Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel
The daily changing eight course Tasting Menu is an of-the-moment celebration of seasonality and creativity. For a supplement, course-by-course wine pairings are available. The menu served nightly highlights the best ingredients of the season, enhanced by skillful technique and an eye toward varied textures and flavors. Desserts, masterfully prepared by Chef Santos, are irresistible complements to Cogley’s savory courses.
Reservation Cancellation Policy: 24 Hours Prior to Reservation Time.
Late Cancellation Fee: $125 per person Cancelling.
Menu: Eight Course Tasting Menu
Dining Room Attire: Smart Casual. Jackets for gentlemen are encouraged. Ties are optional. No t-shirts, shorts, or te
Private Dining
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Most unbelievable and amazing restaurant/ meal I have ever had. Highly recommend the reserve wine pairing too!! So good.
Marvellous food. Great wine list. Knowledgeable staff. Elegant ambience. Enjoyed the surprise tasting menu! There was a bit of a delay in seating us and felt a bit ignored till we were seated. But, once we were seated they made up for everything with the dining experience! Would definitely go back and possibly even stay at the inn.
Service and food was impeccable, everything you would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant. Seating was outdoor due to the restrictions, which was the only downfall of the experience, with people coming and going out of their hotel rooms into the dining area. That would be my only small compliant, but nothing to take away from a great dining experience during the pandemic. Justin Cogley and his staff are doing great things, we'll be back.
Absolutely spectacular as always!
Thank you for making this a very memorial and special experience for us!!
This meal was so incredible. The service was incredibly personable. My boyfriend and I don’t drink alcohol and the mock tails were even delicious. It’s an amazing experience.
Good but expensive. Great service especially by the sommelier.
Excellent, sophisticated, classy - just as we have come to expect. They run a clean and smooth operation. Staff are friendly, courteous, professional and the food is excellent!
Special experience-Very good food selectiion. Portion control fine.
Wine selection great-Corkage much too high.
Would recommend to any "foodie" who want a great evening experience.
Everything was great! Wonderful atmosphere and awesome food! Will be back for more.
The food was phenomenal, the service was outstanding. Each dish was thoughtfully crafted and decorated and delicious! The ambiance was delightful, as if you were dining in a courtyard in France. It was a perfect evening to celebrate my birthday!
Brilliant all round
Would have liked more time between courses.
Due to Covid, the restaurant is currently located in courtyard of hotel - very quant and lovely. Food was exquisite! Hands down our favorite experience in Carmel dining.
Consistently spectacular. The staff is a great combination of attentive and friendly. Accommodating of our many allergies
Hands-down the best wagyu we’ve ever had (and we’ve had it many, many places), well worth the extra $$ as an accompaniment.
Seating area in the courtyard was quite nice (I think I actually like it better than their “regular” indoor dining area pre-COVID).
Planned a two day getaway to Monterey and made reservations for dinner at Aubergine. Wasn't sure what to expect since outdoor dining was in effect. We were pleasantly surprised at the set up in the garden area of the hotel. It was very cozy and atmosphere was great. Actually prefer this set up to indoor area!
Service was impeccable as it course was explained and served with little wait in between. The sommelier also helped out with service and gave great recommendations for wine. The only negative I experienced was the lack of cabernet by the glass on the wine list.
I would definitely come again and may even stay at the hotel too since it looked very cozy and quaint.
Wonderful dining experience in a very charming town. This was an outdoor setting due to the pandemic situation. You can tell that the ingredients were fresh. Dishes were artistically presented.
Excellent meal, beautifully prepared and presented in a very elegant way. The Courtyard outdoor dining experience was lovely. The dishes were unique but still approachable. It was a wonderful experience but definitely in the splurge category. Pretty pricey, but not a surprise. We will go back again for a special occasion
Delicious food and charming place. Michelin well deserved
Excellent experience. The tasting menu was well thought out, inventive and the wine pairing was wonderful. What a gem in the neighborhood.
Best restaurant in Carmel!
The courses received at the restaurant were very good—there is definitely a talented kitchen and service team working at the restaurant. I am certain that an individual dining at Aubergine will enjoy the food that they taste.
However, the amount of food served is on the "light" side for a meal that will ultimately cost you ~$500 per person, assuming you do the wine pairing. To clarify, the expectation for a meal like this isn't necessarily to walk away "full"—you dine here for an experience.
This meal featured 5 modestly-sized courses, 3 small desserts. The meal, while delicious, ultimately felt imbalanced. It was disappointing that 2 of the 5 courses were served with bread (although, the bread was delicious). If you're dining with 2 people, you ultimately end-up with 2 rolls and a half of a small loaf of sourdough bread.
After eating those 5 courses, we couldn't help but miss a vegetable-centric dish or some other experience before eating two dessert courses. It felt like the meal dropped off a cliff, and ultimately made the experience less satisfying.
I think that this is a restaurant worth enjoying if you have a lenient budget—this is definitely a talented kitchen—but I would opt for other experiences if you're looking beyond the Michelin star in Carmel.
Highly recommend! Attentive service, beautiful presentations for every dish and taste good!
Challenge: Let people enjoy a Michelin-star dinner during COVID. Outside. In December.
No small feat! But Aubergine answered the call. Had a great time celebrating an anniversary. The food was delicious and very filling. Compared to other Michelin-starred tasting menus I've enjoyed, I think this was a tad overpriced, but I did not walk away feeling like I did not get a good value. And understandably, we were dining during a pandemic so paying a little more is probably warranted... :D
Fantastic from start to finish! One of the best meals I have ever had.
Amazing food and its presentation. Extremely well-thought through wine pairing. But be prepared to pay high dollars, which is worth it for the experience.
Had a wonderful experience at Auberge Carmel. Food was inventive and flavorful. Service was impeccable. We had a magical night. We did come here 7 years ago, and felt then, the menu focused on more local product, and may have been a bit more creative in presentation. We still enjoyed our experience and understand that each chef will have their own aesthetics.
Best meal in 2020
Food was excellent. In retrospect, would have appreciated a little more time between courses. That being said, an evening curfew was going into effect that night, so I understand if they were trying to be cognizant of that. Still, eight courses in 90 minutes was a bit of a sprint.
A few stand outs - the opening seafood dish, that tuna was amazing! The duck course was fantastic. And the pumpkin based dessert course very memorable.
Wine pairings were alright, perhaps the least "bang for your buck" of the bunch, but tasty. Port for dessert not exactly inspired, but the earlier pairings were clearly well considered.
Would recommend.
My husband and I dined here to celebrate our third anniversary. What a wonderful restaurant! The food was absolutely amazing and we loved that the tasting menu was kept as a surprise. You didn’t know what you were about to eat until it was placed on your table! So fun. We would highly recommend dining at this restaurant.
What a wonderful place to experience during our honeymoon. An experience of a lifetime.
Wow! What an absolutely amazing experience. Thank you so much for making our anniversary so special. The food, service, and atmosphere (even during COVID) were impeccable. Will most definitely be back!
Such a delicious and wonderful evening !
Terrific food and service in a pandemic-protected setting that still manages to be sophisticated and comfortable.
We are blessed to have a Michelin starred restaurant so close. Everything was truly extraordinary. Obviously, not a once a week spot, but a great experience for a special occasion.
We very much enjoyed our experience eating at Aubergine. They were very accommodating of my pregnancy-related food restrictions, yet I didn't feel like I got a worse menu than my husband because of it. Overall, it did feel somewhat overpriced for what it was compared to similar experiences we've had elsewhere, but during covid we were desperate for something like this and the outdoor courtyard seating (with plenty of space heaters, beautiful flowers/candles, and a tent in case it rained) and social distancing fit the bill.
Great service, amazing food and wine pairing. Love the oysters and crispy duck with pearl onion in particular, but the sauces on everything else also stood out to me. Would definitely recommend coming in for a special meal!
The ambiance and service was very good. Servers were polite and attentive and they did a great job at covering the patio and keeping it warm. The food and presentation for a Michelin Star restaurant was just okay. The cost was reasonable, but I wouldn’t visit again.
Exceptional food and service. A very lovely and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
FAQs
Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (831) 624-8578.
Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel is rated 4.9 stars by 983 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.