Manresa
320 Village Lane (N. Santa Cruz Ave.) 
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Los Gatos, CA 95030
408-354-4330 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Dinner Tues.-Sun.Features
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Reservations suggested
- Outdoor dining
- Parking lot
- Casual dressy
Wine
Great Wine List* Click here for rating key
 Nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz foothills in the quaint town of Los Gatos, Manresa showcases chef David Kinch's hyper-meditated, progressive cuisine du terroir. Most ingredients come directly from the restaurant’s own biodynamic gardens at local Love Apple Farms, conceptually represented in Kinch’s evolved, star dish, “Into the Vegetable Garden…”---it’s like getting the chef’s credo on a plate. Built on a foundation of bitter, edible dirt formed in part from roasted chicory, the dish is a holistic composition of the garden’s offerings that day: flowers, roots, stems, shoots, seeds, herbs and more substantial produce. As with all Kinch dishes, ingredients might be raw or cooked and feature varying degrees of temperatures. Across the entire menu, disparate flavors and textures are crafted into accessible presentations, like red pepper and black olive in sweet madeleines. The seasonal tasting menu features 15 to 20 courses, beginning with a farm-fresh Arpege egg in its shell, delicately flavored with maple syrup and sherry cream. A soft, white, cool radish soup steeps meaty chanterelles and foie gras in a foamy cloud of earthy flavor; a small, precise medley of fresh, tender shellfish holds tangy surprises---mint leaves and golden raspberries. Spring lamb in its own garden of baby carrots is highlighted with Indian spices. Thoughtful emphasis on the vegetables sometimes comes at the expense of the meats---on one visit, the squab was undercooked and portions of sea bream were overdone. Wine pairings, also, are not airtight, though the list evokes a lovely sense of place with the inclusion of local makers like Bonny Doon and Graff Family Vineyards. Despite the restaurant’s international renown, the dining room is surprisingly relaxed. |
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