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La Jolla's The Lodge at Torrey Pines may be best known for its golf, but its much lauded restaurant, A.R. Valentien, gives the sport a run for its money.
Named after a Craftsman-style California artist, the dining room is a showcase of stained-glass lighting and Mission-style furnishings. It also shows off its pride of place with large windows overlooking the 18th hole and a clubby, timbered style.
The quality of the ingredients is a focus of chef Jeff Jackson, who delivers standout traditional American cooking. It isn’t just happenstance that the restaurant is on the 18th hole — it does serve as the ideal 19th hole.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- If you want to sit down to a great meal, head to Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant A.R. Valentien. The eatery is tucked inside the first floor of The Lodge at Torrey Pines; make a right after the concierge desk when you enter the hotel’s stained-glass doors.
- You should know that the San Diego restaurant is tucked inside The Lodge at Torrey Pines in the upscale La Jolla neighborhood, considered to be the Beverly Hills of San Diego County. So even the most casually dressed diners will look polished.
- When you walk into A.R. Valentien, you’ll see a homage to California Craftsman design, which is consistent with The Lodge at Torrey Pines, where the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant is housed. Inside the San Diego restaurant, you’ll find a metal-strap post-and-beam structure, handcrafted wood-framed windows, Tiffany-style lanterns dangling from above and a frieze adorned with pine boughs.
Things to Know
- If you want to sample the cuisine at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended A.R. Valentien inside The Lodge at Torrey Pines, you can head there for lunch or dinner. The restaurant only serves breakfast on the weekends; you can have your fill of lemon-ricotta pancakes Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- You should make a reservation for a seat in the small dining room, especially for dinner. If you’re looking for some romance alongside the seasonal farm-to-table fare, request a seat out on the balcony.
- When you’re piecing together an outfit for a meal at A.R. Valentien, the dress code depends on when you plan to dine at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant. Breakfast and lunch are less formal, so you can wear casual clothing for both meals but dinner is more of a formal affair.
The Food
- When you sit down to dinner at The Lodge at Torrey Pines’ A.R. Valentien, you’ll find a menu full of simply prepared contemporary American cuisine. Chef Jeff Jackson packs the daily changing menu with fresh ingredients plucked from the farmer’s market and local organic farms, fishmongers and ranchers.
- However, on any given night, the menu offers a selection of charcuterie, including duck and pistachio pate with pickled kumquat, frisee and truffle vinaigrette, and short rib terrine with celery root remoulade with tarragon vinaigrette.
- The appetizers portion offers carrot-coriander soup with lobster, blood orange reduction and chive as well as ricotta gnocchi with English peas.
- Dinner entrees include ginger-marinated Petaluma chicken with shaved kumquats, frilly mustard, shiitake mushrooms and scallions, or Columbia River sturgeon with ozette potatoes and Sevillano olives with baby escarole.
Amenities
Breakfast
Business casual
Dinner
Kid friendly
Lunch
Reservations recommended
Getting There
