Carmel Valley, CA - Marinus at Bernardus Lodge - 2005 (MOVED)

RATING
(* Poor to ***** Excellent)

Type of Food: Californian French

Food: ****
Service: ***
Atmosphere: ****
Value: ****

Marinus website



GENERAL - If you appreciate Californian-Friench cuisine, then make time for Marinus. It serves the best Cal-French (a bit on the French side to be precise) I've had - well, maybe as good as some of the top San Francisco restaurants. The basics are almost perfect, service is swift and attentive, and ambience is casual and warm. The total dinner experience was absolutely outstanding.

FOOD - We had a variety of dishes including shashimi salad, sweetbread, foie gras, soft-shell crab, lamb rib-eye, filet mignon, etc. Every single dish was great - even the fries that came with kids' food were spectacular! I can't really recommend any specifc dish because they're all fantastic. BTW, try the classic French selection like sweet bread if you don't mind eating tofu made of grease (sorry, hope that didn't ruin your appetite!).

The only reason why I didn't give them five stars is because of its desserts. You can easily find much better desserts in other Carmel restuarants, so we're a bit disappointed. I've had similar experience at other smaller restaurants that might not have a dedicated dessert chef but don't have the courage to say "yes, we bought this from XYZ bakery."

SERVICE - A minor caution here : You might feel that the service is "too efficient" at first - the servants move fast and sometimes seem a bit pushy, but you'll soon realize that they, even the bus boys, are good at what they do and they probably just want to let you go back to your conversation sooner. Some folks have complained about service attitude (ie snobbish), which is somewhat true - and that's why they're getting three stars.

Frankly, I never expect to, nor do I want to, be friend with every waiter who serves me. My attitude is always straight-forward - serve me and leave me alone, but be available when I need you. They've met my minimal requirement.

ATMOSPHERE - Having gone with a large family and small children, we got ourselves a large room that fits 12 people. It's nice but a bit on the cold side. The common area is a lot cozier. Most people dress casually. The size of the rooms, lighting, and the proximity to its garden makes it look really warm and relaxing. Nevertheless, there seems to be a rush in the air from the running waitresses - maybe it's because there was a wedding in the garden that day and they were just overwhelmed.

VALUE - Alright, this is not one of those places that you would say "hey, that was a great deal" after the dinner; but for the quality of food and ambience, the prices seem quite reasonable. After all, Carmel is not a place where you expect to find bargains. Compare to an equally good Cal-French between a freeway and a 3rd grade shopping center in San Jose (OK, I'm thinking Le Papillon), it's actually almost a bargain.

BOTTOMLINE - The 10-min drive on the dark one-lane Carmel Valley Rd. proved to be well worth it. If you want to treat your out-of-town guests right, just ask them to follow your car and they'll be in for a real pleasant surprise!