If you happen to be in Carmel-by-the-Sea this month, be sure to check out the latest at Aubergine, the flagship restaurant at luxury hotel L’Auberge Carmel — both restaurant and hotel have reopened after a comprehensive remodel. The award-winning eatery — known for its exciting menu and intimate, 12-table dining room — now boasts new contemporary interiors from floors to lighting, along with a host of new resources for promoting the very freshest of ingredients (there’s a live fish tank in the kitchen, an herb garden on the terrace and a cheese cave in the dining room).
On Fridays this month, visitors can tour the property’s latest upgrades while enjoying canapés. On Jan. 8, Aubergine continues its “Food for Thought” dinner series with a four-course dinner and wine pairing that explores citrus. Later this month, culinary classes will help guests sharpen their knife skills and learn the art of making apple strudel, and the restaurant’s Terroir series (focusing on food inspired by travel) will showcase delights from Singapore’s “hawker” (street food) culture.
These events all lead up to the grand reopening dinner on January 31. The evening begins in the salon with house cocktails, sparkling wine and nibbles. Then, guests can make their way to several stations in the front and back of the house. Enjoy caviar in Aubergine, Hawaiian blue prawn in the courtyard and hand-carved ham and tapas in the kitchen. If you’d just like to stop by for a drink this month, whet your palate with a glass of Dom Pérignon, the restaurant’s new prestige champagne.
