The La Jolla landscape is once again home to the historic Whaling Bar, which has officially reopened its doors within the iconic La Valencia Hotel after a closure that lasted a decade. This long-awaited revival brings back a La Jolla staple known for its allure amongst locals and its popularity with the celebrity crowd since 1949. According to San Diego Eater, the newly minted Whaling Bar will be managed by SDCM Restaurant Group, the same team behind Kettner Exchange and Captain’s Quarters.
The grand reopening, scheduled for Friday, February 16, introduces guests to a space combining the bar’s original charm and a renewed sense of glamour provided by Schoos Design. The firm, known for its work on other prominent venues like Herringbone and Puesto, has filled the cocktail lounge with emerald tufted booths, brass pendant lights, and the "Whale’s Last Stand," a 20-foot mural by artist Wing Howard that was meticulously preserved when the bar previously closed its doors.
Under the guidance of executive chef Brian Redzikowski, former of Le Cirque 2000 and Nobu Matsuhisa Aspen, the dining experience has been revamped to match the refreshed look. The menu, according to Explore Tock, is a blend of innovative dishes and drinks like caviar with blini, lobster rolls, duck meatballs, and rioja-braised short rib bao. Keeping with tradition, the Whaler cocktail—a concoction of cognac, coffee liqueur, Irish whiskey, and homemade ice cream dating back to 1965—makes its triumphant return alongside modern creations such as truffle-infused Old Fashioneds and Parm to Glass, a cocktail featuring parmesan fat-washed vodka.
Residents of La Jolla and tourists alike can visit the Whaling Bar from 11 a.m. for an early lunch through 10 p.m. when dinner winds down, with a happy hour slot wedged in from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The storied venue, once a hub for both ordinary town folk and the glitterati, has been seamlessly refreshed to blend its legendary past with contemporary flourishes that meet today’s high standards of hospitality and gastronomy. The Whaling Bar is settled at 1132 Prospect Street, ready to welcome back patrons looking to dine and imbibe in an atmosphere that’s equal parts historical and hip.
