Premium patio space will be available in abundance at Coasterra, the Cohn Restaurant Group's massive new project, eight and a half years in the making, that's nearing completion adjacent to the hospitality group's C Level. Of the 300 seats in the restaurant, more than two thirds will be outdoors just steps from the bay, with a view of the San Diego skyline, located on a large dining deck with a bar and on a smaller lanai that will also hold a fire feature and two cabanas.
Recently, Eater took a hard hat tour of the 24,000-square-foot space, which should be completed by July. The main dining area, which seats 80, will be dominated by a floor-to-ceiling mural custom-painted by San Diego artist Rafael Lopez, who has also completed a mural for the front of the restaurant. Sitting adjacent, a bar with communal and lounge seating will feature a tequila well.
In addition to a full-service restaurant, Coasterra will also function as an event venue; a new banquet room with its own outdoor deck will have nearly 600 seats, but the most significant piece is an in-construction, 6,000-square-foot floating event center that'll soon be towed over to the waterside restaurant. It'll sit in the same footprint as the legendary, now-sunken Reuben E. Lee barge, and host everything from large-scale concerts to weddings.
Partner and executive chef Deborah Scott told Eater that she'll soon bring on a new chef to helm the kitchen and contribute to a developing menu that will span Mexican regional cuisine, with signature dishes from Oaxaca, Mexico City and more. Scott says the lunch and dinner menus will be high-end and the service will include tableside-made guacamole, customized with a variety of add-ons. A more casual menu is planned for the lounge and bar.