I've been here two times already and can't wait to take my husband back. Love the cozy neighborhood ambiance. It's not an uptight place. You instantaneously relax when you walk in the red door (yes the door is red) and even more so after you get your first glass of wine. They have over 40 wines by the glass. I've had several and all have been delicious. The staff has always been extraordinarily nice. I haven't been yet but have heard great things about burger night on Tuesdays too where you get a gourmet burger and a beer for $15.

Chef Brian could not be any nicer. My daughter is a big fan of his desserts. And the owner, Trish, is a delight. I work with a lot of restaurants for various reasons and it's nice to know the people behind the scenes and feel comfortable enough to sit down and have a glass of wine with them.

My only complaint is that I wish The Red Door was closer to my house, otherwise I'd eat there all the time. But even so it's about 15-20 minutes from La Jolla depending on traffic.

When Chef Brian Johnston and designer Sarah Watlington teamed up to create a sophisticated neighborhood restaurant, with The Red Door its definitely mission accomplished. The colors are light, with ample windows to look out the street. Because of the odd shape of the restaurant, the chairs and tables are spaced out in an unique pattern giving you privacy and comfort with lots of cushions.

Now the food itself is excellent, I tried only a sampler with included Red Door Crab Cakes, Braised Pork Cheeks in a puff pastry, Sweet Potato Fries among other things. The taste is just amazing.

The wine we tasted was from the not-so-familiar list, we had a Vino Valpredo, Squeezebox Red, Sonoma; which is a zinfandel, cabernet & syrah, cherry & cranberry-wonderful. A great wine!

Looking on their website, one of the special they have is something called Helping Our Neighbors: "Monday & Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 bring in your unemployment check stub dated within the last 30 days and receive a free entrée."

A true neighborhood restaurant.

I would highly recommend getting some food at this place, so good! I definitely want to come back and check out there Tuesday $15 dollar beer and burger special. The interior of this place reminds me of the clean new england summer houses I grew up in. Wood floors, soft light, and white walls. They have a great wine list that is reasonably priced and eclectic and sweet potato fries that are delicious. Just remember the dipping sauce!

Came to The Red Door for a special VIP event.

Wow, how much of it is different from its "sister" restaurant of the Wellington! (They share a kitchen btw). Upon entering the Red door, you are reminded of a cottage with the design but feel instantly like you are at home.

They set an array of appetizers for us to try: crab cakes, pork cheek in a pasty puff, french fries and sweet potato fries with an array of dipping sauces which were simply delicious.

braised Pork cheek - man this this completely throw me off! It was simply wonderful and I loved every bite. it was full of flavor and had a nice oily to sweet to savory ratio. I thought it was a mini beef wellington! boy was i completely wrong.

red door crab cake - delicious little pieces of cake. surprising because I tend to dislike crab cakes due to its heavily breaded nature. But this had the perfect ratio of crab.

French fries/sweet potato fries - i was surprised that i managed to enjoy the sweet potato fries since i normally tend to dislike the taste of them. But I found myself going for seconds. It was like eating lays, once you take one bite you can't stop! The accompanying dipping sauce was certainly delicious as well.

The wine selection options I wasn't too crazy about. I went with the white as I tend to prefer a sweeter taste. As for seating, it is a bit tight in the "bar" area.

TIP: And pricing wise on the food, it does tend to creep onto the more expensive side but what I found out was that the owner, Trish, does an amazing thing of treating unemployed individuals to a free entree on Mondays and Tuesdays 4:30-6:30!

A puff pastry emerges, still glowing from the oven, as a fragrant warm aroma rises off the golden brown flakey dough. Cutting inside the rich earthy odor of fois gra and mushrooms escapes, and an bright, pink, perfectly cooked medium rare flank steak is exposed inside. Served with asparagus al dente and coated with a simple mushroom sauce, the signature and namesake dish of The Wellington is a rare treasure for the palette.

Nestled next door to each other, The Red Door and The Wellington opened in 2009 in Mission Hills. With very different themes and menus, you wouldn’t guess that both are owned and operated by Trish Watlington and her family.

Growing up in an Italian family, Trish has always been in love with good food. When they open the restaurant, Trish hired Brian Johnson, who has over 25 years of San Diego restaurant experience, as head chef and general manager for both businesses. Her daughter Sarah designed the spaces after being inspired by a trip to England, and Trish’s son manages The Red Door.

Collaborating on the menu, the idea was to make familiar comfort foods, but to elevate them with fresh and gourmet ingredients. Using his training as a classical French chef, popular dessert items like chocolate pudding are transformed into chocolate pots de crème; a simple combination of sugar, egg yolk, chocolate, and heavy crème, but possessing a firm texture and dark rich taste much more complex than the sum of its parts.

Using local and fresh ingredients, the contemporary comfort food is served in very different settings. The red Door, the first restaurant they opened in July of 2009 has rustic French countryside feel. With large windows a light colors, the décor creates a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere perfect for an afternoon lunch or early dinner looking out onto the bustling main street of the boutique neighborhood.