Northern Spirits

Awesome jazz music! I’ve been living in North County for 8 years waiting for a place like this. Great Thai food. Yes, service is slow but that is just part of their mistique. My only complaint is that the wine list is uninspired and overpriced. $ 45 for a bottle of wine that costs $ 8 at von’s… come on. Still the music was so spectacular I’ll let it slide.

Wow, went here for the first time this weekend. Friday nights they have live jazz bands playing. It’s a comfy lounge setting with a full bar. You are able to order food from the Thai restaurant right next door which is nice. The music was awesome! Such a fun place, can’t wait to go back.

Menu is a little confused. As far as I can tell you can order anything from the sister restaurant next door. Drinks are good and the music great.
You should get reservations. The small place fills up.

Greetings all,
Back for an update to this review: 1÷23÷2016 Saturday
Couple of friends came through and enjoyed the music (see check-​in), food, and the drinks.
Since, I couldn’t rate the food the last time, I had them rate it and that is why, we put 4 stars. Another, plus was a very different crowd this time around-​180! Even with the rain it was full, but not whereas you had to say excuse me 10x.
Only con: Two older woman, maybe visiting from out of the area waited over 45 minutes for their food and then the food (steak) wasn’t what they thought, and along with other things wrong with the bill. I did not see the manager come over and take care of the problem, so I am not sure what happen.
Gents or ladies, this is a nice local spot to take friends, that special someone or out of town guests for nice music, good Thai food, and good drinks.
Please bring some patience with thee, if getting there late. Music starts at 7:30 pm.

Great Thai food, ambience, awesome service while listening to live jazz music on weekends!

Couldn’t find a good spot downtown on a Saturday night after «If/​Then» that wasn’t laden with tourists-​even Dobson’s had stopped serving at 10:20 p. m…on a SATURDAY NIGHT! WTF!!! Grant Grill’s doors were locked but we gained access through the lobby only to be turned away as they were «fully committed» (meaning the tables were all full… haha! Even though there were TONS of tables in the adjoining dining area… oh well. There’s a couple o’hundred bucks we saved anyway!) So we headed north towards home. Northern Spirits was open and serving GREAT food until 1 a.m. not to mention a super piano singer in the house! Nice to have this fine spot in NoCo.

See my check in — fab spot for good cocktails, delicious Thai food and wow live music!

Transplanted from Kansas City just a year ago, we’ve struggled to find jazz and blues in small intimate venues. I’d refused to come here because I didn’t take it seriously. Strip malled with a pseudo-​Thai menu and patio furniture just didn’t feel authentic enough for me to chance it.
I was right. And I was also very wrong.
The Dimitri Matheny Quartet was crazy good and the acoustics were much better than expected. It was my loss having passed over this venue.
It was, by the way, all of those things including a bar with limited options (what kind of jazz bar can’t make a Negroni because they don’t have Campari?). We only noticed the patio furniture and cheezy dropped ceiling between the bands numbers. We saw other diners’ plates and we’ll probably pass on the food.
But the music. Yes. We’ll come back for that.

I really liked this place. The live jazz band was great, and the food was good. The lighting was just a bit too dim which made it hard to read the menu. Other than that, no complaints.

Amazing place, great seating, the band and food is fantastic!!! My new favorite place!!!

THE GOOD: the Jazz Club part of the restaurant very nicely decorated, gives you the jazz feeling. Great lamps hanging from ceiling that gives it a warm, intimate feeling.
Bartender: Tim, very engaging and polite
Waiter: Carl, who run around like chicken with a head cut off, trying to help every table. Regardless of the overworked status he never fail to be polite and pleasant
Food: average, satay chicken was good, scallops cook perfect.
THE BAD: unstaffed, they had 4 people (5 if you count the manager/​owner?) running both sides of the restaurant, ergo:
* trying to get the order for a 12 people table, was chaotic, so was the arrival of dishes.
*Because of lack of staff, we did not really had one waiter… we were visited scarcely by 2 or 3… when we were able to get their attention (they were doing their best)
*Getting the check was a nightmare. We had to go up to the front to request it and pay for it there as if we were at Dennys (again I point to management)
THE UGLY: management. The manager/​owner? coud care less. I approached her to ask why was she so understaffed and if she care… someone asked her a question about an overcharge… she grab the receipt, and left me there standing in the middle of a sentence. Enough said
When my friend called to make the reservation for 12 she was harassed by the same person about making the reservation and not showing up, over and over
On a personal note and (as an ex waiter/​manager and someone that has been in the Public service industry for 35 years).
We got there very early and the place was not full, a few guests at tables, sat t the bar and witness the disrespect, rude and the demanding tone of the manager/​owner to the employees. It really made me feel bad, I know cultures are different.(im also a foreigner) and can bring confusion to others but we are in 2015 and this is America.
So in term: worth going, listening to great music, enjoy the atmosphere, eat good Thai food. Be ready to have the place understaffed and you will have a great evening.

what a great place excellent view and perfect place to party!!! on the rooftop you can have a few drinks before you hit the dance floor. I had a great time and I will definitely come back there next time I am would be around perfect for a date or to meet somebody definitely top of the line!!!

The best owners of a restaurant I’ve ever encountered! The food is awesome! Every meal I have eaten here has been superb. I Highly recommend this place.

If you want to listen to live music with food late at night then there is really no other place in San Marcos. They feature jazz but it is not everynight. Often Dave Scott, the weather guy on KUSI, is here with his band. The food is from Nattiya’s so great Thai. The only negative is the service is hit and miss. Sometimes you have to wait a bit for a drink and the food. Also they usually have a $ 5 cover charge when live music is featured.

Awesome décor. The jazz is great… so classy. Great place to take a date. The food is from the Thai place next door and quite good. All in all, I’m a fan and would come back here for sure.

First time here and we will be back for sure. The jazz club is connected to a Thai restaurant, so you can enjoy music and dinner at the same time. Although the service was a bit slow, the food was delicious and well prepared.
There was a very enjoyable jazz group playing, and there is music three nights a week.
The only disappointment was that the seats were quite uncomfortable. The bar stools have low backs and offer no back support. We sat on a love seat which was nice and cozy, but the seats were too deep to offer any comfort.
I hope they have better seating by the next time we visit.

We went here to see a friend sing in the «Irving Flores Trio» and discovered that this is a little gem sitting in San Marcos!
I ordered the spicy noodle with shrimp. Shrimp was very tasty and not over cooked. Perfect texture and the noodle spice level at 4 was just the right amount of heat for me. I also had their Ginger Mojitos that was impressive!
Ambiance– very nice and clean
Service– excellent; attentive
Price-​Affordable for quality & quantity
The bartender I think his name is Tim provided excellent service. I had water, drinks, food and samples of different brews.
I thought the ambiance for the jazz singing was great! It was not overly noisy and if I had a concern, the musicians could have been louder, but I would rather have that then being bombarded with sound.
The crowd was a mix of people of different ages…20’s 30’s 40’s we stayed from 7pm until around 10pm or so.
The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. In fact I had the half portion size of their fresh spring rolls and they priced it right! I think the manager gave the go ahead to Tim to make it. That to me, special orders provide an extra star and when it is excellent to taste, I give credit to them.
I giving them 5 stars because although it was my first time there, first impressions to me say a lot and it was a great experience and I commend them for bringing this different combination of Thai Restaurant and Jazz to the area outside the Gas Lamp district in downtown San Diego and we will definitely be back!
I wish I could post video on Unilocal to give an idea of the acoustics!

My friend Rosa Maria Verona is a Brazilian singer specialized in bossa nova and jazz. I was so happy she posted on her Facebook page an event mentioning she will be singing on Saturday night. I had to read twice. San Marcos? Are you sure??? In San Marcos? Jazz club? with that cool Northern Spirits name? Ok, lets go, no hesitation. I have to say I was truly impressed (even if my GPS dropped me at Staples or something in the nearby strip mall).
I would expect this kind of scenario in a different locale, but once you trespass the door, you enter in a very cozy, intimate, dim lighted atmosphere. The deal is awesome: you can go to the Thai restaurant next door (is from same owner) and no cover whatsoever to enjoy the live music.
The decoration whispers luxury: flufly plump colored pillows, nice square porcelain plates, comfy sofas, blue illuminated bar, mix of Asian accents with splashes of color (like that superb portrait of Marilyn Monroe). Adorable and charming. Very jazzy. Perfect for an audience who appreciates this type of music, it has nothing to do with age, in fact there were many 30 somethings in the audience last night. I am glad to that been introduced to this pearl of San Marcos and I for sure come back.

Came here a couple of months ago, and have been meaning to come back. I really like the ambiance. I’m not the biggest fan of the Thai food from Nattiya’s (it’s not bad at all, but a little on the sweet side and nothing amazing). However, this place is awesome. Loved the jazz music. They played a great rendition of On Green Dolphin Street. Loved the atmosphere. Great for date night or a couple of drinks with friends after work. I’m probably coming back here again tomorrow, actually.

This is a lounge thought up by the people who brought you Nattiya’s. It’s tucked away in the same shopping center as Denny’s across from the Lowe’s shopping center.
First time out I had Thai food that is still served from Nattiya’s. And I do love Nattiya’s next door. Especially anything that comes with peanut dressing. After having dinner a few weeks ago at the bar, and I came back for drinks this past weekend. The bar menu looks like it has a «premium» feel to it. I have only ordered the beef skewers, and they were fantastic. Definitely try out if you are a meat lover.
What’s cool is that you can order food from the restaurant as well as well as from the bar menu. I think this is a serious plus. Who doesn’t enjoy Thai food at the midnight hour? I do thank you.
Even though I had a rookie bartender the first time out, he was very friendly and eager to please. The second time I had a different bartender but has was seriously awesome. He had drinks going, and recommended fruity flavors for the ladies I was with. They loved every drink they had, in particular the blueberry infused Mojito.
With all the awesomeness of this place, the drinks were a tad bit on the high side ($ 8 for 16oz Lost Abbey, $ 12 Martini’s). Downtown-​ish prices. But the atmosphere was «jazzy» cool, and it doesn’t feel like you are in San Marcos. I was told they have happy hour too, so I am going to have to drag my boss out here soon for some after work drinks. Great little place, try it out for yourself.