A 22-seat tasting-menu counter in Carlsbad, California.
CityCarlsbad, California
VisitedSep 2026
Michelin
MenuTasting menu; the card lists sixteen items
Seats22, with a chef’s counter
ChefEric Bost, head chef
GroupWorthwhile Hospitality (Jeune et Jolie, Campfire, Wildland, LILO)
OpenedApril 2025
The evening starts on the lovely patio - with views into the beautiful restaurant.
My second visit to LILO - one of my new favorite spots. September 2026.
LILO is a 22-seat tasting-menu restaurant at 2571 Roosevelt Street in Carlsbad, California, with chef Eric Bost in the kitchen, alongside his restaurateur partner John Resnick. It opened in April 2025 and holds one Michelin star. LILO comes from the team behind Jeune et Jolie and Campfire, and it shares its building with Wildland, the same team’s all-day café and bar. The evening begins outside on a heated patio and then moves indoors to the counter.
Michelin: 1 star
One printed tasting menu, with every course listed in order on the card
Twenty-two seats, with a chef’s counter
The evening starts on the patio, by a fire pit
Wine and non-alcoholic pairings are offered
The beverage pairing on the card runs from a Riesling with the tuna to a sake with the caviar, and finishes with two cocktails
A small tart topped with flowersTwo small bites on a linen napkinA dish served on a shell, with marigold and wild greensWATASHIATO
Junmai Sake. Jasmine. SalersCroissant toast: black garlic, Umai caviar, Salt Spring mussel, Ibérico lardoBluefin tuna: elderflower, gooseberry, yuzu, melonTegernseerhof, the Riesling poured with the bluefin tuna (2021 Loibenberg Smaragd, Wachau, per the pairing card)Halibut: matsutake, anise hyssop, wild fennelHalibut: matsutake, anise hyssop, wild fennelScallop: preserved rose, sea buckthorn, a sabayon of Pineau des CharentesCrystallum “The Agnes” 2022 Chardonnay, poured with the scallopWine Director Savannah RiedlerEmidio Pepe Pecorino 2022, poured with the abaloneAbalone: koshihikari rice, chanterelle, corn, squash blossom, misoAbalone: koshihikari rice, chanterelle, corn, squash blossom, misoN25 Kaluga caviar: orgeat ice cream, smoked celery root bushi, freshly pressed almond oilKuheiji “Sauvage”, a 2024 brew-year sake, poured with the caviarPhalanxJade Gross “Piano, piano” Rioja, poured with the wagyu, and Cisteller “Courtship” beside itA5 Miyazaki wagyu: Costa Rossa radicchio, braised kelp, dashi vinegar, toasted walnut, Thomcord grape, mustard, laminated briocheA5 Miyazaki wagyu: Costa Rossa radicchio, braised kelp, dashi vinegar, toasted walnut, Thomcord grape, mustard, laminated briocheLaminated briocheA5 Miyazaki wagyu: Costa Rossa radicchio, braised kelp, dashi vinegar, toasted walnut, Thomcord grape, mustard, laminated briocheThomcord grapesBlueberry: lemon verbena, cornStrawberry: peach, black tea, almond, fennel, donutStrawberry: peach, black tea, almond, fennel, donutDonutSuprême: fig, fig leafPlum mochi: lemon thymeBack on the patio to finish.
