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RATINGS
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Service
Value
Atmosphere

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PRICE RANGE
€18 - €45
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch
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MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

Housed in a striking red contemporary structure, it’s easy to spot this "Smokehouse" from a distance. Inside, you’ll find an equally stylish décor—all ...
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All reviews salad scallops fries wine list dining experience beautiful setting view of the ocean post ranch inn ventana sur
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago

We used to love to drive down the coast to the Ventana Inn, have lunch, relax and enjoy the view. We live in Monterey so this is a "local" place for us. Yesterday was the first time we have gone since Covid. We took my...aunt and uncle for lunch. The Ventana Inn has sold, and it is now an all inclusive resort that we learned has only recently opened for "outsiders' to dine at. The vibe of Big Sur is completely gone. The menu is very limited, ridiculously expensive, and the tip of 22% is included so there is absolutely zero motivation for the wait staff to worry about their level of service. We waited for some time for the waiter to come to the table, and then when my husband ordered a second beer it sat at the bar while the waiter socialized with other staff members. At these prices the beer should be cold as should the glass. We finally asked one of the bus staff to find out about the beer. We had the fish tacos and honestly you had to hunt for the fish! The portion would never be described as "generous" more like microscopic! My aunt and uncle split a chicken sandwich, they are elderly and don't eat much, and the total bill was $134. This is one of those places that is on the "that place really changed" list with a note next to it that reads "sure glad we went when we did, not going back." If you enjoy paying a fortune for smash burgers and fish tacos with almost no fish, this is the place for you!More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed June 13, 2023

We booked a table for our family to celebrate our two granddaughters' (ages 8 and 4) end of school year. They were very excited about going out in the new dresses their grandmother bought for them. We made reservations 6 weeks in advance, but the...day before our lunch date, the restaurant called to say that there had been a "buyout"—someone had booked the entire restaurant, and our family's reservation for 9 people was cancelled. Times might be hard for the restaurant business, but this is a poor way to treat customers.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 22, 2023 via mobile
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Date of visit: January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 28, 2022 via mobile

We stayed at Ventana for four nights and our stay included three meals a day at Sur House. Service was excellent, 5 stars. Views were spectacular and the setting is lovely (so even if you don’t get the cliff side view it’s still a great...experience). Wine list was great. Cocktails were creative and delightful. But… the food? The food was not good. There were some great items on the menu but most were bland and blah. Every thing is beautifully plated and there is amazing potential here. Basically they need to do a major recalibration on the recipes and improve standardization of the cooks. Highlights - Chicken Adobo sandwich, stuffed mushrooms served with the steak, green gazpacho, corn bisque and the salads (but must get dressing on the side). All meats and seafoods and eggs were expertly cooked - there is talent here. Deserts were all good (and they look incredible) but they don’t seem to be fresh (cooked in batches days ahead?). Desert portions are huge, while some entrees were quite small (3 scallops with 2 Pearl onions for example). A dinner here is more than enough food but it’s just oddly portioned. I’d much rather have a more substantial entree and smaller desert. My husband kept saying it reminded him of cruise ship food - bland and appealing to the lowest common denominator. Not what you expect from a spot that should be 5 stars. On our last night I tried ordering the “simply prepared” offerings thinking how can you go wrong with that! The chicken was rubbery and drowning in oil and salt. The carrots were over cooked mush and not seasoned at all. Even the avocado toast for breakfast was meh - it doesn’t seem like they’re using fresh avocado but more like leftover guacamole? The chicken hash and chorizo scramble lacked any real flavor. We really enjoy dining and trying new restaurants and meals and this was a major let down. Again there’s so much potential here and I hope they can recalibrate and bring the standards back up.More

Date of visit: September 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 28, 2022 via mobile

Beautiful view, if you are lucky enough to be seated next to the cliff ( wasn’t our case though ), good food if you order what is still available ( ran out of fish soon after midday ), except for the greasy beef quesadillas. Service...was very slow …More

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed August 25, 2022

Not staying at Ventana but decided to give it a try. Beautiful stunning restaurant where we very much enjoyed the service, the wine and the delicious food. Left late and upon arrival back at Post Ranch Inn I realised I had lost my bracelet. Glen...our driver called, Post Ranch front desk called and nobody took the time to call us back. Disappointing as things don’t just vanish. Spoiled my night.More

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed August 17, 2022 via mobile

This review is specific to the dinner service at the Sur House (we were hotel guests for a few nights). Michael provides the best dinner service we have ever had. He is naturally engaging, friendly, down to earth, while still maintaining professionalism and a focus...on delivering excellent service. We were fortunate to be seated in his section on 2 nights during our stay. Michael gladly accommodated my wife’s dietary restrictions and provided me with an excellent tasting menu + wine pairing. We have dined at Michelin restaurants in LA, NY, CDMX … you get the point. Michael is the best server I can recall and truly made the dining experience special. The food was also exceptional - kudos to the new chef at this place. Ventana Big Sur and Sur House do an incredible job of maintaining a sense of place. We will be lifelong guests.More

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed August 8, 2022

Excellent value. Wonderful Service. One of the best views on Earth. You won't want to leave. We came on a hot (77F) day in August and the view was second to none. The rear patio is set back just a bit from the ocean about...1,000 feet below and you can look endlessly into the vast blue ocean. It's beautiful. My partner is afraid of heights and it's not an issue because you are not on the edge. We will be back. We had two small plates for lunch and an hors d'oeuvre. Before tax was $96.More

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 3, 2022

Hadn’t been here since before Covid. The menu was right up to expectations; fresh local ingredients expertly prepared and presented. Every bite from start to finish was full of authentic flavours. We were in celebration mode so ordered a bottle of Kistler Chardonnay from the...list (very fairly priced). And of course the desserts were out of this world ! The only slight drags were the piped in “elevator music” and the staff who were well meaning but not well trained (post Covid, this is a common phenomenon everywhere in the world. Highly recommended experience; ask for a table outside with the view of the oceanMore

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed May 8, 2022

Once upon a time Sur House was the finest of the finest anywhere. Truly world class. And the food ? Amazing. 2nd to none. That was before the COVID, when SUR HOUSE shut down for nearly 3 years. What came up years later is a...shadow of its former self. What was years ago the best Chicken Sandwich I have ever had on this planet, now has turned into a version that is far worse than you'd get at a fast food joint. The fries are also very cheap, super salty, like someone just splashed a whole bunch of seasoned salt on not very good fries. What was once upon a time truly extraordinary now is - dont bother coming out. SUR HOUSE as you knew it is not here anymore. It is just horrible. Even the cutlery, presentation, tableware, the taste and texture of the food - super cheap - like fast food cheap. The irony here is that they upped the prices by about 30% and went down in quality by 300% This is not something you want to come out for. This is not the same SUR HOUSE as years ago, before COVID forced its closure and all the staff went bye bye. What has been resurrected from the dead is not worth coming out for. Once upon a time, after having a meal, you'd eagerly phone up your best friend and say, I just Had the Best Dining Experience of My Life. Now you will call your best friend, and say, wow I wish I would have got McDonalds. Yeah, its that bad. Just before COVID hit and SUR House closed for a few years, something else happened, it changed ownerships. I'm not sure what is the genesis for taking one of the best restaurants on the planet and turning it to something on the level of McDonalds in quality. The genesis of SUR HOUSE is beyond disappointing. NO one who dines here should mistake the SUR HOUSE of 2022 (When it reopened) for the SUR HOUSE of 2019 and before that. That is the point in time when they changed ownership and COVID hit. A double whammy. I live nearby in the Highlands (20 minutes away) - so I know this spot better than most. I have dined here probably 20X. And can tell you on my 21st time, there wont be a 22nd. Its that bad. I used to miss this place when it was closed during COVID. Now I wish that it would have remained closed. DONT BOTHER COMING ! Nothing like its former self. Beyond disappointing.More

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 4, 2022

Just returned form Ventana and have already booked our next stay. Seldom do you have a place that beats your expectations, especially when you have very high expectations, but the Sur House does, and not just by a bit, but by a lot. Celebrated my...husbands birthday and such a nice dinner to celebrate his special day. The food was fantastic and I would like to thank Michael in the Sur Restaurant for great service and his easy and fun manner. Food was exactly as we wanted it made, and such great selections to choose from. Breakfast was delicious and dinner was the most fantastic. So much great food, and fresh and delicious. We will be back….Thanks to all of you….More

Date of visit: January 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 27, 2021

The restaurant was not great but not bad. One night, medium ended up being well done and the second night medium ended up being like rare. It was all inclusive so not much to complain about but would not have enjoyed it otherwise.

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed November 4, 2021

We ate two breakfasts and one dinner here when we stayed at the property. Food was delicious and there were many choices. Service was very attentive and friendly. It was raining one night so we ate dinner inside by a large fireplace and loved the...upscale rustic lodge. We ate our breakfasts outside on the patio and loved the expansive ocean views from there. Overhead heating lamps made dining outside very comfortable. Again the views while eating delicious food is unbeatable! Highly recommend eating here .More

Date of visit: October 2021
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Reviewed October 27, 2021

Breakfast and dinners at the Sur House were provided as part of our all-inclusive stay at Hyatt Ventana Alila. We were very pleased with the quality and quantity. Favorites included the avocado toasts with poached eggs for breakfast, and the rack of lamb cooked to...perfection for dinner. Oh, and their pork belly appetizer was simply amazing.... I eat it all day, but i shouldn't.More

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 24, 2021

While the main dining room was not open while we were there during the weekday, the outside patio was. It was relaxing and simple - not a huge menu and you need to order yourself at the bar. A bit of a rustic experience but...met our picky-eaters expectations.More

Date of visit: August 2021
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Questions & Answers
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Shandiego
August 11, 2018|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from Mike L | Reviewed this property |
I’m sure they could accommodate you, my suggestion would be to contact the restaurant directly
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Dawnmelissa
June 1, 2016|
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Response from DallasGogirl | Reviewed this property |
Really sorry but I'm not sure about that. D'Ann
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THE SUR HOUSE, Big Sur - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Sur House

Yes, The Sur House offers takeout services.

The Sur House is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5