Opening next week in the space that long housed Bub's at the Beach in San Diego's Pacific Beach is Bar Ella, an East Coast-style seafood restaurant and sophisticated cocktail bar.
This past April, Bub's at the Beach closed after 15 years in business. The central Pacific Beach space was quickly scooped up by the longtime General Manager of nearby Tavern at the Beach, Krista Barrella, who partnered with her longtime employer, the Verant Group, for the opening of Bar Ella.
The former Bub's space has been completely renovated and now offers a bright interior with light wood accents, lush greenery, and a variety of seating styles. A play on Krista's last name, Bar Ella will offer a seafood-forward, menu influenced by California, Baja, and Barrella's home state of New Jersey from Executive Chef Brendan Nugent, who previously worked at La Jolla Country Club and George's at the Cove.
Expect shareable dishes like baked clams casino; charcuterie with grilled bivalves, cheeses and fruits; a roasted beet caprese salad topped with whipped feta; a family-style cioppino; and powdered sugar-topped fried zeppoles for dessert. From the bar, expect a refined cocktail program ranging from classics like an Old-Fashioned with creative concoctions like the Garibaldi, made with whipped orange juice and Compari liqueur.
Eric Lingenfelder, Mark Cirillo and Joe Vaught co-founded San Diego-based Verant Group in 2003. The bar and restaurant collective now operates a multitude of locations around San Diego, including Barleymash, Sandbar, The Smoking Gun, Tavern at the Beach, Spill The Beans Coffee + Bagel, and Mavericks Beach Club. In 2021, Vaught purchased the 3,854 square-foot building that houses several condos and was previously occupied by The Patio on Lamont restaurant in Pacific Beach for the opening of a new location of Bay Park's Luce Bar & Kitchen. He also took over the 1,212 square-foot space that previously housed Mama Mia's Italian restaurant on Balboa Avenue in Pacific Beach for a third branch of Spill The Beans.
Bar Ella will grand open on Friday, December 15, at 1030 Garnet Avenue in San Diego's Pacific Beach. For more information, visit barellapb.com.
