Quixote Reviews

There's a lot wrong with this place — from the very concept to the owners' idea of "community." The restaurant wisely advertises the food as "Oaxacan-inspired," probably because "inspiration" is subjective, so when you see it's not authentic, I suppose you can't fault it. I have been eating Oaxacan food for decades and visited Oaxaca, this is not it. Not only that, but the food is cooked with so many spices that you better be prepared for some stomach issues or heartburn, even if you don't normally suffer from those. If you pay attention, how authentic/good could a place that advertises supposed Mexican food "inspired by" Oaxaca, is named after a Spanish novel, and is trying to mimic Gothic architecture (originated in France) be? It's all over the place in many fashions. The main owner, Arsalun Tafazo, has claimed that HIS restaurants and bars around the city (run under CH Projects/Consortium Holdings) are places in which locals can feel welcome and have "community" (look up past media articles and you'll see he really likes that word). But how communal can the spots be when everything is overpriced and servers + other general staff are paid minimum wage, despite being expected to go above-and-beyond? Tefazo and CH Projects go around SD restoring old buildings for millions to turn them into these wannabe speak-easy concoctions instead of investing some of that money into the very people that help run them. The business plan seems to be that your tips will make up for their expl*itation of workers. Servers at Quixote whom I know do a fine job under the circumstances, including that the restaurant purposefully overbooks itself, thus overworking them. As a result, don't be surprised if you make a reservation but upon arrival, still have to wait for them to kick someone off of a table (this is also common) to fulfill it. Enjoy...

Parking isn’t great. Biased toward hotel guests. Forgot our drink order but comped us a percentage which was great. Food was very tasty and creative. Room is very dark with one candle on each table. Lovely looking but blinding. Room is too loud, also.

My daughter loves the new Lafayette Hotel renovation so we decided to go to the Quixote restaurant inside the hotel for Christmas Eve dinner. The restaurant was very dark but great details on the decor. It’s hard to read the menu if you have old eyes. The menu has a lot of expensive appetizers and three mains. I did not understand that the mains were shareable, so at $95 for the ribeye we opted for a group of appetizers to share. The ceviche was so salty we could not eat it. It may have been an off night, but it was terrible. Squash blossom was OK but small for sharing. The chorizo fondue was good but heavy. So at the end we walked away eating chorizo and cheese for our dinner. I don’t think I’ll return

The ambiance is the star of the show here! Very cool vibe and a great selection of Mezcal beverages, and service was good. But the food was just ok. Nothin special and not overly authentic in my opinion. We have spent a lot of time in Mexico city, Oaxaca, etc and this just still hit those flavors to us. I think if we were staying in the hotel it probably would have been ok, but that is just it - it is still a hotel restaurant.

Quixote is truly one of the most unique and memorable Mexican dining experiences in San Diego. Built inside a decommissioned Catholic church within the Lafayette Hotel, the atmosphere is absolutely stunning—from the stained glass windows and angel statues to the wax candles glowing throughout, every detail adds to the magic of the space. We went for a late lunch with friends and shared a few dishes between the four of us: the Guacamole Queso Fresco, Squash Blossom, and Tasajo. Everything was flavorful and beautifully presented—a perfect balance of rich tradition and modern flair. After our meal, we explored the other fun and eclectic spots within the Lafayette Hotel, which only added to the overall experience. Whether you're staying at the hotel or just stopping by, Quixote is an absolute must for incredible ambiance, delicious food, and a one-of-a-kind vibe you won’t forget!

After ten pin bowling at ‘the Gutter’, we had a lovely meal at Quixote. We had the sea bass which was delish. Watch out for the salsa as the use ground crickets!!. Roxanne helped make the night so much fun. Highly recommend

Dinner at Quixotes 01/03/2026 Horrible website cannot view menus for any of the restaurants Very eclectic experience. We arrived at 330pm (supposedly that was the 1st available table for 4 peeps. There were 4 other active tables. We met our waiter (Jesse) about 10 minutes after being seated. We had a few questions, and he requested we order at that time. Cocktails 2 house margs w/tajin, a mezcal marg w/ salt and a Oaxacan fondue (specific instructions prior to the other food.) 40 minutes later the cocktails arrived 2 of them were right not sure what happened with the 3rd. 42 minutes later entrées arrived. We told the people delivering the entrées that we ordered the Oaxacan fondue. We were told by a blond woman that it be there in a few minutes. I explained that it was ordered as a appetizer. She stated it would go well with our dinner. When Jesse delivered the fondue he stated sorry it's late enjoy and walked away. By this time a few more tables had peeps (2/3s empty 5pm) The food was good, the fondue was very good. I had the memelita great flavor but about an ounce of duck for $18.00. No beans, no rice, no salsa. Everyone was fine with the food and atmosphere. It was a 6 out of 10. Service was 2 out of 10 (the food was hot & 2x water refills waiting for cocktails) Overall sit at the bar to make sure you get tequila in your margs, order the appetizer way before you place a food order. Figure $50.00 pp without cocktails. Any less you will want to stop at Vallarta's and get dinner to go.

This Restaurant is so gorgeous and the food was AMAZING. The interior is so unique and fun, not sure what the deal is with these other reviews, if you want something boring and cookie-cutter, go somewhere else. The staff was great and recommended some really good unique mezcal drinks. We shared multiple plates based on their recommendations and everything soooo good. The restaurant is connected to Lafayette hotel which has 3 additional bars to go check out after dinner which was just an added bonus for a really fun night.

Very, very dark, and the noisiest restaurant I have ever been to. And given the noise levels of many places, that's saying a lot. The "not a good place..." title is based on the idea that a woman is asked after dining there with a first date guy "What did you think of him?". Her answer: " I have no idea..couldn't have a conversation, even by reading lips". OK, now for the food: Pretty good...some dishes even better than good. But go there only if you have nothing to say to your fellow diners. And be sure the flashlight on your cell phone works.

We came here for lunch as we were staying at the attached hotel, and our flight just landed and room was not ready yet. Loved the vibe. Food was good. We enjoyed it.

The restaurant is very dark with a red undertone. It is an old church that they moved. Altars are replaced with Satanic figures. If you are a person of faith your hair just might stand up. Made it difficult to enjoy the food that was actually pretty good but very pricey. I literally just wanted to run out of there I was so creeped out.

My wife and I came here to celebrate our 15th anniversary and were lucky enough to eat here two days in a row. The food, theme and vibe was perfect for a romantic dining experience. A special shout out to our servers as both days we were met with excellent service from Keely and Jake. They were fun a knowledgable about the menu and made our time more enjoyable. We can't wait to come back!