Juniper & Ivy, the new restaurant from chef Richard Blais, opened in February near Little Italy. Serving what he describes as "refined American food with left-coast edge," the stylish space mixes exposed rafters and ducts with chic, neutral-toned circular booths. A second-floor private dining room overlooking the bar and a floor-to-ceiling wine wall seats 45 or holds 60 for receptions. Semiprivate options on the main floor offer seating for 75 or room for 85-person receptions. Smaller groups can meet on a patio, which holds 50 for receptions, or reserve spots at the chef's table, which seats as many as 14.
Union Kitchen and Tap Gaslamp, an American restaurant and tavern, opened in the Gaslamp district in May. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant has three dining areas that seat 400 guests total. Buyouts are available, as is private dining for groups of at least 40 guests. The colorful space has a retro vibe with garage-style doors that open onto a patio, tufted leather bar seats and booths, and a flashing vintage arrow pointing to the dart room.
San Diego Beerworks, a shop and tasting room featuring craft beers from San Diego County's breweries, opened in June. It offers more than 300 varieties of bottled beer and 20 rotating taps, as well as artisanal meats and cheeses. The room is decorated in a vintage-industrial style with exposed steel girders, reclaimed brick walls, black velvet curtains, and leather club chairs. The 1,500-square-foot venue is available for private events and seats 23 or holds 52 for receptions.
In Palm Springs, the Hacienda Cantina & Beach Club will reopen in September after a soft opening in June. The complex consists of 10 poolside cabanas, fire pits, a pool-view patio, and a restaurant with "Day of the Dead"-inspired interiors. The venue holds 2,000 people total and has private event space for receptions of 40 people and a chief's table that seats 10. Goldenvoice and its electronic division, LED, are collaborating on the music programming.
A new rooftop pool, lounge, and fitness space at the Westgate Hotel offer 360-degree views of the downtown skyline. The 10,000-square-foot rooftop deck, which debuted in December, surrounds a Junior Olympic-size pool and a Jacuzzi. The space holds 340 guests for receptions.
Located on the boardwalk in Mission Beach, Draft is a brewpub that offers more than 60 beers on tap and another 50 by the bottle. Part of the renovation to Belmont Park, the beachfront venue designed by Mauricio Couturier and Hollis Brand Culture, which opened in June, has an industrial vibe. It is available for buyout and seats 400 or holds 590 guests for receptions.
Cannonball, the 6,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant and lounge in Belmont Park that opened last year, is adding a "sushi cube" and will reopen this fall. Designed by Colkitt&Co, the oceanfront venue is designed like a swim-up bar minus the water. Bar chairs resemble vinyl pool chairs, and the light fixtures look like inflatable beach balls. The space includes a full-service bar, a lounge area with fire pits, and communal seating for 500 guests
The Hyatt Regency La Jolla finished a $12 million renovation in June, upgrading its 417 guest rooms and suites. The hotel offers 32,000 square feet of function space, including the 11,800-square-foot Aventine Ballroom, which holds 2,000 people for receptions.
Florent Restaurant & Lounge, which opened in July in the original Old City Hall building, is an 8,000-square-foot space from executive chef Richard Sweeney and partners. The Gaslamp district venue, spread over two floors, is available for semiprivate or private events. The lower level holds 100 guests reception-style, while a buyout accommodates 400 guests.
In June, the former Amaya La Jolla restaurant became Bijou French Bistro under the direction of new chef de cuisine Shaun Gethin. The space had a light design update, adding a new wine bar at the entrance. The dining room seats 88, and there is a wine cellar room that seats 12 and a private dining room that seats 28.
