After a day exploring the coastline, we decided to have a relaxed dinner at the Black Cat Bistro. They offer a pleasant atmosphere for a casual, yet refined dining experience. It is located in a small older home converted into a restaurant with several dining areas. The interior decor is warm & cozy without being overly pretentious. The tables were dressed in white table cloths (covered with white paper) with candle light casting an inviting atmosphere to relax and enjoy one's meal. The staff was warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. The service was relaxed and unhurried. Our sea scallops entrée was a bit disappointing as the scallop size was quite small. Besides the corn pudding, the dish was in need of some spice but the creamy tomatillo sauce made it acceptable. The lamb chops entrée filled the plate and was plated quite nicely. The chops were well prepared with a nice char and quite flavorful. The Black Cat Bistro offers a nice selection of wines, many of which are from local vintners. read more

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We made a dinner reservation when we booked our trip to Cambria. The black cat has a quiet romantic vibe with dimly lit interior and candle lit tables. They offer an extensive wine list. I opted for the White blend to go with my clam chowder and scallops. Chowder was delicious. Scallops too but maybe slightly overcooked. All flavors went well together. Mom ordered the Pork chop which was a generous portion but maybe a tad overcooked. Dessert offerings were chocolate lava cake, chocolate pot de creme, and sticky toffee pudding, but sadly too full for another bite. Overall a beautiful spot with great service and delicious food. read more

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Came for dinner. We sat in the middle of the room - definitely a lesser room in need of a paint job and some decor (any decor). Service was good. Music was good. Food was okay. The Caesar salad which promised seared romaine barely saw any heat- it was still good - what's not to like about a basic Caesar salad. The promised bacon jam was good, too, but not enough of it. We had a scallop dish - poor little guys were over cooked and tough. Also, seared tuna with a mushroom cream sauce and coconut milk rice and peanuts - there were definitely some tasty elements, but the rice had no seasoning and there was a need for acid to help balance the flavors. All is all, okay. Not great, but not bad either. read more

We are big fans of everything Cambria. This mainstay has hosted us a number of times. The wine country cuisine style is well executed, and the service is polished and matches the style. Many good options here. Fried green olives, pork belly app, duck breast and rack of lamb all very good. The dinning room is very homey, especially during the late fall and winter months. Get the patio for the long warm (when Cambria gets "warm") early evenings. read more

Stay away. Extremely disappointed with how far this restaurant has fallen. Food is absolutely horrible, at any price--albeit expensive. Service is amateurish. Decor is embarrassingly drab, worn out and uncomfortable. They are obviously uninterested in providing any kind of quality, and just going through the motions. read more

Great service, tasty steak and pasta. Duck was way over done. Solid champagne choices.

The food was amazing. The restaurant was really charming. Tommy was an excellent server. The atmosphere was perfect! If you are ever in the area I strongly recommend! Reservation would be helpful. We had the Shrimp Crostini and Sea Scallops. Amazing! Would definitely dine there again if back in the area! read more

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Foodgasm!!! We had the Ribeye steak and it was exquisite with the chili sauce. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. The service was excellent! I highly recommend it!! read more

Black Cat Bistro - Ribeye steak with mashed potatoes n vegetables. - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

The food was divine and Scott delivered a first class service. He paid attention to not only our table but all the other guests. He made us feel welcome. Overall one of the best service I have experienced in a very long time at a restaurant. I highly recommend this place . Will definitely stop in next time we are in town. read more

My wife and I celebrated New Year's Eve by dining at Black Cat Bistro for the first time. We were not disappointed by our choice of this Cambria restaurant. We were seated promptly and attended to by Thomas. We ordered wine and a salad and appetizer to start. Her salad was delicious as it was enough for us to share. My pork belly appetizer was delicious and she enjoyed some with me. Our entrees were equally satisfying. She had the salmon and I had the Chipotle Shrimp Linguine. The portions were large and we will enjoy leftovers at home. The Chocolate Lava Cake rounded off a thoroughly pleasant meal in a quaint restaurant that was once someone's home many, many years ago. The service was exceptional and all of the staff attended to us efficiently. We will definitely be back for special occasions. read more

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Two out of three dishes were done well. The duck breast was not. The skin was not cross hatched and crispy. The breast needed more cook time. The interior was worn and very tired. Walls were scuffed and chairs need cleaning or replacing. It is a small place and a sufficient refresh could take place in one day. Also, the complexity of the menu warrants more experienced staff. read more

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There are a lot of great restaurants in Cambria, but I think this was my favorite! Definitely make a reservation, especially on the weekends. Such a cute place with a great ambiance. My only critique, and this is because I'm old, is I wish there was a little bit more lighting so it would be easier to read the menu. But aside from that, we had a lovely experience. The service was terrific, and the food was outstanding. It is not cheap, it is a special occasion place, but the quality of the food is worth it. read more

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We came for Thanksgiving dinner. It is a cute spot and has a nice charm. The food was good, solid, but overpriced. I ordered the Thanksgiving dinner, and the whole meal was cold, not even luke warm. We also ordered an apple crisp with vanilla ice cream that was also cold. Apple crisp is supposed to be warm with the cold ice cream combo. The food was good but very cold which was just very bizarre, especially with a bill over $200 for two people, I would expect much better. Overall mostly disappointed, but could've been worse. read more

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Great service, excellent food. Romantic ambiance for our Anniversary. We got there early on a rainy weeknight so had the place to ourselves for awhile. Got busier as the night went on and everyone was raving about it as they came in. Meal was timely and wonderful! read more

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We ate here for Valentine's Day and so pleased they not only offered you a preset menu, but that you could order from their everyday menu. We ordered the crabcakes, the arugula salad and sea scallops. were prepared perfectly with just the right amount of seasoning and salt. It was a light healthy dinner and we topped it off with their delicious chocolate cake. I absolutely love the corn pudding served with the scallops Our server was great and we were happy to have such a romantic setting for our holiday dinner. read more

Black Cat Bistro - Crab cakes - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

The Black cat bistro was close to the inn we were staying at so we decided to try it. Glad we did, the Bistro looked like we were invited into someone home. The atmosphere was awesome and our server was attentive. They were out of the rib eye so I got the flat iron steak. It was really good! read more

We've been here twice, and both experiences were exceptional. The restaurant is charming, intimate, and welcoming. We tried several different offerings from the menu and everyone left happy. Definitely end your meal with dessert, the dark chocolate pot de crème is to die for! read more

Black Cat Bistro - Heavenly Dark Chocolate Pot De Creme - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Decided to come here after another restaurant in the area had over an hour long wait. The entrance was dark, you have walk down to the restaurant from the street. Our waitress was also the hostess. She was great. Our food was outstanding!!! My wild salmon was cooked to perfection. It's a romantic and cozy restaurant. read more

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Great dinners from black cat bistro, My risotto was spectacular. Great place to go for a private, quieter dinner. My only suggestion would be the inside and decor could be elevated to make the actual building better, but that is unrelated to the great food and service that we had! read more

Black Cat Bistro - Risotto - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Came here after a wonderful visit to the Cambria Christmas Market and my expectations were at an all time high leading up to arrival. I would categorize our visit as very mediocre. There were only 3 other tables, and the service was pretty slow, lacking genuine hospitality. Our server was nice enough but nothing to rave amount. The overall ambiance is great with a lovely fireplace, dimmer lighting and wonderful Rat Pack/Jazz music playing in the background. For starters we ordered the clam chowder which was very thin / not creamy at all so beware of that (but my husband didn't mind it). Also got the pork belly, which was decent. For entrees, we ordered the chicken piccata and the 8oz ribeye. For the chicken piccata, the chicken was cooked perfectly but the sauce on top was a weird factor, almost cheddar cheesy-like as opposed to lemon/wine-like so be prepared. I also had hoped it came with actual vegetables, as opposed to one shriveled piece of kale. My husband enjoyed the ribeye, which came with a soy glaze. The prices were a bit high in my opinion but they're located in Cambria and during the holiday season (when lots of tourists come to visit) so I guess they can get away with it. Overall, was not impressed. Would maybe consider trying this place again and ordering something else off the menu, but that's a big maybe... read more

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The salmon and scollops and crabs cake were all cooked properly and very good.. The accompanying mashed potatoes. Corn pudding , and salads had obviously. Been plated much earlier and had been the fridge or warming station for some time. As a result they were wilted and rather stale. The pot d cream was grainy the lemon cake very dry. They need to not be so lazy. read more

Do not consider the reviews or ratings for this restaurant! I had an awful experience last Wednesday night!!! No manager! No basic service etiquette! There was two young kids providing all the service and another in the kitchen. I have nothing against young people working in the service industry, as long as they know what they are doing, and can provide fine dining product and service, neither of which we received. The prices still reflect a special occasion meal, which it was... but the experience was less than acceptable for way too much money! If I am going to pay that much money, again on a very special occasion, I shouldn't have to point out that one of the appetizers was missing a crucial sauce. Not to mention that the listing still has the ownership listed as the previous owner who has not been involved for the past 9 years, which needs to be taken down. read more

Black Cat Bistro - This is the current Yelp description, which is incorrect, because Deborah had sold the restaurant about 9 years ago. - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

Very nice experience. Our server and bartender, Sarah, was delightful. Would recommend it. We got the cheese platter, which was excellent. My wife also got a salad, which was very good. They go to spot for sure. read more

We had a late reservation on a Wednesday. Which means we had the place to ourselves. It was romantic. Serves was ok and the food was delicious. I had the crab cakes and my husband had the rack of lamb. He devoured it. Would absolutely recommend. read more

Food was fine enough but a waiter spilled hot soup all over my mother's bare hand and clothes, and they had the nerve to say she "overreacted." As a journalist whose job includes reviewing restaurants, this was absolutely the worst service I've ever experienced. read more

This is my first place to eat from when I come to Cambria. The food is excellent every time. My go to dishes are the Ahi tuna and Caesar salad but I have also tried the scallops and they are amazing too. The main room is cosy with a lovely fireplace that warms the whole room. The service is always exelent and they want to please which is something a lot of restaurants have forgotten about. read more

We've been coming to Cambria every year and to the Black Cat for 2 decades. Sadly and heartbreakingly so, this little restaurant has REALLY slipped. Starting with the gentleman that greeted us and then became our waiter as well. He was totally distracted, kind of listening but also looking over his shoulder. Clearly didn't want to be at work. He wanted to get back to chatting with the kitchen guys. Food got even worse. The gnocchi appetizer - gnocchi was tasteless, dense and cold. Huh?! This dish was a sad start to the rest. Scallop entree, same thing - no flavor, sauce was too sweet, goopy and over powering and same sauce for the gnocchi. My husband had the shrimp scampi and it was pretty underwhelming too. We needed salt on everything, no flavor or seasoning. Man, what a let down. Not to mention the front room where we sat, looked a little dirty, crooked pictures on the walls a bunch of storage stuff / crap outside that shouldn't be visible to customers. Black Cat was once our favorite and now has gone to the bottom of the list. We won't visit there again. read more

Outstanding food and service (by Mauricio). Charming, elegant and romantic atmosphere (even if the outside appears more rustic than your typical comfort level). We had deep fried olives as a snack--tasty & fun! A bottle of regional Pinot noir that matched well with our dishes. Scallops dish and duck breast dish perfectly done and imaginatively seasoned. Delicious sticky toffee dessert. Prompt delivery of hot from the oven & stove courses. Only the fresh sourdough bread seemed a bit lackluster. read more

We've eaten at many restaurants in Cambria so we decided to try a new restaurant and I'm so glad we did! Black Cat was excellent! I ordered Rack of Lamb and my order had 8 delicious bone pieces and I have never had that many pieces before. My wife had the Scallops with Polenta and loved it! The Scallops' sauce was delicious and the Polenta was a perfect addition! The service was excellent and the ambiance was quaint and peaceful! We definitely will return! read more

Always fabulous! We've visited Black Cat Bistro several times for dinner and once for lunch. This place always knocks it out of the park. Super cozy, homey feel. Stellar service. Fantastic food. What more could you want? Can't wait to get back to here. read more

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My husband and I had dinner on Christmas Eve and it was wonderful. I had the Salmon and the sauce was so flavorful and it was seared beautifully. My husband had the Mahi Special and it was wonderful as well. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and the wine perfect with our meal. We love how quaint the dinning area is, it felt very warm and cozy. We look forward to dinning here more often. Thank you to the wonderful staff who made Christmas Eve so wonderful. Merry Christmas!!! read more

Unfortunately this place was disappointing. Nice server but the food was not up to par.

Wonderful experience. Attentive service great food nice ambience highly recommend. Romero and the staff are always checking on us which was nice. read more

After sitting at Mezzo next door for a while without any recognition we were there we left and went next door to the Black Cat. The service and personal attention was great The food was delicious, we had Chipotle fettuccini and the salmon; great!! We loved our server; nice ambiance. We will be back!! read more

Black Cat Bistro - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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My husband and I both chose seafood options (I had trout, he had salmon) and both were very well prep. They also have a great wine list with many Central Coast options that were fun to try. The space is really charming and cozy. Great dinner spot in Cambria! read more

Such a charming little place with terrific food and excellent service, truly gracious and sweet people who go the extra miles, e.g. because we were celebrating our 41st anniversary weekend, they comped us a dessert--we were so taken aback and appreciated their gesture. It's a storybook interior with several different spaces with tablecloth linens on the tables. It's a converted little house that serves as a restaurant. We got their quail appetizer, served with braised radicchio and apples, and their arugula strawberry salad with bleu cheese and candied pecans. Their rolls freshly baked and served warm. We shared their wild salmon with vegetables and potatoes, also excellent. In all, the service, prices and food plus ambience and absolute home run. read more

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This restaurant is located in interesting building that was once a private residence. The decor and ambiance are fun, and worth seeing. The service was first rate, with quick, accurate, helpful and knowledgeable staff. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ended. We ordered the clam chowder, shrimp crostini and the duck breast. All were unremarkable, and the duck was slightly over cooked. Not our best dinner at the coast. If you've got plenty of time on your trip, maybe give it a shot. If your days are limited, there are better choices for a meal. read more

Quaint atmosphere and lovely selection of a menu. The arugula salad is a must. The power briefly went out and they handled it with grace. read more

Love, love this place. Food was delicious. It's definitely an intimate, cozy place for a date night. I, for one, had a solo date night and did not feel out of place at all. The lighting is pretty dim. Service was excellent. My server made sure I was attended to consistently. I ordered the flat iron steak to curb my red meat craving, and it was cooked perfectly at medium rare. The warm apple tart a la mode was the perfect end to my meal; it wasn't too sweet nor tarty. The wine selection was extensive, so I had a glass of local cabernet. Now, what kind was it? I couldn't tell you; I'm not much of a wine person to remember. ;) Overall, I had a lovely, pleasant experience and will happily return on my next trip. read more

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Note to self... Don't try to find a place for dinner in Cambria on a Saturday night at about 6:30 in July without a reservation. We tried all of our usual favorites, and understandably everyone was booked until 830 or so. My friend and I got lucky that a table opened up here just as we were parking and hoping to find someplace open for us. Nice vibe... Basically feels like a big house with various rooms turned into small dining areas. Hot sourdough dinner rolls out of the oven were an excellent start. We had been wine tasting all day, so I opted for wine by the glass. They had a pretty good selection here given the smallish size of the restaurant. We split the arugula and strawberry salad, which was very good. My friend had a seafood pasta with scallops, which he liked a lot. We both agreed it was pretty spicy, spicier than the description on the menu suggested, but he loved it, and I enjoyed my small taste of it. I ordered the pork chop, which was stuffed with pancetta, fontina, sage, and topped with mushrooms, and quite a few other things. There was a lot going on in this dish, and I really can't say that I enjoyed it. The flavors seemed to completely overpower the pork, and nothing seemed to complement anything else. But funny thing... They were a group of four folks sitting next to us who were talking about how they loved their entrées, and how they had been to such and such a place in town, and didn't like it as much as the black cat. So maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, or the wrong thing for me anyway? I would not give up on a restaurant just because I didn't like one entrée, even though it was mine. Got to give the menu and the chef and the owners that second chance, right? We live in town, So we will be back, though I will definitely pass on the pork chop, and I advise you to do the same. :) note: I was going to order the duck breast, and asked the server what he recommended, which was the pork. But hey, I am an adult, in possession of free will, so part of this is on me. :)- read more