The Sur House
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All meals were inclusive with the stay Everything we order was delicious , freshly order and great flavor of each dishes/dessert ! Breakfast was all inclusive where you can order as much as you want where dinner was limited to one entree but it was enough with the 3 courses ! Great customer services and my the ambiance of the restaurant perch along the mountain was mesmerizing ! Thanks for making our stay memorable ! We booked with points with Hyatt and was definitely worth the splurge!
We had both dinner and breakfast here during our 2 nights stay. Dinner was a bit disappointing overall. Service was quite slow, took a least an hour to get our entree and the food tasted like fairly average restaurant. None of the dishes really stood out or felt particularly memorable. One thing we did appreciate was that the restaurant is very dog-friendly and even offers a menu for dogs, which was a nice touch. The outdoor seating area was also beautiful, especially during sunset, making for a great dining atmosphere. Breakfast was definitely the better meal. There was a wide variety of options to choose from, including fresh-pressed juices, and everything we tried was flavorful and enjoyable. The quality and selection were noticeably better than dinner. Overall, the meals were okay, but I expected a lot more given that this restaurant is part of a Hyatt Category 8 property. The setting and breakfast were highlights, but the dinner experience didn't quite live up to expectations.
The best thing about the restaurant is its ambience. It is located overlooking the Pacific Ocean inside the Alila Ventana resort. On a warm April weekend, it was a beautiful place for brunch. We started with a few cocktails and mocktails. They were all well made and presented, but the favorites were the Cowboy and the Negroni. Cowboy had a nice presentation and had a smoky taste. Tomatini consommé did not have the flavor of Bloody Mary and tasted alright. Falafel Benedict was a nice idea with two eggs Benedict set on two falafels. It tasted good and falafel were a tasty and healthy replacement for English muffins. California Frittata came in a cast iron pan and was also well done. These two dishes were on the smaller portion size. Ventana breakfast and Margherita pizza were on the larger portion sizes and both tasted good. We tried three dessert and while they were all decent, none of them were impressive - Heirloom Wheat Waffles (shareable with 4 people), Strawberry Tiramisu (on the sour side) and Ricotta Zeppole (the custard was quite generic). The service was excellent, even though things moved at a relaxed pace. We did not mind it with the beautiful setting, weather and the view of the pacific.
Phenomenal dining experience Eating here is an integral experience of staying at Alila. They serve a brunch menu (for breakfast and lunch) as well as dinner. All food and non-alcoholic drinks are included with your stay (with a 1 entree limit for dinner). Over the course of our stay here, we tried the majority of the menu. Most of the food was top notch with the highlights being: *Moroccan Shakshuka - Comes out pipping hot in a mini cast iron pan. The spicy kick is infused within the eggs and peppers. Pairs perfectly with the toasted pita *Porchetta Sandwich - The pork was so rich and juicy and the crusty roll soaked up all the juices *Smoked San Marzano Bisque - The tomato flavor is very concentrated and infused with a pleasant smoke. A touch of creme makes it perfect. *Salt Spring Mussels - The fresh mussels were very tender and paired well with their spicy, smokey sausage. *La Bistecca - Medium-rare filet with roasted onions and chimichurri. Can't go wrong here. Areas for improvement: Their pizza crust is a tad thick and too floury for my taste. Their squid ink pasta is also too thick and chewy. A note about service: On the first night, I ordered their signature Marine Layer drink which has a bubble with Lavender smoke in it. Their machine malfunctioned, resulting in no smoke. I spoke to the manager about it and he personally rectified the issue for the second night and provided two complimentary drinks. This is an example of stellar service. Kudos to the staff for their commitment to a quality experience. Ambiance: The view is simply unbeatable. Ask for a table on the far edge near the water. You get a landscape view of the ocean and the adjacent hills. At sunset, the view is bathed in orange. PSA: The dinner reservations for the good times fill up rather quickly. Ask the concierge to book for you as soon as your book the hotel!
The view is high up--no white foam from this vantage point. All the seating is outdoors with fire pits, heating lamps, and blankets readily available to keep you comfortable. The service is very good. Everyone was friendly, capable, and attentive. For the price point, I was disappointed on several levels. First, we were celebrating a very important family milestone which I communicated to the restaurant well in advance. Rather than assure me that they would take fantastic care of us, I had to spend countless hours ensuring that they would. Luckily, I brought my own table decorations since none (like rose petals or seashells) were provided. Other high-end restaurants that we've frequented would have done that AND decorated the dessert plates. It was lovely to have the surprise champagne toasts with the desserts. That was the only surprise. The food was fine--nothing extraordinary and the steak was not tough but it didn't cut like butter as we expected. We had a nice time, but we will try another restaurant the next time we visit.
Someone decided it was a good idea for me to become Yelp Elite so naturally I had to ball out on this trip so my first review as a Yelp Elite SLAPS! JK I booked this on points a year in advance because it was the best way to get the cheapest point redemption at 45k points per night. Sadly this is going away with the devaluation... Ok onto the food, service, and vibes. Food - The breakfast was phenomenal...don't sleep on this place! While the dinners were also great. It's definitely memorable when you think about where you are and how the food is so darn good. It has a farm to table vibe while tasting like fine dining. The standouts to me was the Ventana Breakfast (basic but so goood) and the Branzino (catch of the day) which was cooked to perfection. Service - The breakfast service was sort of a miss on one day where they forgot my avocados to go with my Ventana Breakfast but we had great service at dinner. Our dinner servers on one night was Leo and he was so pleasant and kind of reminded me of Pedro Pascal lol Vibes - Each time we came here the music was exactly what I wanted. From sunset vibes like Tycho to 2000's soft rock....each meal had the right energy. It was relaxing but still upbeat. I found myself smiling and being grateful for being able to experience such a resort and restaurant! Overall I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5. The inconsistency in service was surprising but it wasn't a big deal. I highly recommend staying here at least once! Especially if you need a break from city life but are too bougie for real camping lol
Accommodated me for brunch on my way down the coast even though I wasn't staying at the hotel. I read that this place was good for dogs and it didn't disappoint. Staff was very welcoming of pets, and provided great service overall. The patio was spacious and didn't make me feel that I was crowding into other people or animals space. Human tomato bisque and mimosa was great, dog menu exceeded all expectations
Being technically the only real restaurant in the resort and we had to eat breakfast here everyday it is hard not to get sick of the dishes from the limited menu. The all you can eat is also not really all you can eat. There are a bunch of limitations and the portions are not big. Nothing really stood out for me and I remember the octopus being very salty. Overall, I did not have a great impression.
Fortunate to be able to stay at the resort for a few days. This is the primary restaurant for meals. The Sur House is also open to the public, so it can get crowded during dinner time as the views from the terrace are spectacular. It was foggy two of the 3 days so it is limited of what you can see, however being so close to the ocean and breathing in fresh air morning and evening is good for the soul. The day it was clear, get there early for sunset dining - the view is worth it. The service staff is friendly and the chefs are creative with the menu. It's a limited menu, but you can find something for all types of eater - carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, etc. As it's an all inclusive, temper expectations as it's not a Michelin star/Bib Gourmand restaurant. It's good quality ingredients made in bulk for the day. Sometimes items needed more salt (or less!), sometimes it needed more spice (you can ask for hot sauce/salsa), etc. The best bites were 1/ pesto arancini balls (only during happy hour) - best deep fried item I've had ever ... crispy shell with a well balanced pesto, rice and cheese inside that is creamy, hot and delicious, 2/ zeppole (donut holes, available only during brunch) that are piping hot, pillowy and airy, not too sweet (dusted with powered sugar) and so incredible with a cup of coffee. Sometimes they do try to do too much like the Ventana sorbet, it had 6 ingredients and none were distinct and due to the combo, it threw off the texture - very grainy/bumpy vs silky smooth. The honeyed / fig panna cotta was a little to stiff for a panna cotta. the olive oil cake is divine - kind of like a twinkie (for those that remember the 70s and 80s) and it's shaped a little like one too. It comes with ripe, not overly sweet plums which is a perfect compliment.
One of my favorite restaurants by far. I had the mussels for an appetizer - absolutely mouth watering, especially paired with the bread as suggested by the staff ;) For entree, I had the chicken and risotto plates - both excellent. My favorite was definitely the risotto as the truffle was the perfect complement. For dessert I had the chocolate mousse (forget the technical menu name) - this was excellent. Rich and decadent but the portion was small enough that every bite was enjoyable. I can't wait to come back!
We had 3 brunches and 2 dinners here during our all inclusive stay at Alila Ventana. During dinner, our waiter Ramiro, who we had both nights, provided great service and was very knowledgeable about the local region and hiking options, also the ambiance is amazing. We love the ocean views! Watch out for the wasps, they are curious about the food (some people requested fans to keep them away). Our favorite dishes: Brunch: ricotta zeppole, ventana sorbet, falafel entree, carbonara pizza Dinner: olive oil cake, scallop appetizer, steak entree For brunch coffee alternatives, they offer matcha and chai lattes. Our favorite cocktail was the Marine Layer, which is a fun fog-inspired drink with a bubble on top that you can blow and if explodes into "fog". In general, we felt that cocktails paired better with the entrees here than wine, due to some of the sauces having a lot of flavors going on that aren't always complementary with wine. That being said, we enjoyed the Barolo paired with the Squid ink Pasta.
4 months ago
I don't like to leave bad reviews but after waiting 30 mins for this lavender drink with the outside of this glass sticky and full of syrup I'm wondering if this is a rookie joke? Really surprised at this honestly. read more
Staying at the Alila Ventana again allows us to dine breakfast, second breakfast if you're a hobbit, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. Yes we could leave the resort for dining but one it's inclusive (minus alcohol) and two it's simply a fantastic restaurant on all fronts. The outside patio is the primary seating area and gives you a great view of the Pacific and the lush green hillsides of Big Sur. On a sunny day you might be lucky to see a California Condor gliding the thermals. This stay in March had a bit of cold weather and on night two dinner was held inside the restaurant, a first for us. Redwood furnishings all around and a huge fireplace adorn the inside. The food is epic of course. Staying two nights allowed us to sample more of the menu which features locally sourced ingredients. Here's what we had: Breakfast-Granola and yogurt, avocado toast, Ventana breakfast, chorizo scramble, French toast, crispy rice, fresh berries, juice and smoothies of the day. Lunch-Churassco with shrimp topping, fish of the day ( swordfish and ahi), fish tacos, burger, gem & kale salad, habanero wings, hummus with pita bread, and guacamole with chips. Dinner-bucatini cacio e pepe, camapnelle, black cod, rigatoni all'amatriciana, Iberia pork chop, and beef tenderloin. I ordered old fashioned's. Special kudos to Arkangel who served us twice during our stay. Arkangel was very welcoming and he gave some fantastic hints for the restaurant namely, if you order the lunch churassco, top it off with shrimp and then at the Social Hour for the complementary Marine Layer drink, have the bartender place your glasses side by side so that when he creates the smoke bubble it actually forms a rainbow shape. See my pictures! Dining here is just a complete 5 star experience! read more
5 months ago
Food was great, service was great, and the atmosphere was great. Our resort stay was great would recommend. read more
1 year ago
Went to Big Sur for a day trip with my man. What can I say? The Sur House was a 10/10. I enjoyed the view, service, food, and just the lovely environment I was in. Even the restroom was so beautiful. When my man and I discovered it was a resort we started to look into and decided in the near future we'd make this one of our stays. I had the Churrasco, it was cooked perfect. I don't eat radish but that added an amazing kick, I do think the cilantro lime rice could've had a tiny bit of more flavor. He had the Cult Classic Burger, he enjoyed every bite! (I enjoyed his fries.. SO FLAVORFUL) I can't remember our drinks names but they were off the mocktail menu and we just added tequila. The price range was perfect especially because of the view. Last but not least, our server and the hostess were great! They were very attentive. Our server also recommended us place to go nearby after our lunch. Thank you again! We enjoyed your service. read more
11 months ago
We had Spanish Octopus and Duck leg for dinner both were excellent, Sur house staff was able to accommodated wife's request to make personalized salad with thousand Island dressing and also made scrambled eggs and green leaf vegetable for that we were much appreciated it. read more
2 years ago
Favorites Sable fish Octopus Chocolate chip cookies Burger Ribeye steak Mango habanero wings Gorgeous views overlooking the ocean, great service, heat lamps galore, fireplaces/pits, and delicious food. For a long weekend, we enjoyed trying all the options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The only item we did not love was the apple entremet which looked better than it tasted. read more
Stopped by on MLK Day for lunch. lunch is open to the public and kids/pets. Lunch was served on the patio overlooking the ocean. Service was slightly slow, but it was the lunch time. Food was good (above average). Fish tacos were flavorful and fresh, a bit on the healthy side. Burger was good, nothing to complain about. For dessert we ordered mango matcha chia pudding and bread pudding. Both were great (and paired well together) light, not too sweet or heavy. read more
We enjoyed a sunny yet chilly day having lunch at this beautiful restaurant. The service was excellent. Our servers made us feel welcomed. The views are amazing. The setting is romantic yet laidback. They would definitely get a five star if the food menu and taste was equally good. Unfortunately the tacos had no flavor and the burger was dry despite ordering medium. read more
Delicious food, friendly service, and beautiful views. Stayed at Alila Ventana for a weekend getaway and had a great time with the help of the fantastic dining experience we had at the resort's restaurant. We ate so much and really took advantage of the all inclusive dining. My favorite breakfast items were the Big Sur Mushroom Tartine and French Toast. The Chorizo Scramble was pretty solid too. For lunch, we ordered from the front desk area and ate by one of the outdoor fireplaces. We had the Tomato Bisque and Grilled Cheese which was a great combo. The Almond Butter and Jelly Sandwich was fantastic as well. Between our 2 dinners at the resort we had the Celeriac Soup, Spanish Octopus, Campanelle pasta, Fogline Farms Chicken, and Kvaroy Salmon. I'm sure I'm forgetting something here but really nothing was bad. I remember really enjoying the soup and pasta! There's also an outdoor area at the main restaurant but the that seems to have been closed since we came during the winter season. Still a great place to sit and enjoy the sunset before dinner. Cant' wait for our next visit! read more
4 months ago
Stayed at the resort for 3 nights so I had 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 dinners here. The menu did not change during that time period but there was plenty to choose from. The views are just amazing. Mainly outdoor dining and they had a lot of seating options where you can see the ocean. The wait staff was always top notch. Attentive and friendly. The food was AMAZING. I've attached photos and each item was perfectly plated and prepared. 5 stars for food, service, and consistency. read more
8 months ago
3 years ago
The views at the Sur House are incredible! This is a place where the natural beauty of the setting is hard to beat. We dined here two evenings in a row being guests at Alila Ventana. We even saw an incredible double rainbow starting off the side of the mountain going into the ocean- WOW! The cuisine was good but lacked consistency from one meal to the next. Both evenings were fine but the food on the first was more preferable. I had the same entree both nights, and the second night seemed like a way different dish. But before I get into that, let me rewind a bit and talk about the standout things first. Okay, I already mentioned how incredible the view is, believe me- it's incredible. If weather is agreeable, definitely do outdoor dining. The interior of the restaurant is like a luxe cabin feel with expansive exposed beams. It's refined, but not far removed from it's Big Sur woodsy setting. The service was great- very friendly and engaging. In that department, they deliver and come off as being genuinely personable. From the dinner menu, you pick an appetizer and a pasta or entree, or pick a pasta and an entree. I choose to go with the burrata as my app the first evening and the Mushroom Pasta. The burrata was good- it wasn't great. I've had better iterations of this dish. There were too many chives that drowned out the delicate taste of the burrata. The pasta was a remarkable texture and the sauce was so rich and spot on delicious. It was a very gratifying dish. For dessert I got 3 scoops of ice cream/ sorbet. The pistachio ice cream was very good and the mixed berry sorbet was also nice. The third scoop of ice cream was not what I was expecting. It was a salted caramel. I didn't care for it as it was on the bitter side. It had an aggressive taste to it- which is kind of an odd way to describe an ice cream flavor, but here we are. There was also a crumble served with the ice cream, but it didn't add anything special to the dish. It was an unpleasant texture and I just didn't understand why someone would want to add this to the smooth, creamy ice cream. The texture was like sand. The first night was a pretty tip-top experience. Also worthy of mention, my husband really enjoyed his food that evening. He had the king salmon for his appetizer (which I tasted, and it was bursting with flavor) and the duck as an entree. I'm not a fan of duck, so I didn't try, but my husband raves about how delicious it was- especially the skin. The next evening, we dined at the same time and were even seated at the same table as the evening before. This time around I ordered lump crab appetizer. It was a sizable amount of sweet jumbo lump crab meat with a citrus sauce. It was good, but somehow missed the mark. I think the sauce was too thin and the chunks of grapefruit gave the dish an unexpected element that I think it could have done without. For my main entree, I had the same mushroom pasta dish. This time there seemed to be a lot more sauce in the dish and the consistency was a lot thinner. Even soupy. This was a complete turn from just the night before. The ice cream the following night was similar but this time the pistachio ice cream had an insane amount of pistachios in it and it was just too much to bite and chew ice cream with razor sharp pieces. Also, there was no whip cream served with the ice cream on night two, but it was served on the first night- I was bummed whip cream wasn't included on the second ice cream round. Overall, The Sur House is pretty good. The views are the big draw, and there are great food items, but the inconsistency from one night to the next were puzzling. read more
9 months ago
11 months ago
Enjoy check-in day lunch, great scenery, but having yellow jackets and fly issues on the terrace. Food-wise, they are good since they are free.... But if I will have to pay $20+ for the sandwich, I will say not worth it...... read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
Give 5 star to our server Richard for how awesome he was! Food was great too, but rarely do service and food get both. Richard was able to accommodate the challenges we had with great customer care. In addition, the supporting staff went out there way to take pictures of my wife and future baby girl during our baby moon which made the event unforgettable. Thank you for all the people who work there providing a great experience and food even when unexpected stuff happens they still can roll with the punch! read more
It's the go-to spot in Big Sur for an upscale meal with excellent service, great amenities, and an amazing view. Parking is super easy, including free EV charging. The restaurant itself is quite large, but they usually only use the patio. It can be a bit sunny, but it's got an amazing view both of the ocean and the mountains. We were even able to see a rocket launch from Vandenberg during dinner! Dining is included with your stay at Alila, so we only purchased a few drinks. What's nice is that we could try almost everything! We have been here twice, and it's been amazing both times. A few memorable dishes we tried... Good fries, especially when dipped in their amazing house guacamole. For lunch, we'd recommend the loaded grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, cheese, and avocado. The burger is tasty also. Breakfast and dinner are equally as good as lunch. And, don't miss the dessert and cocktails! The Fog Cutter cocktail is Insta-worthy and refreshing. On top of it all, the staff is hospitable and professional. It's pricey, but totally worthwhile. Keep up the great work! read more
Big Sur, Ca. This lunch was quite the experience. I enjoyed pretty much every thing about this place. Everyone here was friendly and polite, even the groundskeepers. We sat outside on the spacious patio overlooking the forest towards the sea. The patio is nicely shaded and on this day, no bugs. I had swordfish cooked perfectly on a well presented plate that looked like it came from a Michelin star place. My wife's plate, a marinated strip steak was similarly adorned. This steak had considerable favor as well as the fish. Our lattes were good but way too small for the price. For dessert we tried all four flavors of their ice creams and sorbets. They were all good, I give high marks to the berry sorbet and the pear ice cream. One can view the kitchen and how things are prepared. While watching how meticulously the servings are prepared and plated, I was wondering what is standard procedure in the restaurant business concerning using gloves or just making sure hands are well washed. I could see here that the attention to detail almost mandated gloveless hands. read more
The service was excellent, ambiance was great and food was simple but so delicious! I was in town for a little getaway and my friend booked this place for lunch. We had fish tacos, a salad that had really good dressing and chips and salsa. Really enjoyed the experience! read more
We dined at the Sur House as part of our inclusive stay at Ventana Big Sur this past weekend. We dined in for dinner and lunch the following day and ordered room service for breakfast. Overall the food was better than I expected. Service at the restaurant was excellent, all staff were warm, polite and friendly. For dinner our server Juan was excellent in giving us recommendations. Cocktails are good, we opted to get the complimentary Sunset Hour cocktail only but it was delicious and worth paying for outside of the inclusive package. For dinner we really enjoyed the hamachi crudo and crab cake. I also really liked the hen egg - wonderfully soft poached egg in a mushroom broth. Entrees we got the seared duck breast with beet puree and farro, as well as the scallops. The duck was excellent and the beet puree made this a perfect dish, 10/10. The scallops were also delightful and perfectly cooked - I think they were slightly heavy on the chili oil but still good. We got two desserts (tiramisu and carrot cake) and they were both good. The restaurant was really cozy and romantic during dinnertime. Reservations are required for dinner if you're staying at the resort. Breakfast in our room was decent, nothing special but still good. We got the ventana breakfast and the croque madame and they were both well executed. Lunch highlight was the churrasco - this was superbly cooked, flavor and texture of the beef was on point. My husband really liked the guac and said it was the best he's had, I thought it was alright. We also enjoyed the hummus and the chicken tortilla soup. The market fish was ok, it was grilled tuna, a skippable dish since the miso soy glaze was a bit too salty and the fish was a bit overdone, would have preferred a very light sear. I believe the Sur House has very strong offerings for dinner and may be worth a visit for their dinner menu if you are passing through the area. As part of the resort package I was very satisfied, particularly with the service. Everyone was extremely attentive and I believe that our great dining experience at the Sur House was a large contributing factor to our satisfaction with the resort overall. read more
7 months ago
1 year ago
So this restaurant is a bit unique. It opens to the public for breakfast and lunch (confirmed with the wonderful waitress Jannett during lunch) and only for resort guests during dinner. It was our 4th time in the last 2 years visiting this restaurant. During this trip we had 1 lunch and 2 dinner here. The drink menu is the same throughout the day. I would say this restaurant is modern california coastal cuisine. During our last stay, in Dec 2022, it was focus mostly in seafood. Some highlight during dinner: The potage was really good, especially with the bacon jam. The shrimp in appetizer was grilled and very flavorful For entree we had scallop one day because the sablefish was out. What a great surprise! Cooked to perfection too! We also had Salmon because the rockfish was out in one of the day. I also had ribeye but the protein portion was a bit smaller than I thought, maybe 8 oz? But hey, it's all inclusive. So they don't mine you trying more than 1 dish. So again, dinner is only for resort guests. The setting is very cozy. Before you visit the resort the concierge would help you schedule dinner reservation which I highly recommend. I saw some guests had to wait at the bar for 1+ hour. The bar area is very well design and there is a wood fireplace which is very cozy too. We dined indoor this time because it was rainning. Otherwise their giant outdoor patio are very nice! read more
2 years ago
Service is good and everyone is friendly the view is amazing you are going to feel like want to come back read more
2 years ago
We visited this place for my mother in laws birthday! And I have to say 100/10!!!! Top tier service, ambiance,food!!!! Amazing!!!!!!! I love the warm welcome and the weather tied it up all together!!!!!! I loved the whole experience here! Although it is on the pricier side of things. I definitely recommend!!!!!! Epic view!!!!! read more
8 months ago
11 months ago
9 months ago
3 years ago
THIS IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND OPTION I had a dinner at the Sur House. Atmosphere 5/5 One of the best pacific panoramic view in the Big Sur. Service (servers) 5/5 We forgot to ask the name of the server. However, he is a tall guy with gray hair. He is ver gentle and friendly. He made a great conversation with us which made us feel really amazing. The food and drinks that he recommended are all phenomenal. Foods (4/5) Respect your elder - well balanced cocktailed with amazing garnished. Taste like Negroni & old fashioned. A method of a cloak - A rich floral cocktail which represents all the flowers in Alila Ventana Big Sur. Hen Egg - This is the must (period) Steak - a bit overcooked but the quality is great. We deducted score from this one. Duck - 10/10. That is. Manager 0/5 We had a reservation at 8 pm and we arrived on time. We were asked to wait at the couch. Then, It was past 8 pm. we noticed there was another couple checking in after us. That couple was waiting at the couch too. Then, that couple was seated. I was wondering why. So, I asked the host at the check in counter. The answer I got is "They booked at different time slots". Here is what I have been thinking. 1. How does Sur House prioritize late guests over on time guests? 2. Or they just forget to seat us and try to find a good excuse? Nevermind, I do not want to ruin the night. So, we got seated a few seconds later. We got the second row seats. And we notice that there is another table leaving where we would like to move there. The manager came to talk to us and apologize about the check in process. We accepted it. Then, we asked to move to that table. The manager said that the table will be taken care of by another server who is already overloaded. Food and services will be delayed. Me: So, you would not seat anyone there, wouldn't you? The manager: No, we will not seat anyone for a while. Me: Can we move there to enjoy the view and take photos while waiting for food? The manager: If you sit there, we will need to sanitize all again. Oh my goodness, this is blowing my mind. I do not want to deal with this person anymore. I do not want to ruin the atmosphere and the night. How long will it take to sanitize? You don't even seat anyone. This makes me feel like being *RACISM* of being an Asian. I really do not want to feel this way since this is a very high end restaurant where many international travellers visit. This is really unfortunate. She made me feel that way. Furthermore!!! Next 10-15 minutes, that table got seated and they even received all the food and services and left the table before us. I really beg Alila Ventana Big Sur and The Sur House to take the action seriously. This should not occur again to any other guest or anyone. I hope my message reaches the management and they will arrange a proper training to their staff, especially managers level who handles the customer issues. I still love and would like to revisit Alila. Hopefully these will get solved. read more
2 years ago
Why fly thousands of miles away if you know you have a place like this in your own backyard - that is if you already live in California and can access it from the north going south on the 1. When you walk out to the back patio, it opens up to the most beautiful outdoor bar and several dining spots right next to the ocean cliff side, with rolling clouds wisping by as if we were in the sky. Food was beautiful and as delicious as it looked. Wonderful staff made up of people who are passionate about the California coast, farm to table, and the art of making every dish or drink look exquisite. read more
Rustic Beauty Amid the rain, wind, and cold, we entered a rustic oasis for dinner The Sur House is located at the Alila Ventana, Hyatt's most exclusive property in Northern California The restaurant is open to both the public and resort guests and we dined among the redwoods and coastline in the protected high ceiling interior A special dinner experience for a special guest Baked Oysters / Celeriac and French Butter Pear Potage / Beef Ribeye ~ pomme purée, cranberry beans, seasonal root vegetable, roasted tomato vinaigrette / Rockfish ~ stewed peppers and onions, polenta, lump crab, saffron / Carrot Cake / Dulcev Bay The Sur House (Big Sur, CA) read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Enjoyed stay at Alila property and had dinner here, views is absolutely unbelievable, nice staff and food. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
The Sur House for dinner is quite the experience! I came here on a solo, week-long trip in Big Sur and decided to treat myself to dinner here. The staff and service were all so professional, kind, and offered a hospitality that made the whole experience amazing. I felt so taken care of by everyone. The ambiance is classy, yet un-fussy. It felt like a relaxed cabin type vibe with simple, refined decor features. Something I appreciated was that the dress-code was fairly relaxed for a place that offers an upscale meal. (Good for those who are camping/glamping!) I made an early reservation at 5:15pm so that I could get a good table and beat the dinner rush. I was seated at a two-top near the back right by the window with lovely views of the patio and fog-covered mountainside that this luxury resort is perched on. When I dined there on 5/24/23 it was a 3-course menu, including dessert. I ended up adding an extra item and ordering a glass of wine, all which totaled $192 for one person. (It is a pre-fix menu that includes gratuity). I had the oysters (which were a special that evening), the pasta with wild foraged mushrooms (this was my extra item), the salmon (which was perfectly cooked and SO good!), and the apple "entrement" for dessert, (which was a delightful surprise, a fun presentation, and the perfect amount of sweet without being too much). Everything was SO good. The flavors, the preparation, and presentation were all spot on. Let me tell you, especially the ladies...if there's anything that makes a woman feel like a million bucks, it's treating yourself to a solo dinner at The Sur House! Do it. You won't regret it. I can't remember my server's name but she was kind of tall, I think had been there a long time (10 years?). She was fantastic! Her and the rest of the staff had this perfect balance of superb service with an unpretentious approach, which I really appreciated. She made ordering so simple, easy, and delightful. We made small talk and she was very pleasant. I came back a few days later to enjoy a cocktail on my last day in Big Sur and Roy was bartending that afternoon and he just really was the cherry on top of the whole experience. He remembered me from a few nights prior (which surprised me for some reason) and welcomed me as if I were a well-known guest. Never underestimate the power of being remembered and greeted with a friendly, familiar face! He made me a drink that was off-menu based on the flavor profiles I gave him and it was delicious! He really made me feel so taken care of, welcomed, and treated! Like I had been coming there for years, even though I was just a stranger tourist passing through. I will definitely be back here on my next trip to Big Sur. Thank you, Roy and the rest of the Sur House family! The excellence of your hospitality is so appreciated. read more
3 years ago
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Ask the Community - The Sur House
If we are staying at the ventana campsite, can we eat at the Sur house?
Yes but I believe you have to make a reservation
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The Sur House - newamerican - Updated July 2026
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