I was pleasantly surprised by the Prado Restaurant. I was a little wary that it may be a tourist trap restaurant, since it is situated right in the heart of Balboa Park in San Diego. I decided to take a chance anyway, since I figured if the food wasn’t good, at least my coworkers would enjoy the trip to Balboa Park. Lucky for all of us, the food was good too, and the service exceptional.

For appetizers, they give you flatbread and hummus. It was ok… but I did appreciate that they attempted to serve something other than a boring loaf of bread. Also, they kept asking us if we needed it refilled when we were about halfway through, which I loved b/c usually you practically have to beg the waiters for another helping of bread!

Their signature drinks were also really, really good. I ordered the mojito, and it was one of the best mojitos I’ve ever had. My coworker also said the caipirinha was also quite good.

For my entree, I had the pork prime rib. It was good, but not mouth-wateringly great. However, it was a tremendously huge piece of meat, and I liked the mashed potatoes that came with it.

I thought the Spanish decor was rather cute, and our waitress was the sweetest, most polite server I have EVER encountered. We tipped her nicely!

All in all, I had a great experience at the Prado.

I had the Lamb Sirloin, and my wife the Mushroom Pasta. As always, the service was impossibly good, even though they were having an event of 250 people starting soon afterwards. The lamb was a bit cold, but they re-heated it with sincere apologies. Everything else was spectacular. A very romantic and relaxed evening in a beautiful setting with good food, and good service.

Their wine list is very impressive

The food is exceptional, but the ambience is what left a great impression. A very romantic place for an evening with your special someone or a relaxed balcony setting to hang out with friends during the day.

I adore the Prado.
Yes the food is pricey but if you look at what you’re getting, it’s pretty darn reasonable. the service is very attentive and almost feels personalized. The surroundings are gorgeous from the candle-lit settings to the lights strewn over green tree walkways and fountains. I ordered the Four Cheese Ravioli and it was superb. Gourmet. And definitley memorable. The Prado does take a bang on your wallet but once in a while, it’s worth it. :)

Came here during Restaurant Week in spring of 2008 and had their prix fixe menu. I don’t remember exactly what I had, and it is different from their prix fixe menu this year for Restaurant Week. Anyway, I went with about 8 friends and none of us were particularly impressed, and we all got a variety of dishes off the prix fixe menu. Especially not impressed for what we were paying – including tax & tip, it ended up being about $40.

I went here for senior prom back in june and it was fabulous. I had the Orecchiette Pasta and it was delicious. It had a light and creamy texture to it while avoiding extreme richness in flavor. I would love to go there again and try the rest of the menu. The service is superb. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu in the way dishes were made and served and what they were made of. The environment was very calm. The outdoor dining area especially was gorgeous.