Pebble Beach celebrates the end of its renovation project as Stillwater reopens.

Stillwater reopened right on time, bringing the Lodge at Pebble Beach’s nine-month renovation project to an end.

The restaurant prized for its view of the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links, as well as its refined take on coastal cuisine, welcomed guests to its reimagined space on Tuesday, Nov. 4—a day after the Lodge hosted an open house to celebrate the occasion.

Monday’s event saw a well-heeled crowd checking out the spaces, roaming through dining rooms and kitchens while sipping on wine and cocktails prepared for the occasion—including a version of the margarita with a saline foam substituting for the salted rim served at Stillwater.

When the Lodge and its restaurants shut down in early February, the team at Pebble Beach Company established an ambitious timeline. The Bench would reopen in June; it did. The Tap Room was scheduled for October. Once again, renovation went according to the schedule.

While The Tap Room and its staff were put to the biggest test during the project—closing temporarily, moving into the more confined Fairway One space until Concours d’Elegance and finally taking up residence in the Terrace Lounge—Stillwater received the most apparent transformation.

A glassed-in wine room was added, as well as a dining room for private parties. Chefs Benjamin Brown and Alex Ramirez refreshed the menu, adding such dishes as charred zabuton steak and whole roasted branzino. 

But the biggest change is to the bar. Once relegated to the rear wall, it is now perched over the wrap-around dining area, where guests can take full advantage of the view.

“It was monumental for us,” says Bryan Anthony, Pebble Beach’s vice president of food and beverage, referring to the new-look Stillwater.

Those stepping into The Tap Room for the first time in a while might not notice the changes. It retains the same look, but with some important additions. A space for private parties was added, for one. And Pebble Beach acquired Tom Watson’s wedge used for the famous shot on 17 during the 1982 U.S. Open. It is on display in the restaurant.

Regulars to the restaurant will immediately notice one more new feature: the dining room is quiet. During reconstruction, crews added sound-deadening material to the walls and ceilings. No longer will a boisterous 19th hole crowd force other dinner guests to call out across the table.

Much of what changed is behind the scenes. Kitchens were expanded (The Tap Room went from six burners to 22) and equipment upgraded.

It had been a century since the Lodge received any major work. Stillwater received its last touch up in 1996.

“The reopening of Stillwater is the culmination of The Lodge’s transformation, bringing a fresh identity to one of Pebble Beach’s most renowned settings,” Pebble Beach Company CEO David Stivers told members of the media.