Our Midsummer Date Night at The Manhattan of Camarillo

Posted on Jul 31, 2015 | 0 comments

Date nights are super important to every healthy, conscious relationship. Every couple needs a chance to step out of their normal routine and into a fun evening filled with opportunity to reconnect, laugh and revitalize.

They are what keeps us close.

They can be what keeps us sane.

So why are they always the last thing we remember to do?

When The Manhattan of Camarillo invited us to visit their restaurant, I realized it had been a while since hubby and I have spent some time alone together and I gladly accepted!

Camarillo is the town on the west side next to Malibu and is quite pretty. Just a lovely ride up the PCH or through the canyons and you are transported to beautiful farmlands surrounded by picturesque mountains.

The Manhattan of Camarillo opened their doors in October of 2014. Currently, their team is made up of Chef Denis Rion – an amazing French chef with an impressive resume, Pastry Chef Julia San Bartolome – the 3^rd season Cupcake Wars Champion, and Manager Dianna Brister – a supermom with an inspiring resume. This is a family owned restaurant featuring fine dining in a relaxed, lounge-like atmosphere with excellent service. There are a few private booths along the side, several open tables in the middle and a bar that looks like it is right out of Manhattan along the wall. The décor is that of a classic New York lounge with SoCal flair!

Our The Manhattan of Camarillo Experience

I was excited to try The Manhattan of Camarillo. We were seated by a friendly staff member who proudly welcomed us to his family’s restaurant. This instantly put me at ease. It was so nice to see a young gentleman (university age) happily taking part in his family’s business. He seated us in one of the private booths with a perfect view of the piano player – who was fantastic BTW!

Frederick popped up next. He is a Sommelier as well as head server and is incredible. He greeted us with a delicious glass of Rose De’ Salici Vino Spumante – and even remembered to add a raspberry to the glass, a favorite touch of mine.

For our first course Chef Denis prepared a Fish bisque with a Salmon Halibut reduction sauce and homemade croutons – outstanding. Frederick paired this with a Rodney Strong Chardonnay that complimented it perfectly. The bisque was amazing, seriously. This was my favorite part of the meal.

They followed that up with a Manhattan Salad. This was a nice, light salad with gruyere cheese and walnuts. Our third course was an incredible Black Squid Linguine with a Shrimp Reduction Sauce that was out of this world. This dish was my second fave of the night! Creamy and oh soooo good, especially when paired with Rubin, Russian River Pinot Noir – A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

Our fourth course at The Manhattan of Camarillo consisted of an impeccably cooked Prime Steak with a Diane Glaze, roasted potatoes and delicately cooked spaghetti squash – just the way I like it. Frederick paired this with a Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon that was incredible, light and the perfect complement to a steak dish.

And let’s not forget desert!! So so so good! They make a Strawberry Dream martini to die for – yum!

A Tour of The Manhattan of Camarillo

Diana gave us a tour after we had finished. The Manhattan of Camarillo also has a private wine/dining room for special occasions with a private entrance. As you can see it is gorgeous and has a great atmosphere – perfect for your mate’s next birthday or life’s celebration! I’m kind of thinking it would be fun to get a few couples together and have a wine tasting party here!!

Then she showed us the outdoor patio where they have a giant TV featuring the dodgers games and lots of outlets if you wish to sit, have lunch or dinner and work! It is a really comfortable patio – this is what we saw:

Ha ha, sorry, they are in a huge case along the wall of the very nice patio and I could not take my eyes off of them!! They are pastries from the 3^rd season of Cupcake Wars champion Pastry Chef Julia San Bartolome and are like little bits of heaven in your mouth. Delicious.

We had a great experience here and a fun night. The Manhattan of Camarillo provides everything from an intimate setting, to great food, to excellent, friendly, happy service. They even offer a limo service that will pick you up and bring you safely home! Not only did we have a fun mini-trip to Camarillo, but we had a wonderful time together reconnecting eating fabulous food in a welcoming, cozy atmosphere with an intelligent and thoughtful staff.

You can have a chance to experience what we did too. On August 25th they are hosting a 5 Course Wine Dinner for a great price – check it out here. Tickets are required so be sure to get yours with [email protected]!

If you can’t make that date, not to worry. They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday thru Thursday from 11-9, Friday & Saturday from 11-10 and Sundays from 11-8 so you have plenty of opportunity to take advantage of their fine dining experience. We will be back for sure!

Malibu Mama Loves Xx