Inn of the Seventh Ray

What a beautiful find this was! The restaurant is unique in that it tries to capture a country ambience, combining it with a vast organic menu. We had the Sunday brunch buffet, and although this is awefully expensive, it is definitely worth a visit for a special occasion!\r \r They had a huge selection of organic salads, fruits, meats, desserts, and even crabs legs and salmon. I can't say I'm someone who is organised enough to shop and dine organic on a regular basis, but the quality of the food was excellent, and enough variety in that you're entertained for several visits back to the buffet! You also get a ""complementary"" (it's included in the price, I guarantee you!) glass of champagne or sparking apple cider.\r \r The service was more than adequate; we had a very sweet waitress and the dirty plates were regularly cleared from the table and coffee re-poured.\r \r The biggest stars go for the layout and views. All tables are outside, adorned by silk marquis, outside heaters, and even a fountain. It's a very calming and pleasant restaurant to spend a few hours on a Sunday whilst you stuff yourself at the buffet!\r \r I would have given this 5 stars, but it was awfully expensive. I'm sure it's worth it, for the quality of food and creativity of the obviously very talented chef, but in these tough economic times this honestly is not in the budget for a weekly visit. But it's excellent for a special occasion or celebration! Pros: Fantastic Sunday brunch buffet! Range of food was excellent; great service; beautiful ambience and excellent for special occasions! Cons: Expensive. Plus they tried to force us to pay $4 for valet when the carpark was 2 meters away. I recommend parking 50 metres down the road for free! more

Beautiful place. Slooooow but mellow service.\r Raw food tasting menu was just NOT good. I wanted to love it but it was basically inedible.\r Ridiculously overpriced for such poor quality.\r I've been an off and on customer for years and its always been inconsistent.\r They used to have a couple great hostesses here a few years ago.\r One very tall brunette and one blonde woman with an accent- they always made us feel welcome and seemed to be in control. Complaints were dealt with efficiently\r But they have been replaced and the place seems to be in chaos at the hostess station. This continues through to the dining experience. \r I think I am done for a year or two anyway. This last dinner was just ridiculous. more

I had been here many years ago and it was just ok then. I came back on a recommendation of friend. And I was sooooooooooo glad i did. What a difference!!! This has always been the best date restaurant in the LA area in terms of atmosphere now they have the food and wine to match. \r \r The food has something for everyone. When I say anyone, I mean anyone. I'm a meat loving carnivore and my girlfriend is a vegan. It's so tough to find a place that we both can eat. Here they have a regular menu for me, a vegetarian menu and even a raw menu. I had the scallop to start and a great Kobe steak (both like butter). She had portobello pave as an appetizer and the farro risotto. Hard to believe the risotto was vegan but, it was. They told us it was made with soy cheese. I even liked her vegan dishes which was hard for me to tell her and even hard for me to type. But its true.\r \r Great wine lists are tough to come by. Normally they are all filled with the S.O.S. Not here they have all the allocated wines I love to see on lists. .\r \r I owe my friend big-time for the re-recommendation. I guess we will all go back together and I'll pick up the check. I'm ready when they are. Pros: Great food, wine list and atmosphere Cons: Little chilly in the winter but they have this great room with a cozy fireplace more

Took my wife here for dinner on her 40th birthday. The setting was absolutely spectacular. On arriving the hostess went to seat another couple and disappeared for a good 10 minutes with no acknowledgement. We were eventually seated at a cozy table for two and opted for the fixed price traditional menu ($75) which consists of 3 appetizers, two main courses and cheese plate and dessert and the wine flight ($35) that goes with the meal - 2 whites, 3 reds. There was one waitress serving the entire place - about 8 tables, mostly couples. 20 minutes after ordering nothing had come to our table - that set the pace for the rest of the night. When the appetizers finally came with our first two wines we had probably waited a half hour. It took about 3 hours for the entire meal to be served, wines were brought well before the food so by the time the food showed up we had empty glasses. The portions were TINY (eg. scallop appetizer consisted of ONE scallop; lamb main course: two lamb chops). Food overall was mediocre and pricey. Waitress couldn't be more apologetic - even told us that the owner was about to fire the persn in charge of the pantry (huh?!) because things were going so badly. It was like being in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares before Gordon Ramsey shows up and fixes the place. They want to be high class but have no idea what they are doing. Stay away until they get it together. more

This place is a haven fo me to unwind and be cared for. I have been going here for over 30 years and each time seems better than the time before. They are abreast of the latest tidbits of natural food offerings and I have found them to be the first to serve many of the newest foods and one of the first to serve organics. The staff is always quite entertaining, full of passion and are amazing people. To me it is obvious that this is not just a business but a dedication to excellence and not deserving of the negative comments I just read. I don' t normally write in these forums, but I just coudn't let my favorite restaurant be bashed. more

The Inn of the 7th ray was closed down by the health dept on Thursday July 25 2008 for unsanitary conditions (an infestation of r oaches). You can confirm this with the Los Angeles County Health dept or The Topanga Messenger. Pros: very high prices Cons: unsanitary conditions more

I went to this place the other day for dinner. Had to wait too long to be seated and service was awful. more

I have been going to the Inn for 30 years and live in the community. I go there monthly and have had two weddings, a funeral and several birthday parties there. Two weeks ago their valet guy, Frank, inadvertently took my keys to the car on his 2 hour lunch break. My friend and I had to wait 90 minutes for him to return. It was a hot day and thankfully we did not have to go to the airport..my friend lives in Thailand. \r \r I decided to be a nice person and not disturb the wedding party ot Inn staff who was organizing to come into the restaurant. A few days later I phoned to talk to someone in management about this experience. A nice waiter told me to call back and speak to either Marie or Patrice of my experience. He assured me that my experience and feelings would be heard.\r \r \r I called back later and got Patrice. She was unapologetic and defensive asking ""What is it exactly you want us to do?"" I said I wanted to get comped a free dinner..for the hassle of losing my time and that they should take responsibility for this mishap. They own the valet service there too. She seemed like she would put my call into the round file (trash) as her attitude was absolutely horrid toward me...a regular client. \r \r When my call was not addressed two weeks later...I called again and asked for Marie. Just my luck the lazy Patrice answered the phone. My father owns a fancy restaurant in NY, he would never treat anyone the way Patrice treated me. Patrice is a total drip. No personality and no customer service background. A terrible person to bring issues too. In my opinion, she should be fired for how she next treated me.\r \r I reminded her of my call two weeks ago. She said she brought it up to the owner and if she wanted to..she would get back to me. At which I said ""I cannot believe how rude you are and your owner is to ignore this call. How would you like to wait 90 minutes for your car?"" She said ""I wait comfortably"" at which point I hung up on the bozo. Pros: Great location, good food. Cons: They could not care less about customer complaints...their attitude is ""next""..no loyalty to loyal customer. more

i took my wife here, and it was the first time for us and it pretty much was a horrible. from beginning to end. we waited 5-10 min. for the hostess to seat us (we had no idea where she was while we and others just waited. they sat us down outside on a cute table. i thought the waiter was an idiot. my wife told him off since we had to wait 50 minutes to get our appetizer while others around us ordered after us, but got theirs before us.\r when the waiter brought me my beer, he was holding the mug which i was supposed to drink out of with his finger inside it. he then poured my drink into it and handed it to me, but i noticed that all the foam touched the palm of his hand since he grabbed the mug from the top. NASTY.\r their service was horrible and the food was average. i noticed that other gave them a bad review for the same nite we were there.\r i would rather eat at a taco stand then go back to that place. \r maybe there wanna be actor waiters need to take some lessons in manners and get the stick out their ... more

My boyfriend took me to the Inn for my birthday - it was highly recommended by some of his colleagues. We arrived on time for our 8:30 reservation - to find that there was no valet parking that night - luckily we found a spot in a nearby parking lot. The place looked beautiful - twinkle lights wrapped around all the trees - and a pretty dining patio. There was 4 people waiting at the hostess podium but no hostess. About 10 minutes later still no hostess - and now the line had grown to 14 people. After another few minutes our ex-hippie hostess showed up - as if a line of 14 people was no problem. She was a total space cadet and took another 10 minutes getting everyones names and reservation info. Then she sat everyone out of order. Our table wasn't set up and she said someone would get it ready asap. 5 minutes later the goofy hostess came back with a tablecloth and glasses...which is crazy since there was still 10 people waiting in line at the front of the restaurant! She had no clue how to set the table either - 5 minutes later we got to sit down and it's now 9 pm. This was getting a little crazy - meanwhile the 2 waiters serving the other tables clearly saw us waiting around during all of this. The table and chairs are cute but wobbly. We studied the menus for another 10 minutes with no acknowledgment from the waiters at all. At this point we were really frustrated. Especially considering that this was going to be an expensive meal. Next, a table of 6 got seated near us and guess what - the freaking waiter went to them first! UNBELIEVABLE! We couldn't believe it. So we left. Pretty crappy experience. I'm sure the food is great there but we didn't stick around to find out - the AWFUL service turned us off. Not to mention we live in Silverlake and Topanga isn't exactly close by. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Awful service more

Went there for Sunday brunch. Wonderful place/ atmosphere. Menu is very limited and food is horrible. The owner should be ashamed to serve what they call a fruit salad! It's a shame that such a nice place doesn't have a better menu. more

This restaurant has not been reviewed in 2 years and the new chef cyril comes along and fancy that...some rave reviews..no one cares about this place ..nice job friends and fam of cyril.. it was too obvious Pros: pretty place Cons: pretty place more

Ok, it was my birthday, but I was surprised that my husband, who is a foodie, would choose Inn of the Seventh Ray, not always known for its haute cuisine. He said, ""Honey, I got a hot tip - they hired a new chef three weeks ago - this won't be a secret for long"". Before the night was over, I was on a natural Topanga high, higher than the Santa Monica Mountains we were nestled in. \r \r My husband called for the chef - Cyril, mais oui, a Frenchman, hip and handsome. Cyril suggested we take advantage of the tasting menu with some surprises. Our first course, The Carrot Veloute on Ice ? was outstanding, carrot-y fresh with a zingy twist of green chili oil, followed by Pressed Portobello Mushrooms ? smooth and cool, then Langoustine that still tasted like the sea ? in a very good way. The wine steward, Travis, paired incredible wines for us and offered interesting insights and back-stories. \r \r At the end of the evening we had eaten everything in sight - garnish included ? a touch of kumquat on the tuna, baby abalone sauteed in garilc, Jon Dory with pea puree and indian spices, parsnip puree with basil oil and sea bass ? every bite had an exciting twist. We couldn?t wait to see what Cyril would put together next. Our four hour meal culminated with a fruit assemblage ? watermelon, grapefruit, cherries, white raspberries, there were probably other fresh and delicious fruits in there too but by this time I was in a wonderful food-induced euphoria and my memory is hazy.\r \r What an incredible birthday meal! Having another birthday doesn?t put me in the best mood ? but having a meal at the Inn of the Seventh Ray prepared by Cyril made us vow to come back with friends on any occasion that suits us! Wow! The new chef Cyril has elevated the menu so the quality of the meal is now equal to the breathtaking natural setting. Pros: Chef that knows what he is doing! Attentive service, good wine steward Cons: None that we experienced more

\r The allure of the inn?s is undisputed, the environs have always made up if the food was found lacking. No lack allowed now with the arrival of a new chef Cyril who has skillfully and and artistically interpreted ?raw? cuisine with aggressive creative vision. Our tasting was a treat for all the senses. Carrot soup infused with coconut and dressed with jalapeno oil with a crunchy hemp cracker atop , a architectural terrine of heirloom tomatoes paired with thai basil, pave of portobello mushrooms surrounded by white asparagus peas corn and red bell pepper, apple chip was a great treat, a wonder of an ?entree? Gnocchi made from beets and nuts, black truffle notes . No gluttony here, just an incredible meal that left us fulfilled and sated. more

First time visit and we will be back again. We arrived on the spur of the moment, very casually dressed on a Sunday. Seeing people leave we were concerned we were under dressed but were treated as valued customers by everyone. The Sunday brunch is amazing. The food is so fresh and delicious and the atmosphere relaxing. We can?t wait to try dinner here. Pros: Ambience, great food Cons: nothing more

We went with friends Saturday night to celebrate our joint wedding anniversaries. Reviews we read had been very mixed so we were not sure what to expect. The entire evening was fantastic! We had opening time reservations at 5:30 and, since it felt chilly outside, opted to sit inside next to the roaring fire. It was cozy and romantic. The food was absolutely incredible as was the service. Yes, it is expensive but the ingredient combinations were pure haute gourmet and well worth it. Everyting arrived in a timely manner and the staff was friendly and attentive. We all felt the evening was magical! Pros: Ambience, service, food more

If you are planning a relaxing or romantic meal, this restaurant is perfect. I went for lunch the other day with my sister for the first time and was first impressed that customers seat themselves anywhere they want, whether it be secluded in the gazebo or in the sun by the fountain. Service was slow and we didn't get refills on our drinks but it paid off when the food came (after quite a long time- again, expect the long wait). I ordered the roasted vegetable flatbread sandwich, and it was absolutely fantastic. My sister got the salad and also enjoyed it. We had ordered the cheese plate as an appetizer but it never came. When we told the waitress, she insisted that we get it to eat after our meal, 'on the house,' and it was excellent.\r I highly recommend this restaurant if you have time and are looking for a special, intimate dining experience. Pros: food, atmosphere Cons: service, time more

I know this restaurant is suppose to be amazing and so quaint and romantic. However somehow this magic place turned into the worst restaurant experience on valentines...and its seems that in the back of their mind thet decided to ""milk valentines day"" to become a pure financial success for them forgetting what Valentine should be and remain...a quaint, romantic and unique experience...\r So here it is...fixed price/fixed menu not specified at the time of reservation. So too bad that we had a smaller appetite at 10pm. The table where on top of each other where you basically here the intimate conversation of your neighbor not the one from your sweetheart. Poor and more than slow service. It took 2 hours before we got the entrees. We had to tell three different people before we go the rest of our meal to go. The waiter was never in sight.\r The only thing we know is that he was proud to tell one of the table next to us that they were serving 800 people that evening....at 90 per person minimum!! i guess it was worth to them killing the romantic and intimate atmosphere for sure!! more

This restaurant encompasses Topanga's hippie and fairy-like atmosphere. All the food is fantastic AND healthy, and the service is lovely. This is the place to go if you are in no rush and want to relax in a beautiful setting. Pros: Ambience, Service, Food Cons: Parking, Price more

We have been to dinner on several occasions and fell in love with the people and the place. The restaurant is one of a kind and magical. We loved it so much that we ended up getting married there and the food and atmosphere was, once again, wonderful and beyond comparison. Very highly recommended. Pros: A perfect place more