Inside the Rustic, Chef-Driven Events Space Overlooking the Gaslamp

Chef Nick Brune’s latest events venue Revel Revel brings locally-sourced party plates and buffets to the heart of the bustling Gaslamp corridor.

Perched on the third floor at 5th Avenue and E Street (868 Fifth Avenue), the weeks-old 1,700-square-foot space sports high ceilings with wooden beams, exposed brick, wood floors, and oversized windows. Brune and his Eco Caters team are also behind two-year-old events destination Lot 8 in Mission Valley.

Their latest entertainment venture, situated amongst San Diego’s dense bar scene, can fit up to 245 guests and hopes to house corporate events, wedding receptions, private dinners, and parties. Configurations are flexible, thanks to moving walls and mobile bars.

Revel Revel/official photo

Revel Revel/official photo

Brune, a Louisiana native, brought Cali-Creole cuisine to Hillcrest with the opening of restaurant Local Habit in 2011. His roots are evident across current Eco Caters menus, with Creole-style short ribs and meat pies and Louisiana-style crab cakes with remoulade.

His 13-year-old organic catering group, which has arms in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., also fuels up guests with options like grass fed beef bolognese, seared albacore with orange grapefruit slaw, pates, and pickled oysters.

The new San Diego venue charges a $900 minimum spend, and guests can keep partying past midnight until 3 a.m. for an additional fee.