Saddle Peak Lodge 419 Cold Canyon Road • Calabasas • California 91302

Saddle Peak Lodge is one of the more intriguing event sites we've ever seen. Steeped in California history, this turn-of-the-century hunting lodge began over 100 years ago as a small one-room cabin where cowboys, miners, fishermen and oil riggers imbibed the local "Hillbilly Punch" and swapped tall stories. Later the lodge carved a new identity, first as a way-stop and general store and then as a summer resort. In the '30s and '40s, Saddle Peak became the in-vogue hangout for movie stars such as Errol Flynn, Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin. Today it prospers as a restaurant specializing in exotic game, and is renowned as an extraordinary place to host any special occasion.

As you enter the lodge, the antler door pulls and three-hoofed lamp in the foyer signal that you're in for a unique dining experience. The provocative aroma of roasting elk, venison, buffalo and mesquite lingers in the air—so tantalizing it gives you pangs of hunger in anticipation.

With its rough-hewn, tall-timbered interior, Saddle Peak is warm and elegantly rustic in its décor. An antique pistol collection gleams in a display case, while old western saddles and riding tack are slung casually over large beams. Populating the wood walls is an amusing mix of mounted trophy heads—deer, moose, pronghorn, eland—as well as authentic saloon paintings from the 1800s.

Saddle Peak's log-cabin ambiance lends itself beautifully to weddings: With hurricane lamps glowing on white tablecloths and a fire crackling in the Main Dining Room's massive rock hearth, the lodge is a wildly romantic setting.

Most weddings are celebrated on the lodge's picturesque and secluded Far Patio, just a short walk from the Main Dining Room. Couples exchange vows on a circular, two-tiered slate rock area that overlooks a spectacular view of Santa Monica Mountains' rolling hills and canyons. Note that as an added perk when you buy out the lodge, the third-floor Loft is transformed into a bridal suite where the bride can get ready for her walk down the aisle. French doors open to a stone walkway that leads past a cascading waterfall to the ceremony site.

Post ceremony, guests sip wine under the shade of pine and eucalyptus trees, or relax fireside in the dining room in handsome, handmade willow chairs. Small parties may want to savor hors d'oeuvres in the upstairs Den or Library—cozy pine-paneled rooms lined with windows and eclectically decorated with collectibles, antique books, and relics of the Old West. Dinner and dancing take place in the Main Dining Room, or al fresco on the Main Patio under a canopy of trees with the natural sounds of the nearby waterfall in the background.

The restaurant's extensive menu includes seafood, poultry, lamb and beef in addition to game, and they're perfectly happy to prepare vegetarian entrées as well. Not only is the food award winning (earning "best-of" honors from the Los Angeles Times and Conde Nast Traveler, as well as the highest ratings from ZAGAT, DiRoNA and Four Diamond AAA), but the lodge also boasts an award-winning domestic wine collection. Plus the staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating, making you feel like you're part of the Saddle Peak family.

From their distinctive cuisine and impeccable service to the incredible vistas, Saddle Peak Lodge earns rave reviews.