Eater Inside

All-Outdoor Restaurant Pops Up at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar

The Del Mar Social Club kicks off summer fun with cabanas and fire pits

by Candice Woo Jul 2, 2021, 11:00am PDT

Photography by Kimberly Motos

All-outdoor restaurant Del Mar Social Club — Del Mar Social Club

With summer in full swing and San Diego getting back to business, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar is launching an outdoor pop-up restaurant this weekend that will run until October and potentially beyond. Earlier this year, the luxury hotel debuted the Fireside Lounge, an open-air dining area that proved to be so popular that it’s been transported outside to property’s Grand Lawn where the significantly expanded space now spans 10 cabanas, eight fire pit-topped tables, and a 24-foot communal table.

Now called the Del Mar Social Club, the hotel is aiming to make the experience accessible to locals and families by offering free parking and no booking fees for the fire pits tables or cabanas, which can be reserved online and feature full service, while walk-ins are accepted at the self-service communal table. To start, the casual restaurant will be open Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., but the hotel says that it will likely extend the hours and days of operation.

At the walk-up bar, the drinks include a rotating roster of frozen cocktails, customizable spritz cocktails made with sparkling rose and your choice of aperitif, as well as classics like a Bees Knees made with saffron and honey from the Grand Del Mar’s own on-site hives. Next door, the open, interactive kitchen is centered around a wood-fired oven and a menu that ranges from roasted spot prawns and whole Dungeness chile crab to Neapolitan pizzas and fresh oysters. There are also s’mores kits, to cook up at personal fire pits.

In addition to lawn games, Del Mar Social Club also has a collection of tabletop games that be delivered upon request, including table foosball and sling hockey. And the pop-up will host some sort of live entertainment every day of operation.