Situated inside The beautiful Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, is Lilian's. Reservations recommended as we dined for lunch it started out quiet but quickly filled with many locals. Although we had reservations, The hostess was apologetically busy and took awhile to get to us. Once seated, The view from our table overlooks the property and loved the inside and outdoor area of this restaurant. The Monterey Salmon was flavorful, gorgeously plated with a delicious sauce. The creamed spinach and brown butter sides paired well with the salmon. The grilled chicken sandwich was not my favorite. The olive tapenade with the in house made olive bread was overpowering and had to scrape some of it off. The sandwich was lacking and next time will order a different menu item. The meal was completed with beignets and was my favorite part of the meal. The beignets were crispy, with a sugar torched crust but soft & moist inside and included 3 different sauces that paired well with the beignets. Absolutely loved it!
TalliaH
The food and vibe of the restaurant was great, the service was horrible. We ordered our drinks and appetizers, and never saw our waiter for 30 min after we were done with our appetizer. Our app was delivered and after getting up to find him to ask if we can order our main course, we finally were able to order. We were at the restaurant for almost 3 hours... For the price we were paying for the food, I would have expected better service.
Yianni A.
Nice place to spend with friends. The food was good except for the lobster. It was not prepared correctly, cut in half and no real meat in it. Very messy don't do it- not a great experience. The chicken was amazing and the duck tacos phenomenal. Carrot cheesecake so good!
Nena C.
We came for a birthday lunch and ordered the hummus to start. It was served with four pita strips and veggies. The veggies consisted of 3 teeny untrimmed radishes, three tiny slices of cucumber, and three hairy carrots, straight from the ground. We asked our server if we could have some peeled carrots and she came back to say the chef would not agree to serve trimmed/peeled veggies. Sadly, this was not the only thing we were disappointed with during our lunch.
annabella88
We booked a table for lunch mid-week and were seated promptly even though th outdoor area was almost fully booked. Hostess gave us the menu and we were served with water within a short time. No one came by for the next 25 minutes. I flagged down a waitress and asked her to check on our waiter since we're ready to order wine and some food. The waitress checked with the hostess and after some discussion she came back and said she could take our order. Service was good from then on. The outdoor area was perfect for a sunny CA day in March and we were not in a hurry . I ordered the grilled lobster which was perfectly cooked but the fries were drenched in a butter bernaise sauce. My friend had appetizer of grilled lamp chops and a side salad and she deemed her order perfect. Dessert menu (unlike dinner) was very limited. Love their featured chocolate dessert at dinner and wish chef would consider adding to the lunch menu in which case a light entree with the scrumptious shared dessert would have been perfect. Noise level was moderate ( we dined prior indoors and the noise level prevented conversation at a normal level). Valet was professional and overall a very enjoyable afternoon. Reservation advised.
Favorite
I've always loved dining at The Inn. It looks terrific after the remodel. I had a 12:00 pm lunch reservation for my friend and I. We were celebrating her birthday. We were seated promptly at noon. At 12:25 pm we had not bern approached by any servers. Not even water service. I had to go inside, the hostess didn't acknowledge me but a server who saw me trying to get the attention of any server said he would take over our table. He turned out to be terrific - lunch was great but a frustratingly embarrassing start.
Erma McDuffey
I met friends for brunch yesterday. We wanted someplace special to celebrate spring. We chose Lillian’s. BIG MISTAKE!Made a RSVP 3 weeks in advance, and after checking in with hostess, we stood and waited for 10 minutes while she figured out where to seat us. The music was so loud, bass thumping, we couldn’t talk. The server was inept and poorly trained, order was wrong and the food was cold and horrible. I had avocado toast, the avocado was crunchy, my friends sent their food back. There were lots of managers walking around but they didn’t help. How has this beautiful Inn turned into a disco, food nightmare? The valet comped my ticket, because he hears complaints a lot. Wow! I will never go back, and I suggest you don’t either!
Friday D.
Food is good, ambience is great! Service is dismissive and bordering on contentious.. Similar to a family owned restaurant where they convey the sentiment of, "if you don't like it, you can go somewhere else!" So, as convenient as it is to dine here, we will go elsewhere after two visits that included odd and unexpected service issues
Rastratton
A beautiful day on the patio. enjoyed our Avocado Toast and Crab Benedict were both excellent. for some reason the regular Eggs Benedict comes with the delicious potatoes but not the Crab Benedict.
Desayuno de cumpleaños, probé los og Benedicts y el French toast estuvieron deliciosos. Fue mi cumpleaños y me dieron pay de pistacho estuvo súper rico. Hermosa decoración y ambiente.
Excellent restaurant! It's quite a fun destination spot coming to Rancho Santa Fe to eat at this luxury inn. The interior was very comfortable. And the food was excellent! We had the Caesar salad the pear buratta salad. Both were excellent. Then I had the lamb chops and my husband had the scallops. We would order both again. For sides we got the roasted carrots and the puréed potatoes. Loved both of them. We would re order everything again and can't wait to come back. Our server Arthur was attentive and knowledgeable.
Madeleine L.
Lillian's was an experience. Exceptional food, cocktails, ambiance, and service. We will return to celebrate special occasions.
Christina K.
Ambiance: AMAZING. Food: Crab & Avocado Salad: crab was a little on the smelly side Duck Tostadas: MUST ORDER. They are tiny but full of flavor: be careful as they have a kick. Creamed spinach: good but very rich Brussel sprouts: SUPER SPICY, and tons of sauce. 8oz filet: it was alright, nothing to write home about Lobster: do not order, barely any meat to it; and messy! Chicken: probably the best of the entree's. The skin was very fatty though. Gluten free carrot cake: a MUST order! Service: not good. The waitress' assistant was too preoccupied with his girlfriend and her friend who had come to dine that our waters were never refilled, he made a fuss about cleaning our table; we literally had to wave our hand in the air to get his attention, our plates were left dirty on the table, and he brought tons of free dessert and items to his girlfriends table but when we told them about some of our issues.. they wouldn't even take off the fries! I would have gone back or recommended this to others but because of the service, I am not & giving it 2 stars.
gails
My experience at Lillian's Restaurant was nothing short of delightful. Opting for lunch on the patio as it was a beautiful sunny day, albeit a tad windy. The ambiance was simply charming, under the green and white umbrella's The menu offered a diverse selection of delectable dishes, each prepared with care and attention to detail. I opted for the steak fries, which exceeded my expectations in flavor and presentation. In addition to the exceptional cuisine, the service was top-notch. The staff were friendly, and attentive, and went above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. Overall, my visit to Lillian's Restaurant was a true delight. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing meal in a picturesque setting.
Mondo
The service and food were outstanding. I've been eating at the Inn for many years and this was the best ever. I must admit I felt the decor was a bit too contemporary compared to the historic RSF motif.
Situated inside The beautiful Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, is Lilian's. Reservations recommended as we dined for lunch it started out quiet but quickly filled with many locals. Although we had reservations, The hostess was apologetically busy and took awhile to get to us. Once seated, The view from our table overlooks the property and loved the inside and outdoor area of this restaurant. The Monterey Salmon was flavorful, gorgeously plated with a delicious sauce. The creamed spinach and brown butter sides paired well with the salmon. The grilled chicken sandwich was not my favorite. The olive tapenade with the in house made olive bread was overpowering and had to scrape some of it off. The sandwich was lacking and next time will order a different menu item. The meal was completed with beignets and was my favorite part of the meal. The beignets were crispy, with a sugar torched crust but soft & moist inside and included 3 different sauces that paired well with the beignets. Absolutely loved it!
The food and vibe of the restaurant was great, the service was horrible. We ordered our drinks and appetizers, and never saw our waiter for 30 min after we were done with our appetizer. Our app was delivered and after getting up to find him to ask if we can order our main course, we finally were able to order. We were at the restaurant for almost 3 hours... For the price we were paying for the food, I would have expected better service.
Nice place to spend with friends. The food was good except for the lobster. It was not prepared correctly, cut in half and no real meat in it. Very messy don't do it- not a great experience. The chicken was amazing and the duck tacos phenomenal. Carrot cheesecake so good!
We came for a birthday lunch and ordered the hummus to start. It was served with four pita strips and veggies. The veggies consisted of 3 teeny untrimmed radishes, three tiny slices of cucumber, and three hairy carrots, straight from the ground. We asked our server if we could have some peeled carrots and she came back to say the chef would not agree to serve trimmed/peeled veggies. Sadly, this was not the only thing we were disappointed with during our lunch.
We booked a table for lunch mid-week and were seated promptly even though th outdoor area was almost fully booked. Hostess gave us the menu and we were served with water within a short time. No one came by for the next 25 minutes. I flagged down a waitress and asked her to check on our waiter since we're ready to order wine and some food. The waitress checked with the hostess and after some discussion she came back and said she could take our order. Service was good from then on. The outdoor area was perfect for a sunny CA day in March and we were not in a hurry . I ordered the grilled lobster which was perfectly cooked but the fries were drenched in a butter bernaise sauce. My friend had appetizer of grilled lamp chops and a side salad and she deemed her order perfect. Dessert menu (unlike dinner) was very limited. Love their featured chocolate dessert at dinner and wish chef would consider adding to the lunch menu in which case a light entree with the scrumptious shared dessert would have been perfect. Noise level was moderate ( we dined prior indoors and the noise level prevented conversation at a normal level). Valet was professional and overall a very enjoyable afternoon. Reservation advised.
I've always loved dining at The Inn. It looks terrific after the remodel. I had a 12:00 pm lunch reservation for my friend and I. We were celebrating her birthday. We were seated promptly at noon. At 12:25 pm we had not bern approached by any servers. Not even water service. I had to go inside, the hostess didn't acknowledge me but a server who saw me trying to get the attention of any server said he would take over our table. He turned out to be terrific - lunch was great but a frustratingly embarrassing start.
I met friends for brunch yesterday. We wanted someplace special to celebrate spring. We chose Lillian’s. BIG MISTAKE!Made a RSVP 3 weeks in advance, and after checking in with hostess, we stood and waited for 10 minutes while she figured out where to seat us. The music was so loud, bass thumping, we couldn’t talk. The server was inept and poorly trained, order was wrong and the food was cold and horrible. I had avocado toast, the avocado was crunchy, my friends sent their food back. There were lots of managers walking around but they didn’t help. How has this beautiful Inn turned into a disco, food nightmare? The valet comped my ticket, because he hears complaints a lot. Wow! I will never go back, and I suggest you don’t either!
Food is good, ambience is great! Service is dismissive and bordering on contentious.. Similar to a family owned restaurant where they convey the sentiment of, "if you don't like it, you can go somewhere else!" So, as convenient as it is to dine here, we will go elsewhere after two visits that included odd and unexpected service issues
A beautiful day on the patio. enjoyed our Avocado Toast and Crab Benedict were both excellent. for some reason the regular Eggs Benedict comes with the delicious potatoes but not the Crab Benedict.
Desayuno de cumpleaños, probé los og Benedicts y el French toast estuvieron deliciosos. Fue mi cumpleaños y me dieron pay de pistacho estuvo súper rico. Hermosa decoración y ambiente.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent restaurant! It's quite a fun destination spot coming to Rancho Santa Fe to eat at this luxury inn. The interior was very comfortable. And the food was excellent! We had the Caesar salad the pear buratta salad. Both were excellent. Then I had the lamb chops and my husband had the scallops. We would order both again. For sides we got the roasted carrots and the puréed potatoes. Loved both of them. We would re order everything again and can't wait to come back. Our server Arthur was attentive and knowledgeable.
Lillian's was an experience. Exceptional food, cocktails, ambiance, and service. We will return to celebrate special occasions.
Ambiance: AMAZING. Food: Crab & Avocado Salad: crab was a little on the smelly side Duck Tostadas: MUST ORDER. They are tiny but full of flavor: be careful as they have a kick. Creamed spinach: good but very rich Brussel sprouts: SUPER SPICY, and tons of sauce. 8oz filet: it was alright, nothing to write home about Lobster: do not order, barely any meat to it; and messy! Chicken: probably the best of the entree's. The skin was very fatty though. Gluten free carrot cake: a MUST order! Service: not good. The waitress' assistant was too preoccupied with his girlfriend and her friend who had come to dine that our waters were never refilled, he made a fuss about cleaning our table; we literally had to wave our hand in the air to get his attention, our plates were left dirty on the table, and he brought tons of free dessert and items to his girlfriends table but when we told them about some of our issues.. they wouldn't even take off the fries! I would have gone back or recommended this to others but because of the service, I am not & giving it 2 stars.
My experience at Lillian's Restaurant was nothing short of delightful. Opting for lunch on the patio as it was a beautiful sunny day, albeit a tad windy. The ambiance was simply charming, under the green and white umbrella's The menu offered a diverse selection of delectable dishes, each prepared with care and attention to detail. I opted for the steak fries, which exceeded my expectations in flavor and presentation. In addition to the exceptional cuisine, the service was top-notch. The staff were friendly, and attentive, and went above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. Overall, my visit to Lillian's Restaurant was a true delight. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing meal in a picturesque setting.
The service and food were outstanding. I've been eating at the Inn for many years and this was the best ever. I must admit I felt the decor was a bit too contemporary compared to the historic RSF motif.