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Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
I had driven by a bunch of times on weekends and seen a packed parking lot. So when we arrived for lunch at 2pm and were the only people there, we were a bit surprised. Literally, we didn't see a single soul. We looked around and then sat down and waited for a while before I went searching for an employee.
After that initial awkwardness, the food and service were sheer perfection. Our waiter was ridiculously friendly and I couldn't believe how delicious our lunch was. We both had the raw celery and cucumber soup with green apple to start. It was fresh, unique and so good we used the fresh grain bread to scoop up all that was left over.
Then we each got the Warm Brown Rice with Avocado, Dried Sea Vegetables, Garlic Chips, Sesame Seeds, and Braggs Liquid Amino Acids. It was so good but more than I could finish and definitely a hefty meal for the price.
It was nice to have the place all to ourselves but I look forward to getting the full experience.
One if not the best place to go for a special Sunday brunch. I love the food and all the specialty drinks. make sure you also visit on a regular day and try out some of their main menu dishes. I love the unique and wonderful ingredients they use. (oh and the desserts are YuumY)
I don't care for the Bees!!!
My girlfriend and i tried to go here before I moved away from Los Angeles. We had a reservation around 7; they called a few hours beforehand to tell me there had been a water main break and they were forced to close for the night! Fast forward 14 months. We decided to get dinner at Inn fo the Seventh Ray while visiting friends on a long weekend.
The ambiance and setting of the restaurant were amazing. It's a very romantic place - perfect for a big date or special occasion. The menu says it is listed "in order of esoteric vibration" which is funny but I',m not really sure what it means.
We had some crostinis as an appetizer. They substituted some goat cheese for their normal "nut butter" due to a severe nut allergy at our table. The goat cheese was amazing - I wish I knew exactly where they got it.
My girlfriend had salmon which had a perfect sear on it, served with White Bean, Preserved Lemon,Chive Puree, Duck Bacon and Fennel. It was really a great fall dish.
I had Piedmontese Filet Mignon, Fingerling Potato Trio, Roast Bermuda Onion, Wild Baby, Rocket Lettuce, Salmoriglio. The Salmoriglio wasn't my favorite but everything else was delicious. The potatoes were sliced very thin and tasted almost like hash browns. I've never had potatoes cooked like that before but it was delicious.
Desert might have been the best part - Strawberry Rhubarb Vanilla Cake with lavender ice cream. We split it but I secretly wanted it all to myself.
The wine list is quite big and was intimidating even though i drink quite a lot of wine. Wine is where this meal could really get expensive. The pickings below $50 is slim for sure. We had a pinot that paired nicely with our dinner choices of beef and salmon.
Let us just say that this is the DATE PLACE OF YOUR LIFETIME. It is THE perfect place to impress someone, bring your mom for a special brunch, or propose. My mistake? Taking a blind date here. He was all swooning over me. Anyways, with regards to the food it is all healthy and organic, pricey, and FUN to drive up here. You pass the woods, it is just SWEET AND ROMANTIC and makes me wish I had a boyfriend right now.....DAMN!!!!! I wish I cold go here everyday with someone I was in love with......Sigh.
New Age paradise! haha
Had my birthday brunch at this place last Sunday. They have a raw salad bar and vegan desert options for brunch, so there we plenty of options for vegans. They also had a vegetarian part of the buffet and everything was clearly labeled if it was vegan or vegetarian.
There's outside seating and the restaurant in right there in the woods. There are bees that come to the tables, but the wait staff has tricks on how to keep them away if they're bugging you.
This is a super romantic spot, very whimsical feel. We had a very casual brunch - it wasn't crowded nor did we feel rushed. The drive over on PCH through part of Malibu just added to the experience.
I really liked it! They also have non-veggie options, so it's a good place to bring family or friends who aren't vegan/veggie if you have to do group brunch.
Pricey, but well worth it! (I should preface this by saying that I don't like to spend more than 60 dollars on dinner for two.. unless it is a special occasion)
The best thing about this place is it's location/ ambiance. Perfect for a special occasion or a big date! The seating is primarily outside (they do have an indoor section with a fire, but I don't think its open every night), but don't worry--there are abundant heat lamps. You feel like you are dining in the middle of the forest (heck, you pretty much are. It's off of the wildernessy and windy Topanga Canyon Road. Don't believe me, look at it on google maps. Green natural park land all around it). Pretty awesome!
The food was good but not amazing. I had the filet mignon and my girlfriend had the lamb loin. Tasty, but honestly all I remember was how cool (and romantic!) the location was.
The food is almost entirely organic, and most of their vegetables are purchased from local farmers. Carnivore, Vegetarian, Vegan options. Free range chicken. Organically fed cows for the beef (I think that's what they said). Wine list with organic wines. Even the tap water was filtered and mineral enhanced so that it is extra healthy (some kind of special process they mentioned, I can't remember exactly what it was).
Service was pretty good as well. The food came out just a second after we finished our salad- perfect timing! Wait staff was very friendly and had a good sense of humor.
While more expensive than our usual dinners (120 for two entrees,a cup of tea, a salad, and a dessert + 20% tip), we will definitely be back. We could have definitely saved some money by ordering less expensive entree items, but the experience was well worth it. At some point I also want to try going during the day (maybe for brunch).
$36pp for a Sunday brunch buffet. Did we eat our money's worth? You be the judge.
My Plate #1:
A waffle segment with syrup and fresh whipped cream, a generous pile of lox, poached salmon with a green sauce, beet salad, and endive salad.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The lox was great! Not wanting to fill up with its unnecessary counterpart "the bagel," I ate a few piles of this salty and fishy gold. Along with the lox, the regular salmon was pretty good at room temp. The endive salad came with huge slices of either brie or a triple cream and some nuts, very tasty. The beet salad was good, hard to go wrong with cooked beets.
Yuko's Plate #1:
Too many veggies.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Some of the salads she got were good, many were too hippy for me.
My Plate #2:
Crab legs and claws, more lox, more salmon, turkey sausage, quiche, two types of chicken drumsticks, and a few potatoes.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The crab was super sweet and not too difficult to remove from the pre-split shells. The turkey sausage was par, as were the two different flavors of chicken. At this point I wished the food would have been kept at a higher temperature, but I do realize that it would probably overcook the food. We also shared a bowl of rather bland bean and bread soup;
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Yuko's Plate #2:
More veggies, crab, and lox.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
We each had one more plate of our favorites to top of the savory portion of the meal. I must have eating half a pound of lox alone.
Dessert Plate #1:
Berry trifle, fresh fruit and whipped cream, and a cake thing.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The berry trifle was my favorite of all the desserts. How can you not love light and fluffy cake topped with even lighter and fluffier berry cream? So good!
Dessert Plate #2:
A slice of okay cake.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Dessert Plate #3:
Fresh fruit and a sampling of mostly good mini cake type things.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
All this was eaten outside in a very nice setting. The only issues were bugs and the view of a dried up creek. Along with the buffet, we were given a free glass of ginger lemonade that was actually really good. For $36pp and for being way out in the sticks, I'd rate this meal as par.
finally had a date take me here because no guy has EVER taken me to a romantic /somewhat upscale restaurant.
anyway had the vegan duck which is 25.00. it was good as was the bread.
you are paying purely for ambiance and this place has it. its beautiful and even when its cold, it feels great sitting outside right next to the creek with a heater next to you and all the twinkle lights.
guys if you want to impress a girl without looking like a douche, take her here.
its the kind of place you go back to for special occasions.
The Boy and I had brunch here on Sunday, and it was perfect. We got a mostly shady table for two overlooking the (now dry) creekbed. We sipped sparkling cider from champagne flutes and drank tea. We indulged in a mostly-organic brunch buffet with a plethora of clearly-marked vegan options and went back for seconds and thirds, never repeating the same dishes twice. We gazed at each other and held hands over the table and sighed longingly with brunch juices dripping down our chins.
This, my friends, is what brunch should be.
Oh, and I should mention that the women's bathroom has one of those automatic sanitary toilet covers so your butt prints don't need to touch anyone else's butt prints. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty bitchin'.
Lovely, lovely place. It is a seemingly unpretentious place, the staff makes it a location worthy of the long drive. I love that they are an organic, all-natural restaurant, but the food is upscale gourmet cuisine. They also offer a variety of vegan foods. Their wine selection is award-winning as well. The set-up of the place is gorgeous pie, white draping canopies cover the outside section, and it is well-lit up with small charming lights. It is reminiscent of a wedding setup, a ridiculously romantic place that is fairly healthy to boot.
We tried:
Free Range Chicken Breast- great accompanying vegetables, the chicken was delicious with a salty crunchy touch
Naturally Raised Rib Eye Cap- juicy & delish says the bee eff
Almond Milk Cream Brulee (Vegan)- Really good with a super crunchy sugar glazed layer. The texture is different than normal creme brulee, but the overall taste is superb (if you like almond milk, that is).
Not a big fan. It is Zagat rated, which is why we went. There was an event going on, so their attention was elsewhere. The hostess was nice and efficient, but the service was spotty thereafter. The menu was limited and drinks were beer and wine only.
The scallops (very good) and the setting are the only things that encouraged me; and are the only reason I gave it 2 stars. The other appetizers and main course were bland and uninspiring. The halibut was plain and the rissoto it sat upon was not good at all.
Upon leaving, we decided to go to the bathroom and encounted a sewage smell. Fortunately didn't have to walk through it prior to dinner, but it may have diverted us if we did.
Dinner at the Inn of the Seventh Ray was wonderful. Dined outside where the atmosphere is enchantingly romantic. Our waitress had a great sense of humor (nothing worse than stuffy staff) and the lamb was the best I have EVER had. It was certainly a 5 star evening thanks to my dining companion.
I would highly recommend that the management clean the ponds as the smell of stagnant water is not appetizing.
I went here for a wedding and enjoyed it for the location, but the first thing you pass on your way into the restaurant is a New Age bookstore, which creeped me out. The restaurant has a nice vegetarian selection, but only serves beer and wine, so cocktail drinkers are out of luck. I suggested that they convert their New Age bookstore into a bar, but they just stared at me in a way that only a person who believes in astrology and reads "The Hollow Earth" can: http://en.wikipedia.or...
This place is truly amazing, so beautiful, so tranquil. As one other Yelper wrote, "Garden serenity, great food, creek, spiritual shop". Yes. that sums it up.
So, about 5 miles up Topanga Canyon Road, you come upon the Inn of the Seventh Ray, a little slice of heaven in the middle of the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. This restaurant/spiritual retreat is just amazing. My friend and I wanted to check out the grounds, but we were not in the mood for the spectacular lunch buffet ($32 for the vegetarian, $36 with all dishes).
So the outdoor deck is situated by a stream and all you hear is the peaceful movement of water. The air is crisp and clean and the deck is naturally shaded by the adjacent mountain..... I really liked this place, the vibe, the serenity, just a wonderful place to relax, have a great, organic and fresh meal.
On the grounds is a 'spiritual' shop. Namaste... I loved the statues as well as the relaxation scents. We all have stressful lives, places like this just underscore the need to get out in nature, change your mindset and enjoy the moment... Ya know what I mean?
So, all of you folks that live in and around LA and/or visiting that diverse and interesting city, make a trek to Topanga Canyon and go to the Inn of the Seventh Ray....
A big thank you goes out to Amy K, uber-cool LA Yelper for the tip on this place....
This is THE place to take your girl for a romantic wilderness meal.
If you go for dinner, expect a cozy evening outdoors complete with Enya-inspired soundtrack, a trickling stream below, perfectly soft lighting, and healthy eco-friendly cuisine. If you go for brunch, you can spend a bit less, get some sun, and maybe be harassed by big hornets or other winged creatures (that part kind of sucks). Either way, you are eating outdoors, and the setting couldn't be more beautiful. I would recommend the duck bacon "aumlette" with chives, apple, shallots and brie for brunch ($12). Raw options are also available.
Oh, and btw, this place is Rachel Ray-Approved! The Yum-O mistress herself featured the INN on one of her travel food shows a while back.
Great Sunday Champagne Brunch Buffet
leaves you feeling happily-full not guiltily-gluttonous.
All you can eat is $30-40 and 1 time thru option avaiable for $15! Buffet has a selection of deliciously decandant foods and healthy options too.
tasty salads, sustainable seafood, breakfast, fruits, desserts and one of my sisters favorite drinks ginger lemonade..
Garden serenity, food, creek, spiritual shop
I was fortunate enough to have visited this place…
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Overpriced and underwhelmed. Pricey, odd menu disguised as food. There are so many better and less expensive organic options. Don't bother. The septic smell outside tells it all.
Amazing ambience. High prices. Food good, but sometimes not as spectacular as it should be.
This restaurant is beautiful, period. For dinner, with the lights, canopy outside dining, and the silence, it's quite a treat still being in soCal.
Their food was good, with the wild octopus appetizer standing out. It was saltier than expected, however had a great fresh texture to it. The lamb and chicken were good, and a very nice layered panna cotta combo cup for dessert, a perfect sharing portion I should add too.
They have a great wine list as well, and if I recall offer a tasting selection with dinner.
Ah! The IoT7thR...at one point Los Angeles' most romantic restaurant. I remember the first time I went there in the early 90's. I felt like I'd landed in a Tinkerbell's homeland. I was so taken with the atmosphere, I almost fell for my female companion.
I don't remember the food being stellar, but the ambiance was super special LOL.
I went back with my husband and daughter on my birthday a few years ago and it seemed kind of tired and broken down. The New Orleans style, white tables and chairs lacked full paint coverage, the tarp seemed like it had been there since my first visit with no cleaning. The service was average...
However, the food was delightful. It's been a long time, but I do remember the Almond Cheese they made. I was vegan once and I lamented the fact that I was unaware that I could have made cheese out of Almonds...
Too bad about the Valentine's Day Massacre this year....glad we went to Lucent L'Amour.
Absolutely GORGEOUS place. Amazing Sunday brunch with vegetarian, vegan, and traditional brunch offerings. You can get the vegetarian buffet brunch, traditional buffet brunch, or order off the brunch menu if you don't want to do the buffet. Things are done in a healthy way here but there are some wonderful items to be had, including the poached salmon in dill at the buffet and crab legs. I was being calorie conscious that day and ordered off of the menu, but our friend got the regular buffet, much to the envy of everyone else at the table that ordered off the menu, including myself. It was a little cold on the Sunday we came here to celebrate three birthdays that were in September, but they had the space heaters on the patio going and the sun intermittently would come through the wooded glen that holds this lovely gem of a restaurant, and it was magical to sit here and have a lovely morning. Everyone seemed relaxed and the pace had slowed down to a nice comfortable vibe, yet the service was still efficient. I got the poached eggs served with the white bean stew. The white bean stew (pictured here) is amazingly good. They also have tons of amazing vegetable salads, hummus, crab legs, a very healthy halibut sandwich, really wonderful food and nice teas available as well as juices and mimosas or champagne available for brunch. This location is very soothing and it would be very romantic for dinner. I simply MUST return to take advantage of the buffet when I can say, "Calories, be damned! " The gift store is also very nice here, and the valet is only $4 and they did an efficient job. The drive either from the 101 or from PCH is very pretty, also. A MUST TRY, if you live in LA County or even the OC range.
Completely magical! The wine selection was fantastic. The food was tasty but the ambience was incredible. We were seated near the woods and could hear the creek thru the trees. 2 CUTE racoons came and begged next to the rock wall. We felt 100 miles away from civilization.
Although pricey, this is a wonderful escape from the city. Healthy food in a gorgeous setting - what could be better?
Food: 3.25
Service: 4
Ambiance: 5
Noise: 2
Cost/value: 2, about $15 an entree. Not the largest portions and buffet overpriced and limited in selection, with redundant dishes.
Perfect for a brunch date! Picturesque and relaxing,this place is just too cute. Where else in LA can you dine under delicate trees, a babbling brook, and the melodic tune of birds chirping. The location is just so amazing that I really could careless what the food is like. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for the awwwhhh huney...reaction from your date!
The cappucino even comes with a biscotti and rock sugar stick (http://aesopstea.com/i...), come on how much more adorable could it get?
It's hippie new age food, what do you expect...reverse osmosis alkalinized water, organic this, non-hormone injected that, locally grown this, you get the idea. The location is just so serene and gorgeous that this is the first review where the food is totally irrelevant because the ambiance is so noteworthy.
But if you're curious about the food it's generally light, under seasoned, and simple. Clean execution that does not go unnoticed.
Scramble with lox, scallions, goat cheese: A bit heavy on the goat cheese and bland to the palette.
Poached Eggs with kale, white bean stew, grilled bread, shaved Mohama tuna: Tuna is unnoticeaable, eggs were over poached, but the dish is comforting and mild in flavors. I'd order it again.
Belgian Waffle with strawberries: Made with wheat flour, it was crispy and light with just the right amount of sweetness. Always bonus points for any place that has real maple syrup.
Forgot to eat the sticky bun, but will have to try it another day.
Tips:
1. Go to the bathroom, terrible entertaining! I don't know where this device came but they have this already inserted toilet seat liner that rotates when the next patron sits down. You've got to see it! Plus the decor inside is cute.
2. Parking is valet, but if you want you can park along side the road about 20-30 feet away for free.
3. Yes they have a brunch buffet, but it's more cost effective to order from the menu I think.
AS A RESTAURANT: Great vegan and vegetarian menu. If you're neither, they still have some good and tasty selections. I've eaten here several times for lunch and once during their Valentine's Event when their menus are prix fixe.
The food are fresh, tasty and beautifully presented, if you're a carnivore, you won't even mind that you're not eating meat!
A con for some people is that there are NO "regular" lighting at night. You'll get candles and thousands of white christmas lights wrapped around every conceivable pole and wall. I personally find this enchanting, yes, I just wrote a super girly word, BUT some people want to see their food clearly. But your date would look much better. Hahahaha!!!
It has an outdoor setting which carries its own pros and cons, therefore, it's a matter of preference. Don't be surprised to see insects... it's a garden!!
Which brings us to the pros of a garden venue... beautiful, tranquil, worlds a way from the hustle and bustle of city life. You'll forget Ventura Blvd is no more than 5 miles away!!
If you choose to go west on Topanga Blvd, and you time it right, you might catch the sunset at the Pacific Ocean just as you are coming down the mountain and out of the canyon.
Great for impressing dates. And out of towners. And vegan friends. And girly outings.
Pricey for a VEGETARIAN menu. But I'm willing to shell out for ambience so long as the food is pretty good.
AS A WEDDING VENUE: Jordan Gress was the Coordinator that The Inn works with at the time of my wedding and she was great. She is a Day-Of Coordinator, not a planner, and she did her job beautifully.
The Inn staff was efficient. They had the ceremony area set up before my decorators even showed up. They converted the ceremony area to a reception area and have the guests come back in within half an hour.
The Inn was very accommodating with requests such as storing decorations, materials, equipment ahead of time (so we won't have to worry about hauling on the day of the wedding).
For a restaurant that caters mainly to vegans, they have some pretty tasty meat entrees. The rosemary chicken was tender and tasty. The prawns were juicy and excellent. The beef was also tender, juicy and tasty. The endive salad was a big hit. The herb mashed potatoes were excellent.
The whole wedding went smoothly. We didn't run out of food. The servers were friendly and fun. They were all smiling all the time. You can see it in the wedding pictures.
Another thing with The Inn: It is already beautiful. You need not spend too much to decorate it. They already have the white chiffon "curtains" hanging from the canopies that shelter the guests.
A disadvantage as a wedding venue is the non-uniform shape. If you have more than 140 guests, some of them will end up around the corner of the little building and they might feel left out.
Another con is the sound system. Your band will need to bring extra speakers and extra long cords.
Another disadvantage as a wedding site is if you're getting married during the rainy season. Don't risk it!
My fiancé and I had reservations for 9:45 on Valentine's day. He surprised me with the plans and having never been, I was thrilled. He specified preferred outdoor seating (under tarps with heat) figuring they wouldn't be strangers to cold days in Los Angeles. Things were all set.
When we arrived at 9:30, we were put in a slow moving line for reservation check in. Information started trickling down the line.
"They over booked."
"People with 8 o'clock reservations are still waiting for tables."
"We have to wait in a bookstore."
After 20 minutes we got to the front. All of the above statements were confirmed, and we were told outdoor seating had a 10 - 15 minute wait. They shuffled us off to the packed bookstore. 30 minutes later we were seated.
I couldn't possibly write out the happenings of last night in full detail. Here is a list of the completely unacceptable experiences we had while dining at Inn of the Seventh Ray:
1. We were seated at a little table behind a broken heater outside of the tarp. Not the preferred seating we had reserved. No working heaters for us.
2. We waited 15 minutes before our server acknowledged us. I know it's a busy night, but come on. No acknowledgment? Please.
3. We ordered our food and wine flight. A table runner brought out our amuse bouche, but still no water. We waited 25 minutes before we were able to ask for water.
4. They took our clean, empty glasses and returned with dirty glasses. Not mildly smudged. DIRTY. Greasy finger prints and dried pieces of who knows what on the sides. At this point I am FREEZING and LIVID.
5. My fiancé is told that the bisque he ordered has run out. Normally, that wouldn't be a huge deal, but after everything else we had experienced, this was unacceptable. If you're going to take late reservations, make sure you have enough food to feed them.
6. The heating got better as more people left, and heaters became available. Ok, but the lights behind us went out. Hello ambiance? We couldn't see half of our table.
7. We finish all but one course (dessert!) when the manager (or owner?) approaches the table next to us. She invites them inside for dessert. The place is pretty empty at this point and there's room. She comes to our table.
"Are you staying warm?"
"Doing our best!"
"Oh good!"
Walks away. No invite. No nothing. When our neighbors got up to leave they asked if we were coming. We explained that we weren't invited, but good luck. They were very gracious and added two chairs to their indoor table. A nice end to an appalling evening.
It wasn't all bad. The food was outstanding, the wine pairings were unbelievably good and we were able to share our misery with a very nice couple.
Service and overall performance are so important. ESPECIALLY on a night like Valentine's Day. They absolutely fail, and were completely unprofessional. The bottom line is that they overbooked and couldn't handle the mess they made. The food was good, but the service was atrocious. Two stars. I'd like to go back on like a Tuesday afternoon when they hopefully have their stuff together.
If you want a perfect evening, go to Providence. The chef is spectacular and the cost is similar. For the price you pay, you deserve at least a good experience, if not a perfect one.
I have been here a couple of times and found it consistent. The place is really cool--it's wonderful to enjoy your meal outside with trees surrounding you. The service has always been good. The food is enjoyable. I have only been here for dinner, and although it is a little pricey, the food is tasty. It's a fun splurge and offers a beautiful drive to the location.
cool place. outside dining nice and relaxing. kitties and cats can be found on the patio. very cute. love this place. a hidden gem. foods good too!!! love the store at the restaurant as well. didn't care so much for the sunday brunch so avoid that other than that...would highly recommend.....
Seven years ago, a boyfriend had me flown into LA from NYC to visit him on an extended business trip for who-the-hell-knows what reason. Perhaps he was unbearably stressed out. Maybe he was heart-achingly lonely. Or... maybe he just wanted to bone. I'm thinking it was the latter, as on the first night of my visit he brought me to this place.
I cannot, in good faith, comment on the quality of the food, because I'm pretty sure I was wasted on half a bottle of overpriced champagne by the time we ordered appetizers. I do, however, quite vividly remember feeling like I'd been sucked through a black hole and shot out the other side into some mythical, magical land filled with vegan elves, glittering trees, rainbow bunnies, and the faintest sound of a harp coming from the woods.
Sometimes vegetarians lose interest in complaining about how difficult it is to find meatless duck that's crispy enough and doesn't taste like baked ass, and instead just want to get laid. That, in essence, is why they come here.
(Sorry, mom).
This place is really nice, peaceful and romatic. It actually makes you forget about what's going on in your daily life because it's so serene. I had salmon and it was really yummy. The salad was really fresh. The service was prompt and very friendly.
2.5 but i will round up. nice place for brunch. that is really it. very quiet and serene. the food is what i would say organic hippie food. it is just alright. nothing that stands out. your going here to have a relaxing continental brunch really. its a cute place. worth taking a date for brunch once.
recommendations: ....
Inn of the 7th Ray gets 3 stars because of the ambiance - beautiful location near the creek in Topanga Canyon, twinkly white christmas lights all over at night, gorgeous canyon nature vibe. Beautiful day or night.
However, the food is not all that, maybe 2 stars at most. Their menu touts a lot of vegetarian options. The food in general is ok. We've been there for dinners and for prix fixe buffets. The atmosphere is the star here. The food is just something to do, while you're here, not the reason for showing up at the restaurant. The service is iffy, both with dinner and buffet times.
Bottom line - everyone should check out Inn of the Seventh Ray once or twice in their lives, but it unless core necessities like the quality of the food and service improve greatly, it won't become a must for repeat patronage.
I love this place, and they do cater to vegans. Any entree that has regular cheese in it, just ask for the Soy Cheese and they will put it i\n that dish. I went with one of my friends and she is a vegan and she asked if Vegetable Flatbread sandwich with soy cheese and they did it.
The service gets slow when a lot of people all show up at the same time.
Exceptional dining experience! I can't say enough. I brought my mother (a critical woman, to say the least) for dinner a week ago. The food was simply inspired, as if carefully crafted to compliment the environment around it. We enjoyed the freshest of produce (oh, the beats!) and the most perfect chicken dish I may have ever tasted. The service sufficed. I bit spotty, but did not detract from the taste experience.
And Mother... the salmon actually made her smile and be quiet for a while. Many thanks to the chef.
On the eve of my proposal to my gf, I wanted to take her to an intimate yet secluded restaurant that added fairy tale romance with a bit uniqueness. This place was the perfect location. We came on a chilly evening, but i came prepared armed with a nice fleece throw blanket to enjoy our outdoor eating experience.
This place takes the cake for romance, intimacy and a great dining experience. We ordered the raw vegetable salad which was packed with so many different flavors. Our entree of choice was the flank steak and the rack of lamb. Boy, were they right when they said our meat was massaged and played classical music...because thats what came to my mind when I ate it. Nice, tender, flavorful....perfect!
Soaked in the ambiance and enjoyed watching a rude old white guy ask the dude sitting next to him that he was talking to loud. (he was talking in persian/farsi something to that effect). I think he was more upset he wasn't speaking english....oh, how the rich roll......
Love how the woman described all the food they served...if my mom told me a great story before she served me lima beans when i was young, it probably would be my favorite food now. Our waitress was like, "organic this, natural that, 20 grain, your drinking water dripped from a malaysian waterfall that has double osmosis ....man, turn that hose on over there and pour it in my cup, dammit!!!jk
Overall, well worth it. We will be coming here over and over again...Sometimes you just have to make your girl happy and be romantical.....thats how i roll.....!
Really beautiful setting- apparently it used to be a dump site for old car tires and such. It is set on a creek, and the outdoor garden-like setting makes this restaurant truly unique.
The food is good, I think it was a little pricey, but the service was fabulous and very accomodating. They do have non-veg dishes as well.
This would be a great place to do a nice dinner out- but make reservations!!!
i heard they served a vegetarian brunch buffet on Sunday, but i was not expecting to be completely overwhelmed by the amazing eco-rich atmosphere. the perfect setting for a romantic meal with the special someone, or to have a large family gathering. there was a festive bridal shower tucked in one of the nooks on the sprawling patio today.
the $32 prix fix vegetarian buffet includes about a dozen salads including papaya salad and pickled beet salad; entrees like tofu quiche and broccoli almond quiche; breakfast breads like bagels and vegan scones; other breakfast fare like homemade granola with soy or regular milk; and yummy deserts like hazelnut torte. for 4 dollars more, you can add scrambled eggs, belgian waffles, farm raised chicken rosemary, and salmon. either meal comes with a glass of champaign. it's a lot of money, but it's a lot of food. sit and enjoy the natural surroundings while you have course after course of delicious food.
as they say at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, Sunday is a day of reflection, "to be refreshed and energized by the universal spirit of Nature, to feel lifted within the music and nourished by the cosmic energy within the food."
Closed? I love this place but I checked out the rumor and it's true. But why are people surprised? Don't hippies and granola types love all creatures big and small?
And I quote, "Local Eateries Shut Down Heath inspector finds "Gross Unsanitary Conditions" at two sites- "The health inspector was busy on Thursday, July 24, 2008. In an unannounced inspection, Environmental Health Inspector Ziad Askar of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Food Inspection Bureau dropped in on the prestigious Inn of the Seventh Ray. Diners at the Zagat-rated establishment were shocked when they were also ordered to leave the premises immediately after the inspector discovered an infestation of cockroaches, one of which is said to have run directly over his foot as he checked out the kitchen."
"Inspectors allowed both businesses to re-open on Saturday after cleaning up and a re-inspection. In order to reopen the inspectors must have been able to verify "complete abatement of the vermin and sanitizing of all affected areas," according to a guide published by the Health Department. But the re-inspection that allowed them to reopen did not upgrade the diminished food rating scores of either facility. The Inn of the Seventh Ray lost its "A" rating, and will now sport a "B".
http://www.topangamess... (search Inn of the Seventh Ray)
Prior to this news I was going to give this place four stars. I hope they restore the Inn of the Seventh Ray to its original charm and grandeur so I can update my review.
UPDATE: I just got a highly OFFENSIVE & MEAN message for writing a perfectly legit complaint which I have now deleted.
Go ahead and question my intelligence. But sorry, I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS CRAP.
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A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING VENUE.
Check out the amazing photos here: http://www.innofthesev...
The setting is absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking, with a hint of Thai influence as evidenced by a number of Thai Buddha statues amindst the flower gardens. It is fully equipped for both a wedding ceremony and a reception. For my friend's wedding, the restaurant staff did a flawless job of hosting 60 people. The only thing missing was the dance floor. (This would be a MAJOR no-no for me, but hey, it wasn't my wedding.)
As for the food, we had two appetizers and three entree choices: beef, mahi mahi and vegetarian duck. I had a bite of all three. They were all tasty, especially the mahi mahi. But truth be told, I was so busy with the drinks that I couldn't really appreciate them.
Lovely romantic atmosphere (chorus of frogs!) and the chicken main course was hands down one of the best meals I've eaten at a restaurant. Mike and I were convinced we were eating the god of chicken.
Came here for a baby shower champagne brunch (not the mamas, of course!) and was absolutely smitten with the atmosphere! Carved out of the hillside, it's an elegant/hippie hybrid of a hideaway tucked away just off the Topanga Canyon hwy. While the plethora of food is overwhelming and teeming with standard brunch fare, we managed to score some intricate and delicious eats inside. Outside, our party was treated to sweeping views of the garden and surrounding terrain including a charming babbling brook, endless glasses of bubbly, flowers and lights hanging from the overhead canopies, a wedding, a baby shower, a reunion, and exceptionally wonderful service from the waitstaff. Although this place is mostly outdoors, we didn't encounter any bug issues, and we even discovered a path that lead to a bookstore full of tantalizing trinkets and reads. Altogether, this is a loverly place to throw a smashing party on the outskirts of La La Land. Sure would love to come here for brunch someday...
Topanga, CA
Category: French
Calabasas, CA
Category: American (New)
Topanga, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Topanga, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Topanga, CA
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