The perfect Galentine’s getaway!

I took a little time off from blogging for a Galentine’s Day getaway at the Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel located in Montecito, California. I want to (try to) practice what I preach and disconnect completely during time off. It was the perfect staycation; hopefully a combination review of the hotel plus three onsite restaurant reviews makes it well worth the wait!

First up, the lobby is absolutely gorgeous, with checkered marble floors and stunning fresh flower arrangements. For Valentine’s Day, there was a red and pink heart-shaped flower display in the lobby. Red rose stems were available for guests to take in honor of the holiday of love.

We stayed in a double queen bungalow, which was a little bit of a walk from the lobby but well worth it. The room is massive, with a long hallway, big closet, gorgeous marble bathroom, bar cart, and your very own private patio. It was most definitely one of the largest hotel rooms I have stayed in! We were treated to complimentary chocolates and a bottle of DuMOL Pinot Noir wine for booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts. You also get the perks of $60 breakfast credit, $120 spa credit (treatments only), room upgrade, and guaranteed 4PM checkout through Fine Hotels & Resorts. Conveniently, there are no sensors in the mini fridge, so you can store any cold beverages or bottles in it. The beds were extremely comfy with luxurious Rivolta Carmignani linens. The shower and bath were stocked with Diptyque Philosykos products. My favorite part was the bathroom mirrors, perfect for selfie lighting!

We were hungry from the long drive up, and decided to stop at the Miramar Beach Bar for happy hour before getting ready for dinner. It is located on the other side of the main lawn, and you get to cross the train tracks. It was sunset time, so the view was absolutely gorgeous and definitely the main attraction of dining there. It was the perfect ambiance with outdoor heaters and lit up planters, and the sunset view only got better and better with time. This alone transported us to vacation time! The cocktails were top tier delicious; we tried the espresso martini, pear bellini, and spicy margarita. The chips and guac were a solid pre-dinner snack. I would totally come here just for the day and bask in the picture perfect view!

For dinner, we had made a reservation at Caruso’s for the pre fixe four course meal (reservations are recommended). I was extremely excited for this one, as it just earned a Michelin star in 2022! We were able to call a golf cart to pick us up from our bungalow and drop us off in front of the restaurant. It is located one floor below the Mirimar Beach Bar. We sat on the edge of the indoor dining section, and were still able to see and hear the ocean waves crashing behind us. First up, we ordered cocktails and I asked for a pear martini. I was expecting to just get pear Grey Goose, but they had actually squeezed fresh pear juice! The garnishes were a nice touch, with limes branded with Caruso’s and perfectly sized olives. We started off with some small prosciutto and prawn bites which were flavorful and delicious. I then ordered the ‘Hand Burrata in Sicily’ antipasti starter, which was a perfect portion and very fresh. The bread service came next, with some of the best olive oil I have ever tasted. If I just closed my eyes for a moment, it transported me to Italy with each bite. For my primi dish, I ordered the ‘Risotto Alla Borragine & Cardinal Prawns’. The presentation was gorgeous, and the prawns tasted as if they had just come fresh from the water, definitely some of the best quality I have had. I took a picture of my friend’s ‘Dulse Gnocchetti Sardi & Stephanie’s Uni’ dish with caviar and gold flakes. It was stunning! For my secondi course, I ordered the ‘Hibachi Grilled Tenderloin, Truffle Bordelaise’ cooked medium which was a home run and completely melted in my mouth. It was also a perfect portion, unlike the miniscule slivers you find at some Michelin restaurants. Finally, I had ‘RJC’s Favorite Johnnie Walker Blue Budino’ for my dolci dish. The toffee was so rich, decadent, and delicious! The perfect ending to a fabulous fine dining experience. Just when we thought we were done, they brought out a chocolate cake and candies with ‘Happy Anniversary’ remembering that we were celebrating Galentine’s weekend. Another very thoughtful touch that makes it a no brainer that the restaurant deserved a Michelin star.

Waiting for the golf cart back, the front building was lit up and looked like an opulent White House dupe. There were so many stars twinkling in the sky, definitely a change from smoggy Los Angeles! We stopped by The Manor Bar on the way back to our bungalow, which was fully packed with live music playing. It looked like a super fun time, but there wasn’t any table availability and we were pretty tired from the long travel day. I would definitely check it out earlier in the evening next time! In the morning we planned to go to the Montecito Country Mart but used our breakfast credit for a pastry basket and juice. I want to personally write a letter and thank the pastry chef, because they were so flaky and fluffy I nearly developed a French accent with each bite. The hotel offers a Lincoln SUV car to drive guests within a three mile radius, so they graciously dropped us off and picked us up from Cafe Luxxe. Despite being told they were complimentary, the colored cars are only available for rent by the hour. The Montecito Country Mart was very similar to the one located in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The hotel has amazing boutiques to shop at including Goop, The Webster, Bruno Cucinelli, Laykin Et Cie, The Gatehouse, and The Shop At Miramar. The Shop At Miramar is located on the first floor of the spa, and has many Rosewood Miramar branded clothing and products. Unfortunately, the spa credit cannot be applied to any spa store items, but I purchased a baseball cap as a fun momento. They can also ship products if you are flying in from out of town. There is a hibachi ball court as well as an adult pool with a bar. It was a little windy, so we did not stay long by the pool. Due to the wind, the tide was high so they were not setting up beach chairs on the beach. Definitely something I want to do next time! If you are traveling with children, the kids’ pool and ice cream scoop shop is currently under construction, so keep that in mind when planning your activities.

For brunch, we dined inside at The Revere Room to shield ourselves from the wind. I would make a reservation in advance, as we had to wait about thirty minutes for an inside table. I started out with a very fresh Aperol Spritz, which brought me back to life. The oyster appetizer was amazing quality, and came with some sort of fruit vinaigrette that I would have loved to bottle up and take home with me. I ordered the A5 Wagyu Smashed Burger, which was one of the best burgers I have had. It was a double patty, stuffed with cheese, onion, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and sauce. We asked for aioli with our fries, and they whipped up an amazing spicy aioli for us. You would have thought they told us we won the lottery with our reactions to it being brought out. I ended with an espresso shot, which was perfect and served in the cutest espresso saucer set. There were many large groups dining there, and would be perfect for a bridal shower or birthday brunch.

The lobby had fresh red rose stems for guests, which we were elated to take before our departure. Who needs a man when the hotel showered us with all the love in the world? Overall, our stay was a ten out of ten experience. Everything from the fresh Montecito air, perfectly groomed grounds, spacious bungalow room, service, property amenities, small thoughtful touches, and onsite dining experiences made for the perfect Galentine’s getaway. I would definitely love to come back and try The Manor Room, AMA Sushi, and beachfront lounge chairs. It now ranks as one of the top three hotels I have stayed at, and is the perfect luxury resort escape that is driving distance from Los Angeles!

If you enjoyed this blog post, I would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to browse my other blog posts (I write on lifestyle, beauty, travel, restaurants, working in tech, and cocktails + wine), subscribe, and/or make a donation. Donation proceeds go toward monthly Squarespace fees, PO box fees, website enhancements, ad campaigns, SEO tools, and time investment in addition to my full-time job. Thank you for your readership from the bottom of my heart! xx Nicole