Herb & Sea sits in Encinitas as a neighborhood seafood restaurant built around local, sustainably sourced fish and produce. Culinary director Aidan Owens works with chef de cuisine Chianne Mallari on a menu that shifts with the seasons and the catch, with Tuna Thursday standing out as a recurring weekly feature. The restaurant is part of the Puffer Malarkey Collective, founded by Brian Malarkey and Christopher Puffer.
Sourcing ties into local conservation work: the restaurant partners with Agua Hedionda Lagoon, recycling oyster shells into erosion-control cages, and runs a rotating Fresh Catch dish with WILDCOAST, directing a portion of proceeds to the group's marine conservation efforts.
Regulars and reviewers consistently point to the room and the service, praising the atmosphere even when opinions on food consistency vary. San Diego Magazine named Herb & Sea to its Best of 2025 list.
Sourcing ties into local conservation work: the restaurant partners with Agua Hedionda Lagoon, recycling oyster shells into erosion-control cages, and runs a rotating Fresh Catch dish with WILDCOAST, directing a portion of proceeds to the group's marine conservation efforts.
Regulars and reviewers consistently point to the room and the service, praising the atmosphere even when opinions on food consistency vary. San Diego Magazine named Herb & Sea to its Best of 2025 list.