This place is truly a great find. My friend & I were looking for something for a light dinner after some wine in the afternoon at Moonstone Beach area. At 8:00pm options were limited. We came across this lovely restaurant on the way back to our rooms and could not have been more pleased. The staff was warm and friendly and very welcoming. The food was excellent as was the service! I would highly recommend this lovely little, cozy, intimate place! I will definitely be back! read more

Great food, service and ambience! Loved the Black Cat! The scallops were delicious. Best crab cakes I've ever had.

Super disappointed! We were traveling first night in the area. Restaurant had decent reviews. Had our 14 year old and 12 year old grandkids with us. We each ordered one of their better meals. The special was described as their "Linguine and Prawn with fresh vegetables" flat iron steak. Along with the Ahi dish. Calamari appetizer. Clam chowder "award winning" Calamari was the highlight very good. Everything after that was a complete letdown. The Prawns were small shrimp not prawns. The Ahi was for the first time ever I have seen served in a Warm cream broth. Never seen that before. Tastes were bland fresh vegetables were fresh frozen vegetables. Iron steak was tough and tasteless. Super disappointing. The clam chowder had a coloring never seen before like a light orange tent. Flavor was lacking. On a positive note the waiter was friendly and attentive. After our 5 day trip we all agreed it was our worst meal of the trip. read more

I love love love this restaurant!! I've been coming here every year when I visit the central coast . It's literally one of my favorites. I've enjoyed several amazing dishes here . The seared scallops being a favorite . I don't know what happened .. new cook ? New owners ? Somethings changed and the food isn't as amazing as it once was . I got the Risotto and shrimp .. risotto was bland and milky tasting .. mushy .. shrimp were delicious aside from the balsamic vinegar sauce .. I couldn't finish it . I'm disappointed.. I'll definitely give it another shot because I know this place has hands down delivered great food . Just not today read more

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

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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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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This is a very intimate cozy retro restaurant with excellent service very accommodating and delicious quality food with an excellent selection of wine. Don't judge from the outside it is very cool inside read more

Black Cat Bistro - Our dinner Chicken Piccata and Rib eye steak. - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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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Food is good! Service is good too. We were there on a Saturday night and Sarah was our server - very good. A negative - parking lot and entry need work. Looks weed heavy and a bit dirty. Recommend a clean, inviting entrance if you want to present as a fine dining establishment. A few bench seats also need attention. Overall, 8 out of 10. read more

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

Have a lovely experience here last night. The service was really excellent. Friendly and knowledgeable - we mentioned were going to split a salad and a soup; without our even asking, they split the salad into 2 portions and served that first, then did the same with the soup, waiting until after we'd finished the salad to serve that as well. We really appreciated that they paced our meal w/o even having to ask, the food was solid, and the prices were very reasonable for the quality and the service. We'll be back! 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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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

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

Fun place for lunch or dinner in Pismo beach. Huge menu, reasonable prices...highly recommended

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.

Don't waste your time and money!!! Food was beyond terrible. Started with a Burrata app that was a big mess on the plate, what is this??? Very salty, inedible. They have "wild caught" salmon on the menu, which I confirmed the salmon actually being wild caught before ordering. When my salmon came it was very over cooked and obviously not "wild caught" it was also very fishy. My husband's steak came cold, not cool, cold. He never complains so for him to do so meant it was also inedible. We sent everything back without reordering. The restaurant did comp everything, including our two glasses of Tobin James cab. This was nice, however the fact that a manager neglected to talk to us after this complete waste of one of our two nights in Cambria was disappointing and very telling of how mismanaged this restaurant is. We Went to Madeline's the night before, which was a lovely experience. read more

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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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

This was our first time trying The Black Cat Bistro in Cambria and it was a great experience. The ambience is really nice... like a converted old home with lots of windows and comfortable seating. It has a romantic feel once the sun goes down and the natural light fades. The service was impeccable. The server really knew the menu... the ingredients, how the sauces are made, etc. Speaking of the menu there is a lot of love and creativity in the food... so many subtle details! After each dish we'd ask the server what exactly was in that dish, or how did they create that sauce. A fun dining experience for sure! The Arugula salad with strawberry, apple, walnuts, and goat cheese was a light and refreshing start to the meal. The Paso Robles Pork Belly came in date, apple, mustard sauce or broth that we were literally drinking with a spoon! So interesting! The Shrimp Risotto was really interesting as well! The shrimp were so perfectly cooked that is was notable right off the bat. The consistency of the risotto was very different in a great way, and the type mushrooms they use added anther layer of interesting texture as well. Crab Cakes were good... could have used a bit more crab meat, but the flavor was there and we liked how it's plated with a jumbo shrimp in the center and the grated mango was a yummy mini flavor bomb. The table next to us got the Polenta and that look incredible... definitely going to try that next time. Pricing at this restaurant was extremely reasonable for such an elevated dining experience... 4 dishes and a glass of wine wine for around a hundred bucks! We look forward to coming back! 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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Excellent. Lovely atmosphere and delicious food. Staff was friendly and attentive highly recommended

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 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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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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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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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 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 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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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