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Top Local Restaurants Receive AAA Four, AAA Five Diamond Ratings

Travel, Insurance & Consumer Tips
Diamond congratulations

Forty Southern California restaurants have received the AAA Four or AAA Five Diamond Award®, the travel authority’s highest rating, over the past 12 months, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.  The Belvedere in Los Angeles and the Addison in San Diego continued their rating on the AAA Five Diamond restaurant list.

 

The Auto Club announced AAA Four Diamond restaurant ratings as well, including Avant, Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop and Veladora all in San Diego and for the first time following rigorous evaluations. Angel Oak in Santa Barbara (inside the Ritz-Carlton, Bacara) also was rated a AAA Four Diamond restaurant for the first time.

 

Just 0.2 percent of the more than 31,000 AAA Inspected & Approved restaurants are Five Diamond-rated restaurants. To qualify for the rating, a restaurant will consistently provide leading-edge cuisine of the finest ingredients, uniquely prepared by an acclaimed chef and served by expert service staff in extraordinary surroundings.

 

“AAA Five Diamond restaurants have evolved over the years to meet the changing expectations of restaurant enthusiasts who are increasingly sophisticated about cuisine,” said Patty Marenco, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Approved Accommodations program.  “Guests want to learn about cooking techniques, fresh ingredients and trends. They are looking for a wide-ranging dining experience that includes being entertained. No longer does world-class necessarily mean formal attire and opulent surroundings. And that’s where AAA’s Diamond Ratings can help guide the discerning diner.”

 

While some Five Diamond restaurants still have lavish surroundings, others feature counter seating or chef’s tables overlooking or surrounding the cooking area. And many Five Diamond restaurants, including most of those new to the list this year, have tasting menus offering a frequently changing array of intricate small dishes prepared from the finest ingredients and presented in an interactive environment.

 

Travelers can find Diamond Rated establishments and inspector insight in AAA trip planning products: the eTourBook® guides and AAA Mobile® app for tablets and smartphones, the TripTik® Travel Planner and Travel Guides on AAA.com and AAA TourBook® guides available at AAA/CAA offices.

 

The AAA Diamond rating system provides consumers with the broadest coverage of any U.S. rating system, geographically and by number of properties rated, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

 

To be considered for AAA approval and rating for four diamonds, provide distinctive fine-dining, creatively prepared, skillfully served, often by a wine steward, amid upscale ambience.  The Auto Club’s full-time inspection staff reviews Southern California restaurants. The inspectors bring prior hospitality industry experience to the association and apply that experience to give members effective, consistent evaluations that can be used to select the restaurant that meets their travel desires.

Southern California restaurants rated as AAA Five Diamond with year first rated:

 

Community and Restaurant

   

Year Rated

       

Beverly Hills

     

The Belvedere

   

1995

(in The Peninsula Beverly Hills)

     
       

San Diego

     

Addison (Fairmont Grand Del Mar)

   

2008

 

Southern California restaurants that received the AAA Four Diamond Award and year first rated:

 

 

Location

Name

Year Rated

Los Angeles County Restaurants

   

Beverly Hills

 

 

 

Cut by Wolfgang Puck (Beverly

2010

 

Wilshire A Four Seasons Hotel)

 
 

The Blvd (Beverly Wilshire A Four Seasons Hotel)

2011

 

Spago Beverly Hills

2004

     

Calabasas

Saddle Peak Lodge

1997

     

Los Angeles

Culina Modern Italian (Four Seasons

1995

 

Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills)

 
 

Patina

1991

     

Malibu

Nobu Malibu

2016

     

Pasadena

The Raymond Restaurant

2005

     

Santa Monica

Melisse

2012

 

Valentino Santa Monica

1995

     

Orange County Restaurants

   

Anaheim

Napa Rose (Disney's Grand Californian 

2010

 

Hotel & Spa)

 
     

Dana Point

Raya (The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel)

2012

     

Fullerton

The Cellar

1990

     

Laguna Beach

Studio (Montage Laguna Beach)

2008

     

Riverside County Restaurants

   

Cabazon

Cielo (Morongo Casino Resort & Spa)

2011

     

Palm Springs

Le Vallauris

1993

     

Rancho Mirage

Wally's Desert Turtle

1993

     

Riverside

Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood (Mission

1995

 

Inn Hotel & Spa)

 
     

Temecula

Great Oak Steakhouse (Pechanga Resort

2012

 

and Casino)

 
     

San Diego County Restaurants

   

Alpine

The Grove Steakhouse (Viejas Casino & Resort)

2015

     

Carlsbad

Argyle Steakhouse

2012

 

Vivace (Park Hyatt Aviara Resort)

1999

     

La Jolla

A.R. Valentien (The Lodge at Torrey Pines)

2004

 

Donovan's Steak & Chop House

2010

 

George's at the Cove

2000

 

 

 

 

The Marine Room

2013

     

Rancho Santa Fe

Mille Fleurs

1991

San Diego

Avant

2017

 

Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop

2017

 

Grant Grill (The US Grant)

2007

 

Mister A's

1994

 

Veladora

              2017

 

 

 

Santa Barbara County Restaurants

   

Santa Barbara

Angel Oak

2017

 

Bouchon

2014

     

Santa Ynez

Willows (Chumash Casino Resort & Spa)

2005

     

Solvang

The Gathering Table (The Ballard Inn)

2005

     

Ventura County Restaurants

   

Ojai

Olivella (Ojai Valley Inn & Spa)

2015

     

Westlake Village

ONYX Restaurant (Four Seasons Hotel,

2016

 

Westlake Village)

 
CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.