How do I begin to describe this place? Let me start with the exterior. The atmosphere is very inviting from the outside with tables lining the outer perimeter of the building. But what really caught my attention was the feminine pink wall paper inside. From afar I can see this pink wall paper and marbled door entrance, so I decided to check out this place soley based on its appearance. I had no idea what type of food this restaurant served.

IF IT WASN'T RAINING, THIS ENTIRE  WINDOW SECTION WOULD BE OPEN. — IF IT WASN'T RAINING, THIS ENTIRE WINDOW SECTION WOULD BE OPEN.

The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. The open floor plan inside was gorgeous with a center bar stocked with plenty of craft beer options. The decor had a French feminine touch, but at the same time it had a hard core heavy metal vibe. How is it possible to merge these two themes so beautifully?

THE WINDOWS OPEN WITH AN INDOOR OUTDOOR SEATING AREA.

Remember that pink wall paper that lured me in? As I looked really closely at it, it was the eighties cartoon character Rainbow Bright. The surprises don't stop there. When I went to the bathroom, there were so many fun framed images of cats. I don't want to give it all away, but my favorite was a photo of a cat playing an electric guitar.

Now to the menu. Seared Cauliflower Steak, Green Garbanzo Chili, Memphis BBQ Jackfruit, etc. Wait, is this a vegan restaurant? This was literally the first time I had dined at a 100% vegan establishment. I was in the mood for some meat, but the atmosphere and the selection of fun cocktails got me to stay. Our server was friendly, attentive, and offered great suggestions when I couldn't decide on what to eat or drink. There were so many interesting options with fun names to choose from.

I ordered the "Wizard Bowl" and my friend ordered the "Seared Cauliflower Steak". The portion was more than enough and I really enjoyed the warm maple spiced carrots in my Wizard Bowl. I was going to take a bite out of my friend's seared cauliflower, but she was enjoying it so much that she forgot to leave me a bite. Needless to say, she was enjoying her meal.

LEFT: SEARED CAULIFLOWER STEAK  RIGHT:  WIZARD BOWL — LEFT: SEARED CAULIFLOWER STEAK RIGHT: WIZARD BOWL

While we were waiting the for the check, I went to the ladies room. I was walking back to my table and noticed my friend was reading a book. I couldn't remember her brining a book into the restaurant and asked why she brought a book. She laughed and said the book was holding our check. I love how they repurposed an old classic book.

The creative vegan food, captivating atmosphere, and favorable service will definitely bring me back again. As we were walking out of the restaurant, I looked above the door and there was a quote that somewhat summed up the restaurant's vibe, "Hardcore will never die, but you will."

xo, Candy

KINDRED
ADDRESS: 1503 30th Street, San Diego, CA
HOURS: Mon - Thur 4PM - 12AM | Friday 4PM - 1AM | Saturday 10AM - 1AM | Sunday 10AM - 12AM
PHONE: 619-546-9653

Camera equipment used: Canon EOS M3 Mirrorless Camera, Canon EF-M 22mm f2 STM Compact System Fixed Lens. We subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud to edit photos and videos using Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop.