The restaurant is sleek and modern with an elegant touch - something of a cross between a Lake Tahoe ski resort and a New York professional's club. They need to decide if they want to be a high-end restaurant or a bar that serves food. I suggest a separate door and signage for Citronelle. It's only been open for a few months, so maybe they'll figure this out.

The food was excellent in all respects. I give special high marks on presentation - great use of interesting plates and food placement. We had a large-ish group (6) and the service was excellent and helpful. The menu, however, is very small - one page divided into appetizers and main courses. The wine list is exceptional and the waiter was good with suggestions.

They had "true" Kobe beef on the menu. I asked and they said it wasn't the American stuff but imported from Japan. Wow! I haven't seen that before. I've had Kobe in Japan so I had to try this. The preparation was almost a carpaccio (I asked for rare). The meat was delicious (akin to foie-gras). Rita had a miso-marinated sable fish that was also delicious. Dessert for me was a "celebration cake" - a chocolate covered ice cream cake with berries that was big enough for the whole table.

I was a bit disappointed that "traditional" touches like an amuse bouch and after-dessert-dessert weren't served. They have some kinks to work out, but we'll definitely go back.

There are many restaurants here in Monterey, but not many that have that Haute touch of the big names from the big cities. L'Auberge would stand up with many of the best in San Francisco and New York. It's part of a trio of restaurants in Carmel with a common owner: L'Auberge, Bouchon, and Cantinetta Luca. Rita and I have eaten at all three and they are all excellent but L'Auberge is far better than the other two.

We chose L'Auberge for our Valentine's Day dinner. The service was off and a bit confused and I'm not sure why. It's a tiny place so I doubt they were any busier this night than they would be other nights. But, they were earnest and I imagine the service would be better on another night. The food was exceptional: perfect breads (individual rolls), interesting sauces and combinations, and unusual ingredients. They have a plate of specialty salts on the table and my venison came with its own dish of smoked salt. The Valentine's Day menu was prix fixe:

Appetizer: Main Lobster Salad or Italian Chestnut Soup
Second course: Wild Mushroom Risotto
Main course: Arctic Char or Millbrook Venison
Dessert: Manjari Chocolate Mousse (with Caramelized Bananas and Peanut Butter) or Rose Macaroon Glacee

The risotto was perfect. The balance of stock and cheese was ideal and the mix of mushrooms was generous. The main course for me was venison and Rita had the char. While meat was the focus the sides were the star of both dishes. For the venison, a cherry chutney, parsnip puree, spaetzle and red cabbage. For the char, gnocchi and italian broccoli. The venison was very tender and not at all gamey. I wish it had a better sear on it, though. The char (like salmon or rainbow trout) was very nice with crispy skin but a touch overcooked.

Rita and I both had the chocolate dessert and it was excellent. I have a rule that it's not dessert if it doesn't contain one or more of chocolate, banana or peanut butter. This had all three!

Pros: Top New York level food and presentation
Cons: Service was off
Price: $95 per person - the wine pairing was $85 and was overpriced, I think.