Over the past five years, chef Eric Bost (formerly of Auburn and Guy Savoy), along with his business partner John Resnick, has transformed Carlsbad into a bona fide dining destination. Since decamping from Los Angeles in 2020, the chef has settled into the idyllic beachside community, running a pair of Michelin-starred restaurants, Jeune & Jolie and Lilo, as well as more casual spots, Campfire and Wildland. Lilo is Bost’s most ambitious project to date. With only 22 seats and a winding menu of a dozen courses, it’s an intimate culinary affair that clocks in at just under three hours.
San Diego’s laidback energy echoes inside Lilo’s four walls. The horseshoe-shaped chef’s counter gives every diner front row seats to the open kitchen, while a lo-fi sound system pumps out upbeat Gen X tunes like The Cure. Cooks deliver each course: spooning sauces, arranging garnishes, and engaging in as much or as little conversation as diners desire.
Before dinner commences, settle in for a drink at all-day restaurant Wildland, which is attached to Lilo. The cocktail list boasts fun riffs on classics and dynamic clarified punches to get the evening started right.