Inn of the Seventh Ray

It seems as if people love this restaurant or hate it.... to me this is not for the ordinary person or the ordinary palate.... so I just wonder. Since my tastebuds are not coated with chemicals, preservatives, transfats and on and on, I am appreciative of a restaurant that leaves me free from having to worry about what goes on behind the kitchen doors. It is a delight to feast on organic foods in such a natural setting. I am amazed at how good the food is made without the usual help of massive amounts of butter, creams, and msg. The sensitivity prevails all about from the genuine waitstaff to the care of the environment and music. I am most grateful L.A. has an Inn of the Seventh Ray.....In my travels I have not found anything even close to the total overall experience I had there. Pros: Food, Environment, Music, and Server more

To be verrrrry honest, up until a month ago, I thought I may never go here again. Over about the last year and a half, the quality of the food had been on a steady decline, which saddened me greatly. On a whim last month, my husband and I decided to give it one last go. I am so glad we did! The second the appetizer (a Redwood Hills Goat Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushroom with Red cabbage marmalade and apricot puree) came out, I was in heaven! The flavors were stunning, simple yet rich and decadent. I actually couldn't speak for my delight! Our waiter came by to check on us, and I exclaimed over the food, and he nodded and smiled and said ""new chef!"". WOW. Next was the organic greens salad with a dressing I could spoon from a bowl! For the entree I had the Zucchini Wrapped Halibut with Arugula pesto couscous, Heirloom tomato jus. I never wanted it to end. The halibut was tender and mild, and the Heirloom tomato jus was almost more than I could handle! My husband enjoyed the Red Wine and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone and chives - he had to start protecting his plate from my wandering fork!. Perfection! \r The other night, I had the same course (I had been dreaming of it), but husband had the steak medium rare, which, of course, was perfect. There was actually a wedding going on, so I was worried about the quality of the food as we had had bad experiences there when special events are happening, but it was perfect! \r Jake is a creative, fresh chef who is personally invested and emotionally connected with each plate that leaves his kitchen. We are so glad he is there, and hope he stays a while!\r If I could adjust anything about my dining experience at the Inn, it would be the chairs. As I overheard another customer saying ""these chairs are quite unforgiving!"", especially after sitting for two hours...at least the bliss of the food takes away some of the creature discomfort! Pros: FOOD, ambiance, charm, staff, bookstore/giftshop, uniqueness Cons: not the comfiest chairs! more

If you're trying to plan a party, hopefully you won't call at the wrong time of day. I was shocked by how rude the person on the phone was. If this is a service industry, where is the service. It was a quick question of holding an event at this restaurant. I guess they really don't need the business or like being in the business. RUDE! more

One of my close friends introduced me to Inn At the 7th Ray a few years ago and it was love at first sight!\r \r We always treat ourselves to the Sunday brunch after a long hike!\r \r Relaxing and serene are good words to describe this place. It is a popular place for baby showers and family gatherings.\r \r The buffet option comes with apple cider or a glass of champagne but they also have regular brekfast for those who do not have such a hearty appetite:)\r \r The food is very fresh and appealing to both the eyes and the palate.\r \r Lot's of healthy and delicious salads, the crab quiche is also tasty.\r \r Then there are the deserts! A nice way to end a healthy meal.\r \r more

A few things that really annoy me with evening dining in LA is:\r \r * Overly descriptive copy writing in menu's\r * Poor customer service\r * False projected environments\r \r It's one thing where the food tastes better than the description, but in the case of the Inn, the words described something more tasteful and grandeur then the actual food. Please don't use long descriptive words that sound palatable and enjoying, but instead overpriced and dissatisfying. The menu presentation was exquisite, and in ways reading was more enjoyable then the meal or the setting. The presentation felt like viewing a really nice website with under-construction links. It was definitely lacking in the food.\r \r The service was something I'd expect from a domino's pizza on a saturday night, rushed with a false sense of customer attention. Firstly with the hostess sitting us in a section where I felt singled out and herded. She placed us so close to other patrons, our elbows were touching. How can this be? I am trying to experiencing the magical moment I read about on the website for the inn. This was not happening. Our waiter also never appeared, I had to ask a nearby waiter after approx 45 min after being seated. Mind you, my mannerism was never detestable, but humble and hopeful.\r \r I really get annoyed when the environments don't hold up to my level of expectation. It could be just because of the the tier levels of bad service I was experiencing, do just ramble on about other things I disliked. The setting was beautiful and relaxing, but any backyard with christmas twinklers would of done the same thing. The inn has a very unique location, being in the cusp of two highways in Topanga Canyon and charging people a lot of money to enjoy this with food that was practically a joke (I had to ask for dinner bread which was cold and stale, whilst being told our water was uniquely purified with osmosis...isn't most water purified this way?)\r \r Overall my experience was poor. Pros: Ambience, mood, setting. Cons: tiny portions, pricey, service more

I was looking to take my girlfriend to a nice vegetarian dinner and when we got there the ambience was nice but it took forever for anyone to come to the table once we were seated. We got an appetize which tasted decent but was very very small. Next we got a salad which was bare with just lettuce and 3 thin shreds of raddish for $12!!! RIP OFF!! I mentioned leaving to me girlfriend and she said lets stay and give the main course a try. Huge mistake! We got the entrees and they weren't even cooked all the way so we sent them back. Also they portions were very small cnsidering they were each $30! It was very skimpy and didn't even taste good. If I pay $30 for one dinner it better be amazing! This food was far from good and almost unedible. The waiter never brought my drink and charged me for it. Throughout our entire dinner our waiter never once checked on us to see how our meal was. I told him the dinner was horrible and he didn't care. I just wanted to leave without tipping. My girl is so nice she left a tip anyway. When we got home she said how she wished she didn't becase she thought about it and realized how horrible it was. We stopped at Del Taco for fish tacos on the way home which was so much better!! We don't even normally usually eat bad food like this but we left there so unsatisfied we had to stop on the way home. Pros: it's cute and you get to sit outside Cons: horrible food and way too pricey for what you get, stuck up staff more

The Inn of the Seventh Ray is an absolute treasure, but certainly not for everyone. The setting is amazing, and not even these silly people on here complaining can argue that. The food is outstanding and completely unique, and most people understand that,but if you want chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, go somewhere else! Simple. I read a couple of poor reviews here and so I just had to defend my favorite place in the world to eat. One reviewer complained about being too cold, while at the same time admitting that he diclined the option to sit inside! (go figure that one out) A hint: Valentine's day is in FEBRUARY- Topanga is in the mountains. If you know you are dining OUTDOORS then dress accordingly. Don't blame your dissatisfaction with the weather on the resaurant. I eat there all the time with my girlfriend(who gets cold easily) and we have never been too cold. There are ample heaters....and often when we are there I will hear one couple ask for a heater to be turned up,while the people next to them will ask for the heat to be turned down! The friendly waiters at the Inn do an amazing job of trying to accomodate the outrageously demanding, typically selfish LA crowd. And the staff are always positive,and( despite the occasional loud, brutish ,generally -unhappy -with -life person who tries to disrupt the serenity), They always readily answer the plentiful questions that my girlfriend usually has. And IF we want to avoid crowds, we generally don't book LAs most romantic restaurant on Valentines Day or Mothers day....As it is, we don't mind sharing our favorite spot with others, so we actually took my mom for Mother's day and had a great time and wonderful food, And as for ssmuckers HORRENDOUS experience of having a ""mixed drink"" spilled on her-The Inn doesn't serve mixed drinks, and I have actaully had drinks spilled on me before, accidentally(at other restaurants) and I lived through the 'incident"" without too much mental trauma. Bottom line: getoverit! more

I recently had a horrendous experience here. My husband and I took our mothers here for a Mother's Day brunch. Our families were visiting from the East Coast. We had enjoyed dinner at Inn of the Seventh Ray many times, and thought it would be a lovely event. We did not realize that the Inn had scheduled two events (a wedding and baby shower) that day. They clearly regarded regular diners as an afterthought, as evidenced by the following: Pros: Food was satisfactory Cons: Awful service, poor management, rendered 2nd class citizen more

I truly can't fathom some of the rave reviews on here. Maybe customers were too swept away by the ambience to care about the horrible service and even worse food. I consider myself to be a foodie, but I also eat very healthy and organic in my everyday life. This place could be wonderful, because at first glance it appears to fit the bill for my lifestyle and tastes. However, it just fails so miserably it makes me almost sad. The food my wife and I ate was bland, either over or undercooked, and sometimes even disgusting. Everything from the appetizer to the entree went from bad to worse, so that when it was time for dessert, we were left feeling slightly ill and clearly ordered nothing further. We were so disappointed that we found the manager and complained, finally receiving half off our bill. In my opinion, we should've been completely comped since we barely touched our food and were miserable the entire time. Oh, and as another poster commented, I too never complain. However, this was one time when it was more than warranted. I will never eat here again and will never recommend this place to anyone. Pros: Pretty place Cons: Horribly prepared food, way too expensive, bland, bad service more

My husband and I went to this place for a special occasion. We had a lobster dish and a fish dish. Uhm, the lobster dish was the best i ever had. It's just so mouth-watering experience. Our dinner was ended with some desert, and it was so fantastic as well. We definitely must come back for more. Pros: Great chefs more

I have to agree with the prior reviewer. I had such a bad experience last night that I finally signed up to citysearch to give this review. My girlfriend and I came expecting an extremely romantic Valentine's dinner with fantastic food, but we were completely let down. When I made the reservation, I was encouraged to reserve an outside table for the scenery (and it is beautiful) and was assured that we would be warm because of the abundant heaters. However, we were so cold throughout the meal. The table next to us decided to move inside, which we should have done. Further, the service was extremely poor, especially for the price we were paying ($90 a head!). Our server was overwhelmed and barely had time to take our order. I had to ask for a wine menu three times and we didn't get our bottle until after our second course. In addition, they were so unorganized that the expo would just go from table to table with plates of food asking if the food was yours. As for the food -- it was unreasonably bad. The Valentine's menu is a set menu with a few choices for each course. The menu sounds fantastic in writing, but in reality was a series of dishes lacking flavor and freshness as if they had been prepared hours in advance. We were hoping for hot foods to keep us warm, but the dishes that were supposed to be hot came out lukewarm. Also, too many items on the menu were chosen to be served cold, which is the last thing you want on a chilly night. My impression is that they focused more on trying to serve as many people as possible rather than creating a special dining experience worthy of their price tag. Our server, to her credit, gave us half off our meal without us even mentioning our dissatisfaction. However, I would never return for Valentine?s Day, and perhaps ever, again. more

I came here after hearing so many good things, and I was horrified at how bad the food was. I have literally never had a worse dining experience and have never wanted to walk out of a restaurant mid-meal. I also never complain when I eat out and am pretty easy to please. The food was tasteless and bland, and at times even disgusting. When my entree came the lobster was completely raw. The waitstaff was nice enough, but incredibly slow. When we got our gargantuan bill at the end of the evening, the owner did work with us to reduce it, but also pretty much told us we were ridiculous since everyone else was raving about the food. Apparently ""eveyone else"" has no taste buds and doesn't mind raw entrees that are supposed to be cooked. Yes, the place is incredibly romantic and could be amazing. However, it's hard to concentrate on the aesthetics when you're struggling just to keep the food down. This place needs a major overhaul in the kitchen. For the same kind of mountain atmosphere with much better food, I recommend the fun Mexican restaurant next door. Pros: Coyotes, ambience Cons: Pretty much everything else. . .horrible food, too expensive more

excellent location, food and decor. I would recommend the free range chicken with lentils and the cucumber/avocado soup. Also, if you can reserve ahead, a private Gazebo in the gorgeously lit garden with stream. Highly recommended. Pros: Food, Ambiance, Parking, Service Cons: I did not like the carpet on the inside. more

I've had dinners all over the world, Greece, Israel, Mexico, China, South Korea, London... but Inn of the Seventh Ray has to be by far one of the most romantic places I have ever had dinner. Secluded amongst the Santa Monica mountains, just off of Topanga Canyon(exactly 8 miles south of Ventura Blvd), you'll find this gorgeous restaurant. Everything from the ambiance to the food to the service was spectacular. We did not get to try any wine, but they have a wide variety, including many organic wines. The cucumber/avocado soup was phenomenal, as was everything else we ordered, make sure to try something off of the raw menu, its a little different but still very tasty. They are very health conscious and very true to what they serve. It was a bit chilly outside when we arrived, luckily there was room inside. Let me tell you, as nice and beautiful as it was outside, the inside just had a completely VIPish feel to it. You walk inside and there are only a handful of tables, all candlelit with soft music in the background, glass walls almost all the way around, but the part that which caught me was the fireplace. I am still amazed it is not on the top10, if not top 3, of CitySearch's Best Fireside Dinning. The staff was very accommodating to what we wanted and was very friendly from the get go. We noticed some private sitting areas as well off to the side (will try reserving one next time). Parking was open so you didn't have to deal with the hassle and worries of Valet. I was told by my girlfriend that the women's bathrooms were something to write home about as well. The total for our three course meal came out to $90 (incl. tip), which for this caliber of place and quality of food is remarkable! If you want to impress your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse or whomever with a unique, tasty, healthy, very romantic place, I would HIGHLY recommend taking them to Inn of the Seventh Ray! Pros: Ambiance, Food, Service, Health Food selection, basically nothing wrong at all!! Cons: The drive up at night is a little akward if you don't know the roads well. more

I have been going out to the Inn of the 7th Ray occasionally for about 2 years now. I have to say the food and the service has come a long way. My last review was placed while the restaraunt was under the last Chef, his food was great, but this new guy- his food attains a level of skill, deliciousness, and romance that far surpasses his predecessor. \r \r I went with the same person I went with the last time I wrote a review, she was as surprised and delighted as I was. The wine menu has taken leaps and bounds and compliments the food wonderfully. The food not only tastes delicious- it looks delicious! A huge plus; the wine manager and the chef, actually came out looking to speak with the customers; Not only does the service staff care, the people in charge care as well!\r \r The service I had in my last experience was good, this was by far one of the best experiences I have had here. As for the food; it literally speaks for itself. I had the watermelon salad, my friend the arugula salad, we practically finished each others plates. The Watermelon and balsamic is a match made in heaven and the dish skillfully crafted into a piece of art, the Arugula salad was amazing. Next we shared the scallops... oh my lord, I am not a fan, my friend is nuts about them, I actually enjoyed the few bites I ended up fighting for. Slightly sweet parsnip puree, scallops seared to perfection, and the sauce, a reduction of orange juice, sweet and tart- perfect! Our entrees came out and we were so impressed my friend wanted to take pictures, which I finally convinced her would embarass us. The lamb was exquisite, I was told it came out medium, it was hands down perfect, the sauteed peaches and qinuoa with mint, amazing. She had salmon, cauliflower puree with the essence of truffle, I could see her eyes, so I attacked her plate and my god... truffle and salmon is now my favorite. There was a different plate for each item, a nice touch; the presentation rounds the whole experience! Pros: Glorious Food, Great Service, Breathtaking Atmosphere Cons: I ran out of room to say the Dessert is amazing! You must save room! Try the Pineapple Upside-down Cake! more

$80.00 bill for lunch & all that was available were sandwiches, along with cheap cuts of meat & fish?? I have heard of rave reviews of this restaurant from friends. It didn't pan out for my wife & I. Food was very poor, wine was very expensive. I found the place extremely over rated. My wife and I would not go back again. I am sorry but this restaurant is one to pass on!! Pros: Ambience Cons: Expensive & poor menu choices more

The good first: the waitstaff is really helpful, the food is healthy and the ambience is to die for. It's so lush, so romantic -- there are always proposals happening when I eat here. It feels enchanted, almost. The bad: the food is pretty gross. It's healthy, yes, but healthy isn't that exciting when your food tastes legitimately bad. The tofu duck is DISGUSTING. I like fake meat but this was nasty. I still like this restaurant, though, because the setting is so unique; it's perfect for a hot summer night. more

Slow service, seating and bad service overall. Dont take a chance like this... Pros: --, --, -- Cons: Service slow, Lying Waiter, Uncaring Owner more

They believe that the customer is wrong... that is not how business is done in LA. I dont believe they are still in business with an attitude like this. Setting was decent but not the service and the unpleasant owner. A no go! Cons: not friendly, very arrogant attitud, lying waiter more

i heard some really good reviews and went to check the place out for an anniversary dinner. the service was really good and the filet and chicken were out of this world! servers seemed very interested in making sure we were happy. the only thing i didn't like was the table we were seated at seemed kind of unstable and the chairs were a struggle to move. Pros: food, service Cons: table/chairs more