Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay

Name: Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay
Address: 1710 W Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA, United States, 92109
Telephone: (619) 225-2125
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 3.8

3.8

212 Reviews

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Top tags:

With a contemporary atmosphere and innovative cuisine unique to the California region, Firefly is the perfect destination for a relaxing meal or an end-of-the-day cocktail. Beautiful views of Mission Bay and Sea World's summer fireworks are available from all outdoor and most indoor tables. An excellent choice for a group or a romantic evening for two. Chef Eric Manuel, a San Diego native, creatively presents the area's best seasonal, local ingredients in a modern style that is sure to please a variety of tastes. Many items are designed to be shared. We offer many wines by the glass, wine and local micro brew tasting flights, and happy hour everyday from 3:30pm - 5:30pm. Visiting us reminds you why it’s so good to be in San Diego. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Global, International
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 6:30 am–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 6:30 am–11:00 pm Breakfast Daily 6:30 am–12:00 pm Brunch Mon–Thu, Sun 9:00 am–3:00 pm Fri, Sat 9:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 225-2125
Website
http://www.thedana.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Eric Manuel
Private party contact
Juan Becerra : (619) 225-2125 ext. 3156

Location
1710 W Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
Neighbourhood
Mission Bay
Parking Details
Hotel Parking
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 212 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

3.8

3.8 based on all time ratings

3.9Food
3.8Service
3.7Ambience
2.9Value

Noise • Moderate

212 Reviews

N
Newportdiner
Orange County
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 12, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
We were staying at the Dana this weekend. Ended up having dinner and brunch at the Firefly. Saturday night dinner on the patio was great. The atmosphere was nice, the food great and they had good live music which was an added bonus! Sunday brunch is nothing fancy, but they have an omelette bar and lots of other food choices available. Fruit and pancakes were great too.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
15 reviews
4.0
15 reviews
Dined on July 17, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience1
We sat inside because we didn't want to sit in the sun or next to a big noisy group. It was loud inside. The blenders were startling loud and annoying. The small plates and appetizers were delicious and surprisingly a great value compared to the entrees. They were very pricey. We ordered one to share, the sea bass for $26! It was delicious, but very expensive compared to the other small plates and appetizers. The view was the crowded pool scene. I was impressed with the food and decor, not the location and the annoying bar noise.
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opentablefan
Palm Springs
377 reviews
vip
4.0
377 reviews
Dined on July 6, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience4
What a find - a great location, amazing happy hour menu simply delicious regular menu and reasonable. Enrico and Sydney are fantastic servers - they made our two experiences even more delightful. Dog Friendly too.
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JB
JBM3
San Diego
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 10, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
I never would have picked this part of town or a restaurant in a hotel for a date night, but I discovered that there was live music at the Firefly that night and took a chance. It was worth it. The atmosphere is beautiful, with the bay and boats in the background. It's a bit playful, since there may be hotel guests in the nearby pool, and kids on vacation eating a late dinner, but that added to the experience. The waitstaff was on point and friendly. The live music was a bonus, I don't think it is always present. The menu was safe and predictable, but the execution was flawless and delicious.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on May 24, 2016
overall2food2service1ambience2
We had dinner here at the end of a business meeting. While the reviews were good, my entree of sea bass with the mushroom risotto was underwhelming. The risotto was light and flavorful but the sea bass was severely over cooked and had the texture of a swordfish and had minimal flavor. Sea bass is supposed to be moist and flaky. The worst sea bass dish ever. Then, we were informed the credit card machine broke and the waitress requested cash for our meal, directing me to an ATM in the hotel lobby. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is because the blood orange cheesecake was excellent. There are much better options elsewhere in San Diego.
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p
phyl
San Diego
94 reviews
vip
5.0
94 reviews
Dined on May 8, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
We usually avoid hotel restaurants but were so glad we found this one! Our first visit was when my cousin was staying there. We meet and had a great meal. We went back last week and had an exceptional dinner. The sea bass was perfect and all of the sides were great. We ate outside with live music (on Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 9) and had a fun time.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Exclusive
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on April 23, 2016
overall1food2service1ambience2
My wife and three teenage children went to Firefly for dinner to celebrate the end of a great two week holiday and were very disappointed. Food was average quality and the service made us feel very rushed. There was also music by a performer who kept playing his own (very average) music. Someone needs to tell him he needs to learn some covers!
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LI
LaurieI
San Diego
19 reviews
vip
3.0
19 reviews
Dined on April 9, 2016
overall3food5service5ambience2
Food and service was good. It was nice to hear the acoustic guitar outside. The interior has little ambiance, however. It was mostly families with kids when we were there for dinner on a Saturday night. Our server was delightful and all the food was good. I also thought the wines by the glass were reasonably-priced.
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SM
SMP3
Orange County
15 reviews
4.0
15 reviews
Dined on April 3, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience4
Great food
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DS
DanS
Los Angeles
7 reviews
vip
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 25, 2016
overall3food3service2ambience5
Slow service and so so food
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m
musicmp2003
San Diego
31 reviews
2.0
31 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2016
overall2food4service1ambience3
My husband and I were so excited to go out to dinner for Valentine's Day, but our experience that night was a disappointment. Even though we had a reservation, we had to wait for about 10 minutes to sit down. Our server was extremely unattentive- I had to get up and find napkins, silverware, and regular sugar myself, and had to flag down a different server to get more coffee because we didn't see our server anywhere for so long. We were never checked up on once, and our water was never refilled. We were both quite annoyed and ready to go by the end of the evening. We noticed other people looking antsy as well, and it seemed there were not enough servers to handle the amount of guests. The only saving grace was that the food we ordered was very delicious, so I have nothing bad to say about the cooks!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2016
overall5food5service4ambience3
We recently had a Valentine's night dinner at Firefly. The quality of the food was beyond our expectations. It was comparable to a 4 star restaurant.....not what we expected from a hotel restaurant. I loved that they did not try to take advantage of it's customers by only offering an over priced price fixe menu. They did offer a special menu which was outstanding and reasonably priced but they also offered their full menu. The service was excellent. My only disappointment was the ambiance that was not up to the level of the food and service.
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A
Anchi123
San Diego
32 reviews
vip
3.0
32 reviews
Dined on February 12, 2016
overall3food3service3ambience3
This time I brought a group of kids for lunch. The kids enjoyed the meal and the view of the bay was refreshing and made for a nice and relaxing lunch.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
67 reviews
3.0
67 reviews
Dined on January 24, 2016
overall3food3service2ambience2
i probably would not go back. walking on the water afterwards was nice, though. The waiter was not very attentive. Some of the food was great, some not so good. Everything was very expensive
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D
Desertsdiner
Palm Springs
36 reviews
2.0
36 reviews
Dined on January 17, 2016
overall2food3service2ambience2
The atmosphere is like an echoey school cafeteria, loud. The food was pretty tasty. Limited wine list. Our salads were forgotten, ultimately served after our entrees. Our server was too overloaded to check back with us to offer sauces. I think that lunch outside overlooking the pool and bay would be nice, as long as you could get service and understand that it is really a beach cafe and not a restaurant.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience4
The restaurant was great. Opentable.com however, gave me only two choices of reservation times early in the morning. Thinking these were the only available times we went to eat. Come to find out there was practically no one there and we could have gone later. Not sure why the website didn't have more choices. Wouldn't use Opentable again.
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m
mark
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 11, 2015
overall5food5service4ambience5
Outdoors with music and marina view that's all I can say
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TW
TerriW
San Diego
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 22, 2015
overall4food5service3ambience5
Ouside much better. Inside crowded and noisy. Food very good!!
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SB
StevenB
San Francisco
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 8, 2015
overall4food4service4ambience4
This is a great small restaurant in The Dana. Interesting food, a wide variety of really good small plates. The service was terrific.
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SA
SAZF
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 30, 2015
overall5food5service5ambience5
There wa. no wait for our table; service was prompt; enjoyed being outdoors; food presentation was very nice. Made for a most enjoyable evening. Thanks.
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l
luv2eatout
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 24, 2015
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was my birthday and they treated me like a queen. I felt very special.
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m
mgp1
Chicago
54 reviews
vip
1.0
54 reviews
Dined on July 18, 2015
overall1food3service1ambience4
There was a man who seemed to be in charge but did not seem to help things. We were seated but then ignored for quite a long time and service continued to be poor on 2 other visits. Food was good but we waited a long time for it.
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P
Picnicki
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 30, 2015
overall5food5service4ambience5
It's in an obscure location, tucked into the resort, but the views of that bay are beautiful! Parking is challenging. Food is phenomenal! We had the duck tacos, meatball Soup and calamari- all delicious. It's nice to walk along the bay after eating. We've been here 3 times now and absolutely love it.
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S
Sabrena
San Diego
276 reviews
vip
5.0
276 reviews
Dined on May 19, 2015
overall5food5service3ambience4
I needed to plan a dinner outing for 6, near the water and with handicapped parking. Firefly had 1000 point tables available so I chose it. It's located in a hotel so I didn't expect fabulous food. But that is what we got. 4 of us ordered the seabass with mushroom risotto. It was amazing. The risotto had a few types of mushrooms and was cooked perfectly and the seabass was also prepared well. 2 others ordered the scallops and braised shortribs. Everyone raved about their dishes. The food is excellent and not as expensive as one would think (hotel on the water). They also had a nice, affordable wine list. I will definitely be back.
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B
Bill
San Francisco
67 reviews
vip
4.0
67 reviews
Dined on May 17, 2015
overall4food4service3ambience3
It's hard not to judge a restaurant by one or two negatives when everything else is pretty good. For the area the bang/buck ratio works. Service was spotty. Stay away from the French Onion Soup. Noisy iif crowded.. Sit outside. Casual.
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JB
JBean
San Diego
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on May 2, 2015
overall2food1service2ambience4
My wife and I came here for a nice relaxing dinner. Unfortunately, we left really disappointed. The server seemed like she was having a bad day and just appeared to be in a bad mood. The burger that I ordered medium-rare came very well done. My wife said her caesar salsa tasted like fish and my tomato bisque tasted like it came from a can. I just wouldn't recommend this place. Great atmosphere. Terrible food.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on April 7, 2015
overall3food4service2ambience3
I've eaten outdoors here before and that is definitely the only way to go.
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S
Symilarian
San Diego
77 reviews
vip
3.0
77 reviews
Dined on February 27, 2015
overall3food3service4ambience3
Pretty good for a Hotel restaraunt. Small venue so it is a little noisy when the room is full. Nicely decorated and friendly staff. Good menu and the food is well prepared and presented. The staff went out of their way to insure our comfort. A nice spot for lunch or a causual dinner.
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S
Shanda
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2015
overall5food5service5ambience5
On Valentines day I went here (With a reservation of course), but normally you dont need one. The service was great and the food was all great and came out in a timely manner even though the restaurant was at 100% capacity. The calm chowder in a bread bowl was excellent!
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j
june
Las Vegas
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2015
overall5food5service4ambience5
the view was awesome - friendly service - nice food
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LJ
LJMP
Los Angeles
30 reviews
vip
5.0
30 reviews
Dined on January 10, 2015
overall5food5service4ambience4
My compliments to the Chef! I had the Sea Bass with a side of Brussel Sprouts and both tasted incredible and was reasonably priced! I think this restaurant is a hidden gem tucked away at the chic Dana Hotel in San Diego!
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C
Cricket
Palm Springs
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on December 25, 2014
overall4food4service4ambience4
Other than the fact it was a cold night, we were seated at an outdoor table, & they couldn't provide us with an outdoor heater it was very nice. Most of their outdoor tables had heaters near or at them. It would have been nice if their website would have stated inside dining is limited so my group would have known to reserve inside or wear warmer clothes. The food was delicious. The short ribs were very tasty.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2014
overall4food3service4ambience4
The brussel sprout appetizer was delicious, and all vegetable side dishes were perfectly executed, from the parsnip puree to the mashed potatoes to the creamy corn casserole. However, the turkey was a huge disappointment. It was more like a turkey cutlet that had been severely overcooked and had the taste and consistency of cardboard. To finish off the meal, both the pumpkin cheesecake and berry pie were delicious.
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R
Romance
Hawaii
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2014
overall3food3service4ambience5
I'm not the picky type at all, but if your going on a date with a picky female, it's not the best place to go. Overall they have great service, great environment. They got my note on a small dessert with a candle. But was freaking out a bit, since when I first walked up, they had no host. And got seated by someone else not asking if I had reservations. So when our waitress came along, I made sure to ask to cross me out and look at the notes :) so all and all burger are only lunch, and dinner they only have kids burgers? But not adults...odd. they have romantic gas fire place tables outside so that's a plus. All and all it was fun :) and great.
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LV
LVOBG
Las Vegas
22 reviews
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on October 31, 2014
overall5food5service5ambience5
Stayed at the hotel, and had dinner our last night there. Really great service/food, and had a bottle of our favorite wine at a great price. Would go there again, even if didn't stay at the hotel. We were there the night after a convention left, so it was much quieter than the previous two nights when we walked around the property.
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D
Delishdelights
New York Area
17 reviews
vip
3.0
17 reviews
Dined on October 24, 2014
overall3food3service3ambience3
What a great location yiu have the boats the water and our table was quiet in a patio right near the pool. No one was the surprising for a freiday at 830pm..we were all alone outside which was Very nice out table had a nice bright umbrella ..my father my brother and I were starved comin in from nyc. We were seated right Away server was friendly.We had scallops, the chicken fettuccine and the chicken jidori..all were very tasty and seemed to be cooked with love..we had the coffee creme brûlée it was very tasty only thing is when I made reservations a asked for them to sing to my father or bring a candle for his birthday and they didn't but it's ok we were tired. All in all not too badly priced and atomosphere was just fine at the Dana hotel!
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S
Sean
Charleston
23 reviews
vip
4.0
23 reviews
Dined on October 14, 2014
overall4food5service4ambience4
We came here on a tuesday night at 6:15 for dinner. The drink specials were good and the food was outstanding. Scallops, and Short Ribs were some of the best ive had out. It gets a little noisy due to the hotel pool being so close to the outdoor seating area and would probably be better later on in the evening. Service was very good and had great reccommendations.
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B
Babs4316
San Diego
149 reviews
vip
4.0
149 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2014
overall4food4service4ambience3
We were staying at The Dana for the weekend and decided to give Firefly a go... Initially we were a bit worried early in the day as the place looked like a small sports bar at lunch when we peeked in, but by evening (with some really low lighting) the overall atmosphere was much improved (altho' the TV's were still on). We sat outside, which we felt was the best option. Our server (Liz) was terrific. The food was the big surprise here -- REALLY very good. Starting with the Venissimo cheese tray that came with dried fruit, nuts and warm bread -- a real treat. My husband then had the sea bass, which arrived perfectly cooked and delicious. My Yellowfin crudo was top-notch, very fresh with light flavors. A great job by the chef!
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TF
TucsonFoodie
Tucson
11 reviews
vip
3.0
11 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2014
overall3food3service3ambience3
We didn't stay at hotel, so were unhappy to find the only parking there was gated for hotel guests or a small (full) lot reserved for a wedding. We were directed to street parking off-site. Not a great start. The restaurant is nice looking and is best for outdoor seating, but they only had a couple of outdoor heaters so we ate inside knowing it was getting cool. The inside is dominated by a bar and TV screens, but is still fine though noisy. The food was quite slow coming out. In spite of being a Saturday night, the kitchen seemed surprised by the crowd--our server told us "the kitchen is slammed", which we don't like to hear. Food was fine but nothing special. Would only recommend trying Firefly if already a guest at the hotel.
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MC
MzCandace
San Diego
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on September 23, 2014
overall5food5service5ambience4
A pleasant hostess greeted abnd seated us promptly. We opted dining inside; although the bayside view al fresco, would have been pleasant, as well. Carla our server was cordial and attentive throughout, the timing of our courses was perfrction. Kudos to the culinary and front staff for a delectable dinner, effortlessly accommodating our requests, resulting in a wonderful dining experience.
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FAQs

Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 225-2125.

Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay is rated 3.8 stars by 212 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay

1710 W Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109

Additional information

Neighbourhood
Mission Bay
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 6:30 am–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 6:30 am–11:00 pm Breakfast Daily 6:30 am–12:00 pm Brunch Mon–Thu, Sun 9:00 am–3:00 pm Fri, Sat 9:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Global, International
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Parking Details
Hotel Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Eric Manuel
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
http://www.thedana.com/
Phone number
(619) 225-2125
Private party contact
Juan Becerra : (619) 225-2125 ext. 3156

Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay

Not available on OpenTable

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Menu

What 212 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Firefly at the Dana Mission Bay restaurant rated?

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Additional information