Eclipse Chocolate Bar & Bistro

Went here for some Chilean hot chocolate and cardamom hot chocolate before going ice skating on the beach. Definitely nice and rich but not overly sweet ask for their artisan marshmallows they’re great!

I was going to initially give this place 3 stars but because Daniel was such an awesome, friendly, and informative salesmen over the phone, I decided to give it 5. I would even hire Daniel to work for my company if the opportunity arose.
I purchased 10 piece vegen chocolates over the phone through Daniel after having found them on the internet. After opening them, I was surprised to see that they were extremely tiny, epecially for the $ 20 they’re sold at. On top of that, they aren’t necessarily packaged in a sturdy manner. They’re very flimsy, meaning you should have it lying flat instead of vertically in case you planned on storing it for a few days. The toppings from some of the chocolates come off, making them look a bit messy when opening them. They’re definitely tasty. I just feel competitors can offer chocolates that are JUST as flavorful, with a higher quantity for the same, if not lower, price point.
Overall, having been attended by Daniel over the phone shows me that this company DOES care about offering great customer service. And for this reason, I gave them a 5 and even plan on giving them a second try with perhaps there food and drinks.

This place is amazing. Four of us went and each had a main dish, side dish and dessert. We shared it all and LOVED it all. Shout out to Ruthie !!! Best server ever !!!

The salted caramel baklava with ice cream was really good together with the double dark chocolate cocoa.

The only bummer about Eclipse is that it’s too far for me to swing by every morning. If you want a unique twist on traditional dishes, this is the place. Cinnamon roll with bacon and the perfectly runny egg on top, all sitting in a sweet caramel-​like sauce? Yeah. And the Avocado Eggs Benedict! It’s ruined traditional eggs benedict for me and I ain’t complain’. I actually crave this so much so that my son and I drive the 40 minutes from Escondido just to satiate my palette!
The bright and cheery ambiance paired with such sophisticated ingredients makes it the perfect place for brunch with the bestie or even a night dinner date with your special person. We are very frequent costumers, and the managers and some of the waiters make it a point to come over and say hi to us. It always makes us feel like valued patrons and well taken care of!
You NEED to visit Eclipse!
My recommendations: Avocado Eggs Benedict, Parmesan Biscuits, Bacon Covered Dates, Cinnamon Roll, and Burnt Caramel Infused Latte. Amazing!

After three months we finally came back for the same thing… Avocado Eggs Benedict! My goodness once again they were amazing.
Daniel was the hosts, server and cashier. He does it all and although he was very nice last time we were here today however, he was REALLY nice especially to our dog. He made sure our dog got hydrated. He went out of his way and brought our dog some water. Thank You!

Very nice place, great for brunch. Love their chocolate drinks.

I want to begin this review with the disclaimer that I am very disappointed that I am giving this review: it is in hopes for positive change we give reviews. This review is for service.
Last week, I experienced the most shocking display of events occur while having brunch at Eclipse Chocolate. We arrived around 1pm, and the restaurant appeared to be just over its busy rush. The bartender had to ‘clear’ dishes from a messy bar to make room for us. She came around the bar, wiped it down, but merely pushed the dishes to the side– in the spot directly to the left of my brunch date. Now, wouldn’t it have been more effective to clear the dishes while she was there, so we didn’t have to have messy dishes by us? The dishes and wet rag remained next to us for the ENTIRE hour we were there.
I was surprised but assumed it would be moved immediately. Alarmed, I looked around and notice FIVE tables that needed to be bussed, all of which remained the same for the duration of the time we were there. Waiters and managers kept walking in front of the bar– all leaving the dishes next to us, and every table in the house. My latte was made as a mocha, but there was no one to tell. The bartender had slipped in the back and was working on something else. I was so confused– what was happening?
Our seats gave us a clear view through the kitchen window, and I could see a female waitress nonchalantly eating a sandwich– and the confusion of the dishes next to us elevated to clarity with pure shock. This place was clearly run sloppily: a ‘relaxed, eventually get it done’ vibe. This waitress would saunter out to run some food, with warmth in her delivery when she checked on you, but she was not interested in bussing, possibly more interested in getting back to her sandwich? My mind ran through incredible bar brunch experiences– NOPA in San Francisco– would never have left the restaurant in such disarray. Sitting at the bar for brunch was always a charming experience, and almost sought after. Snap back to present– and I can see employees water glasses, cell phones, and a employee eating– not to mention a full restaurant of dirty dishes, some of which are immediately next to me.
While we were there a reservation came in, and the table was not ready– of course it was full of dishes like rest of the other empty tables. A man with a hair net (who delivered our food) came and bussed the table, and the girl eating the sandwich came out and warmly apologized to the guests. Shouldn’t she have had the table ready? Who is in charge here?
Upon paying, the bartender checked us out at the register and comped our coffee, unprompted. Darling, a comped coffee does not compensate for a disappointing hour. What I really wish is that you were available at the bar the time I was there, that I did not have to seek you out for service, and that dirty dishes were not by my side for over an hour.
The place is obviously poorly managed, and my brunch date and I concluded that everyone was worthless there except for the man that appeared to possibly be the manager– although he was working as a peer and not directing staff. He was sunny to guests, running the espresso machine, and then began bussing tables when he was free.
Our conclusion is that Eclipse Chocolate brunch service is not run professionally at all. It was likely started by owners with zero restaurant experience, lacking desire to hire a manager with professional experience. We determined every staff member needed to be let go, save for the cheery man that bussed tables who should be the assistant manager, and they should promptly hire a manager with a professional resume, to attract and hire other professional servers, who could direct employees, and tighten the ship.

Outstanding service and very good food. The bacon wrapped dates were the best I’ve ever had. The bacon and egg cinnaroll is a must try, but make sure you share. It’s huge! The citrus pulled pork was also very good. Finished off the meal with drinkable chocolate. That’s not to miss, but I was expecting more of a thick chocolate drink. It was delicious but more like hot chocolate. Overall, experience was great and definitely worth a try. Will be back for brunch!

The items seemed unique on the breakfast menu and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Once we got our food and took the first bite, EC instantly became a new favorite in San Diego. We ordered the biscuits and gravy and eggs benedict. The food was incredible, the service was great and the overall appeal of the establishment was fun, clean and stylish. Their selection of handcrafted chocolates had a good variety too. Unfortunately, I don’t live in San Diego, but I do visit often, so I’ll always make sure I make time to have breakfast over here.

Came here for brunch with my husband starving and left completely stuffed! Their portions are generous and delicious! I got the biscuits and gravy and the gravy was a mixture of savory and had a slight sweetness to it. The green beet salad with vanilla vinaigrette was up there on some of the best salads I’ve ever devoured. Ended dinner with the baklava Sunday which was full of caramel and pecans. Their chocolate truffles are also really good here but on the pricier side. Parking is plenty and service was superb!

My roommate and I came here for the second time. Our first experience was rather poor. The food the first time was on point, but the service was terrible. I like to give second chances so my Roomie and I gave it another try.
Now, I’ve visited restaurants where the server was was too busy to be able to properly tend to the customers, or was bored or was just having a bad day, and usually it was just the one server. At Eclipse, everyone that works there is very unfriendly and rude. Not a single one of the 3 employees behind the bar made us feel like they wanted us there.
The food was tasty, but way overpriced. 12 bucks for some crispy quinoa, and terrible service. Best to spend your 12 bucks elsewhere.

One of my favorite spots in all of San Diego. A fun and inventive menu that’s always morphing and changing yet keeping true to maintaining the promise of having chocolate, vanilla, and/​or caramel in the dish… great beers and amazing drinking chocolate.

It’s the most satisfying breakfast I’ve ever had lately. The avocado egg benedict is seriously to die for! So delicious! Definitely coming back here to try their desserts next time. Also, our server Daniel was super nice for taking the time to explain what was on the menu since it was out first time. He was pretty funny, quick to serve our food, checked up on us and asked if we needed anything. Great service, Daniel! Thank you!
— I usually don’t write a review but my friends and I enjoyed this place so much so I had to write one. :)

I walk into establishment it was dead. There were two employees working one was behind register didn’t greet me at all so I sat myself waited about 10 minutes still nothing. Both employees walk past me at least 2 times each. So I just decided to leave while I was walking out man behind register finally greeted me asked me if I needed help. Told him no thank you as I continue to walk out .Safe to say I won’t be coming back here poor Customer Service.

I’ve been here 5 – 6 times and for the most part – aside from the time they charged me $ 12 for a kid’s grilled cheese coded as a Portabello Panini – the experience has been fine.
Today’s visit can only be described as weird. My wife, baby son and I arrived around 4 just as they were turning over shifts. The place was EMPTY – maybe 1 – 2 couples total. The first server said they only had space at the bar (!), which we indicated wouldn’t work because we had a baby. She asked if we had a reservation (no, it was 4PM and EMPTY) and so we asked when we could be seated. She then got lost in the iPad for 5 minutes.
A second server came over, apologized for the confusion and sat us. We let her know we were using the Living Social deal. And then nothing. No eye contact or any attention for close to 15 minutes. It began to distinctly feel like we were being ignored.
We eventually got up and let the server know we were leaving and would try to come back later. She was quite candid and actually thanked us, saying she wouldn’t have been able to handle our table.
I’m baffled why we were treated this way, being ignored over other patrons. If its because we had a child, then own it and let people know you are not kid-​friendly. If its because we had Living Social coupon, then don’t offer it. I’ll stop there.

Great place for date night or indulging over some sweets with a friend.
3 star rating mostly because of the service but also because the desserts we ordered were a bit disappointing. Service was pretty unfriendly for some reason.
We just went in for coffee and dessert, and I have such a sweet tooth, I never thought I would ever complain about something being TOO sweet, but that’s what I felt like the desserts were.
We had the bread pudding and a giant peanut butter macaroon. The pudding was kind of sitting in a bowl with a cream or liquid that tastes kind of like condensed milk. Very heavy and overwhelmingly sweet. The macaroon just didn’t have the consistency or feel of a macaroon at all, and tastes soo much like powdered sugar, i couldnt take more than a few bites.

Very creative food options, every dish includes vanilla, caramel and/​or chocolate as an ingredient. I’ve only been for brunch, and have enjoyed all of the numerous options I’ve had. The combinations of sweet & savory in most dishes keeps it interesting, it’s a little twist on comfort food, the options I’ve had wouldn’t be considered healthy in terms of fat & caloric content.
Their chocolates are delicious too, pretty pricey but high quality, they do a great dark chocolate sea salt caramel that’s all the rage right now. Considering the numerous chocolate lovers I know and occasionally host when visiting, I expect to be back here soon and regularly.

I was thinking I’d give them lower than a 4 due some iffy service experienced in the past, but this has always been my go to brunch spot with good friends for some time, so while we do leave pretty stuffed (and therefore feeling like miserable fat lards), we do take advantage of the Groupon’s they offer and are always immensely satisfied by their food (their main entrees at least) which often times are taken home and eaten as leftovers later.
Obviously, the Avocado Benedict is to die for… the egg is poached to perfection and placed ever so carefully a top the toast… an orgasm in your mouth. Paired with drinking chocolate, will take you to nirvana. Get the Sea Salt Caramel drinking chocolate as it’s just about right and isn’t too rich or sweet.
As a side note, their patio is advertised as dog friendly (as are most places in South Park), but I dislike it as far as dog friendly goes. #1, if you’re going to so warmly welcome dogs onto your business’s patio, please provide at least one water bowl to keep my dog cool on hotter mornings. It’s already a barren concrete wasteland for my dog. And #2, when you somehow drop a poached egg onto the deck, please clean it up instead of leaving it there on the floor to roast in the sun and entice my food hound with. I don’t want my dog eating a poached egg off the floor while I’m not looking (she’s quick). We couldn’t alert the waitress to this issue as she never returned. You’re kind of forgotten if you’re sitting outside. That, or the servers are too lazy to walk over that way.
Overall, cool brunch spot that doesn’t experience as much traffic, so you should be in and out in a jiffy.

The first time I ever ate here, I thought ok, this is for sure going to be my favorite SD brunch place. I went a handful of times and sadly every time I went, I told myself I would never return! I really think that their food went downhill every visit, which is very sad because they have an amazing menu with a ton of potential. Now I think I have very high standards, so I by no means am saying this is an awful place, it just didn’t live up to my memories of the first visit.
So the first major problem is customer service, I have waited for a table far longer than I should have, felt ignored by the wait staff, and then at times they were super friendly and attentive and then once I went and they were crazy rude! I thought that for a menu with each item having a lot of varying flavors (like who would have thought to put vanilla bean in orange juice, oddly tasty…) I just thought that at some point the flavors all melded into each other a bit too much and it lost what would have made it special. Besides the unreliable service, the potatoes were dry, the toast for the eggs benedict was a bit hard, and overall I just wasn’t horribly impressed. The one thing that I must rave about was their white hot chocolate which was SO GOOD but also very rich so I really could only drink about half of it. Their chocolate is definitely top notch and very good quality but I just think that they are having some trouble transitioning from being a small family owned chocolate business to being a full restaurant. Still the food is good, just not at its full potential yet.

Avocado Benedict. Really, that’s all you need to know… but I’ll tell you more (of course).
This place is adorable, and the service is outstanding. I strolled in here on a Thursday morning with my baby, and they received me as if I was a regular they had been expecting to see. The space is small, tidy and filled with light. A long glass counter stretches the length of one side, and you can gaze at chocolates, coffee drinks and menus to your hearts delight.
I was seated right away and Daniel, the sweetest server ever, made a few recommendations right off the bat. That avocado Benedict sounded outstanding, and with the option to add a side for only $ 4 more, I went for it: apple and beet salad with toasted cacao nibs and a vanilla-​infused vinaigrette. With these two items selected, I only needed help choosing a tea, and Daniel was up to the task: vanilla black tea. Perfection.
My meal came out a few minutes later and it was simply gorgeous. Perfectly souse vide eggs atop lightly toasted sweet bread squares, fresh, creamy avocado and an incredibly Hollandaise sauce with the dreamy and unexpected addition of a touch of burnt caramel. It was, in a word, outrageous — and I mean that in the best possible way. Everything was perfectly balanced and beautiful and without the requisite heaviness that usually comes with a Benedict. I was so very pleased.
My salad was another study in deliciousness; crisp fruit, earthy beets, stunning dressing and fresh greens. It was bright and subtle at the same time and a perfect pairing with my eggs. The tea enhanced everything, and along with the gentle sunshine streaming in and the pleasant tunes playing, made for the perfect brunch.
My only regret is that I was unable to return to Eclipse during my brief stay in San Diego. So much more than a chocolate bar, this is a truly unique and very special place, and one I will definitely be going back to the next time I’m in SD!

First time here, will not be my last. The avocado benedict’s with the garlic parmesan biscuits with white chocolate and it was to die for.
The potatoes with the chile burnt carmel hollandaise sauce are a must too

omg this place is EVERYTHING. I generally have a sweet tooth when it comes to my food so dining at a restaurant that incorporates aspects of dessert or some kind of sweet flair into their dishes was literally the best case scenario for me!
So first of all this adorable little café is located in Southpark, a pocket of San Diego that hasn’t really been on my radar up until now. I love how hipster af this neighborhood is! It literally feels like I’m walking down the Alphabet district in Portland, Oregon.
I can only speak for the brunch menu but from what I can tell so far the quality and finesse they put into their food is nothing short of amazing ! For 16 dollars you can choose from a side and an entrée which is the perfect amount for one.
We ordered :
Avocado Benedict: came with a perfectly poached egg with creamy chipotle hollandaise, fresh avocados, tomatos on top of a brioche.
Parmesian and Tomato Quiche: light, eggy, super flaky. AMAZING
Stuffed Peppers: quinoa, corn, hikory avocado, cress, chives stuffed pepper with the best damn mole sauce i’ve ever had
Garlic Parm Biscuits: Perfectly seasoned, served with 3 types of butter.
DESSERTS: a bit disappointed here
Tiramisu bread pudding: This was good but I kind of wished it was heated a little more. The texture of the ice cream tasted like there were some freezer crystals forming and all the cocoa nibs in the pudding kinda threw me off as I found myself having to spit them out everytime I took a bite.
Pumpkin Mousse: did not enjoy this as much as the mouse came frozen and the texture was compromised. Tasted like those desserts that kind of just sit in the freezer for a long time just waiting for someone to order it.
Overall I’d say this is a great date spot, and its definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. There always seems to be some kind of special going on each month. I will be sure to return next time to try their hot chocolate !

I’m a little torn on how to review this place since I had such a short/​limited experience here.
¹⁄₅ for service
⁵⁄₅ for the Americano; both hot and cold
⁴⁄₅ for my sample of white chocolate and the possibility of the other chocolates being equally good
The place was really nice and clean. Like a fancier coffee shop/​bistro with a bar; it had a modern décor without being cold and still casual. It is quite small, seating maybe six people at the bar and having about 5 tables that could seat four. I could see it getting busy and full though, especially considering what I experienced in regards to service tonight.
My friend and I came in for a coffee and the host told us we could sit at the bar, that it was full service.
We sat down and the waitress didn’t even acknowledge us. After five minutes of doing seemingly nothing, continuing to ignore us, we decided to get her attention. Granted it was the Southpark Walkabout and maybe they were frazzled, but there were only two other tables occupied in the whole place. I work retail, though, so I know what the customer sees isn’t always what’s happening in the «back,» so while there may be more to the story, she didn’t ever really appologize. Anyway, at that point we just decided to get our coffees to go.
She was nice, took our order and our coffees came out fairly quickly. We both ordered Americanos (one cold, one hot) since that was the only decaf option. She didn’t offer us cream or milk and I she disappeared after we got our coffees. (There was no cream or milk at the station; only sugar and a really big pitcher with plastic cups for self-​serve water, which is nice. We had to go back to the host who then had to go get us cream.). It was also a little odd that all the sugar was in packets and only rock sugar, which does not dissolve very well in cold drinks.
We were told to pay the host (by the cash register). So we walk to the cash register and there is someone paying ahead of us. The host is chatting with the customer, its taking him several minutes to put the order into the register and the whole transaction is taking at least five minutes. When it was time for us to pay, the host again took a while to put the order in (maybe he was new or they have a new system) and then after our transaction went through, he found out he overcharged us for three instead of two coffees. He was really nice and friendly, very very apologetic. These things happen, I understand, but after everything else that happened we were kind of over waiting 15 minutes in all just to get a couple coffees.
The whole service snafu aside, the Americano was AMAZING!!! Honestly, the best coffee I’ve had in ages. Smooth, rich and not even remotely bitter. Even once it cooled down it was still great; something I consider sign of great coffee, especially since I drink it black without sweetener. My friend had the iced Americano with a bit of cream and sugar and stated that it was equally amazing!!! She’s been here before and we came for the coffee based on her recommendation; apparently its always great!!!
I also got a sample of their white chocolate which was REAL chocolate, not white confectionary. It had some sort of malt bits in it which really enhanced the super creamy texture of the chocolate. It was beyond delicious and if its an indicator of the yumminess of the other items, I can only imagine how good this place can be.
My friend got a ½oz package of Salted Peanut Butter Toffee and loved every single bite!
The Americano is only $ 3 and the Toffee was maybe $ 1ish, which is really good! Overall, the prices, especially given the quality and variety of unique products, are impressive.
The desserts (brownies and cookies) looked wonderful, but there were tiny flies in the case (I’m thinking these could just be the «show» desserts, not the ones you consume, though). There was a sea salt nib almond macaron (labeled incorrectly as a macaroon) the size of your hand which looked great and was only $ 3 (amazing for a macaron). I saw a variety of interesting caramels and truffles by the piece ($ 3) and several types of boxed/​prepared chocolates and bars. I didn’t get a chance to check out the plated desserts or food menu.
There was a note stating that they pledge 10% to charity, which is nice.
So, given how amazing the coffee was and how good the chocolate was (and the possibility of the other treats being equally good), I’m willing to overlook the service issues and give this place another try if I’m in the neighbourhood.
— — —
UPDATE: Wow, guess I’m going to go back! The owner, Will, was nice enough to ask me to come back for a treat and personal service. I was not in any way looking to «get» something out of my review (I never do). Its nice to see business owners pay attention to their customer’s concerns. I post reviews not only for fellow Unilocaler’s, but hoping owners see them so they can address concerns I bring up. Learning from your «mistakes» is the best way to improve.

All of the food was excellent.
–We ordered a panini and the avocado benedict and were pleasantly surprised.
I’m not a chocolate fan, but they integrated chocolate well into all of their dishes.
–Potatoes were my favorite side.
–Drinks were a bit too sweet, but the staff were more than willing to fix them.
Came to use the 3course+drink groupon
Was not able to finish dessert :-)