Seneca Reviews

Menu is limited, wish there were a few more options on the lower end for lunch. Focaccia was great, so was the Cesar salad. Meatballs were good too. Vodka pasta and clams with squid pasta were ok. Shareable because the pasta for both was heavy. You can’t beat the view and design. Cocktails were good but they were out of several drinks. If you don’t drink or want beer you have very limited options. They have NO ice tea which is terrible. Once food was ordered, lots of people brought or food and drinks out but it was clear our actual waiter had too many tables. Still very nice, but he didn’t check in that often.

Very poor dining experience. Food was below average. For the price I paid I expected more. Service was slow and waitress was inattentive. Would not return. Patio got really hot while having lunch.

Beautiful space, but disappointing experience—especially for a special occasion. We came here for our anniversary hoping for an incredible Italian dinner and a romantic atmosphere, but unfortunately, it missed the mark. While the restaurant itself is visually stunning, the overall experience left a lot to be desired. We were seated in a corner at a large table meant for four, which felt awkward and took away from the ambiance we were hoping for. The food, sadly, just wasn’t very good. I ordered the lobster ravioli, which came out at $50—but the lobster wasn’t cooked properly, and it seemed the high price was mostly due to the caviar garnish, not the quality of the dish itself. For the price and the occasion, I expected much more. I wouldn’t recommend dining here for a special event—you may leave feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.

Upon arrival, the chef was at the entrance and did not receive us with a greeting. There was no host at the entrance. Nobody helped us find a table so we better leave.

Discovering Seneca was a hidden gem adventure, initially challenging to locate and with a somewhat intricate sign-in process. However, once inside, the experience was utterly delightful. The bar visit was a pleasant prelude, highlighted by exceptional blue cheese olives and outstanding service from the bartender. The dining experience escalated in enjoyment after being seated. Our server, Annabel R., was the epitome of hospitality. She welcomed us warmly, expertly navigated us through the menu, and made impeccable food recommendations. Annabel's attention to detail, efficiency, and ability to make our evening feel special were unparalleled. Seneca transformed a first visit into a memorable occasion."

Views of the city and bay are tremendous. Very lively and hip restaurant. Food was very good. We did have some minor issues with the timing and presentation of the food but the waitstaff and management corrected this and took care of part of our bill and dessert without us even commenting on it. Wish that all restaurants behaved like this,

Ambience is pretty with a lovely view at sunset. We consider the menu as having limited choices since we don't eat pork or beef. Pizza was fine, pasta was okay. Price is high but many may consider the view worth it. Service on the slow side.

Food was very disappointing. Veal was overcooked and sides were tasteless. Service was good. Atmosphere and view was beautiful but meal was below average. Disappointing evening.

We came here for mothers day. I have to agree with some of the reviews both negative and positive. Here is what I agree with. 1. Entrance is quaint but to dark, just a bit more light would be nice and with an obvious nod to where the door is. 2. Restaurant views are great if you get the right table. Decor is nice but seems like it needs to be updated to reflect current trends. What was good. 1. Pear salad with radicchio lettuce was very good. 2. Food prices seemed very reasonable especially for a hotel restaurant and the view it has. And that's where it ends. The bucatini pasta cacio e pepe was undercooked and tasted like the pasta was dumped through the pasta water giving it a flour aftertaste. Also came to the table a bit cold so all the pasta was stuck together. The pizza was average and could be had anywhere else for less in nearby Little Italy. The truffle arancini, I think they used truffle oil to get the flavor although cooked perfectly. The wine list was way overpriced and ridiculous, I had to pay $80 for a $20 bottle of Chianti. Also the 4% surcharge this I hate everywhere I go. Just raise the prices I don't tip on the surcharge. Restaurants need to get over the fact that they have to act like real employers and pay benefits and such this is overdue. Service I wont even comment on as they seemed understaffed when we arrived at noon and more folks seemed to come on after a while. Understaffing is a critical problem and the wait staff is not at fault but it does make it hard to enjoy the experience.

Come for the views, not for the food. Over priced for subpar (mediocre at best) food. My dish was overly salty to the point I could not finish it. No one at the table of 6 was overly impressed with theirs either. Too bad as the aesthetics / views are great but the food does not live up to the same standard. Service was fine. Would not recommend at their price point.

We came here for our 10 year anniversary and we were not disappointed! The restaurant is gorgeous and the staff were so kind! Our waitress was new, I wish I remembered her name but she was awesome. The restaurant itself smells amazing and the food lives up to that. I got the Cacio e Pepe and it was fantastic! If we were hungrier (we foolishly ate a late lunch) we would have wanted to eat a lot more dishes. I had a great time and great anniversary dinner.

We had the best night at Seneca. We were visiting from the UK and celebrating our anniversary. The restaurant made us feel so welcome and really made our visit so special. The waitresses were so knowledgable about the drinks and food and the service was 10/10. Could not fault this restaurant. The design of the restaurant is really cool and you have great views of downtown SD. Special shout out to our server Teegan who made our night so special.

Weird, Quirky, Place STUPIDLY LOUD MUSIC not any Genre I recognized… Just way too Loud. I WOULD Never Go back. Overpriced Lasagna with no taste. Stuffers has this place beat like a drum for lasagna.

The views of the city are spectacular. The environment is worth the time to see. The service is was very good. The food was fine. The cost is moderate for downtown San Diego. The noise level is quite high. The seating is crowded together. It is on the dark side. We’ll go again knowing what to expect but many other fine restaurants in the area are preferred. Worth going once, you might love it.

This is a lovely restaurant with stunning décor and an atmosphere that truly impressed us. Every detail—from the decoration to the tableware and service—was immaculate. However, the food didn’t quite live up to our expectations. The pizza was quite simple and lacked flavor, and the pasta was similarly underwhelming. The only dish we truly enjoyed was the burrata. Unfortunately, the food is definitely not worth the price. While I wouldn’t recommend it for the food, the ambience alone makes it worth a visit.

Was visiting the InterContinental San Diego hotel and heard about this gem on the rooftop. Had lunch with some work colleagues that I was in town with. We sat at a booth along the Midway side of the building, such a pretty view and day. We ordered a bunch of items from the menu to share and each was better than the other. The Amatriciana (pasta), Pizza, Arancini and a salad. Also had a great cocktail! Such an awesome experience. Open kitchen, wood grains and gold accents decor. The bathroom was a work of art (see pics!) When you get out of the elevator, it is really, really dark and the elevator vestibule does not match the decor of the restaurant. They need to brighten it up. Otherwise, 5 stars all around!

I had heard for years how good Seneca was and finally got to go yesterday (Saturday). I am thankful for the fact that it was quiet enough for us to hear our dinner companions and the view was amazing. However, the food is another story. I was served pasta a la vodka and it was unforgivably blah -- but at least it was expensive!. For $26 i got a small bowl of the most pathetic excuse for a dinner entree I've ever encountered. Just some uninteresting pasta with some pale and tasteless sauce on it. No parmesan was offered to at least give it some taste. My husband received a bowl of cold meatballs. Taste was OK; temperature was unacceptable. Our friends didn't say anything about their entrees, including raving about them! Huge disappointment. I recommend getting something safe like a fun drink and a bowl of olives (they probably can't hurt those too much) and enjoying the view before heading out to a restaurant with better food.

We’ve heard about Seneca on “Jay-cation” and other YouTube channels… Foodie Tuesdays which is the day my partner and I try different places we’ve not been took us to Seneca to try it for ourselves. Prior to going my thoughts: Their website stinks there is no real info only a splash page and a link for reservations and if you make a reservation they want to change a card which sounds suspicious to me. Lots of very Bad Yelp Reviews ~ well should we go after all? After Visit Thoughts: Others have mentioned there is no Host we experienced this as well… got off elevator on the 19th floor in a very dark room filled with plants there is a star scape of little lights at the top - where do we go? Luckily there was some guests leaving when we got off and pointed to a black double doorway which was closed to the left We opened the door and went inside to where the host stand was. No one was there but we waited. I could see a few servers running around in the distance and eventually one came to help us. He took us to a booth outside that had a pretty amazing view of the San Diego Skyline We got some menus and ordered drinks first Server went to go help other patrons in the restaurant then came back to take food order…. We ordered a salad to share. Partner had a pizza and I ordered a pasta dish that sounded good it was bucatini pasta in a cheesy peppercorn sauce. Our drinks arrived and they looked amazing and were very refreshing for a warm day which it was. A little while later our food started to arrive. The salad was plated beautifully and tasted fresh and flavorful. It had a tangy citrus dressing which was delightful. Our entrees showed up and the portion of the pasta was a little small to me but it turns out it was very filling and oh it was delicious. The pizza was presented well and was told it was good. Overall remarks…. Seems to be short staffed and this makes the service a bit rushed and they don’t have proper time to be attentive at each table like they should considering the upscale-ness of the restaurant. We did finally get to have a bit of a conversation with our server towards the end and he was very nice and polite and answered our questions as new guests to the restaurant. He said Lunch service is not as busy and they accept walk-ins as we did but for dinner you most likely will be turned away as tables are usually all full. The food is very enjoyable and we both really enjoyed it. If they had a Host to greet people and maybe a couple more servers to handle tables better it definitely would deserve a 5+ Star Review from me. Ambience and Food Quality and friendly staff when he was able to be attentive deserves a 4 star review which I can definitely give. I would say this would be a great place for a romantic lunch/dinner to celebrate a birthday or anniversary for something a little different food wise because everything on the menu seemed to have a very unique flavor palette.

Terrible service. Food is like any other Average Italian restaurants . Terrible service. Terrible service. Terrible

Such a pleasant surprise to come across Seneca. The entrance was fun... the receptionists friendly and welcoming... the bar whimsical with terrific mixed drinks... the view and ambiance - outstanding... and to top it all off, the food and staff were amazing. Well done Seneca. We will be back and be spreading the news. Thank you!

Amazing pizza for lunch with incredible views of the ocean. The restaurant is impressively decorated with beautiful greenery and a full menu of options including great lattes! Would highly recommend traveling in San Diego or staying at the Intercontinental. Seneca is located on the 19th floor of the hotel.

The 2 times I’ve gone the staff is sooo unfriendly. We waited 10 minutes till someone acknowledged us at the hostess stand. With no apologies. No homemade mozzarella at the table anymore. The food was great, just no joyful staff at all though. If everyone was friendly it would be such a better place since it’s so beautiful there!! MANAGEMENT TAKE NOTE THE STAFF NEEDS HELP !! Something needs to change everyone’s saying the same thing !Lemonage only for non-alcoholic drinks, no soda no ice tea. Just tart lemonade.

Decided to come here for an afternoon cocktail. Despite the place having at least 90% of their tables free and laid up, we were told we’d have to wait at the bar for 15 mins! Surprise, surprise, they managed to “find” us a table after about 5 mins. 🙄 The waiter was very pleasant, the bar looked cool and the limoncello spritz was nice. The view over the USS Midway Museum was also good in the sunshine. But the false attempt at being busy/exclusive was just quite off-putting.

We had a reservation at 10pm for my 4 children, my wife and I, we arrived at 8pm to see if they had a table available, it was not possible, they told me that they would return at 10pm if it was available before, they notified me by message, I understand perfectly, we returned at 9.50 pm and they told me that the table was not available that if I wanted to wait on the first floor they would send me a message, I told them that I would wait right there, after 45 minutes, that is, at 10:45 I ask about the table and they tell me that it is still not available available, it even seems like they laugh in your face to tell you that they don't have a table, the terrible service is incredible, and the receptionist still tells me: If you are worried that we are going to charge your card for leaving without using the reservation, we won't. to load Incredible service and the way they answer you I will never set foot in this restaurant again and I hope the bad comments written here help you. There are several bad comments

A word to describe this establishment: flight. From the wait when we arrived at the time of booking, we were kept waiting standing in the room. Regarding the food: very high prices on the menu which does not represent what we find on our plates A dish had to be sent back (sickening) The pizza was similar to a Frisbee (heavy cooked) no taste, only 3 slices of mortadella on it. Tiramisus was a very liquid cream with a very dry biscuit underneath The service was poor forced to claim things several times to be served Finally a very high addition with very sour servers when you don't leave tips. Only highlight the place!

Odd from the start, with the Level 19 foyer almost pitch black upon exiting the lift. Table placement is limiting when it comes to mid sized groups - we had 7 in our group and the circular seating really was squashy when it came to fitting all our dishes on the one table. The seating of the place seems optimised for couples dining around the edge (where the views are). Food was above average, wine service a bit slow but good when it arrived. Full overhead bar heaters seemed a bit strange for the circular table seating away from the windows. Cannot comment on the costs as I was a guest.

It’s kind of a hassle to get in, very expensive valet, then take the elevator to the 3rd floor then walk over to another elevator to go up to the 19th floor. Once you get in the entry is really cool with a bunch of plants and the host stand is decorated with shells. We had to wait until the majority of our party was there to get seated but that was no problem. we did get a nice seat by the window which was very which had a great view. The service was good, they did check on us but not overly attentive. We split the steak and it was not split from the kitchen nor was another plate brought. The costara (?) steak was very good and generous portion. The Roman salad was very good. And the tableside mozzarella was good. Everything was good and the prices were not bad for such an upscale restaurant.

The place is nicely presented and very clean. The service was decent—not amazing, but far from bad—and definitely not a reason to avoid coming back. My drinks took a little longer than expected, but the food and appetizers more than made up for it; they were absolutely delicious! Honestly, I’m not sure why this spot doesn’t have at least four stars. The prices are a bit above average, but that’s understandable given the location and ambiance. They do make an effort to provide the level of service you’re paying for. One tip—arrive on time. Parking can be tricky on the street unless you’re willing to pay for a spot or opt for the $50 valet service. Overall, I would absolutely return and recommend it to others.

The restaurant was over all very nice , it had a beautiful view, instagramable decoration, the food was delicious and the drinks were really good as well.

Highly overrated restaurant. Taste of the Brantino fish dish is at best mediocre. Foccacia is no focaccia, just white bread. Semifreddo is not frozen. Noisy environment.

Outstanding Italian cuisine, super lux and rich décor. Amazing service from entire staff. Mixologist were next level as well. Plus you can enjoy the best views and sunset from this wonderful rooftop in San Diego!

I ATE EVERYTHING IN MY PLATE, I ATE LIKE 4 DISHES YES ILL BE DOING IT AGAIN. PLUS YOU CAN SEE THE AIRPORT AND PLANES AND THE VIEWS ARE AMAZING. THE BREAD IS AMAZING AND SO I STHE POTATOES AND PASTA AND THAT APPLE THING FOR DESERT.

TERRIBLE SERVICE! My partner came to visit me from Germany and we wanted to have a romantic last dinner together. The place is beautiful with a gorgeous view but the service was horrible. We ordered 3 bottles of wine, their most expensive steak, first course and side dishes. The food was nothing special but the service was the worst. They asked us like 8 times if we wanted boxes to put our food to go when we were still eating, and they took forever to take our order. My partner went outside to smoke and they didn't let him come back in because they said the restaurant was closing in 20 minutes and we still hadn't payed so I had to go talk to the manager so they would allow him to come back in. I would never recommend this place to anyone.

I would say this could have been a solid 4 stars, with a few exceptions that lowered it to two. PROS -- Great service AT THE BAR (on the patio)... it's a VERY small bar, and as such, you can easily have the bartenders' attention. CONS -- Girls at the front desk are really not that savvy with operations, nor are they very friendly. After having a standing reservation (at 4:30-ish... not the busy rush yet), we were shown the the "worst table in the house" ha ha. Right next to the hot stove in the kitchen, on a hot day. I had asked to sit on the patio with a view, but she said that was only for larger groups. While I agree with these logistics, I have to point out that there were at least four of these "larger group only"-view tables vacant at the time, and within 20 minutes two of them were seated with only 2 people each. I actually agree with their policy to neither reserve nor guarantee any particular seating! -- so then why were we turned down and somebody else was allowed to sit there, if there are no seating reservations, and those people had a later reservation time than we did?? -- Then, when I pointed out that there were open tables on the edge, she said she would look into it. She came back and took us to the TINIEST little round table far away from the edge that in NO way whatsoever could accomodate even dinner plates + one app.! -- more disturbing than the apparent unfairness of the seating was simply the girl's attitude. Made me, frankly, want to just leave and not come back. -- This all being said, we just said "forget the seating reservations!!!" and went to the bar, where we had our anniverary dinner and the bartenders and som. took great care of us. An old saying would be, "a blessing in disguise." But, what a shame that the girls at the front kiosk aren't really fit for this type of nice establishment. Note: Our visit was on 7/4/25 at around 16:30, in case management cares to see who was at the front desk at that time. Food -- NY strip steak was just OK. Nothing to write home about, but not bad either. Just ok. Was served colder than lukewarm, btw. We didn't say anything, because it just would have messed up the entire plating/timing of our dinner (we had multiple starters, soups, salads, main entrees, etc.). Broccolini -- yes, I know it's "charred" on the grill, but this one was burnt beyond recognition. Unedible. Wood fired prawns were phenomenal. If we came back we'd get that. Corkage -- $45 was not a surprise (we brought our own very nice bottle of wine), BUT it's a bit excessive, I think. Leaves a slightly bitter taste in my mouth and doesn't necessarily entice me to come back, especially seeing how I poured our wine glasses all dinner long until the bottle was empty (it was opened by the Som. however, who never came back after that -- not that I really cared about that, just fyi in case you are wondering). But I'm glad we brought our own bottle because we noticed that the bottles of wine at the outside bar (except for some white wines) were all standing at room temperature, and it was a hot day. Not the best practice for wine, eh? TL;DR -- Corkage = $45 without matching service. Steak served cold. Quality OK. Front desk girls had bad attitude and refused to sit us at a decent table; we had to dump our res. and sit at the open bar. We had a great time, but there is much lacking to be a 5-star experience. PRO TIP: Walk in, don't make a res. Go to the bar. Order the Wood-Fired Prawns; that's all I can say.

Prawn starter was incredible. Beautifully decorated and price reasonable when considering quality and portions. Would definitely recommend asking for table In front of the grill chef or outside for sunset

Food was great and the servers were enjoyable and great as well. But… It took them 40 minutes to seat us past our reservation time. There was no place to sit and we were obviously in the way in the lobby so we went to the bar area. Whilst waiting for our table took the bartenders 20 minutes to take our drink order. Food delivery from the kit he’s was also behind so dinner was a multi hour affair. it was not a great experience. We sat outside which is truly lovely. That said the hard wood benches we sat on and a table just barely big enough for our party if five made dinner a misery. At the end of the meal they took the wine bottle that was on the table that still had wine in it to drink. Add all to this a check in team who seemed not to care they had guests waiting so long it was truly disappointing. I cannot recommend this place right now. For over $600 for dinner it just did not perform at the “A” level it should.

This was such a romantic experience. My boyfriend planned our anniversary here at Senaca’s, and the staff made us feel so special. The host immediately wished us a happy anniversary and gave us window seating, and the view of the night city was just fabulous. Jesse was our server, and he was so intentional and pleasant our whole night. He checked on us at the perfect times and even gave us a complimentary champagne toast for our anniversary. Overall, the food was amazing and the hospitality of Senaca’s made this experience so memorable!! Definitely will be visiting again.

We went out for our son’s 30th birthday. First, we arrived to an empty reception area and could not get anyones attention to be seated. Finally, after being seated, we sat at our table for 15 minutes before flagging down a waiter to take our drink order. The waiter was aloof, arrogant and inattentive. We finally had to cancel our last round of drinks because they never showed up in time. The food it heavy and tasteless. It’s a trendy, good looking interior with amazing views that does not live up to its setting. It was a VERY disappointing experience.

We enjoyed the atmosphere at Seneca, we were a large group celebrating a graduation. The black spaghetti with clams and chorizo was delicious, probably the best dish we ordered. Cacio e pepe was just ok.

This was the second time we visited this restaurant. The ambiance and decor is great, the food is good. However the hostess at the front is unwelcoming and unprofessional. The service is very slow as the restaurant is understaffed. I’ve been to very nice restaurants all over the world and to hire a a hostess that gives attitude to customers does not make an establishment exclusive. It’s such a turn off.

Restaurant is on top of the hotel. A bit of work to get there and the top entrance foyer is all dark - kind of strange? Inside is Modern vibe with cool decor. Brittany served us and was friendly and efficient. The mushroom pizza was one of the best I have eaten. Had a yummy salad with hazelnuts and different greens- excellent. The tiramisu was a huge piece and we Shared it and it still was lots to enjoy.

Seneca Trattoria is perfect for celebrations, with an incredible view and even better food. Everything we tried was amazing: the Carbonara, Linguine Nero Pasta, Wood-Fired Prawns, and Chocolate Espresso Martini were all top-notch. The staff is very responsive and kind. We celebrated our wedding anniversary here and were surprised with a couple of complimentary drinks and the best table with a view, even though it wasn’t guaranteed. Huge shoutout to Jaycee, our wonderful server, who made the evening unforgettable. Highly recommend this spot for a romantic dinner or any special occasion.

Let me get the food part out of the way… my wife and I split a Margarita Pizza. It was good, no complaints, as was the house Pinot Gris. The service was generally slow, and with mixed attitudes, ranging between a server who didn’t seem to like her job to a servers helper who was attentive, friendly and competent. The ambiance was as expected for a top floor restaurant In a higher end hotel. However, all other aspects of our experience were odd, and frankly ended up being hilarious in that odd way. We walked in at 14:55 (2:55 PM). We were told the full lunch menu was over at 15:00 (3:00 PM). All we could order was pizza and drinks. So, OK no problem. After getting water, a plate and silverware each, we sat for 25 minutes… totally invisible. Found the young lady who brought us the aforementioned set-up and asked if she was our waitress, to which she replied, “I could be.” So, I told her we would like to order, ordering a Margarita Pizza. We did not see any beer listed in the drink menu, only wine and cocktails. Asked if they had beer, to which she told us, ”no, they ran out.” Now I found this weird, as Seneca is a fairly high end, “Signature” restaurant on the top floor in an Intercontinental Hotel in prime tourist area, downtown San Diego. But, rolling with the punch, I ordered two Bloody Mary’s. More failure. They also ran out of Bloody Mary mix and tomato juice to make a Bloody Mary. Thus the two glasses of the house Pinot Gris Were ordered. But, wait… there’s more. We were seated on an outside and covered terrace, but not covered enough. Even though it is San Diego rain started, and with the rain came wind which ignored the covering. There was a mass scrambling of patrons to be reseated to a dry area. The staff did handle the chaos very well (I suspect they had performed this exercise more than once). We warned to be careful of the wet floor, as it is very slippery. Fortunately, we did not see or suffer any casualties. Following the Pizza and wine were two espressos were delivered on the house. Would we return? Very doubtful.

The setting is spectacular, and the service was adequate. Food, however, was a different matter altogether. The place serves food more deserving of a small town diner. Nothing about any of the food was particularly appealing. Go for drinks and the view but go elsewhere for food.

We were in a group of four and had a lovely table. The drinks were ample, the food interesting and tasty, though pricey. HOWEVER, I've been to Rome and many trattorias, and none of them would have allowed their wait staff to wear such dirty livery. The blue blazer w/white trim may be a fine idea, but except for one young woman waiter these were all filthy and stained. Why would such a lovely restaurant in such a beautiful setting allow their staff to be so grungy. I noticed that some of the staff wore a starched white apron--much nicer. The manager told us that waiters must pay for their own jackets, but that the aprons are laundered by the restaurant. I don't know what the hierarchy is with costume but suggest you drop the dirty jackets or have management get them cleaned. The whole thing made me wonder how clean the kitchen is.