What a charming Italian restaurant right in the heart of Mendocino. It's approached down a long…read morepath through a seemingly secret garden. What a pleasant way to approach a culinary experience. The restaurant has lots of charm. As you approach the front door there's a window into the kitchen where they are making the home made pasta. This definitely sets the tone. The dining area is cozy and has a 'woodsy' ambiance with nice decorative touches, an upstairs mezzanine and a beautiful garden deck/patio out back for dining too. The staff are super friendly and one feels as though you're eating in someone's friends home. The menu has many excellent dishes, primarily pastas. This is northern Italian cuisine so don't expect a lot of red sauces. The soup, a pasta fagioli, seemed interesting so I had a bowl and selected the Penne alla Boscaiola with onion, mushrooms, sausage and a cream sauce. I found the soup a bit underwhelming compared to some hearty types I've had in the past. It seemed to lack the strong richness and the beans were somewhat mushy. It wasn't bad, just different for me. The Penne, however, was a knockout. I haven't had that good a pasta dish in years. All the flavors were spot on and the ingredients perfectly proportioned and melded together. The sauce didn't overwhelm the dish and coated the pasta perfectly. I couldn't have been happier. The pasta here is obviously top notch and I'd love to try many more dishes. I doubt you can go wrong.

Best spot on the Mendocino Coast for an Italian dinner. Some of the waiters even speak Italian!…read moreStaff are friendly and service was thoughtful. There is so much to look at inside this restaurant, and the outside grounds has twists and turns to other garden areas--A mystic backyard for sure! For dinner, We had pasta and salad. The pasta was perfectly cooked--Upgraded to egg fettuccine noodles. The sauce was fresh and wonderfully flavored and covered the noodles with just the right amount of sauce. Not too much and not too little. The hearty smoked salmon salad was great too. I didn't realize it was smoked (missed that on the menu! Haha) I wanted salmon, but it was good with a nice fresh dressing. The bread served is focaccia pieces, rosemary and tomato blends which went well with my salad. Wine list offers a lot of wines. Of course Italian. Enjoy Mendocino!

Terra Farm Kitchen gets my seal of approval. Back in the day, I was the baker in an upscale Italian…read morerestaurant, making the pizzas and deserts, so I am very particular about every aspect of pizzas and Terra Farm Kitchen is top notch. Unfortunately my diet is now restricted to gluten free and I have craved a decent pizza for many years and finally I found an excellent gluten free pizza here. I thought it couldn't be done but this kitchen pulls it off like a dream come true. The atmosphere is quite pleasant and the service charming. Keep in mind the menu is limited but better to do a few things well rather than have boring mediocrity. If you are out for a leisurely pizza you can't do better anywhere north of San Francisco. Tip: get an appetizer while you wait.

Meh. Pros: The sourdough crust on the pizza was…read moreoutstanding!! The servings were generous and one pizza was definitely enough for two people. The server was so sweet and warm that I actually invited her into the conversation at my table twice. The ambience was relaxing and the chairs comfortable. Cons: The sauce and toppings on the pizza tasted like they were out of a can. I expected the mushroom to taste like a local rich fungi, but I was disappointed. The ricotta spread on the ricotta toast appetizer was rich and not to my liking. I left most of mine on the plate. The chocolate desert was tasteless and disappointing. If I stayed at the hotel, which looked lovely by the way, I would definitely eat there again. If I wasn't already at the hotel, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there.

The Waiting Room in Mendocino is a cozy, welcoming spot that feels like stepping into someone's…read morewarm living room. There's a fireplace, a relaxed vibe, and genuinely friendly staff. I waited about 30 minutes for their breakfast sandwich (which I had heard was amazing) while sipping a matcha latte and it was absolutely worth it. Easily one of the best I've had... rich, flavorful, and totally addictive. The pastries were also phenomenal across the board. Chill, quaint, and memorable in the best way. A must-stop breakfast spot in Mendocino

A cute little cafe next to and affiliated with Cafe Beaujolais. Lots of comfy seating both indoors…read moreand out. The place seems to do a good business and stopping by for an afternoon coffee was perfect. We ordered two large lattes and they really quenched the thirst for a pick-me-up coffee. While watching the patrons order and file through we noticed baked goods continually brought out and offered. When the chocolate chip cookies arrived we did a quick dive before they were snatched up. The baked goods seemed to disappear quickly. The cookies were delicious. It's a pleasant enough space and they have an amazing antique type stereo system playing classics. Very nice background music. This is definitely a place for a coffee or similar type cafe offering.

What probably is the best restaurant in Mendocino this longstanding quanit establishment is full of…read morecharm and exceptional cuisine. Four of us visited and we had a reservation which I highly recommend. We waited about ten minutes after arriving and a line of people behind us did stack up. The place isn't large and we got a cozy table in the center of the dining room. The menu is interesting and the wait staff was very helpful and professional. I started with some soup which was delicious. It was a corn based soup and perfect for the season. My entree was the black cod, which seems available in these parts, and it was prepared perfectly. So tender and delicious; seasoned just right on a bed of greens, mushroom, beets and a light emulsion sauce. I was quite pleased with my selection. Although the place is supposed French cuisine I would offer that it is more French influenced than traditional French. Overall it was a truly great experience with top quality food and great service in a pleasant, cozy setting.

Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino is a brunch standout, absolutely 5-star food across the board. The…read moremanager who greeted us was warm and welcoming, and the setting feels classic and charming right in the heart of town. Everyone at the table loved their dishes. I got to sample a few other items and everything was excellent. The huckleberry pancakes were rich, buttery, and incredible, and the eggs Benedict was perfectly done. The shakshuka was flavorful and a bit spicy, but really good overall. So why 3 stars...it was the service from our waiter, who was super grumpy and mostly monosyllabic, which was surprising given how good everything else was.

If you're in Mendocino - DO NOT MISS out on this place! Place was packed and it was a bit cold out…read more- but there was outdoor seating available for our group of 5 and we were so grateful to be seated. And although only one of the two heat lamps were working - it was still worth being cold! We loved the little downtown surrounding area - walkable, fun different shops to explore. Food was absolutely delicious. We were ALL happy with our respective meals. And we even had to get some pastries to go as they looked way too good to pass on. My groups faves: biscuits and gravy, Huevos Rancheros and omelets; We took home cookies and a Danish to go as well!! Service was fast, fun and friendly. Our waiter was extremely kind and patient with my Aunt that was super indecisive and had a ton of questions. He kept things light and gently teased her - and got all of our orders exactly right. That's priceless!

Mendocino, small town feels, with the beachy vibes....ah the Good Life. It's exactly that and…read moreGoodLife Bakery serves up delicious food that feeds the souls of this town. Had a great lunch after an 18-hour fast. Started with a cappuccino, warm, comforting. So many choices to choose from their extensive menu. While most everyone was having brunch, I chose to get a cup of their soup of the day. Served with homemade wheat toast from the bakery. Thai green curry soup was delicious. I also had the Caesar salad with chicken. You can tell a great Caesar by the quality of the dressing. It was thick and creamy and coats each piece of Romaine lettuce nicely. I have no doubt the croutons were homemade. Love places that give lemon wedges with the salad. Everything I ate was delicious. The service from the staff was also excellent. I have been staying away from sweets since January so skipped the baked goods altogether. I will come back next time I'm in town.

What a great market/general store! It has everything your desires and more…read more I got here right when they opened in the morning and primarily the locals were in getting things for the day. The store is much larger than I anticipated and they have an amazing array of fresh produce, just as you enter the place. It's best to scope out the store and check out all that's available. The aisles meander and you may find things were It's least expected. They have a good looking meat counter and lots of typical market items, plus local things too. I was on a quest for breakfast things and amazed to fine very nicely packaged breakfast sandwiches and burritos made by the store in a refrigerator case. I grabbed several. The store is a bit rustic yet clean and well organized, and there's lots beyond just food items at one end of the store. The woman who checked me out was very pleasant and friendly. If you're looking for something to eat, or fill up on groceries, this is it.

A great local market in Mendocino!…read more My wife and I were in Mendocino for a few days staying at a nearby Bed & Breakfast. When we first checked in, we were told about this market and given directions to it. We were glad for that as we found it to be a well stocked and reasonably priced place to get food for our picnic on the cliff and snacks for the other days of our stay. The selection is great and the prices are very reasonable.

Best option for fresh cuisine in Mendocino. Great attentive staff - down to the busboy!…read more We were really impressed with the distinct flavors each dish offered. We started the night with Scallops - Followed by Gnocchi's and Flat Iron Steak. Perfect trifecta! (Paired it all with a Red Mendocino Blend). Lastly we finished the night with a Strawberry Tart. Not to sweet and just enough to share. When in Mendocino - don't miss out on Trillium!!

The staff are very friendly and the food tasted amazing. My parents and I came here during lunch…read moretime (they have separate menus for lunch and dinner) and they have both inside and outside seating. The day was so nice so a lot of people were outside and they could only take us inside which was fine with us. They offer tap or sparkling water to start you off. What we ordered: cheese board, Strawberry margarita, strawberry spritz, strawberry salad, and panini chicken sandwich with potato wedges split in two (my dad and I split the panini because they described it as big enough). The cheese board was probably one of the best cheese boards I've had. Absolutely lovely. The main dishes, although tasted great, took an unusually long time to be made. That felt odd to us since all we ordered was a salad and a panini. That's the only reason for docking it one star, otherwise it's great!

This place was so good, we had dinner here twice during our 4 day stay in Mendocino!…read more They have seating outside on a large patio (with heaters) and in the smaller inside area next to the bar. The decor is eclectic, which many interesting things displayed everywhere. On our first visit, we started with a bowl of New England Clam Chowder ($13). This was great! It was thick with clams and even passed my "spoon test", which is being able to support the spoon standing vertically in the soup without falling over. It passed the test due to the thick soup with lots of clams. (See photo). We each had the Chicken Pot Pie ($22) from the daily special menu. This was delicious and thick and topped by a puff-pastry like thick topping. They also make Irish Coffee ($11) that was perfect. Just as good as the Buena Vista Bar in San Francisco (where this cocktail was invented). On our second visit, two nights later, my wife had a French Dip sandwich with sweet potato french fries ($22). She found it enjoyable and very good. I had a Patty Melt ($22) which was delicious. They make an espresso martini ($14) that is delicious! On both visits, the service was quick and friendly. Note: This places charges a 3% fee to pay by credit card.

Always Trust the Gift Shop Lady. Always…read more We had just conquered the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse--which apparently requires climbing three flights of "not-quite-normal" stairs. After a morning canoe down the Big River and those stairs, we turned into ravenously hungry people. We asked the gift shop lady for food recommendations. Without skipping a beat, she said: "Patterson's Pub! If you get there before 2:00 PM, you can get brunch!" Challenge accepted. We took our appetites straight to Mendocino's main drag. They had a tented patio in the sunny-but-stubbornly-windy Mendocino air, but we opted for the interior. Good choice. It has the ultimate "Authentic Irish Pub" starter pack: Cool and dark? Check. Crisp draft beers? Check. Full bar? Check. The SF Giants game playing on multiple screens? Check and check. We successfully beat the 2:00 PM brunch buzzer, and the specials menu looked to good to pass up! Lobster Wontons (Pub Special): Gone in a literal flash. Blink and you missed them. Crabcakes Benedict (Pub Special): Hands down, the best this diner has ever had. The hollandaise sauce (which they kindly served on the side per request) was a lemony deliciousness! The Comfort Food Crew: The rest of the party ordered clam chowder (Boston), garlic bread, and a fried cod sammy with thin-cut fries. All around lip-smacking! The Liquid Refreshment: Paired it all with a half-pint of Scrimshaw Pilsner (shoutout to local Fort Bragg brewing). It hit the spot and paired perfectly with the crabcakes benedict! The "Too Spicy" Drama: We did hit one minor speed bump. One of the dishes turned out to be a bit too spicy for one of our sensitive diners (not me). The waitstaff deserve a medal here. They went out of their way to try and "de-spice" the meal. While my companion's tastebuds were past the point of return, the staff's effort and sweetness were noticed and much appreciated! . Excellent customer service. The Verdict: A wonderful, perfect meal for a weekend getaway in the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area. We will absolutely be back. Let this be a lesson to you all: always ask a local!