The Valley Kitchen
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Popular dishes
Day Boat Scallops
Cauliflower Puree, Fried Capers, Blood Orange Gremolata, Port Onion Jam. Suggested Pairing: Swing Sauvignon Blanc, Valley Gin & Tonic
7 reviews
Steak
Served with French Fries and Steamed Veggies
4 reviews
Chicken
4 reviews
Beautiful space, wonderful food and great service!!
Our lunch was great! And our dogs were treated well!!
Food is average but will give it another chance since they reopened not that long ago
Wonderful birthday celebration out by the pool. Great food, fantastic drinks and the best service!
They need to create a more pleasant outdoor dining experience. We froze. Heaters didn’t work due to wind - they blew out. They should invest in some of the plastic enclosures folks are using to help break the wind.
Love this place. It always feels like going on mini-vacation to brunch here, even though we live just 15 minutes away. Beautiful scenery, spacious, exceptional service and really good food.
Valentine’s Day
It was wonderful, even with the pandemic procedures the food was amazing and staff very attentive. 5/5 , we always enjoy this restaurant so much!!
Great place to dine for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Excellent food. Outdoor seating only right now because of the pandemic and excellent distancing between table and heaters to keep you nice and warm!
They have just opened back up. The ambiance is great there. We like eating outside and the staff is wonderful. The menu needs to be updated, but we assume until things get back to full speed that may not be realistic. I'd also suggest getting those copper cups for "mules"! Finally, some pasta and pizza options would help.
We had an excellent lunch at Valley Kitchen. Sat outside and it was a beautiful day. Everyone was most attentive - moving umbrellas, chairs, heaters. Our server was personable and efficient. Of course, the food was delicious as it always is.
Unfortunately, as of this Sunday our restaurants are being closed down again so I will not be able to enjoy the food until next year!
We stayed on property for a long weekend and never had to leave the grounds to eat out! It was a cold and drizzly weekend, and we either just walked over to the restaurant or ordered take-out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The food was excellent for every meal, including kids' meals.
Chicken wings had a gamey taste. Could have been frozen too long or have gone bad. We returned for a replacement meal. Ambiance was great but food felt like bar food.
Even though I’m a local it was my first time at The Valley Kitchen. The staff was friendly and hospitable, food was good, loved sitting outside in the valley, but it took them 45 minutes to deliver our food after we enjoyed our salads. That’s too long. I will go back though. I definitely recommend.
Most pleasant to return after many months avoiding restaurants due to pandemic. The necessary out door seating was done very well and I felt very comfortable. Do feel that it is necessary to look at both the regular dinner menu and also the room service menu (you can order off of this in the dining room) to get the best variety of offerings. Our food was delicious and Jose, our waiter was excellent.
Highly recommended.
Wonderful food and vibe! Will go back during the day to see the workings of the ranch!
Wonderful dinner as usual! Had our favorites ... scallops and filet. Service great as usual!
Service was great! Food was awesome. We had a great dinner.
We visit the Valley Kitchen a couple of time a month. We live near there and walk over with our dog named Moose. The people there remember us (especially Moose) and always give him a great dog bone to keep him occupied while we enjoy our experience with Moose. We had a Caesar Salad with Chicken and a Rib Eye steak. They were both delicious. The staff is very friendly and attentive. It's nice to sit by the pool, take in the ambiance of the restaurant and enjoy our meal. The Rib Eye was very tender and cooked just right. The Caesar Salad could use a little more on it, but my wife enjoyed it. The Moscow Mules are good as well as the Swing Reserve Pinot Noir. Jose - a server for another table stopped by to say hello and our server Nichole was great.
Great outdoor dining and COVID protocols. Autumn fish was delicious
Any concerns regarding food quality and service levels need not be. Since Chef Tim Wood’s departure in my opinion , the food quality has only improved. Chef Tim is a great chef who must have trained great soups chefs. The rib-eye was cooked to perfection, we asked our server to add scallops to the risotto- delicious, and the cheeseburger juicy as ever. Jose, our server was prompt, anticipatory, and overall super.
It was during Covid so everything is with a grain of salt. Food was soooooo delicious and would go back again!
The outdoor dining arrangement works well for COVID cautious people. We felt very comfortable and far enough away from other tables. Patio heaters kept us cozy and the food (short ribs for all) were delicious.
Great food and amazing views. The walk down through the vineyard and watching the sunset by the firepits are fantastic. Make sure to get the s'more kit early before they run out!
We have eaten at the VK many times and never had a bad experience until this weekend. The food was VERY slow in coming out and cold when delivered- they were not any more busy than normal
Lovely setting, delicious food. Enjoyable with kids, especially sitting outside. Recommend!
Service was way too slow. Food and ambiance was really good.
Expensive mediocre breakfast and slow service. Would not recommend.
The service we received from Alexis was superb.
We highly enjoyed our meal while visiting The Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch. Food and ambience were something to remember. We can’t wait for another visit to this restaurant and the beautiful property surrounding it. Cheers!
The ahi poke was so fresh and delicious. I had the salmon and my wife had the scallops. Both dishes were outstanding and the service was exceptional. Billy is an awesome waiter,
the food is terrible, halibut ceviche is the worst dish I've ever had.
Too many dogs
But food and service was excellent
Anniversary
We had just a lovely time, watching the actual sunset (through fog and distant smoke), and completely comfortable under the heaters. It's so nice to dine next to water, and that pool is just so beautiful and inviting. I love the oaks surrounding everything, too.
The service was good, and the food was really pretty wonderful. We'll be back!
Even as residents, we'll be back! Just a great place to spend time.
First and most importantly, our table had not been cleaned or sanitized when we sat down. We thought perhaps it was just bit of “nature” from being outdoors, then we noticed crumbs.
Food was very good and they split our entree and salad for us. The wine list they provide is limited and they were out of our first 3 choices. Apparently they have a larger wine list that you need to ask for. Our waiter, Eric was very good.
The ambience is very nice except for the children running around and the lighting facing the pool is blinding.
This all doesn’t sound very positive but we enjoyed our dinner, until the lights came on.
Valley Kitchen is located within the Carmel Valley Ranch complex, which includes accommodations, a golf course, organic garden, chicken coop, and bee farm. The outdoor dining area is very picturesque as it overlooks a golf course and is located right by the pool. There are heaters and a fire pit for those cooler nights. The food here is SO fresh and locally sourced. In fact, many of the ingredients come straight from their organic garden and ranch. We had the brunch items, hen house sandwich and huevos rancheros, and both tasted as good as they looked. Beside the brunch items, there were several salads that look really good, burgers, pastas, and fish tacos.
After lunch we took a short walk through their gardens. They have a mix of veggies and flowers, and a small pumpkin patch too. Overall it was a really nice way to spend the morning.
What a wonderful evening!
Dog friendly!
Food was wonderful.
Server was outstanding.
Food great. Service was subpar. Based on service level I would not bother unless you are staying at the Ranch, which I would also not recommend. Much better meal at Lucia up the road.
We eat here often and had another great meal! The scallops are delicious and the wedge salad a nice addition.
FAQs
The Valley Kitchen is rated 4.6 stars by 564 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.