Saddle Peak Lodge

I love the ambiance here and we’ll as the history have had numerous conversations with the owner and chefs about the cuisine and how they prepare. It is truly a world class experience. I try and make it at least once a year.

Excellent meal for a reasonable price. Their Monday/​Tuesday supper menu is affordable and tasty. The 3-​course Supper Menu is $ 35.
I love the ambiance. It feels like an upscale lodge. I like the happy hour specials they have on wine. There is plenty of parking. Our server was very friendly and attentive.

While the food was pretty good, I thought the place uncomfortable and snooty. They lost our reservation but seated us quickly.
The tables are too close together. The rooms, at night, are claustrophobic with no views (it’s dark!). The staff don’t bother to ask if you have visited before or would like to look around. They don’t suggest which room you might like to be seated in. They tell you nothing about the place or its history. They are resting on past laurels, and think a lot of themselves! It is very expensive for what it is. No beautiful linens and table settings. Very uncomfortable chairs. (I will say that the Elk Tenderloin was excellent.)
Absolutely not up to par with great dining experiences of the world, let alone Los Angeles. I will never go there again.

Okay… interesting look to the room.
Nice soup but service not so nice. Had to ask for bread… at this price point you shouldn’t have to even wave down staff for any need. The restaurant had five to six empty tables so no pass for being super busy.
Long delay after the soup… and just as I was ready to get up to ask for the check… what came was forgettable.
Look…one person for dinner isn’t going to create a big bill… but sometimes one person is thinking of bringing co-workers…a lot of them.
No return for this well known destination restaurant.

It had been maybe close to ten years since we visited Saddle Peak and I’m really glad we went there again!
The location, of course, is great; in the middle of a beautiful, woodsy area in the Malibu Canyon. It’s not so great for cell service, but we’re all on our phones too damn much, anyway! Enjoy the food and the company =)
Beautiful room, with cozy fireplace; very lodge-​like environs, which match the food perfectly. You can’t come all the way to Saddle Peak and not enjoy some of the game meats. There’s a game trio on the menu which is worth your time. The chef also has tasting menus. Our server allowed one of us to do a tasting and the other to get the game trio. Almost everything we had was good to great. I wasn’t a huge fan of the tasting version of the Venison Carpaccio (which is different from the version on the menu); the flavors didn’t quite go very well together and I also thought the wine pairing with that course was a miss. Major yummy standouts were the Spanish Octopus, the Pea Toast, the Elk, and the Cowboy Rib Eye Chop.
Good wine, good service, and, overall, a good evening! The prices are a bit high, so be ready, but things were prepared accordingly. This is a must-​stop for brunch, I’d imagine; I’ll let you know after we try it out!

Yes, it’s expensive here!!! But oh, so so good.
The very first time I’ve been to SPL was about 4 years ago. It was for someone’s birthday. We started out on the patio for cocktails and apps before being seated upstairs to our table. We were served hors d’oeuvres on the patio and from this moment on, I realized I love gamey meats,… from elk to venison to wild boar. I knew I was hooked.
I regret I’ve only been a couple more times since then. Because, like I said, it’s expensive!
I dropped by Sunday after a hike. They were booked solid (Sunday between Christmas and New Year!) but I was perfectly content sitting at the bar with their AMAZING, complimentary, house-​made potato chips. They’re perfect. And giant. And perfect. Did I mention perfect?
Just had the short rib tacos this time around which were… perfect.
I highly recommend the Chef’s Game Trio 54
Braised Buffalo Short Rib, Pommes Purée, Pencil Asparagus, Bloomsdale Spinach
Elk Tenderloin, Brandied Cherries, Vanilla-​Butternut Squash, Baby Portabella, Cipollini
Amaroo Farms Emu Strip, Apple-​Wood Bacon, Sautéed Broccolini, Corn Fricassée
I consider SPL a «special occasion» destination.
Not vegan friendly. At all.
Happy Hour Specials Now (I may need to Monday Funday it here) –Chef Kufek’s 3-​course Supper Menu for $ 35 on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Love Love Love–
Excellent friendly service,
ambiance is amazingly beautiful and cozy,
and THE FOOD is everything perfect, in all ways.

This was my first visit to Saddle Peak Lodge — for my birthday. Tucked away in Calabasas, I had no idea this jewel of a restaurant even existed. Now that I know about it, I’m adding it to my list of Great Local Restaurants.
What I loved:
* The ambiance — the right mix of grand + cozy
* Menu selection — besides your traditional beef and fish selections, they also have elk, bison, ostrich, emu, etc. I had the elk, which was fantastic!
* Wine — on Wed and Thu, you get 50% off a bottle of wine. Score!
* Service — our waitress was very helpful and personable. She told us about her sister’s emu, a nasty little guy named Frank that keeps the freaks off her rural property.
What I didn’t love:
[nothing to report here]
We went at night, so we couldn’t see the view. I’d like to go back again when it’s light outside and sit upstairs to enjoy the view.

My wife and I had a game trio — elk, bison, and emu — which was excellent and easily passed the «I could not make this myself» test. The accompaniments went well with the entrée. Every one of the items was delicious.
It is pricey, but worth splurging. The apple salad (before dinner) and cheese plate (after) were good, as well. They did something magic to the bread that comes with the cheese plate.

I have been visiting Saddle Peak for several years and in the past would have rated them 4 or 5 stars but tonight’s dinner was disappointing.
We know they have only valet parking, but when we arrived tonight there was one guy on valet and three cars waiting ahead of us. We just figured we had hit a particularly busy time, and were still on time for our table so it was OK.
We were shown to our table, but the table cloth had wine on it and the previous guests’ dirty napkins. The host apologized and had us go back to the bar area to wait for them to make the table ready.
After a short wait, we were then shown to a different table which was already set up.
Having been given menus, there was a long wait before our server showed up, and when he did, he just seemed to stand there, not saying much at all. The food arrived quite quickly and was just OK — didn’t seem up to the standard of previous visits. My trio of game was fine, except for the vegetables being so under cooked they were impossible to eat. My companion’s filet mignon was pretty tough, and his veggies were also very undercooked.
Dessert was a highlight of the meal — a chocolate brownie with raspberries and white chocolate with bourbon ice cream.
The real let down of the evening was when we went to reclaim our car from the valet and found about 10 people in front of us waiting for their cars. We waited at least 15 minutes in 47 degree temperatures — there was one patio heater over by the valet but it was switched off. People were so frustrated waiting for their cars that they started asking for their keys and going off to get their own vehicles. One guy pointed out he had been given someone else’s keys. Meanwhile, the one lone valet looked so annoyed — and you couldn’t blame him — busy Saturday night and left completely on his own to deal with guests arriving and departing.
Overall, the food was not as good as it usually is, the waiter was very quiet and the valet was overworked. With these prices, there are other better options available in this area, so it is unlikely we will return in the future.

In an out of the way hill country south of Calabasas in Mount Nido. It looks like a rustic 3 level hunting lodge built in rough hewn planks & beams w/​framed set of antique guns & a stuffed badger above sniffing the air. There is a chandelier made of antlers which looks like a smaller version adorning the hunting lodge at Schloss Sans Souci built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. There are enough deer heads decorating the walls to form a small herd which will delight the true carnivore, but may prove disconcerting to a vegan. By early December, Saddle Peak Lodge is decked all out in winter holiday splendor which makes for an extra festive atmosphere. This is definitely a good time to make a visit.
We were lucky to have the room w/​model sail boats on the second story which is like an intimate alcove w/​plenty of windows looking out onto the property furnished w/​comfortable bent willow chairs. We were fortunate to have Garrin as out waiter who was enthusiastic, friendly, warm, and very much amped getting ready for his sommelier examination. We opted for the Chef’s Tasting Menu:
1) Amuse Gueule: Tiny little demitasse of Potato & Leek soup which was enriched w/​cream & had a nice brothy Umami.
2) Market Oysters: Mignonette sauce of vinegar, black pepper, shallots, Prosecco White Wine Gelee: Fisher Island Oysters had scent of the sea modulated by the acidity of the vinegar which is reminiscent of pickle juice to awaken even more meatiness, whisper of shallots, basil for green herbal & bit of funky onion scent.
3) Spanish Ocotopus marinated in olive oil for tenderness, seared to add a bit of rough texture. Chermoula was treated like a tapenade since it had olives, but also had lemons, onions, and a good dose of smoky, medicinal fresh ground cumin. Mache salad & fingerling potatoes were accompaniments.
4) Pea Toast was slathered w/​whipped Ricotta cheese, touch of lemon marmalade, bit of greens & a sugar snap pea. The Oregon Black Truffles does not have a particularly heavy scent of block truffles.
5) Seared Venison is what would be called in the Sushi world as Tataki whereby the outer edges of the meat is seared, but the inside is still very raw. The natural light gaminess of the deer came through w/​a pleasant meaty chaw. The shredded green papaya salad was dressed w/​Nuoc Mam/​Nampla which is a Southeast Asian fish sauce which lends a subtle fish scented Umami that works well w/​the raw game meat.
6) Agnolotti/​little sheep are thick, chewy pasta like Ravioli filled w/​a duxelle/​diced mushroom & butter filling w/​Sardo Pecorino/​sheep cheese adding creaminess & a bit of the mild Oregon Truffles.
7) Wapiti Elk Tenderloin was grilled w/​demi-​glacé sauce. Side of caramelized whole Cipollini onion, a Crimini mushroom cap filled w/​finely diced mushroom.
8) Cheese plate: Beemster: hard Gouda (how dah); Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery, washed rind, triple cream which has mushroomy, earthy, slightly bitter undertone; Paski is a Croatian sheep cheese which is sharp, musky, gamy, slightly sour. A light sulfur scented mostarda enriched perserved pear slices, & raisin mostarda could be used as condiments as well as pain perdue like toast.
1−8a) Zinfandel, Ballard Lane, Paso Robles, Central Coast red wine was paired w/​all the above. Mellow, deeply fruity w/​blackberries, black cherries, bit of acidity & mild tannins to counter the sweetness.
9) Chocolate Buckwheat Brownie was dry textured w/​chocolate nibs that added even more texture. drops of raspberry confit, dabs of soft chocolate ganache, Bourbon Barrel scented vanilla ice cream was a good way to end on a chocolatey, sweet note. Espresso w/​its bitter smoothness was a good foil for the chocolate sweet tones.
Saddle Peak Lodge has great ambiance & service that is at the same time informal & relaxed. However, there is a sign out front that says: Proper attire, please. 4 Unilocal stars for an entertaining evening.

Wow! What a cool place! The BF took me here for my birthday and it did not disappoint. We got the tasting menu and also the wild game trio and every bite was delicious. Certainly I enjoyed some items slightly more than others but not a bad bit in the bunch. Highly recommended, though may be a bit awkward for vegetarians; the ENTIRE place is covered with lots of game trophies (and I mean the dead animal kind). Also, the menu is very meat heavy, emphasizing wild game. The ambiance is bizarre in the most wonderful way… 3 or 4 floors of cozy dining, with each room slightly different than the last. Service was perfect. We especially enjoyed the octopus and the truffle ravioli (I mean, who doesn’t like truffle ravioli). Also has a beautiful outdoor space that is closed during the fall and winter months.

Love this hidden gem in the hills.
From the beautiful surroundings to the amazing food, this place is the whole package.

Hmm… on the fence for 3 or 4 stars. I’ll go ahead an put 4 stars because where else are you going to get so much wild (okay, it’s probably farm/​ranch raised) game prepared so excellently. The hunting lodge décor is a little kitch which is a little out of place given the prices on the menu, but nevertheless does set a mood. It feels remote as you need to go up into the Malibu canyons to reach the restaurant and it’s a drive from Los Angeles.

Been here less than 6 times but each time satisfies!!!
Did the taste menu tonight — tastes. Wines were well paired too.
I’ll be back!

What a beautiful place. Went here for dinner one Friday evening. Live music set the mood. Dinner was scrumptious. Service was pleasant and the servers were wonderful.
Mainly. It was such a beautiful setting. I thought my boo was going to propose (not! It was our second date) But really. It was dreamy and probably the best and most romantic dates I’ve ever been on.
I think the wine put me in the mood. Lol. Jk.

The restaurant itself has a lot of character (100 year old hunting lodge) and the dining area (at least the one we were in) is full of animal heads and other stuffed game. The service was exceptional with staff ready to serve you extra rolls (freshly baked warm pretzel rolls — delicious!!!), refill your water glass, clear your plates and get anything else you may need. One of the gentlemen serving us had worked there for 22 years! He brought us a brochure that covered the history of the lodge.
We selected the restaurant for its location (convenient to where we were staying), great reviews, and unusual menu options. We started with an amuse bouche (after multiple pretzel rolls — could not say no to them!). It was some type of roasted vegetable soup, full of flavor. After that:
— Olive Oil Braised Octopus — lots of texture and flavor
— Australian Kangaroo Filet (can’t get that a lot of places so had to try it — tender, lean, a little gamey but good)
— Game trio (buffalo, elk, emu — My husband really liked the elk. I tried his Emu which was good)
— Portobello Fries (eaten hot — wow!)
— Brownies and ice cream (good but nothing unusual)
Its unusual menu, excellent service, and quiet dining area make it a great place for a romantic dinner or family get-​together.

Came here today for the Tuesday Supper menu and was really disappointed… Started with scallops, pretty bland; continued with chicken, also bland; and finished with bread pudding as dessert, pretty tasteless. To this comes that the server missed the order, came out with the wrong dish and had to go back and reorder in the kitchen which made one member in our company wait for the entrée for almost 15 minutes. Busboys dropping cutlery on the table… So all in all, an experience you shouldn’t expect from a restaurant like Saddle Peak Lodge!

Had a fabulous dinner here with my dearest friend a couple weeks ago.
We started off at the bar with a couple Moscow Mules. Bartender and Sommelier who was tending some wines behind the bar were amazing! Great stories they shared with us about the lodge.
We then moved to our table. We had the most charming corner booth. Perfect for a little romance :)
We started out with the Oysters and Corn and Lobster dish. Amazing!
I had the lamb and my date had the Chef’s Game Trio but added the Kangaroo. It was all soooo yummy!
Definitely recommend Saddlepeak Lodge! Gorgeous grounds, yummy drinks, cozy atmosphere, great service!

I came here for the good reviews I read about this place. When you arrive you see twinkling lights as you go through the entrance and as you enter it is almost completely pitch black inside. I came with my boyfriend so that he could experience it with me. Thank goodness I requested to sit outside in the patio with a great view of a live band and bar. Sadly we were welcomed by bees before we even started our first course.
Our server, David, seemed very nice but throughout our two hours of dining he only came to check on us twice and the third time was for the bill. This man named Alfonzo helped us out more and was not our server, but he was delightful and accommodating to us asking how we were doing.
The food overall was average. The DineLA menu was what we came to try. We started off with the pickled watermelon gazpacho with cilantro and peakytoe crab and it was quite bland. Our second course was a pea toast with black truffles, burrata, lemon marmalade and pickled onion. This had a nice smoky flavor, but it was still sub par. The third course was a venison carpaccio with a spicy green papaya salad and the meat was seasoned well. The papaya was lacking some sort of element.
The fourth course was another disappointment. It was the scarlet corn agnolotti and all we could taste was a corn chowder. The best part of all six courses was definitely the elk tenderloin. This is what actually saved our whole dining experience. It wasn’t chewy and it was cooked perfectly. Our dessert and final course was an olive oil cake topped with Meyer lemon curd and buttermilk ice cream. It was a nice ending to out dinner.
Overall, the service was not great and the food was okay with very small portions. I don’t think I will be dining here again.

I was truly and pleasantly surprised by Saddle Peak Lodge.
Initially, I was wary of reviews about small portions, odd game, and stuffy décor with stuffed animals — especially for the expense. But a girls’ night visit on a Friday night was nothing but delightful.
The décor — yes, a little dated. But in a good way! It makes you feel as if you’ve been transported in time to a warm, cozy cabin.
The food — amazing. I’m not a huge fan of wild game but there were plenty of choices for everyone so we tried a little of everything.
Entrees (proteins) are served with a choice of sauce. Sides are separate. Our table had trout and the wild game (venison, buffalo, emu and kangaroo). The platter of trout was massive — three large pieces served with grilled veggies and touched up with a butter sauce poured at the table. The assortment of wild game was plated beautifully with specific veggies and sauces to accompany every meat. We also had biscuits (wonderful!), two orders of yukon potato purée (smooth and creamy), brussel sprouts, and a special side order of curried puréed cauliflower. Even my summer salad was magic — grilled lettuce with a Szechuan dressing and strawberries, oranges, cashews and feta.
The wine list is entirely Californian wineries. I loved it. There is a decent list of wines by the glass (Cakebread — yum! — and hard to find served by the glass) and an extensive list by bottle.
The service — so nice! Our waitress was sweet and accommodating, even when we made a special request. We were served an amuse-​bouche of gazpacho. The serving staff were on point with every dish placed and removed. They helped make the night enjoyable and memorable.
I’d absolutely go back any time. Next time, brunch!

Disappointing…
We came here a while ago, when Adam Horton was the Chef and were amazed about the love and detail put into the food. It was excellent.
But when we came again recently, inviting two befriended chefs to show them how «amazing» the food is here, it turned out not to be what you would expect from a place like this.
The excitement about the food was very limited, until we got the bill. That one was really exciting, much more than the food.
i paid about 100 $ for a glass of wine, a few bites of elk and a few pieces of the tasting menu, which really were not that great.
if you like game and don’t take the tasting menu, you might have luck with some of the entrees at this place, but don’t expect to get what you pay for if you go for the expensive ones.
It’s incredibly overpriced, even though in a very beautiful and unique setting…
the elk was very tender, but too livery, which i had never had with an elk before and really don’t like.
they had rabbit in bacon, which basically tasted like bacon only.
I don’t need to go to a place like this for bacon taste, its really not that exciting…
the sashimi was ok, but not worth driving 2 hours for.
the dessert had some interesting flavors to it, but also a fried taste, which i think has nothing to do with fine cuisine…
the wine was ok, but not for the price.
all in all it was disappointing and felt like a rip-​off, considering the price.
Next time they would have to pay me to come again…