Was staying at the lodge during a business trip to La Jolla and came to A.R. Valentien twice. The first time we walked into the bar area looking for a quick bite after a flight from the east coast. We split the hamachi crudo and duck liver pate. Both were delicious! The second twice I ate here was on the patio for lunch. I went with a beet salad with blue cheese and grilled chicken with sunflower seeds. This was absolutely delicious and the perfect portion. Service was top notch both times we came here. Would love to try dinner next time! read more

Items selected: Whole Wheat and White Bread with Locally Churned Butter Charcuterie Plate with Duck and Pistachio Terrine, Potted Shortribs, Chicken Liver Pate Fresh Ricotta and Orange Zest Ravioloi with Green Garlic, Fava Beans, Brown Beech Mushrooms, Basil Pizzetta with Artichoke, Preserved Lemon, Almond, Prosciutto Braised Baja Baqueta Grouper with Artichoke and Nicoise Olives "En Barigoule" Roman Style Duck Breast with Roasted Carrots, Parsnips, Grapes Roasted Halibut, Braised Leeks, Green Lentils, Tarragon Vinaigrette Coconut Lime Cake, Coconut Sorbet, Blueberry Compote Almond Milk Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Compote, Almond Chiffon Chocolate Profiteroles Filled with Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Sorbet, White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Americano with Orange Biscotti Pistachio Truffles Located on the grounds of Torrey Pines, lunch at AR Valentien was my mother and aunt's selection for a birthday celebration and from start to finish none of us could not have been more impressed with the experience, a two hour al fresco lunch at one of the most elegant spaces I have ever laid eyes on. With the vast greenery to one side and the ocean to the other as the breeze kept the sunny afternoon in the mid-70s each of us dined our way through a $27 3-course meal of locally sourced cuisine from Chef Jackson and checked on frequently by our dining captain, Emilia, nothing was overlooked - each dish exceeding expectations in terms of quality and portion. From the bounty of fresh vegetables flanking each of the perfectly paired proteins to the trio of elegant desserts AR Valentien is the sort of place where no expense is spared and taken as a whole represents one of the most (unexpectedly) memorable meals I've had in some time. read more

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The Lodge is incredible, the view is lovely and the food is amazing, pricey but lovely.

If you're looking for a mid-point, where coastal north and south county friends can meet up in a nice atmosphere that's a cut above the options on PCH's Restaurant Row, this just might be the place. Unlike Dave C., I was wowed by the Arts & Crafts Design of the Lodge and this restaurant, and thought the brick and stone work at the entrance were exceptionally well done. A group of eight sat out on the deck overlooking the pool, under the biggest and grandest, old Torrey Pine on the property. It was a hot day, just about 90 F, and this tree didn't provide all the shade I would've liked, but on your typical mid-70's day, I could see how one might might find this spot a bit chilly if underdressed. So, at quarter to one during a heat wave, we we're quite comfortable and just where we wanted to be on a day when the beaches would have been a zoo. It was not crowded at all, our waitress seemed to have only one other table, so I can't see how service would have been anything but prompt. But we got there about ten minutes after the rest of our group had arrived, so immediately upon sitting down I was being poured sparkling water, while someone else relayed my drink order to the bar, and two other servers were laying down an assortment of appetizers. Within two minutes, I was sipping on a Bloody Mary and nibbling on a sliver of crisp toasted batard, schmeared with a wedge of short-rib terrine--the star of a very impressive Charcuterie Platter that also had a chicken liver pate that was smooth as butter. If I'd been stressed out before, I'd be well on my way to having my rage assuaged. As it was, I was in indulgence nirvana before I'd even had a chance to look at the menu. The service was just about as well-healed as you can expect for a typically young, San Diego staff. Everyone was trying hard, it wasn't snobby at all, and there were a lot of between course utensils being exchanged, without seeming obsequious. As our meaty appetizer might suggest, this is not spa food they're serving here. Even the lunch menu is heavy on steaks and chops, with only one pasta choice among the items. My wife's Halibut on a bed of Melted Leeks was delightful, but there were no other veggies on the plate, just a big slab of protein. My selection was the Braised Veal Cheeks, with something I'd never seen on any other menu, Ramps, often called Wild Spring Leeks. I'd rather have had regular leeks though, as these not-as-flavorful substitutes were presented whole, like grilled green onions, and equally as difficult to slice with a table knife. A fun, seasonal market addition that just didn't hit the mark. If you don't want to emulate the three martini, country club lunch of a previous era, you could create a lighter lunch here for yourself by concentrating on the "first course" portion of the menu. In fact as I sit here, a bit burpy and typing this, I wish I'd tried the roasted beets and added some more roughage to my meal. But it's a day off and a nap is certainly not out of the question. Good times. read more

Starters: Seared Rare Albacore, Salsa Verde, Watercress and Radish Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. Just A-ok. Nothing spectacular. Enjoyed the Watercress and Radish Salad though. Chicken "Under a Brick" Braised Romano Beans with Sofritto. The meal I came here for !!! I had tried the farmer's chicken at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio in Las Vegas, and a coworker raved about how comparable and even better A.R. Valentien's Chicken "Under a Brick" was. Of course I had to try it! My verdict? Still like the farmer's chicken from W. Puck. It was more moist and the flavor was fully absorbed into the chicken. The Chicken "Under the Brick" felt like they over seasoned the chicken skin and the flavor didn't seep through the chicken as much as I'd like it to. Also, only came with Romano Beans :( Where are the mashed potatoes?!?!?! A bit plain when the dish comes out visual-wise. Roasted Duck Breast with Stone Fruit and Frisee Salad. The duck was very delicious, and the fruit and Frisee salad was DELICIOUS! I would eat this salad everyday.... :) read more

This place is fantastic. I've been here a couple of times all for brunch. I had the "bulls eye" the last time I was there and it was fantastic. I believe other people in my group got pancakes or french toast and we thought it was great as well. The prices here are notably higher but the food/service/atmosphere is great. read more

Beautiful setting for any occasion. Great food, wonderfully thoughtful menu. Recommend for a great meal

We ate here for San Diego Restaurant Week (RW) tonight. It was out of this world. I've been doing RW for 5 years now and this was absolutely one of the best meals and values ever. The Charcuterie plate was enormous and the best. Worth the cost of the meal alone. Our group had all 3 entrees and loved every one. All 3 desserts were gr8, especially the Tangerine Feuilletée. Service was impeccable and besides an amuse bouche, there was an after dinner dessert amuse in addition to the included dessert. WOW. Eat here for $40 at RW and nothing else will compare. read more

10 of us had a lovely meal here. Stellar service and the food was excellent: chestnut-mushroom soup appetizer, various entrees all excellent: striped sea bass, ny strip steak, and we all got the banana beignet for dessert which was wonderful. Prices are not for the feint of heart but they did a great job on food and service for a large group--a rarity in San Diego. read more

This place charges an arm and a leg. Went he with a large party. For the auto 20% service charge they messed up the serving of our orders twice. Food was okay. Hotel in general is beautiful but personnel are disorganized. read more

If I had a lot of money, I would eat here every night. We were treated like royalty and had course after course of great food. My wife talked me into the tasting menu. There is something about the word "taste" that didn't seem to me to be a meal. But I was wrong because we had way more than enough food. I would recommend you try it if you tend to order the same things. We had a cream soup, lobster, steak, vegetables, dessert, a little something to start the meal and another little something to end it. The individual plates were small amounts but the whole meal was huge. When I win the lottery, I will become a regular. read more

This is a beast of a restaurant. My parents took me out here for a small celebration dinner on a Sunday night. It was so nice to find a fine dining establishment that operates on Sundays. Finding the Lodge at Torrey Pines was a piece of cake with the GPS. Parking was free and close. The grounds are truly beautiful! The golf course is something out of Tiger Wood's wet dreams. Quick Tip, ask to be seated outside. The indoor dining room is nice and very old school, but the patio outdoors has the nicest view and is perfect for enjoying San Diego's flawless weather. As far as service goes, the hostess was friendly and professional. We were seated right away at a nice table inside, but I asked to be seated outside if possible, my request was taken care of on the spot. Our server was a well spoken, refined woman, who gave the impression of having lots of serving experience behind her belt. The busers were effective and polite, while not being overbearing. Great balance! The Food! YES, short version: It was Great! not the best in my life, but Great! Long version: We were seated outdoors and the weather was slightly warm, perhaps 74 degrees. The amuse bouche was a chilled melon soup with an elderberry froth. The combination of flavors was an orgasm in my mouth! First off I am a St. Germain lover, so anything elderberry is fantastic, but the natural sweetness of the melon worked so well with the floral flavors of the froth. It was the perfect choice to start this summer nights dinner. A+ chef! I chose to indulge, and went with the evenings tasting menu. A four course, 3 proteins, and a desert, for $70. The wine parings would have been an additional $40, however I had my own ideas about the wines. The first course was a Salmon crudo. When I read this on the menu, I knew I would love it before even reading the slight description. But it gets better, the plate was elegant and perfectly portioned. the four slivers of crudo were rested on top of crisp romaine. and there was this oddly beautiful ball of avocado napping in the center of my plate. The crudo tasted divine, and just like I expected. However, I was pleasantly and sincerely surprised to find out that the avocado ball was not really what I thought it was. It was a Salmon tar-tar ball within the beautiful avocado ball. WOW ingenious and amazing attention to detail. I have told everyone about this starter! So cool! My second starter was a chicken dish. Imagine a giant 1 euro coin, where the inside is tender, lightly seasoned breast meat, and the outside section is very seasoned moist dark meat. And make is about 5 times larger than the coin. And rest that coin on a bed of braised spinach. The meat was spectacular and paired well with the neutral flavor of the spinach. We were served a cucumber sorbet to cleans our palates. While not very tasty, it really did a perfect job of preparing us for our next courses. For the entree I had a hangar steak, with a vegetable side. This entree would only get 4 out of 5 stars. The actual meat was prepared at a perfect med rare. The portion was far too small, probably around 2 to 3 ounces. It was great tender steak with beautiful flavor. Unfortunately the meat was not hot when it reached me, i would say luke-warm. I didn't inform the server as it would take time to cook up a new steak and the flavor was outstanding. The vegetable sides were nice but nothing memorable. My original desert was supposed to be a hazelnut trio. But the server informed me that it would be a 20 min wait for the hazelnut flan of the trio and informed me that I could have any desert of the menu in substitution. I took her up on the offer and chose the St. Germain panna cotta. It was very mild in the elderberry flavor. I would have liked more elderberry. The texture was perfect as was the temp too. It was plated with a bunch of melons which all went nicely with the panna cotta. The cook who prepped the desert wrote "congratulations" across the top of the plat in the finest chocolate cursive imaginable. We were also brought a variety of small deserts, all of which were tasty. THE WINE: I originally wanted to order the ZD founder's reserve Pinot Noir, I thought they would have this because the carry some other ZD wines. No such luck.. Ohh well. So instead I order a bottle of the Cain Cuvee Mertitage $60, Great Bordeaux blend, it went great with the food. We also ordered a glass of the stag's leap cab. Very complexed wine, but steep at $20 bucks a glass. For four people 1 and 1/4 bottles of wine $335 pre tip Overall, a fantastic night and I can't wait to come back. read more

Staying at The Lodge at Torrey Pines and for our first meal decided to go to A.R. Valentien. We sat outside and had a nice view of the golf course and pool. Was overall under-impressed by the experience here. Our wait staff was a tad awkward towards us and when asked for recommendations and thoughts on the menu she seemed not confident in recommending the food and overall disinterested. When one person in our party's pasta dish came out there was a piece of hair in it. While we received an apology there was no compensation for this mishap. Which I find very unprofessional in a customer based business. There also was something floating around in one of the iced tea glasses we received. We ordered high priced wine which was very under-poured and we were only given about a quarter full of a glass. Not something you want on vacation!! Overall, first impression and experience at this restaurant was underwhelming to say the least and we will most likely not return to this restaurant for the rest of our vacation. read more

So our first date ever was at Mister A's...and this was our next "fancy" place we came to eat. Just the walk to the restaurant from the Parking lot was amazing (yeah there's valet..I'm aware...but I got the girl already so...... JUST KIDDING)... No it was a nice walk trust me. Anyhow, the entire lodge is just beautiful. Nestled within a charming little rustic cabin like center is AR Valentien where quality and class combine. Let's start with the wine list. They had my new favorite wine and my girlfriend got the Malbec which was to die for! Kudos on the amazing vino selection. I'm no aficionado but I have to say I think any person worth their weight in wine know-how will be pleased. I got the rib eye cooked beautifully served at a perfect temperature. My girlfriends scallops were amazing she tells me and I wish my allergy didn't preclude me from such awesomeness. The amuse bouche was this very cute soup with crab in the middle. The soup was phenomenal. I value my life so I left the crab alone. Which brings me to my next topic...service. They kept in mind my shellfish allergy and wifey's gluten allergy and even brought out gluten free bread which literally tasted like it was Wonder Bread. I couldn't believe it. Moving on, we opted for the cheese and fruit plate for after dinner and the selection was extraordinary. The aged cheddar and apricot spread was our favorite. Overall, you get a beautiful restaurant in a cozy setting with excellent food. Perfect for dates! It is pricey but worth it. I wonder how the outdoor seating must be..it did look quite nice! Will check it out next time! Highly recommended. read more

Romantic holiday evening at A.R. Valentien! The dinner was wonderful and we paired it with a bottle of 96+ Conundrum. Our waiter, Juan Pablo, was delightful, knowledgeable and had a keen understanding of all the dishes when asked about them. Christmas is the perfect time to visit...the decorations at the Lodge are exquisite!! read more

A.R. Valentien - Lobby of Lodge at Torrey Pines - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I went there with my family to celebrate my birthday and the food was absolutely delicious. The restaurant has old school charm abs sophistication and the service was top notch. I can't wait to have an excuse to try this place again. read more

A.R. Valentien - Apple tasting desert platter - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Wonderful evening! From the moment we were greeted to the moment we left we had everything we needed. They were very tentative to making sure we were comfortable. Justin was excellent. We had a pre fixed menu due to it being Christmas but there were many choices. I had the osso bucco and my fiancé had the NY strip. Both were very tasty. The portions were very generous. We both ordered a glass of wine and when the glass got low the manager came by and topped us off. Which was very nice. It was a very pleasant evening. We would definitely go back. read more

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Excellent, top notch service. They were very accommodating to our kid who had a great time. :)) Order the duck confit. It's perfection. read more

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I went here for the first time for a business lunch and was very happy with the food. It is pricey and the entrees are on the small side (which I prefer for lunch anyways), but not out of line for fine dining. The fish (Alaskan halibut) was excellent and perfectly prepared. The waitress emphasized the use of fresh, local ingredients and this came through in the food. read more

The food was outstanding. We ordered the scallops and the duck. For appetizer we ordered the cheese board and the paparadelle with summer vegetables. The sides that came with each entree were some of the best sides I've ever had. The service was impeccable. Very subdued and laid back but extremely efficient. Great experience. read more

Wow, what a great meal at A.R. Valentien's. The steak was to perfection the duck was cooked perfectly with the crispy outside that you dream about. the veggies were a decedent escape from the ordinary and the views were fabulous. What a great place to have a special meal. A real treat !! read more

I don't typically go out of my way to review restaurants. I'm a foodie/food snob like no other. This place is INCREDIBLE. I'm not talking about overlooking the pool or the 18th hole. I'm talking about blow-your-mind-level food. Please keep it up. Thank you for one of the best meals we've had in a very long time. read more

Somewhere between a 3 and 4 star restaurant. My mom brought me to Torrey Pines and, as a Pasadena resident, I was excited to see the resort inspired by the Gamble House. Torrey Pines captures the simple elegance of the Gamble House and didn't disappoint. I wish I could say the same for AR Valentein. I had the dungeness crab quiche with lemon and jalapeno. I expected bold, bright flavors but the quiche was very bland and luke warm. My mom had the brick pressed chicken, which unlike the quiche, was succulent with a crispy, slightly salty skin. Fortunately my mom was kind enough to share some of her chicken with me so I had something to eat for lunch (even if it wasn't what I ordered). We ended the meal by sharing the peanut butter and jelly chocolate mouse, which was truly memorable. Thick, chocolatey layers topped with squares of jelly. The food certainly had its highs and lows but I would be hesitant to go back. Although, despite the problems with my meal, their wait staff certainly deserves five stars. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. read more

This is a beautiful and delicious place to come for a romantic dinner. My husband and I were married at the Lodge so we come back every year on our anniversary to eat dinner here. First off the service is amazing. Usually the manager comes by to great us and say happy anniversary. Now I'm usually a person with simple tastes, and I look at this menu and honestly don't know what 80% of the stuff is. I always have to ask the waiter what stuff is and they are so polite about it that I never feel like a moron asking what something is. They also give great recommendations when you're not sure which thing to order. I usually end up ordering something that I've never heard of and it's always been delicious. Usually they will bring out a little something from the chef too which is nice because you get to try a little someting different here and there. Presentation is beautiful and they always go the extra mile like writing "Happy Anniversary" on the dessert plate in chocolate sauce. Wine selection is great too... but of course, be prepared to spend money when you go there. It's a top noche place and a bit pricey but well worth it. read more

The atmosphere at this resort is absolutely gorgeous So we thought we would stop in for a nice lunch. We waited for close to 20 minutes before we saw a waitress and someone who arrived 10 minutes after us was waiting on first. We slowly got up and decided to leave and find somewhere where they would value our business. When a much more affluent family came in the waitress went right to them. You should make an effort to serve people in the order they come in. read more

I will preface this review by saying there was not a one vegetarian dish in the menu. Not one. None. Zero. I thought California was more vege friendly. Oh well. Now... We had a party of 7 and everyone left happy. Even I after I got a plate of every veggie side dish imaginable. It did not look too attractive nor was it colorful (I love me my colors) but it was tasty and satisfying. The desserts looked amazing and judging by the way they were consumed I will say they tasted good as well. Service was impecable and the tables were set with crisp white tableclothes. Although maybe not the best vegetarian experience to be had we had a good time and felt well served. read more

I love this place and keep going back over and over. Anytime someone comes to visit we take them there bc of the view and the food. Really the best food for the $ we have seen. The service is top notch and I think for the overall ambiance and quality of service and food their prices are cheap. It's like 5 star dinning for 4 star prices. The maitre d, Cassandra, is very friendly and will go out of her way to get you the best seating if you give her some advanced notice. But even when we don't she still is able to work something out for us :) Oh almost forgot, they have breakfast only on Sat and Sunday and we like to do this bc of the morning climate, we would do it during the week if they added it, hint hint. read more

Went here for dinner last night. We ate out on the Patio. We started off with cocktails, then a bottle of wine, then another cocktail. We had a cheese platter before having Steak. It was AMAZING. everything about the night was amazing. Staff was so great, food and beverages were great, the weather worked with us so it wasn't too cold out. We were there for about 3 hours really enjoying ourselves. From watching the sunset to our amazing server dropping off complimentary desserts. They are Gluten Free friendly as they are an amazing farm to table restaurant. read more

Food was okay, but considering the price I would not eat here again. They do have a farm to table menu that is intriguing and other members of our dinner party enjoyed. I would say at this price point there are better options. The place is kind of cool, so I recommend getting a drink at the bar and skipping the dinner. read more

We've only had lunch at this hotel restaurant. The view from the craftsman-style patio is very nice, the interior however feels very 1980-dated in a plush and flowery-posh way. It clearly appeals to an older and more conservative crowd. Had the food been any good, we would not have minded. Our lunch was however one of the most underwhelming experiences in a long time. Yes, a grand old hotel like the Lodge at Torrey Pines does set some expectations. My wife's duck breast, which we ordered medium-rare, arrived well-done, dried-out and flavor-less. I tried the swordfish and again was presented with a dry, rather bland piece of fish, which was drowned in crushed coriander. The absolute low-point however was our daughter's "chicken under a brick". This dish turned out to be a flattened (again rather dry) double chicken breast, arranged rather clumsily laying in its grotesque hugeness on a bed of Kale while filling the entire plate from left to right. Whose idea of fine dining was that? We love high-end restaurants but we also love simple and flavorful dishes. This restaurants doesn't get either style right. read more

Nice environment and great staffs are there. We ordered duck breast and London broil. The duck was a little disappointing since it was all the way burnt on top. The London broil was good but I had to take off some cooking twine which was supposed to be removed before coming on my table. 3 stars for great host and servers! read more

Service as good as it gets! Wine list great and sommelier is very knowledgeable on pairing. Fish cooked perfectly! A bit al dente. Salmon dish is wonderful! oh and the corn muffins-wow! read more

Exceptional food for restaurant week. Like an old stuffy country club but with a great air of tradition. Beautiful views to the golf course. You can impress your parents or a date but make sure you're in the mood for controlled elegance. The food was the biggest surprise. Just a great combination of flavors, portions and plating. Wear a jacket and soak in the history. read more

Very disappointed, from service to food. We met clients for lunch and were looking forward to a wonderful meal, superb service and location. I called ahead to ask about reservations and were told there was no need as they were not busy and could seat a party of four for lunch. We arrived at 1pm on a Friday and there was only one party seated in the dining room, we asked if there was a table outside and were told there would be a half hour wait, would have been nice to have been asked if our preference was inside or outside when I called. We opted for the dining room and were seated in a comfortable booth. The hostess and server did not smile throughout the visit and no one looked happy to be there. The service was slow, simple things such as beverage glasses being filled, offer of bread and attention to empty dishes seemed a chore. The biggest disappointment was the food. Two dishes had to be sent back as the fish did not smell fresh and even the manager agreed there was an off putting odor. The other dishes lacked flavor and again disappointing. We were unable to enjoy any type of view which would have at least been a redeeming part of the visit, the Valet was the only highlight of our visit. This particular week we dined out daily at well known established restaurants in the San Diego/ La Jolla area and for a third of the cost received impeccable service, amazing food and great views. After discussion with my partner we realized this was the worst dining experience we had all week and decided to call the manager, he was busy and a message was left...we have yet to receive a return call back. read more

You can tell if a restaurant is fancy shmancy when there's a separate waiter to serve you slices of bread upon request rather than a waiter just dropping off a basket at your table. Someone's job is solely to serve bread, sour dough or multi grain, how awesome! There's really nice patio seating that over looks the pool & golf course, so have lunch outside if the weather is nice. The menu is inspired by what local farmers are growing/selling & what's in season, how great is that? Very simple, very fresh, very good! For lunch, I had the swordfish with fresh beans, fennel, & linguica (a Portuguese sausage) ($18) & boy was it tasty. The fish was perfectly seasoned & melted in my mouth. Others had the butter fish, pork sandwich & brick cooked chicken on creamed corn & celery, all looked equally elegant & delightful. The best part of the meal (surprise, surprise!) was the dessert, pumpkin cake with buttercream frosting with a scoop of brown sugar butter ice cream!! Paula Dean would go crazy for this butter ice cream, it's sooo sweet & creamy, like eating cold butter, haha. And to top off such a fine lunch, they bring you pumpkin spice truffles as a little something to remember them by. Ahh, heaven. read more

The Lodge at Torrey Pines is beautiful in its own right. A.R. Valentien is a very fitting compliment. When we arrived early they were not ready to seat us. We sat at the bar and looked at the wine list. It was a bit overpriced for the wines listed. And I'm not a wine novice, in fact I love wine. I am quite choosy about it as now, in my mid thirties I can have glass or two and then I have to stop. So I had some Rose Brut for $20. The husband completely balked at the prices and refrained. The decor is rich and lush in a craftsman fashion. The seating is complimentary to intimate dining. We were seated at one of the round booths on the far wall. They pulled the curtain to ease the rays of the setting sun, yet we didn't miss the sunset - the draperies were just transparent enough. I have gluten intolerance which means I don't eat wheat, barley or rye. Our server was amazing. She was very knowledgeable about the menu, asked the kitchen if there was an issue and even brought out the pastry chef - Jennifer - when my husband was swooning over the corn/tarragon biscuits. They gave me the recipe and some tips about how to get more rise out of my gluten free biscuits (butter). Thanks! The menu changes often, so you may not get the same choices so I'm not going into the dutiful detail I usually do. My husband ordered the "farm to table" tasting menu. I didn't hear much talking from him besides mmmm this is good and uhmmm. I had the veal sweatbreads to start - this was lovely and the duck for my main. I had pumpkin trio for dessert and my husband had the chocolate trio. Our vegetable was green beans. Everything was perfect. I'm going to have to figure out pumpkin brittle. We ordered a half bottle of pinot with our meal - it was $50- see what I mean? That's a bit much. I was wearing black and had to ask for a black napkin, but they had one. The staff was so very attentive. We had a wonderful time. Our bill was $162.00. If you think about it maybe it is out of your price range - but once a year - it is okay. It was worth the money to me...if you think about it my champagne was $20, our half bottle was $50 so the food was under $100.00 for 3 courses, a side vegetable and coffee with dessert. A BARGAIN - I'm sure they have a corkage fee and next time I'm bringing my own. This is not a place you want to bring small children for dinner. Please don't. I think I was seven when had my first fine dining experience, at that age I had manners, knew what to order and how to behave in a nice restaurant. That said, most children under 13 I've seen recently couldn't sit through a 2.5 hour meal. Instead, Sit in the lounge and snack on things, watch TV, have a nice fire and chat in a more relaxed atmosphere. read more

This is a solid four-star restaurant but loses a star because of their misleading web site listing restaurant week dates as 1/14 to 1/22. We reserved a table on 1/16 thinking we would get access to the 3-course prix fixe advertised on this page: http://www.arvalentien... Of course we did not get access to that menu and were asked why we thought we would. After they checked their own web site the manager returned to apologize and offer free corkage for our two bottles of wine as a consolation. There was nothing we could really do but were very disappointed, as we came specifically for the prix fixe menu. The food off the main menu was well executed and presented thoughtfully. I even got the chef to make the chicken under a brick for me, even though it was not on the main menu. Service was excellent and anticipated our needs for a table of four with diverse needs and varied pace. I was a bit disappointed that the birthday I had specified when making the reservation wasn't acknowledged, but I can let that pass. The prices are well above average, even for the standard dishes, so expect to pay a premium. Though simple dishes can carry a distinctive flair which makes it obvoius the chef really know what he's doing, and that makes it worth it. read more

A great restaurant in The Lodge at Torrey Pines. We started with a great salad with persimmons, apples, cheese, etc. Very light and tasty. Next, two of us had the Duck Breast (something they are known for) and was excellent! One had smoked trout - exceptional. And a "Reuben Plate" that was Corned Veal Cheeks, Sauerkraut, and Thousand Island Dressing. For desert we shared a Pumpkin Cheesecake, and the chef gave us each a Chocolate Truffle and hazelnut balls. read more

My boyfriend and I dined here yesterday evening (after having worked up an appetite hiking Torrey Pines!), and found it to be an all-around delightful experience. We dined on the Veranda overlooking the golf course, and the lovely views were a nice complement to the cuisine. Our server, Christy, was extremely knowledgeable, attentive and gracious, and further ensured our enjoyable evening. The cuisine is fresh, inventive, and delicate--a delight for the senses! read more

A.R. Valentien - Our view from the veranda--pool and golf course. - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

-Attentive service -Fantastic sommelier - they poured our glasses to the top and gave us several tastings of different wines -Appetizers: Citrus Salad, Carrot and Coriander Soup (very good but not amazing) -Entrees: Alaskan Halibut, Salmon with mushroom risotto (both fish dishes could have used a bit more flavor but the risotto was phenomenal) -Vegetable: Roasted Beets (yummy, very heavy), complementary broccolini from the chef (good side) -Great cheese course and bread (5 stars) - definitely order this -Dessert: Black Magic Cake (this was too heavy at the end of our meal and not original, wouldn't recommend this) Overall an enjoyable meal but we were so full by the end we fell asleep 20 minutes later read more