PHOTOS: Solstice in Big Sur offers a feast for the senses.

Where there was once a homely burger joint in Big Sur, there is now an upscale restaurant and cocktail experience. 

For anyone who remembers the Maiden Publick House, a locals' hangout, Solstice is something of a shock. There is no burger on the menu, for starters, and beers start at $10. 

What has replaced the space in The Village is far more upscale. That doesn't mean it isn't inviting—it is elevated but rustic, and space for drinks only means you don't have to splurge on food to enjoy the elegant ambiance and attentive service. The outdoor-indoor space—and the adjacent grassy lawn next door—do create the feeling of a community area, even in a high-end restaurant.

For a restaurant that soft-opened just five weeks ago at the tail end of June, Solstice of early August is humming. Where there were glitches on a recent visit (like missing the berry mix for a signature Berry Bourbon Smash cocktail), the friendly and accommodating service more than makes up for it, as does the whiskey sour offered up instead.

The staff here is happy to illuminate in detail the story of each ingredient. (A question about the current menu's vegetarian main, Brentwood corn with chanterelles, for instance, generates a conversation about huitlacoche—a fungus treated in some places as a pest, but understood in Latin America as a flavorful food that grows on corn, and is incorporated to incredibly flavorful effect into this dish.)

Every item on every plate seems lovingly tended to, from the peeled cherry tomatoes to the delicately slivered almonds that add just a touch of crunchiness to halibut crudo.

Abundant herbs, including lemongrass, are generously layered into the tomato dish for an unexpected zing and flavor. Some dishes lean more subtle on flavor, but many are divinely innovative, like the California-grown heirloom rice (a second course) served with nori, roe and cranberry beans, for a fabulous combination of flavors and textures. 

The open kitchen reveals a roaring fire for the main courses (at the moment, lamb or trout).

There is nothing pedestrian on the menu, just attentively prepared versions of everything offered, including the house-baked bread or oysters served with just a touch of hot sauce. 

What's remarkable is that the restaurant is still a work in progress—it has the feeling of a well oiled machine. A bar menu is forthcoming for the lounge area next to the bar; grab-and-go offerings are in the works for the Bodega next door, which opened at the end of May for coffee drinks. Yoga classes continue in the upstairs studio space.