Kettner Exchange · Restaurant · San Diego
Two-level Little Italy restaurant with an open-air rooftop patio and cabanas
Kettner Exchange stands at 2001 Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy, a two-level indoor-outdoor building with a serious chef's kitchen. It earned an Orchids & Onions award for architecture, and the design pays homage to San Diego founding father William Kettner, with subtle nods to the city's bay and nautical history running through the space.
The sunlit main dining room spills into the headline feature, an open-air rooftop patio lined with cabanas. The rooftop picks up as the week goes on: live music on Wednesdays at 7pm, DJs on Thursdays at 9pm and on Fridays and Saturdays at 10pm, and a DJ or live music at Sunday brunch from noon. A dress code is enforced after 9pm.
The kitchen is led by corporate executive chef Brian Redzikowski, whose resume runs through Le Cirque 2000 in New York, Nobu Matsuhisa in Aspen, Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, and the Bellagio's Yellowtail before he settled in San Diego. His menu is progressive American built to share, and it changes with seasonal availability, sometimes daily.
The menu has a playful streak: a duck meatball over Anson Mills grits with heirloom tomato and parmesan, Szechuan frog legs with bang bang sauce, bigeye tuna sashimi with kaffir soy, Caesar Twinkies, and a 40-ounce bone-in ribeye that takes about an hour to prepare. Cocktails run from the KEX Painkiller to a Carajillo Old Fashioned, and Sunday brunch starts at 11am.
Address: 2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101, San Diego
Kettner Exchange takes reservations through OpenTable. This MyRSVP guide covers the room, what it is known for and when to go in San Diego; use the booking link on this page to reserve direct.
Hours of operation
- Monday: 17:00 - 00:00
- Tuesday: 17:00 - 00:00
- Wednesday: 17:00 - 00:00
- Thursday: 17:00 - 00:00
- Friday: 17:00 - 01:00
- Saturday: 17:00 - 01:00
- Sunday: 11:00 - 00:00
Frequently asked about Kettner Exchange
How do I get a reservation at Kettner Exchange in San Diego?
Tables at Kettner Exchange are booked directly with the restaurant. If it is part of a bigger San Diego plan, our San Diego partner handles the beach clubs and nightlife around your dinner and can point you to the venue's own reservations channel.
What should I order at Kettner Exchange?
Kettner Exchange is best known for its signature dishes and shareable plates. Tell MyRSVP your party size and any dietary needs and we note them with your request.
What is the dress code at Kettner Exchange?
Kettner Exchange keeps an upscale dining dress code: smart, dressed-up attire, no athletic wear or beachwear. MyRSVP confirms any current door specifics with your booking.
Where is Kettner Exchange located?
Kettner Exchange is in San Diego, at 2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101. MyRSVP can build it into a full San Diego itinerary alongside the surrounding nightlife.
Other San Diego venues
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- Cucina Urbana · Italian kitchen and retail wine shop in Bankers Hill since 2009
- George's at the Cove · Rooftop Ocean Terrace and Level2 dining above La Jolla Cove since 1984
- Herb & Wood · Wood-fired Mediterranean cooking with a California ethos in Little Italy
- Ironside Fish & Oyster · Fish and oysters in a 1920s Little Italy warehouse on India Street
- Juniper & Ivy · Daily-changing seasonal American cooking in a converted Little Italy warehouse
- Lion Fish · The seafood restaurant at the Pendry, Lionfish.
- Malibu Farm San Diego · Farm-to-table coastal California cooking on the bay at Seaport Village
- Mister A's · Iconic rooftop fine dining above San Diego since 1965
- Nobu San Diego · Nobu Matsuhisa's Japanese-Peruvian fusion in the Gaslamp Quarter
- Onyx Room · Three dance rooms on two levels at 852 Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter
- Rustic Root · Two-level Gaslamp restaurant on Fifth Avenue with a street-level dining room and a rooftop
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