Manhattan Of La Jolla

Manhattan Of La Jolla is an unapologetically old-school supper room, the sort of place that makes you tidy your manners. Dark, vintage leather and low lights set the stage; a piano begins around 7pm and the dining room tightens like a clenched jaw. Plates arrive with theatrical confidence: table-side Caesar folded directly onto crisp romaine, lobster ravioli swimming in buttered sauce, and Bananas Foster flambed at your table. The veal and steaks are liberally dressed in garlic, lemon and olive oil; some nights that generosity reads as soulful, other nights as too slick. Service can wobble between charmingly theatrical and distracted. Come for anniversaries or to impress out-of-town friends, bring a jacket, and ask for a seat near the piano. Note the cherries jubilee gets the final curtain under a spotlight of brandy flame.