Dobson's occupies a building that dates to 1912, built as the Theater Buffet and Bar alongside the Spreckels Theater. The tiger oak and mahogany bar was shipped around the Horn from England for the original space, and it still anchors the room today, along with tile floors that have survived an earthquake or two. The restaurant takes its current name from Paul Dobson, one of the few American professional bullfighters, who opened it in the early 1980s.
Chef Martin San Roman, born in Mexico City and trained at L'École Lenôtre in Paris, leads the kitchen. His résumé includes stints at Fauchon, the London Hilton, and the San Diego Westgate, along with running his own restaurants in Tijuana. The menu leans on California cuisine with French, Italian, Spanish, and Asian influences woven through it.
The mussel bisque, served with sherry poured tableside over a puffed pastry crust, has become the dish most associated with the restaurant. Bread service, salads, and a rotating selection of entrees round out a menu built around a bar that has served downtown San Diego's judges, attorneys, and theatergoers for decades.
Chef Martin San Roman, born in Mexico City and trained at L'École Lenôtre in Paris, leads the kitchen. His résumé includes stints at Fauchon, the London Hilton, and the San Diego Westgate, along with running his own restaurants in Tijuana. The menu leans on California cuisine with French, Italian, Spanish, and Asian influences woven through it.
The mussel bisque, served with sherry poured tableside over a puffed pastry crust, has become the dish most associated with the restaurant. Bread service, salads, and a rotating selection of entrees round out a menu built around a bar that has served downtown San Diego's judges, attorneys, and theatergoers for decades.