambience, staff, everything was wonderful. The blue and browns the staff wear is relaxing and nice while not being too casual or too formal. Our waiter checked on us the perfect amount of times and was knowledgeable about the menu. We had two appetizers and two entree salads for the adults. For our child, we had chicken tenders. Dessert was a chocolate chip cookie and two scoops of gelato. The appetizers looked beautiful, smelled amazing, and the taste was just 100% on point. I could not imagine any change to improve them. The dinner salads were more of the same. They were not small salads either! They were filling! One of us had a fig salad while the other had the shrimp and peach. The chicken tenders and fries were on the kids menu. We ordered them for our son and were silently apprehensive regarding if it would be enough food since many times kids portions are small. This was a wonderful sized portion!!!!! We were VERY pleasantly surprised. The desserts were also a very nicely portioned. I wanted to finish my gelato because it was so good but I was full and completely satisfied. The others in my party felt the same regarding their desserts, although our son finished the vanilla bean gelato for us! Haha. Sorry for making this so long but it was just so good! I wish I had taken photos of the appetizers and entrees but I only decided to take one when it came to dessert. I highly recommend this fantastic restaurant. My highest compliments to the chef and the staff.

This is our go to neighborhood restaurant. Giuseppe and his staff are always welcoming with great attentive service, and the food is always great!

marjon farz

Someone had recommended this place to my husband and he was craving steak so we decided to order some food for delivery for dinner last night. We are both very impressed with how well this food traveled! I can only imagine how well the food tastes at the restaurant itself! I ordered the goat cheese and beet salad and also added chicken. My husband ordered the steak in fritz. We also ordered a moose-like dessert and burrata cheese appetizer. The quality was outstanding! Even a simple as a fries that came with a steak was so well seasoned and crisp and soft. We are both very impressed I definitely want to come try this place in person. Highly recommend this place they have a variety of food options from steak, to salads, to pastas and more!

Dr. Carol Utay

Delightful delicious meal at candor‘s. Each dish was unique and worth re-ordering one was a great server with good recommendations the za’atra salmon was fresh and really great. Even the simple salad was not so simple. The dressing was amazing. We ordered the tomato bread with garlic for a starter and it wasn’t too much but really delicious. Even though we didn’t really have room for dessert, we ordered the tiramisu with chocolate mousse complemented each other perfectly. I encourage you to come here for a delicious and special lunch.

Peter Eells

We were treated like family by Matias from the moment we were seated. We had personable, attentive, and very informative attention. The recommendations were spot on, and the modifications we asked for (less spicy on one dish) were readily accommodated. We had the Roasted Branzino and Fisherman's Stew, with the marinated Shrimp Al Ajillo. We finished with a Carrot Cake and 2 Americans. It was all amazing in presentation, flavor, and texture. The ambiance was slightly diminished by being on a main road, but Sunday night even outside was a very nice relaxed, upscale vibe.

Belle Zaldivar

Our very first visit at Candor by Guiseppe was perhaps a very good accident. Frankly, getting lost here by mistake was a great decision prior to leaving San Diego! We were in town looking for an infant-friendly place & dish and we didn’t expect Candor would offer the wonderful gastronomic experience for us. Every single food we ordered was beautiful and palatable. The food quality is definitely better than the rest of fine dining restaurants we’ve been. The hospitality experience - Magnificent!

richard E

Food and service was great. I had some shrimp ajillo and a ciopino

Sam cooke

My family and I had an incredible dining experience at Candor The variety and quality of dishes were outstanding. The eggplant, fig salad, salmon salad, lentil soup, and short ribs all exceeded our expectations. The pasta could be a bit more aldente, but the sauce was amazing. However, what truly set this restaurant apart was its exceptional service. The staff and our server, Gurllermo was attentive, friendly, and made me feel truly valued as a customer. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted warmly. The attention to detail and genuine care they exhibited throughout the meal made it a wonderful experience. I can confidently say that Candor not only offers delicious food but also provides a level of service that is truly remarkable

Margarita Zueva

We randomly chose this restaurant for a birthday celebration, and it was the best decision. The food and service were fantastic. Our waiter, Matias, was incredibly kind and helped make the occasion unforgettable. I can confidently say it’s one of the best services I’ve experienced worldwide. We returned for lunch the next day, and Matias was just as gracious, with the food being outstanding. We will definitely come back on our next visit to California.

Susie Kim

Amazing! We went in craving for pasta and we were thrilled! Their margaritas were so smooth and flavor combination was great (I got fruity) We got white lasagna and meatball and pasta. I still remember their taste after 4 days, truffle in white lasagna was just right amount pleasing all the ingredients! Their tomato sauce was not overwhelmingly tomato but so fresh! Butternut squash soup warmed up from the wind. We would definitely come back next time we visit CA

Sarah Gideon

My sibling and I went here for a nice lunch after walking along the cliffs. We got the tomato bread and roasted cauliflower with pistachio pesto to share. They got the fisherman's stew and I got the jumbo shrimp. All of it was delicious, we are very happy to have gone. I do recommend a reservation, however the bar was open seating while we were there

Masreth Fatima

My new favorite spot! The cappuccinos here are SO GOOD! and the food is absolutely delicious. This is how ALL pasta should taste!! The service is excellent and super friendly, they make many rounds and check in on you! Cozy restaurant, good for solo dining as well as family!!

Jacob Black

Bravo Bravo! Hospitality and food through the roof! Came in with my roommate (we're in hospitality) and we both agreed, Candor by Giuseppe has got it! We were greeted by Sofia and sat along the bar. The ambience is warm and inviting with beautiful art hung along the walls. We opted for a week night evening on Tuesday, perfect timing as most La Jollans are asleep by 8pm. For beverage I stayed with Giuseppe's hometown white, which just arrived, supposedly the first bottle the bar opened! Bright and refreshing. For food, we started with the roasted eggplant over a romesco; this paired beautifully with the Capolemole! My roommate said some crunch would've been a nice texture add on; I enjoyed the olive oil and mint. Then we dug into the clams and mussel's. Perfect amount of spice. Rolling along, the branzino. A must! The white flesh was moist and delicate. Potatoes were crisp and the warm green goddess sauce rounded the dish off. To end, a special dark chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream. Will definitely be back. I hear wine Wednesday's are awesome! J P.S. You have to try the matcha coconut rum cocktail, soo good.

Alisa Antonelli

We found this place by chance and I feel so incredibly lucky that we did!! The decor, ambience, staff, everything was wonderful. The blue and browns the staff wear is relaxing and nice while not being too casual or too formal. Our waiter checked on us the perfect amount of times and was knowledgeable about the menu. We had two appetizers and two entree salads for the adults. For our child, we had chicken tenders. Dessert was a chocolate chip cookie and two scoops of gelato. The appetizers looked beautiful, smelled amazing, and the taste was just 100% on point. I could not imagine any change to improve them. The dinner salads were more of the same. They were not small salads either! They were filling! One of us had a fig salad while the other had the shrimp and peach. The chicken tenders and fries were on the kids menu. We ordered them for our son and were silently apprehensive regarding if it would be enough food since many times kids portions are small. This was a wonderful sized portion!!!!! We were VERY pleasantly surprised. The desserts were also a very nicely portioned. I wanted to finish my gelato because it was so good but I was full and completely satisfied. The others in my party felt the same regarding their desserts, although our son finished the vanilla bean gelato for us! Haha. Sorry for making this so long but it was just so good! I wish I had taken photos of the appetizers and entrees but I only decided to take one when it came to dessert. I highly recommend this fantastic restaurant. My highest compliments to the chef and the staff.

Yair Abed

This is our go to neighborhood restaurant. Giuseppe and his staff are always welcoming with great attentive service, and the food is always great!

The flavors of all the dishes are amazing! We had the clams and mussels and you get a lot of them. Also, the sauce was perfect. The service was great and everyone was very friendly. Met Giuseppe and learned he has more restaurants. We are excited to try more dishes and restaurants! When you look in the area, there are a lot of Italian restaurants, but this one is the top choice!

Fantastic seasonal menu and outstanding service! Portions were generous, and every dish was cooked to perfection. Guillermo gave great recommendations and made the experience even better. Don’t miss the carrot cake — it’s incredible!

Great seasonal menu and even better service! Portions were generous and every dish was cooked perfectly. Guillermo was great and gave us amazing recommendations. Get the carrot cake!!

Guillermo was such a wonderful server and made us feel welcome and genuinely cared for. His attention to detail was spectacular. We never ran out of water. He refilled our glasses for us often. He gave us fresh silverware for each entrée. We had Lamb Pappardelle, with fresh, homemade tasting pasta, and the lamb was cooked to perfection, and Fisherman’s Stew, so good I couldn’t stop eating the soup after we finished all the lovely seafood. Generous portion and everything cooked to perfection and seasoned fabulously. Had to zobble it up with the bread, then drink it with the spoon. Absolutely delicious. We started out with the fig salad and we both looked at each other like OMG! Why is this so good! Everything knocked our socks off. Just delicious. Carrot Cake was so good and different from any I’ve had. It wasn’t overly sweet, even though there was a lot of frosting. The frosting itself was smooth and creamy and did not overwhelm. It was a nice balance with the delicious spices of the cake and allowed those flavors to come through. Our dinner was truly a memorable experience.

Tim O'Toole

Fantastic seasonal menu and outstanding service! Portions were generous, and every dish was cooked to perfection. Guillermo gave great recommendations and made the experience even better. Don’t miss the carrot cake — it’s incredible!

Katie Quan

Great seasonal menu and even better service! Portions were generous and every dish was cooked perfectly. Guillermo was great and gave us amazing recommendations. Get the carrot cake!!

Nina Sotkin

The flavors of all the dishes are amazing! We had the clams and mussels and you get a lot of them. Also, the sauce was perfect. The service was great and everyone was very friendly. Met Giuseppe and learned he has more restaurants. We are excited to try more dishes and restaurants! When you look in the area, there are a lot of Italian restaurants, but this one is the top choice!

J W

Guillermo was such a wonderful server and made us feel welcome and genuinely cared for. His attention to detail was spectacular. We never ran out of water. He refilled our glasses for us often. He gave us fresh silverware for each entrée. We had Lamb Pappardelle, with fresh, homemade tasting pasta, and the lamb was cooked to perfection, and Fisherman’s Stew, so good I couldn’t stop eating the soup after we finished all the lovely seafood. Generous portion and everything cooked to perfection and seasoned fabulously. Had to zobble it up with the bread, then drink it with the spoon. Absolutely delicious. We started out with the fig salad and we both looked at each other like OMG! Why is this so good! Everything knocked our socks off. Just delicious. Carrot Cake was so good and different from any I’ve had. It wasn’t overly sweet, even though there was a lot of frosting. The frosting itself was smooth and creamy and did not overwhelm. It was a nice balance with the delicious spices of the cake and allowed those flavors to come through. Our dinner was truly a memorable experience.

Nice little unassuming place. This is on the corner of Torrey Piney but they manage to have their own little vibe that works and kind of feels festive. Food was tasty. Portion was perfect. Adding the entire roasted garlic clove made the dish for me :) Pasta was a bit overcooked for my liking, tasting more like a noodle than orecchiette but short of that, I will return and try more of their menu. ✅

Christopher Michael

Nice little unassuming place. This is on the corner of Torrey Piney but they manage to have their own little vibe that works and kind of feels festive. Food was tasty. Portion was perfect. Adding the entire roasted garlic clove made the dish for me :) Pasta was a bit overcooked for my liking, tasting more like a noodle than orecchiette but short of that, I will return and try more of their menu. ✅

Candor by Giuseppe had no candor for me, but I am sure it did for others. The place is charming by the looks but it lacks candor by the Owner or manager who is very selective in greeting his customers. The food had good flavor though. I think I would give it another try.

Lilia Cortes

Candor by Giuseppe had no candor for me, but I am sure it did for others. The place is charming by the looks but it lacks candor by the Owner or manager who is very selective in greeting his customers. The food had good flavor though. I think I would give it another try.

NOTHING WE’VE ORDERED IN THIS RESTAURANT IS FRESHLY COOKED. The servers are friendly but food is disappointing. We’ve ordered mussels for starter, salad, fisherman stew and short rib. EVERYTHING WE ORDERED IS PRECOOKED including mussels and chicken in salad (how long does it take to steam mussels or grill a piece of chicken? 5 minutes?). Fisherman stew tastes better among all dishes we ordered. The source on short rib is dark soy sauce you can find in any Asian supermarket. I highly doubt if they have any chef back in the kitchen. We are so surprised that they can run an Italian restaurant, not a deli or supermarket salad bar, by all PRECOOKED FOOD.

Flora C

NOTHING WE’VE ORDERED IN THIS RESTAURANT IS FRESHLY COOKED. The servers are friendly but food is disappointing. We’ve ordered mussels for starter, salad, fisherman stew and short rib. EVERYTHING WE ORDERED IS PRECOOKED including mussels and chicken in salad (how long does it take to steam mussels or grill a piece of chicken? 5 minutes?). Fisherman stew tastes better among all dishes we ordered. The source on short rib is dark soy sauce you can find in any Asian supermarket. I highly doubt if they have any chef back in the kitchen. We are so surprised that they can run an Italian restaurant, not a deli or supermarket salad bar, by all PRECOOKED FOOD.