Aubergine the restaurant at L'Auberge Carmel Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea

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Reviews
#28 From 108 in Carmel-by-the-Sea
9.1
120 Review
Ambience
9.1/10
Food
9.1/10
Interior
9.1/10
Prices
9.1/10
Service
9.1/10
More details
Price & Cuisine
$ American, New American , Contemporary
Establishment type
Restaurant
About
Both African Odyssey and Aubergine are recommended for visiting. Cooks at this bar do their best to provide guests with good oysters, tuna and ribeye. Nicely cooked pudding, biscuits and brioches are the best dishes. The wine list is extensive, it can satisfy the needs of all visitors. Great tea or delicious coffee will make your meal better and you'll surely come back. The success of Aubergine would be impossible without the terrific staff. Cool service is something that people highlight in their comments. This place provides food at democratic prices. The modern decor and homey ambiance let clients feel relaxed here. It's a Michelin one-star bar, this award is usually given for providing delicious dishes.
Reviews
120 reviews
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Dined in December 2022 Wine pairing price 250 USD (300 w/ default included tip) Retail value 54 Markup 4.7x (Closer to 4x w/out errors, see below) This is in the lower 20th percentile of value compared to the 34 pairings I've documented. There are two pairing offerings, the basic for 175 and a reserve for 250 which was pitched as offering some older vintages. Overall the wine offered was unique with offerings from Austria, Greece, France, California, and sake from Japan. Avg (retail) price per bottle served was 80. The pours were definitely on the smaller side, I took 2 sips before the amadai fish was served and almost ran out of wine. It wasn't clear that the last wine was to go over 2 dessert dishes and my partner ran out of wine before the 2nd was served. The oldest vintages served were 2012, 2013, and 2014, which pales in comparison to similarly priced tastings at 3-michelin star spots like Quince (275 in 2019) which offered pours from 1985, 1989, 1996, and 2006. According to the menu that we asked for at the end, we realized that they didn't bring us the first pairing w/ the amuse bouche which was a pour from a $120 small bottle of sake and would have made the markup for the pairing to a 4x markup which is more reasonable, but still on the higher side in the bottom third of value. The food was really nice. I loved the explanations from the sous chefs Tiffany and Diane. Diane even came out when we had a questions about the jus served alongside the ribeye and gave an excellent description of the 2+ day process which we really appreciated. The first dessert was nice (sweet, creamy and pretty). The 2nd was disappointing. Generally both lacked a strong texture. The ending dessert bites were elegant and delicious! Service Dine in Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 3 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 4
Dined in December 2022 Wine pairing price 250 USD (300 w/ default included tip) Retail value 54 Markup 4.7x (Closer to 4x w/out errors, see below) This is in the lower 20th percentile of value compared to the 34 pairings I've documented. There are two pairing offerings, the basic for 175 and a reserve for 250 which was pitched as offering some older vintages. Overall the wine offered was unique with offerings from Austria, Greece, France, California, and sake from Japan. Avg (retail) price per bottle served was 80. The pours were definitely on the smaller side, I took 2 sips before the amadai fish was served and almost ran out of wine. It wasn't clear that the last wine was to go over 2 dessert dishes and my partner ran out of wine before the 2nd was served. The oldest vintages served were 2012, 2013, and 2014, which pales in comparison to similarly priced tastings at 3-michelin star spots like Quince (275 in 2019) which offered pours from 1985, 1989, 1996, and 2006. According to the menu that we asked for at the end, we realized that they didn't bring us the first pairing w/ the amuse bouche which was a pour from a $120 small bottle of sake and would have made the markup for the pairing to a 4x markup which is more reasonable, but still on the higher side in the bottom third of value. The food was really nice. I loved the explanations from the sous chefs Tiffany and Diane. Diane even came out when we had a questions about the jus served alongside the ribeye and gave an excellent description of the 2+ day process which we really appreciated. The first dessert was nice (sweet, creamy and pretty). The 2nd was disappointing. Generally both lacked a strong texture. The ending dessert bites were elegant and delicious! Service Dine in Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 3 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 4
Service Dine in Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 3 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 4
avatar
Dave Jukich
Source: google
10
A month ago
The cuisine and wine pairings were absolutely outstanding. The staff did an excellent job with each course presentation were very informative. The sommelier staff did an excellent job with their wine selections for both the standard and premium tastings and they were also the catalyst that created a wonderful energy in between the courses. We would definitely recommend the wagyu "add on". The wagyu blew us away! Thanks Aubergine Carmel for a magnificent night and a birthday my wife will remember forever!! Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
avatar
Hailey Kieu
Source: google
10
A month ago
Not gonna lie, I spent an arm and a leg here, but it was worth it to treat my partner and I out on a weekend getaway! I would say expect to spend around $400-$500 for two (without any extras like wine, etc etc.). Everything was solid, but MAN the brioche bread stole the show (trust me, it’s the most amazing bread that I’ve tasted and felt in my mouth. The softness, butteriness, lightness, melt-in-your-mouth-ness is unreal.). My partner and I have been craving the bread ever since! They also gave us a complimentary aubergine/eggplant chocolate to bring home! Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
avatar
Hailey Kieu
Source: google
10
A month ago
Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
AMAZING! Every bite was tasty, every dish was thoughtful and perfectly composed. The service was impeccable, the ambiance was unmatched. As someone that has eaten at all of the 3 star Michelin restaurants in New York (working on the ones in Cali!), I have to say that this eclipses all of them and stands as one of the best meals I have had! Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes Kumamoto Oysters
avatar
Dave Jukich
Source: google
10
2 months ago
The cuisine and wine pairings were absolutely outstanding. The staff did an excellent job with each course presentation were very informative. The sommelier staff did an excellent job with their wine selections for both the standard and premium tastings and they were also the catalyst that created a wonderful energy in between the courses. We would definitely recommend the wagyu "add on". The wagyu blew us away! Thanks Aubergine Carmel for a magnificent night and a birthday my wife will remember forever!! Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
avatar
Yao Wong
Source: google
10
2 months ago
A fantastic restaurant well worth a visit Service Dine in Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4
Meal type Dinner Price per person $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes Kumamoto Oysters
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