Sea & Sky to Open at Hotel La Jolla with Heralded Chef Anthony Wells at Helm

Sea & Sky, a new “sea-to-table” restaurant, opens Wednesday on the 11th floor of Hotel La Jolla.

Anthony Wells, previously of San Diego’s Juniper & Ivy, has been tapped as Sea & Sky’s executive chef, overseeing menu development and its day-to-day operations.

Wells, known for his “West Coast cookery” approach to fine dining, has garnered numerous accolades, including a MICHELIN Guide California Bib Gourmand award and a James Beard nomination for Best Chef, California in 2022.

The menu, focused on “showcasing regional ingredients with elegant presentations,” will be available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

It’s the newest concept to occupy the location, a favorite of locals and tourists during its storied 50 years, which is formally known as Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection by Hilton.

Sea & Sky’s newly designed space, by the hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, features a palette of muted ocean-blue tones with light wood accents, wall coverings and textiles reminiscent of La Jolla’s sandy beaches.

Previously enclosed, the 100-seat dining room and bar area now feature retractable window panes for access to sea breezes and a newly enclosed show kitchen gives guests a peek at the culinary action.

In addition, there’s a newly expanded bar with a marble top patterned after a mosaic of sea glass and stones, and a private dining room with seating for up to 16.

The breakfast menu includes sweet and savory items, from apple pancakes with caramel cinnamon anglaise, to a signature omelet with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, chives and optional lobster, and baked eggs with chorizo, guajillo pepper sauce, lime crema and cotija cheese. Weekend brunch will be served every Saturday and Sunday.

Sea & Sky’s lunch menu, offered at 11 a.m. each weekday, offers handheld and entrée selections with fresh catch among the highlights, including a pair of tuna smashburger sliders, yellowtail crudo with coconut milk, fresno chile, purple daikon and lime, and shrimp ravioli with Italian sausage, Calabrian chili tomato sauce and broccoli gremolata.

The dinner menu includes creative starters, followed by main courses featuring the best of land and sea.

First courses include mussels in a broth of garlic and cilantro butter, scallops with English peas, morel mushrooms, bacon dashi and Meyer lemon, and creamy bone marrow served with tuna sashimi, pineapple pico and pepita salsa macha.

Main courses include wild king salmon bathed in smoked mushrooms, green garlic and clam and artichoke chowder, white sea bass served with charred spring onions and green romesco sauce, and bone-In New York strip steak.

Desserts include in-house treats, a churro ice cream “sandwich with fuille de brik, cinnamon sugar and smoked vanilla ice cream,  île flottante, or floating island, with cara cara anglaise, fresh citrus and crispy sorrel meringue, and a chocolate tart sweetened with salted caramel, dark chocolate ganache and whipped mascarpone.

Breakfast is served daily from 7 to 11 a.m., and lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend brunch is served from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is served daily from 5 to 10 p.m.

Reservations are not required, but are strongly encouraged and can be made online or by calling 858-551-3600, for slots beginning Wednesday.

Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection by Hilton is managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, the world’s largest third-party hotel operator.

The hotel in March completed a multi-million-dollar revamp of all 110 guest rooms and suites, the 11th-floor public areas and meeting spaces. A second phase of renovations, slated for late this year, includes the lobby, landscaped entrance courtyard and al fresco pool lounge.