The Pony Room — Restaurant in California

We visited The Pony Room, an upscale, local gem that is tucked away in the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, for a special dinner. Its high food quality, stunning location, professional service, and extensive wine and liquor selection made it a memorable fine-dining experience.

The lobster nachos were a real treat with sumptuous bites of lobster mixed with a vibrant pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese, and slightly spicy sauce.

The hamachi crudo was so fresh. The dish was brightened by thinly sliced Serrano peppers, shiso leaves, and a well balanced ponzu sauce that complemented the fish.

The brussel sprouts with bacon were a bit heavy and sweet alongside a main entree. I would opt for a lighter side dish next time, if pairing it with one of their hearty main entrees.

The jumbo Baja shrimp cocktail was refreshing. It contained six large, meaty shrimps on a bed of crushed ice. It was paired with a nice guacamole and cocktail sauce.

Fresh Kumamoto raw oysters from Washington state were very fresh and cold. Although the oysters came with a fermented hot sauce and a mignonette, they tasted even better when the staff brought out a side of fresh grated horseradish. This brought a nice acidity and spice to the oysters.

The spiced lamb lollipops were served at a juicy medium rare temperature and placed on a healthy smear of tzatziki sauce. The lollipops were topped with a mustard caviar that lent a nice salt and acidity to the lamb.

The decor is rich and warm, with rustic woods, clay roof tiles, white stucco walls, and other accents. The restaurant is set against a beautiful natural backdrop of trees and the night sky. A great place for a romantic date night or special occasion.

Special thanks to our server, Henry, for his attentive and knowledgeable service. His food and drink recommendations...

The Pony Room provided a fantastic upscale casual, but very intimate and romantic experience. They have a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, all of which are nice. We sat in the outdoor courtyard patio which had a cute little fountain in the middle. We had a bunch of other people around us, but it still felt intimate and we weren't hearing everybody else talking.

Wait staff was fantastic and on top of everything throughout the meal. I never had to ask for more water, silverware, or anything else. In fact, they brought stuff to us we didn't know we would need... which led to a funny interaction about a spoon.

We had cocktails, an appetizer, an entree each, and dessert. The cocktails were great and our waiter checked to make sure that we enjoyed them. For the appetizer, we got the esquite, a corn dish. It needed a little lime to make it great, but it was really good before. I got the squash blossom quesadilla and my girlfriend got the steak frites. Both were fantastic and I would absolutely recommend them. A little fresh salsa would be a nice addition to the quesadilla, but it was something I would absolutely get again. For dessert, we got the peach tartin. We substituted vanilla ice cream for the caramel ice cream and it was a perfect end to the meal. It wasn't too sweet and was a really nice refreshing summer or fall dessert.

I would absolutely recommend the Pony Room for a special occasion or a...

We went here for brunch this past Saturday for my mom and my aunt's birthday. I cannot express how amazing our service was! Everyone who worked there was so hospitable and really accommodating and helping us that everything set up and have a really nice celebration. What I like about Pony room and never gets completely full, so they put us in a nice space near the window with a bench next to us where we could put all of our gifts and belongings. I should add there was nine of us! So fairly good size large party. Our server Alex was super tentative to make sure all of us had her water and drinks while waiting on food. We started off with chips and guac and cinnamon rolls. The food was better than I remembered! Definitely one of the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had, they are extra large so definitely order one to share with at least two other people. The chips for the guac were fresh crispy and perfectly salted. We all loved our food as well although we are running out of space from the appetizers. I ordered the prime rib dip, which I hardly made a dent in but took home in a box. Honestly, I love the pony room. It's such a nice, elegant, and tasteful vibe. The service is 10 out of 10, and so is the food! Great spot for a celebration or just simply coming for weekend brunch! Also valet is complimentary if you're dining at...