Saddle Peak Lodge
New American restaurant · Los Angeles County
419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302
Highlights
Romantic mountain lodge with upmarket New American fare & game
Romantic mountain lodge with upmarket New American fare & game
"In a city as unfathomably large as Los Angeles, you hear the term “destination restaurant” a lot. Mainly because no matter where you’re eating, you’re probably getting in a car and driving there. A real destination restaurant, however, has much more going on than drive-worthy food. It needs to be an experience from start to finish - even better if it’s as wonderful as it is soul-shakingly bizarre. No, we’re not talking about Rainforest Cafe. We’re talking about Saddle Peak Lodge - one of LA’s best destination restaurants. Like any good destination, Saddle Peak is not close - for anybody. It’s located up in the Santa Monica mountains above Malibu, probably not too far from that hiking trail you keep telling yourself you’ll go to this weekend, but definitely won’t. Once there, walking on the grounds of Saddle Peak is like walking into another dimension or, at the very least, Richard Branson’s hunting lodge in Montana. The space is massive - three separate floors, themed rooms (there’s a library and an attic filled with tiny boats), and a sprawling patio looking out over the mountains. Chances are high that you’ll be seated next to a roaring fireplace, staring point-blank at a taxidermied deer and a massive bookshelf with novels about the lost art of musketeering. And you what? You’re going to love every goddamned second of it, because this is exactly what you signed up for. photo credit: Jakob Layman Saddle Peak’s 100-year-old history is long and varied. It’s been everything from a Pony Express stop to an actual hunting lodge to a place where Hollywood elite could simply eat their whipped potatoes in peace. For as crazy as that history is though, the menu seems quite traditional - caesar salads, jumbo asparagus, and pork loins. But then you notice “the game trio” at the bottom and realize there’s more in play here. Saddle Peak’s bread and butter (besides their actual bread and butter, which will rock you) are their rare meats. Emu, ostrich, venison, or elk - whatever’s on the butcher’s block that night is what you should order (or consider it a crime to yourself). For the rest, wrap the meal around things you know and love like mac and cheese, bread pudding, and a cast iron johnnycake that we think about in the shower. This isn’t affordable dining by any means, but remember you’re eating rare meats and that just comes with the territory. Nothing about Saddle Peak is subtle or nuanced. If you come here expecting to find a mischievous take on the gooseberry, turn around now. Also, don’t talk to us. This is a meat and potatoes free-for-all you share with your entire family on a holiday or just some friends who want to experience something different tonight. And that’s a destination worth the journey. Food Rundown Chef’s Game Trio Order this or don’t even allow yourself to put the keys in your car to come here. It’s just a fantastic plate of meat you’ve probably never had before and the heart (not the actual heart) of Saddle Peak. photo credit: Jakob Layman Mac & Cheese Frankly, you should be outraged if a place like Saddle Peak can’t put out a good dish of mac and cheese, and luckily, that doesn’t happen here. photo credit: Jakob Layman Caesar Salad You’re going to be looking long and hard for a vegetable source, so we don’t blame you if you’re tempted to order a salad. But don’t. Aside from the house-made croutons, the caesar is very skippable. Double-down on the vegetable entree sides instead. photo credit: Jakob Layman Cast-Iron Johnnycake This is basically corn bread, but better, and will have meaningful and long-term impacts on how you view the world. Order this. Order this. Order this. Saddle Peak Eggs Benedict At Saddle Peak, game trio to dinner is what the eggs benedict is to brunch. This place does an excellent weekend brunch, but if you don’t order this beautiful pile of bacon, eggs, and hollandaise, we can’t help you. ALSO IT’S ON A CROISSANT. photo credit: Jakob Layman Idaho Rainbow Trout If you just can’t bring yourself around to eating emu tonight, order this instead. And then dream about what emu must taste like. photo credit: Jakob Layman Bread Pudding By the end of a meal at Saddle Peak, stomach space is going to be at a premium. But if you can muster it, the bread pudding is tremendous. photo credit: Jakob Layman" - Brant Cox
"Saddle Peak Lodge is a game-lover’s paradise, the kind of place where it’s possible to sit in shade on a sizable patio sipping deep reds and enjoying everything from summery salmon tartare and panzanella salad to rabbit, bison, elk, and two-pound bone-in tomahawk steaks. The woodsy, log-cabin-like interior is worth sitting indoors to experience, too." - Eater Staff
"Saddle Peak Lodge offers a rustic atmosphere right in scenic Malibu Canyon. Outdoor ceremonies have panoramic views of the hills, and both indoor and outdoor spaces can fit up to 200 guests. The food offerings here are amply decadent: Menus might include dishes like Parmesan potato puffs, duck pastrami canapés, roasted bone marrow, cast-iron-baked johnnycakes with melted maple butter, and New Zealand lamb loin brûlée or elk. Lighter options, like Faroe Island salmon or rainbow trout kabayaki, are also not out of the question. Visit its private events site to learn more." - Nicole Adlman
"At some point during their trip, LA will become too much for your parents and they’ll need a break. Time to get out of the city. And while you can pretty much go in any direction to find cool stuff, one of our top moves for parents is Saddle Peak Lodge in the Santa Monica Mountains. This place feels more like stepping into a wilderness lodge in Jackson Hole than into a restaurant above the Malibu coast. Head up on a weekend to take advantage of their tremendous brunch situation." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, brett keating
"There are four private rooms at Saddle Peak Lodge, a massive meat-lovers paradise in the Santa Monica hills. Each has its own thing going on, ranging between large stone fireplaces, French doors, serene gardens, and a library full of taxidermy deer heads and hard-to-find books." - sylvio martins
