Aubergine the restaurant at L'Auberge Carmel

I usually write only positive news about a business; however, for the price we paid and based on the number of Michelin stars (two) this restaurant has, I believe I need to share this frank review. My husband and I were on our honeymoon when we had to pay substantially more than I believe our meal was worth. We ordered the seven course meal with the wine pairing, but I was dismally disappointed by the wine portion of the meal. I discovered sediment in my first glass of wine. I could have conceivably overlooked this incident, but the bottom of the replacement glass I received ALSO had sediment. After I reported this second wine's undrinkable state to the waiter, one of the sommeliers then asked us what our favorite wine was, leading me to believe we would at least be provided with a complimentary glass of that wine to compensate us for the two wasted glasses. Alas, I was mistaken and the final bill remained unadjusted for the unpotable wine. We certainly won’t be returning and would advise anyone considering a visit to not waste their money.

I rarely write reviews, but this experience needs to be shared. My wife has Type 1 diabetes, a serious medical condition that can sometimes create emergencies outside of our control. We had to cancel our reservation for health reasons—and instead of showing basic compassion, this restaurant decided to charge us a full charge cancellation fee including food and 22% gratuity. I understand a cancellation for food prep but to be hit with tax and tip for something outside of my control is a little egregious.

When I called to explain the situation, the woman on the phone was shockingly rude and completely lacking in empathy. Not only was there no understanding, but her tone made it clear that we were nothing more than an inconvenience. Hospitality should come with humanity, not a cold script and a credit card charge.

I understand that restaurants want to protect their business, but penalizing someone for a legitimate medical emergency—and treating them rudely on top of it—is beyond disappointing. There are plenty of restaurants that value their guests and treat them like people, not transactions. Sadly, this establishment has made it very clear where their priorities lie, and we will not be returning.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

An absolutely insane dining experience.

Great experience

Dining at Aubergine in Carmel is like stepping into a quietly luxurious world where every course is composed like a sonnet. With its two Michelin stars, the restaurant delivers on expectation - and then gracefully exceeds it.

The meal unfolded like a well-structured symphony, but two dishes stole the show: a kinmedai prepared with a subtle hand that honored the fish’s natural richness with incredible texture, and a scallop course that was so delicate and well balanced it felt like a dream. Both exemplified the kitchen’s ability to balance restraint with imagination, and they were elevated by perfect seasoning and thoughtful accompaniments.

Service was warm, intuitive, and never overbearing- precisely what you want at a place of this caliber. The pacing of the meal was relaxed but never languid, and the setting, understated and serene, reflected the food’s own quiet elegance.

If there was a miss, it came from the cocktail program. While technically well-executed, the drinks all leaned into a similar taste profile that lacked range or surprise. It didn’t detract from the experience, but it was a noticeable gap in contrast to the creativity of the food.

Still, Aubergine easily earns its 9.6/10. For anyone seeking an evening of precision, artistry, and grace by the sea, this is one of California’s most rewarding dining destinations.

Incredible. Beautiful and remarkable food served by friendly knowledgeable staff.

We dined here for a milestone birthday, and it was a special treat with wonderful food and ambience (we reserved the private wine cellar room). Many folks in the party were vegetarians, and generally speaking the dishes in New American/French fine restaurants tend to leave vegetarians with limited/boring options - But the chef/staff in Aubergine were super accommodating, communicated multiple times to understand the dietary restrictions and did a SUPERB job!! The food, ambience, service, was top notch! Would highly recommend it.

We have been to quiet few 2 star Michelin restaurants. This tops the list!

With five intimate tables this experience is worth the price tag. The seamless service makes for a memorable tasting journey through the coastal flavors and beyond our shores to Japan, New Zealand and more. The Simms are excited to bring out their best and share. We got to meet Justin Cogley and some of his sous chefs personally. Will be back and HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Kumamoto Oysters, Monterey Bay Abalone, Wagyu Beef, Steak

Beware of ALL these Carmel establishments as they ALL are NOT serving ORGANIC TOP QUALITY FOOD. SYSCO trucks ABOUND in delivery days, I've documented ( = GMO Laden edibles ). This place ESPECIALLY is NO DIFFERENT 🚫 . Also, the serving of red meat ( who the heck pays top dollar to eat red meat??? ( So 1950s retro ~ standard American diet garbage ) ... ALL those SAUCES COVER UP AVERAGE food quality.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 1

Far and away one of the best dining experiences my wife and I have ever had. I've been to French Laundry, Gary Danko, Manresa and others but I have to say, this is the little engine that could (they turn 10 tables a night!!!) Everything was fabulous from the food to the service. We had the sommelier choose a budget friendly wine based on some flavor profiles we gave him and he picked a real winner. The food was absolutely delicious and we loved how the sous chefs came out to describe and finish the dishes with a story or an emulsion. It was fun asking them questions about the many amazing ingredients. Will definitely go back!

Dietary restrictions: They did the whole meal "Now Dairy" for us.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Six of us visited the Aubergine and we were all thrilled.
We were warmly welcomed and accompanied throughout the evening by the always attentive staff in a friendly and courteous manner.
We enjoyed the excellent tasting menu with accompanying drinks.
The whole menu was excellent from the first course to the last. The dishes were of first-class quality and outstanding in terms of taste. Everything was quite excellent. The presentation of the unusual dishes was also wonderful. It's nice not to always see the usual suspects from Bernardaud, Coquet, Hering, Pordamsa etc.
We chose the reserve wine accompaniment and also the non-alcoholic version to accompany the delicious meal.
The corresponding wine was fantastic and accompanied each dish perfectly. The non-alcoholic accompaniment was also convincing.
We had a very nice evening. Thank you for that. Absolutely recommended.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Solid experience all around.

No, you won’t get the foam party of Manresa’s later days.

No, you won’t get the fire and ice magic of Enigma.

But you will get a delicious meal served by nice people and accompanied (somewhat magically) by my favorite Spotify playlist (+Bob Moses, +Børns, -Hozier). They even managed to get brussels sprouts and abalone on the menu, but passed up sardines and artichokes. A solid showing in the Monterey grown quaddie and potentially an area for improvement.

Dress code is Fresh Nikes, don’t be []

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We went to Aubergine during our stay in Carmel for our Anniversary. I had told them ahead of time it was my anniversary. When we arrived we told one of the Sommeliers that we just got engaged that day. The food was very creative and interesting but nothing blew us away. We expected more from a restaurant at this caliber. I will say the acorn spoon bread on tapioca pearls was very interesting and that was stand out. We didn't get the wine tasting since we typically don't drink champagne, sake or white wine. The Sommelier helped us select two great red wines that we ended up getting. And we really enjoyed them. Another source of disappointment was that nothing was done from the service team about our anniversary and engagement that day. They had confirmed ahead of time about food preferences and even mentioned we were celebrating an anniversary with them. We wondered if maybe it was because we didn't get the wine tasting which would have increased the bill. After dropping $1200 for dinner and wine we expected something or even a mention of our anniversary and engagement.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

L'Aubergine just received their second star this year and they totally deserve the stars.

To begin with, I reserved the courtyard dining, which turned out to be a wonderful choice. The dining area is at the hotel courtyard and it's extremely beautiful and cozy when the weather is nice. When I was there, the sun was just about to set, so the light was beautiful and it really didn't affect how the food was presented later on. I would highly suggest to reserve the courtyard dining if possible.

For the service, it was also impeccable. Every server was very attentive and friendly. They really attended every detail. My sommelier was also very knowledgeable and I am very satisfied about my wine pairing. A small surprise was that not only the server brought you the food, sometimes it could be the executive chef, Justin, himself and other sous-chefs. The dining experience was indeed two stars.

Finally, let's talk about food. I skipped the desserts because of word counts.

**Gift from the coast**
The set of one-bites was composed of five dishes and they were paired with Japan junmai daiginjio sake. They were mostly seafood except the wagyu tartare, which happened to be my favorite. However, each dish was seasoned very well. As someone who is very picky with Japanese and Japanese inspired food, I would say they really present the ingredients well. For instance, the bluefin tuna and caviar combination was balanced very well. The caviar was not too salty to cover the umami of the tuna.

**Kaluga queen caviar, tomato, gazpacho**
This one was an interesting dish. It was frozen gazpacho paired with champagne. Chef Justin presented the dish by himself by placing the caviar and I was suggested to eat the dish by scooping my spoon all the way down to the bottom of the plate. The reason why I say the dish was interesting is because California was experiencing a hot wave at the moment, and this dish was just the right solution. The frozen gazpacho, the tomatoes, and cucumbers, were just right to relieve you from the extreme heat. Let alone the nice cool champagne. Similar to our previous dish, the caviar was just right to the balance.

**Amadai, corn, iberico, squash**
This dish was paired with German Riesling. The fish was handled very traditionally with fried scales, or 鱗焼き(uroko yaki). The scales were very crispy and the meat was very tender. The slightly acidic base paired very well with both the fish and the wine. One thing that I really want to point out is that, all dishes were served with different and astonishing plates. And if the dish is warm, the plate is also warm, which really shows the details.

**Shiro dashi, carrots, Hokkaido scallop**
This dish was paired with Burgundy Chardonnay. I really like this dish because of the creativity it presents. on the scallop was the usual ikura, but underneath in the sauce was carrots made to the same shape of ikura, just visually astounding. In terms of the taste, it was less impressive but still above average. Another thing to note is that I really like this Chardonnay. The dish was also served with a piece of brioche. That's one of the best brioches I've ever had and it went really well with the carrot sauce.

**Duck, pink peppercorn, plum**
The dish was served with a local Monterey Pinot Noir by Pisoni. The idea of using the acidity coming from plum instead of traditional orange based sauce is quite interesting and it works. The duck itself was cooked at the textbook level but nothing beyond. The major variety came from the side dishes but also nothing too memorable.

**Dry-aged ribeye, turnip, eggplant**
There was an option to this dish where you could have A5 wagyu side by side with the ribeye but I didn't have that. This dish was paired with Napa Valley's Cabernet Sauvignon. How can someone come to L'Aubergine without havin

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5