After a day of exploring the wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley, we stopped at Nella Kitchen & Bar…read morefor dinner, and after experiencing it firsthand, it's easy to understand why it's consistently ranked as one of the top restaurants in Los Olivos on Yelp. From the moment we walked in until the moment we left, we were genuinely impressed. The service was warm, attentive, and welcoming without ever feeling overbearing. Every member of the staff made us feel like guests in their home rather than customers in a restaurant. The food was just as memorable. I ordered the filet mignon, which was cooked perfectly to my requested temperature, and I really appreciated that they were happy to substitute the vegetables on the plate to fit my preferences. We started with Nonna's meatballs, served with fresh bread, and they were absolutely outstanding--rich, comforting, and the perfect way to begin the meal. To finish, we shared the ice cream for dessert, and it was the perfect ending. It was incredibly fresh and creamy, and the garnish of fresh mint elevated such a simple dessert into something that felt thoughtful and refined. What stood out most, though, was the atmosphere. Nella has a whimsical charm that instantly makes you feel comfortable. Rather than feeling like a busy restaurant, it felt like being welcomed into someone's beautiful home for dinner. That warmth, paired with exceptional food and genuine hospitality, made this one of the most memorable meals of our trip. If you find yourself in Los Olivos, do yourself a favor and make a reservation at Nella Kitchen & Bar. It's absolutely worth the visit.

Juan was the best - seriously one of the best waiters I've ever had! He was so friendly and…read moreknowledgeable about the menu and went above and beyond to accommodate gluten-free needs and food allergies. Only rating based on a lunch visit but it's a great spot for lunch. We sat on the patio which was a beautiful vibe. We ordered the salmon salad and the artichoke special and everything was great! Artichoke dish could have used a squeeze of some citrus on top but other than that it was great. Salad was very fresh and salmon was great quality.

The Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Cafe has a name that seriously undersells what is happening…read moreinside. It sounds like a place where you buy a bottle, eat three responsible almonds, and leave. Instead, they are serving some of the most satisfying farm food in town while the name stands outside pretending this is all perfectly ordinary. The building feels old in the right way. Not fake old, where someone bought distressed wood last Tuesday and charged it with having memories. It feels like locals have been wandering in from nearby vineyards, ranches, farms, and homes for years, sitting down without needing to study the room first. The tourists discover it. The locals appear to already have a system. The focaccia arrived soft in the middle with a crisp little edge that made tearing into it far more entertaining than bread has any right to be. The olive oil tasted raw, green, and incredibly fresh, as though the olives had been pressed somewhere nearby and were still slightly annoyed about it. The vegetables come from the restaurant's own farm just down the road, and they looked almost suspiciously healthy. Bright, crunchy, colorful, and full of life. Most restaurant vegetables sit beside the meat like nervous witnesses. These had confidence, opinions, and possibly retirement plans. The burrata was creamy and uncomplicated, with excellent olive oil doing what excellent olive oil does, which is make you briefly consider whether bread, cheese, and oil might be enough to sustain human civilization. The skirt steak was beautifully cooked and full of flavor. Every cow only has one skirt, which seems like a design flaw considering how many people want to order it. The vegetables alongside it were not there to provide moral balance. They were good enough to start arguments over who got the last one. My mushroom ravioli was exactly right. No puddle of oil. No cream sauce trying to bury the evidence. No pasta cooked to the consistency of a damp envelope. It was rich, earthy, and satisfying, with every bite feeling complete rather than simply preparing you for the next one. The wine wall is practically a geography lesson with alcohol. Santa Ynez Valley, Los Olivos, Paso Robles, Napa, France, Italy, and enough local bottles to make you wonder whether every nearby hill has quietly started producing wine. The wines we tried were approachable and easygoing. They joined dinner politely instead of barging in and demanding we admire their résumé. We finished with crème brûlée, which remains one of the few desserts that begins with minor property damage. Cracking through the warm sugar into the cool butterscotch custard underneath is childish, elegant, and deeply satisfying. Marcos was upbeat, knowledgeable, and clearly knew the menu well enough to recommend it without sounding like he had memorized a hostage statement. The whole evening felt relaxed, local, and completely unforced. This is the kind of restaurant where you finish dinner, walk outside, and immediately start wondering what time they open tomorrow.

The Wine Merchant is a nice wine country restaurant on the main drag in Los Olivos. Had dinner here…read moreafter a day of tasting. The restaurant decor is nice, though nothing special, with a sizeable patio for outdoor dining. We started with a couple of local wines by the glass. The wine list here is heavily biased towards local wines as one would expect from a wine country restaurant. Kudos for the local focus! The menu here is wine country, farm-to-table and the restaurant even has their own organic farm a short distance away where they source ingredients. For dinner we started with the beet salad special served over a citrus yogurt. For main courses we had the grilled rack of lamb and a quinoa bowl with salmon. Every dish was expertly prepared and delicious. The fruits and veggies were exceptionally fresh being sourced directly. David was our server and coincidentally was our server at a wine tasting earlier in the day. His service and that from the supporting team were professional and friendly. I give this restaurant my highest recommendation!

I was visiting in the area and a local recommended this restaurant. The restaurant is big and…read morespacious on the inside and also had outside seating. We went for lunch to try out a couple things. We were seated immediately and offered menus. We ordered a seared ahi salad, calamari, bolognese, and mushroom pizza. The ahi salad was delicious. The vinaigrette was delicious and refreshing. The ahi was seared just right. The calamari was flavorful and crispy. It also came with some shrimps which was a nice surprise. The bolognese was nice and hearty. The pizza had the perfect crust thickness and tasted even better when I baked it for dinner later in the day. Overall, we enjoyed everything we tried and would like to come back on the next visit.

Last year, our visit was great! This year, not so much. They sat us in a room in the back which was…read morejust ok. It didn't have the energy that the main dining room has but our party was 9, so we understood! The service was not that great. Didn't like our snotty waitress and the food servers were also rude. The food was meh this time. The bruschetta was salty, the ceasar salad was tasteless, the chicken piccata was lousy. It barely had any sauce, the potatoes were dry and looked like Terds, and the spinach had a long, black hair wrapped in it. The chicken parm was great and so was spaghetti. The pane cotta was pitiful. They cut back on the portion size. Tiramisu was bleh and they served us melted spamoni! All around bad night, August 4th! Unfortunately we will not return.

All wines are delicious. The wine tasting honorary brother/host is fabulous. The ambiance is great…read moretoo. Definitely worthwhile..

Love it. Great service, great ambiance, great wine, great music…read more We were all around very happy

I loved the long L-shaped bar, and the beer tender was knowledgable and recommended just what I was…read morelooking for. Only disappointment was they don't have a bar menu. But other good options near by and you can bring outside food in.

This place was open a little later than it's posted time super grateful since majority of places…read moreclosed early. Great service. Great vibes!!! Had the hoppy poppy IPA, House Cabernet Sauvignon, and Agua Santa Cerveza.

Wildly great food. I wanted to lick my plate. The caprese salad was huge and so delicious…read more Spaghetti and meatballs - great sauce, tasty meatballs and again a nice portion. My wife and I split them both and had room for a cannoli that was the best I've ever had before! The walk up is weird. It's in the back of a liquor store but keep walking to the back. There's a cute little dining room. Ask for a Greg and Luis. They are the balm.

My family and I stopped at your restaurant on our way home to Lompoc because the menu and website…read morephotos looked great. We ordered the chicken picatta and sole picatta to-go, tipped despite not dining in, and drove 20 miles home. When we opened the boxes, both orders were incorrect. According to the board menu, the sole picatta comes with arugula, beets, pistachios, and potatoes (no capers), and the chicken picatta comes with capers, spinach, and potatoes. Instead, both dishes came with pasta and none of the listed sides. More concerning, the sole had capers--even though we specifically asked when ordering because my partner is allergic and were told it does not include them. Meanwhile, the chicken picatta, which should have had capers, had none. Portions were also quite small for the $22 price point. We tried calling the restaurant eight times with no answer. After contacting the liquor store it's located inside, we were told to call back in five minutes. When we did, the call wouldn't even go through. Since we couldn't reach anyone, we drove the 20 miles back to Buellton to request a refund. When I showed the chef the incorrect dishes, he insisted the picatta dishes come with pasta and produced a small, crumpled paper menu from under the counter showing that version. We were never given this menu and ordered solely from the board displayed above. There was no apology and no offer to remake the meals, only a refund when I requested it. The employee who originally helped us acknowledged they "haven't gotten around" to updating the board menu. Other reviews mention similar issues with discrepancies between the board and the paper menu, which suggests this is an ongoing problem. Thankfully, we received a refund and our tip back, but we drove a total of 60 miles and ended up without dinner, eventually eating at Blaze Pizza at 9:45pm after ordering from you at 6:15pm. Despite this disappointing experience, we would be willing to give your restaurant another try if complimentary meal vouchers could be offered. We understand that busy periods can lead to mistakes, but the lack of accountability and apology was the most frustrating part. Acknowledging errors and making things right builds trust. Photos of what was advertised versus what we received are attached. We hope for a better experience in the future; otherwise, we unfortunately will not return.

Fantastic experience! We wanted to stop by a lunch spot on our way back from San Diego and decided…read morefor Industrial Eats. The food was very much to die for and at pretty reasonable prices, our meal came out to be ~$80. Lots of cute pictures done by one local artist for sale and TONS of cookbooks lining the self service area. Extensive menu. We got the: Escargo and Bread - Absolutely amazing, buttery, decadent. Nothing to complain about here. Mussels and Frites - Delicious and perfect for two servings. We took the sauce home and made a pasta with it. Fries are great. Brussel Sprouts - My least favorite as it was undercooked and not as crispy as I would've liked but still delicious. Only thing I would knock on is the bathroom. The toilet seat is quite industrial. Would definitely come back.

Been eating here for years. Sunday night ordered turkey sandwich and shrimp with bread…read more The woman behind the counter was wearing an offensive shirt, saying" I am a Fuc_ing Ray of Sunshine" ... Once we set down and receive the turkey sandwich, I was really disappointed. It was very small.. I shared it along with the shrimp and the bread. .....two days later went back to the resturant & spoke to the manager/ owner woman. I sat with her to explain how rude the shirt was for counter woman to wear..because there was families with kids .The owner seemed to not care..She offered me another turkey sandwich. IT looked normal size. I thanked her and AS I WAS LEAVING SHE HAD THE NERVE TO SAY..." Hope to See you Fuc_ing soon. This shocked me and proved that the woman was crude and extremely unprofessional. This place has gone downhill. She just lost a lifetime customer, and obviously she didn't care..

Spent a week in Milan in June…read more Pretty close to that! Great pizza and service. Outside looked nice. But inside had great music playlist.

Thin crust pizza lovers, go here!…read more Pizza is very thin and crispy. The Italian dishes are also excellent. My husband loves the lasagna. The outdoor courtyard is beautiful with a big fountain. Our server was Kat and she is amazing. It might have been the best service I have experienced. She helped us choose a salad, was very attentive and anticipated all of our dining needs. She even brought us a to go box with wax paper to divide the pizza slices. This is my favorite place to eat in Solvang. Highly recommend!

This is my go to pizza place. I also like the salads and sandwiches. We usually get the…read moretraditional crust. I find the toppings generous (i get mushroom/onion), my husband says the pepperoni is good, not mind blowing. Vegetarian friendly. The veggie sandwhich is so good - grilled mushrooms, onions, peppers. We also call in our order. Staff is always friendly.

Wow! So yummy! This was a massive slice of pizza. I was greeted when I entered the shop. It wasn't…read moresuper busy around 2pm when I hopped off the 101. They had classic rock playing in the background. It was a nice open dining area with large windows as you can see. They had a small arcade area to the left of the entrance. I would stop by again if I found myself near/in Buellton or heading up the 101! I ended up ditching the fork and knife bc I'm a heathen and was tired from driving. Ah, good times.

Found this place randomly... we drive through this area and stop at other places in the area often…read morebut never knew this place was hiding around the corner. We ran in at 7:45 and they were just getting ready to close at 8. I hate being that gal... but we were craving pizza AND we made sure they were ok with us ordering to go! The staff was very nice, very accommodating and assured us that they did not mind making us food! The pizza is fantastic! I usually don't like bbq pizza, but definitely stole a slice of my boyfriend's. The pepperoni is my jam! Slightly crispy pepperoni, just the right amount of sauce and delicious crust! Salad was also yummmm!!! We will for sure be back! Thanks for the great service!

I have the dumbest allergies in the world. The staff was super helpful with helping me make sure…read morethat everything in my pizza was safe-- including catching that one of the ingredients we all thought would have for sure was safe had one of my allergens in it! Based off of this I can't help but think that they treat all of their customers super well! Oh, the pizza hit the spot as well. I'd highly recommend Pizza Shack!