We went to Madeline's to celebrate an 80th birthday with a party of 15, and from the start, the food was delicious. The bread tasted freshly baked and was served with fresh, house-made butter. The salad and homemade dressing were delicious as well. We especially enjoyed the filet and seafood special. In my experience, parties this large can overwhelm a restaurant, but Madeline's handled our group with calm expertise. The courses were paced perfectly, water glasses were never empty, and drinks and service were always attended to. They also made our champagne toast feel special and perfectly timed as part of the celebration. We were able to relax, celebrate, and enjoy our time together without ever feeling rushed or overlooked. I would definitely recommend Madeline's for your next special occasion or celebration, especially with a larger group. read more

We found ourselves in Cambria, CA for a short getaway and besides enjoying the fantastic trails and gorgeous views of the ocean we had the pleasure of dining at Madeline's for dinner. It's a cozy restaurant with an intimate setting on Main Street serving dishes packed with flavor! All the dishes were well prepared and presented with lots of detail and care but the two standouts in my opinion were the Rillettes de Gibier and the braised short rib. The rillettes de gibier had was packed with a fatty flavor and just a hint just a hint of gaminesss that made it a great start to the meal. The braised short ribs were just so tender and the mushroom flavor really shined with each bite. It was woody and had a natural, forest-floor quality that grounded the heavy, fatty richness of the short ribs. I could eat that every day of the week and twice on Sundays. read more

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I had to come back to Madeline's since I found this place last year. Service and food is exceptional. Plus they have 2 small tables for two in front of the restaurant so you can bring your fur baby while you dine. I ordered the Denner Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles vineyard) to go with my Long Island duck breast. My friend ordered the Lapin à la Moutarde (rabbit). My duck was pan seared, topped with a cherry reduction with scalloped potatoes and roasted carrots & green beans. I loved the duck with the cherry reduction. My only criticism is I wish the duck skin was served crispy. My friend loved their rabbit. For dessert we both ordered the lime & raspberry pie. It was so light and refreshing. A perfect way to end a delicious meal. read more

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Really impressed with this place much better than the Briydge restaurant that was suggested before. The service was excellent, attentive, on point, and thorough just as it should be for $$$ dollar bill establishment. Crabcakes were generous and delicious. The filet and halibut were amazing. Probably the best place in Cambria to eat. For us the ambience was great. I made a reservation and I was able to sit by the window, which was very nice. read more

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16 years ago I wrote a 2 star review for this place and my wife and I decided to give it another chance. Even though I ended my original review saying I wouldn't come back I constantly heard locals recommend it. I am glad I came back. We came for lunch since they have a lighter menu compared to dinner. Our server was delightful and let my wife and I sample their different wines by the glass. I would have given lunch 5 stars if it wasn't for the tomato soup. I really should have sent it back. It was as thin as tap water and seemed like they took yesterday's leftover soup and added water to it. Was really expensive and truly pathetic. Entrees on the other hand were 5 stars. I went with the Louie salad. They were out of Ahi so they substituted perfectly cooked scallops. I really enjoyed it and think more places should use scallops as a salad protein. Salad was loaded with fingerling potatoes, green beans, even a hardboiled egg they cut up to look like a rabbit. Excellent meal and I could have eaten it again that week. My wife had the Croque monsieur which was an epic gut busting sandwich. I will definitely be back! read more

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After our Hearst Castle tour that ran later than we expected, my friends and I stopped in Cambria for a late lunch. The menu was interesting, and we were literally the only people there. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Tartine. It was SO good. It looked small but man was it filling. The salad it came with was also incredible. It had apples, goat cheese, hazelnuts, and a vinaigrette. We also ordered the Belgian Chocolate Truffle Cake upon the server's recommendation. It was so good, but so rich so would recommend sharing. read more

Madeline's - Smoked Salmon Tartine - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

I want to love this place. It's so cute and their menu sounds amazing but I feel like it's inconsistent. Some dishes are seasoned perfectly and some have no flavor. And this place can be pricey so I want to love everything I order. The first time I had a great time. This time fell very short for me and all the my friends that I told had to try this restaurant. It was very unfortunate because we were celebrating my mom's birthday and most of us left very unsatisfied. The bruschetta appetizer is plated beautifully but could have been a little more seasoned. The crab cakes were tasty. My two friends that had not been before were trusting my judgment on taking them. They both ordered spinach salads that were supposed to have bacon infused salad dressing. The dressing had absolutely no flavor and just looked like it was drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. It was supposed to contain bacon, but had absolutely no bacon flavor. And then on the menu, it said candied walnuts. We love candied walnuts. There were no candied walnuts at all. The staff was so amazing and so friendly. They were so kind when we didn't like the salad. They apologized profusely and asked if we wanted anything else or what they could do to rectify the situation. So one of my friends did get another salad, but the dressing was the same way. They were just very disappointed. And our waitress did try the salad dressing after our complaint and said it wasn't made properly that morning because normally it has a ton of flavor. So she apologized again. I ordered a steak. It was expensive and I left feeling annoyed that I spent that much because it wasn't great. It was crispy and tough for the cost. I ate it because I did not want to complain again about another dish. I hate doing that. The mashed potatoes that came with it and the veggies were seasoned very well. My mom whose birthday we were celebrating was the only one who truly enjoyed her dinner. she ordered the polenta. I did taste that and it was done so beautifully with tons of flavor and that's what the rest of us unfortunately were lacking in our dishes. But since it was her birthday, I'm glad she was the happy one out of the four of us. Like I'd said everyone is so sweet and hard working at Madeline's that it saddens me to say I don't know if I will be back again. It's just too expensive to pay, to not enjoy my meal. My steak was $54 and I had one the night before that for $34 that was cooked perfectly. So it's hard to justify ever going back unfortunately. I felt like I let my friends down on our last night in town. read more

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I hate that I almost always only leave reviews at places I love or places I hate. Here's another one, though. Can't find a single thing I didn't like here. The appetizers, the customer service, THE. FRIGGIN. WINE. LIST. Top-tier, worth the drive from inland. I don't even wish they had more tables - it adds to the charm. Had: Hearst Cab Franc, potato leek soup, filet mignon, chocolate mousse cake. Most memorable dinner I've had in the last few months. David is the owner, he's actively here, ask him about the restaurant. read more

Madeline's - What's left of the mousse. - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Mostly very good dinner. The mushroom soup special was good, even though after being asked if I would like pepper (Yes!), I never got pepper. The short ribs needed some salt but were fantastic after getting the salt shaker. The kids (teens) ordered dessert, and I said I wanted a dessert wine and asked for the menu to look at my options. My husband & I really wanted the 20-year Port, but instead of asking what we wanted to drink, they just dropped off the check, so no dessert wine after all, I guess. That's ok, it saved us some money & extra calories! read more

Madeline's - Short Ribs GF - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

so glad we were able to snag last minute reservations! there are two madeline's, this one, is located on main st in the east village and the other madeline's is on moonstone beach drive that faces the ocean! madeline's on main is dog friendly. they have two - two person table in their patio. the madeline's on moonstone beach drive is not pet friendly. after a long day of traveling. we were so hungry and tired. but still wanted to go somewhere nice for dinner. it was warner weather that wknd, so we were glad to sit outside! we ordered: Crab Cakes Stuffed Chicken Breast Filet Mignon everything was so delicious!! i was getting so full but kept eating lol. the also provide complimentary house bread with butter (10/10) its so fresh and tasty! parking: no issues. lots of street parking everywhere. read more

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Nice upscale quaint restaurant. Great ambiance with very attentive staff. Food presentation was nice. Really enjoyed the lunch. Very reasonably priced beers! Would recommend reservations. read more

We stopped into Madeleine's on a sunny day because Moonstone Grill is closed for lunch during the winter season and Madeline is one of our favorite places in Cambria. We chose the windows seat so we could watch people walk up and down the avenue and looked over the lunch special on the menu. My husband chose the beef tart and got the cream of chili soup with it and because I was getting fries with my shrimp sandwich I chose to try their cheese plate since French cheese is my very favorite. The soup and cheese plate appeared right away and I could enjoy the cheese plate while he saved his soup. I had a delicious Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc While I nibbled away from the treats on the cheese plate the cheese was most delicious very creamy very mild and accented by the spiced olives. When ours came, they were served with care at shrimp sandwich with S soft and succulent and fresh ever while my husband's beef tips were tender and tasty. We really feel that this is a bargain shed around $24 each for two courses in downtown Cambria and will return here again for our lunch treat! read more

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The short ribs were amazing!! I was thrilled to finally try the scalloped potatoes here, they were worth the trip from slo! The duck was cooked well and i enjoyed the sauce a lot. Service was great and i will definitely be back! read more

Madeline's - Short ribs - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Long overdue review for a lunch visit. At the time, there was outside dining (two 2-person tables on the sidewalk and about 6 tables/24 seats under awnings in the parking spaces). They decorated the area with flowers to make it "cozy", and since the weather was great, it was very enjoyable. Service was very good. For lunch, we shared the Spanish Octopus appetizer, and then each had the Beef Melt with Soup or Salad. We chose the soup of the day, Tomato, which was light, creamy, and very tasty. We plan on returning for dinner on an upcoming trip, so stay tuned for an updated review. read more

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Overall was an amazing experience. The food was delicious, from the appetizer to the dessert. The service was great as well the overall ambiance was good although it was a little hot and stuffy inside. Still great though read more

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I took family in for lunch today and had an absolutely delicious meal. Each one of us felt our dish was the best. We also had deserts and again ALL of them were fantastic! Daniel was our server. He was awesome. The high end decor was matched with original art on the walls and an extensive wine selection. If you want to make a special occasion even more special, I recommend going into Madeline's. read more

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Loved this little charming dinner at Madeline's. The food was great, service was great and overall everything was just wonderful. A lot of the restaurants in this area are houses converted into restaurants so you get that warm cozy feel and this was nothing short. It was romantic. The wine selection was great as well. read more

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Stopped in here for our 23 year anniversary after touring Hearst Castle. A first timer and we loved it! The food was delicious from start to finish. Our service was 100% perfect, every waiter and waitress checked on us every few mins as the host too. The ambiance of the place was nice, the tables had roses at every table, Art of the walls, and the lighting was great. I would recommend this place, everything we ordered was a hit, can't wait to try other stuff next time. read more

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We came to Madeline's at around 8:45pm on a Friday. We had heard good things about the restaurant, and it was also one of the only restaurants open and taking guests at that time. We felt bad for coming in so late. One thing to note about Cambria is that everything closes very early. The service was good and attentive! The food was also very good. The highlights were the scallops and the Madeline's salad. Both were super fresh. I had the short rib, which came with a pasta. The whole dish was kind of similar to a stroganoff. My husband had the fish special (halibut). Both meals were good. I think we liked the short rib dish better. The apple pie crumble with ice cream was a winner for us! It was hot and delicious. I loved all the paintings on the walls. Very beautiful impressionist works of art. read more

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I made reservations for 5 for lunch. We chose where we wanted to sit and it was perfect. Our server, for the whole place was Cody. He was very efficient and let us have 5 checks as it wasn't too busy. Everything on the menu including the specials were all so tempting. Four of us had the Croque Monsieu, 2 got fries, one a salad and one soup. All excellent, one had soup and mussels. Everything was good, lots of ice tea. I will be back for dinner as I love fish. Atmosphere was fine, very simple table and chairs. I was so caught up with the food I forgot to take pictures. read more

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While on a mini vacation here in Cambria my family and I came here to have dinner. My husband saw an ad on Facebook and suggested we come here. We were welcomed by the friendly host and were seated right away. Our waiter was also very friendly and attentive. The ambiance is great more of a romantic date kind of place but it also worked for us as a family. The food here is average. The salad I ordered was more of a side salad, for the price of it I thought it's a regular size salad you get in restaurants. The spinach artichoke dip was ok , the filet mignon was delicious but I was disappointed with the veggies that came with it. Tasteless and carrots ??? The New York strip my son ordered was horrible. Completely rare when we asked for a medium. The waiter took it back to fix it then brought the same piece back and still not medium. He apologized a few times and said he can take it back. My son said no he can't eat it anymore. They took the price out of our check at least. Overall for us it was an ok dinner. read more

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Great food, great ambience! Lovely place with wonderfully tasting food. We come here to Cambria often and will be back for another great meal! This is our first time here at Madeline's. We should have tried it sooner. We had a wonderful waitress, Natalie ( great sense of humour!) and the owner of Madeleine's, David Stoothoff took the time to talk to us and was very personable. We enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back when we are in Cambria again. Come and enjoy!! read more

Madeline's - The beautiful front of Madeline's Restaurant 2025 - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

We went to Madeline's for our anniversary dinner. We were greeted by their friendly staff as we entered and seated right away. The restaurant was full and it was not noisy. We had a female employee come and tell us the specials of the day and then our waitress took our orders. Our salads were great and refreshing. My wife loved her Polenta. She savored every last bite. The filet mignon was overcooked. I asked for medium and it was very well done. I showed our waitress and she took the plate and returned with a rightly cooked filet mignon. It was a wrong made right and that's the most important thing. Thank you! The filet mignon was cooked just right and was amazing. The scalloped potatoes were also amazing. I hadn't had scalloped potatoes like these in a long time! We had a great anniversary dinner thank you! We will be back the next time we are in San Simeon!! read more

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All out great experience here and the perfect place to come for a anniversary. It was the ideal place for night out after visiting Hearst Castle, and the seafood and the bread was amazing. The service and ambiance were great and contributed to a nice evening. read more

Madeline's - Seafood - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Absolutely delicious meal here. The bruschetta which was really a crispy eggplant Parmesan thing was wonderful. I got the duck which was perfectly cooked, crisp skin and not fatty with a light cherry sauce. Sometimes duck can by cloying and too rich but this was spot on. My friend had the stuffed chicken which she loved. And ended our meal with a Perfect crème brûlée. Wonderful service too. Our favorite meal while we were in town! read more

I've been here a couple of times and last time it was good but not as good as the time before so I gave it only 4 stars but I will come again and maybe I will give it 5 stars like I remember it deserves. Great French bistro with very good food with great ambiance. Everything is good on the menu and they have a very big selection of wines. Don't expect big portions, it's a French bistro! The service is good but as much as I like sitting at the bar, I wouldn't come here again by myself. The best way to enjoy this place is to sit at the table and share dishes and try different wines read more

Let's put it this way, one of the Best restaurants in SLO county, if not the best. Normally, I'd go into great detail on my experience, like when eating the scallops, you taste a meaty depth of flavor, comparable to steak, yet a buttery acidic sauce to cut through the rich, almost fatty scallop. How the Bruschetta Eggplant, literally to my words away. The perfect blend of rich, natural sweetness from the bells and the substantialness of the eggplant. The breading, the acid, to intense vibrance, coming all together, WOW. I'd discuss how the service was second to none in the area. How this little cottage like restaurant, when seated in the front window, looking out to the downtown, through the front greenery, transports to Europe! No, instead, I'll say, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE GREAT AMBIANCE, SERVICE, AND CUISINE, THEN MAKE A RESERVATION! *Only qual was they must invest in a real Espresso Machine, so we can have real coffee with Dessert!* read more

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Thought we would try lunch here and we weren't disappointed. Great selection and amazing food! We walked in at 2pm an hour before close for lunch. There were a good amount of people but we were seated fairly quickly. read more

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Overall, great service from the moment we checked in to the moment we left. The ambiance was nice and cozy, not too noisy but at an expected volume for the smaller space. Much cuter inside in person than what you can see online. We got the mushroom tart to start and thought it was delicious. It was like a quiche in presentation and taste. For our entrees, my husband got the crispy pork special and I got the short rib pappardelle. My husband thought the pork with vegetables but good, not great. It was simple, nothing special. I thought my entree was very good. They had an extensive wine list as well. read more

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Wow! Never have I written a review so fast after a dining experience. Tried this spot for dinner after a visit to Hearst Castle, and it was sooo good! First off this is a little restaurant but very charming. It has a touch of elegance backed by the rustic charm of the nearby Oceanside. I made a last minute reservation and they were able to accommodate my party with ease. The dining experience was truly some of the best food I've had in a long time. We didn't get apps but we tried the filet mignon (5/5, cooked just right with a rich red wine sauce and fluffy garlic mashed potatoes and veggies) and the stuffed chicken breast (also 5/5, cooked perfectly and the scalloped potatoes on the side were phenomenal). It looked like a small portion at first but it was actually pretty filling. For dessert, we tried the chocolate mousse cake (solid 4/5) and the apple pie (5/5, super good). Service was great as well. Highly recommend! read more

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The food, service and ambiance were good. Unfortunately, portion size was small. Short ribs were tasty and salmon was well prepared and just right. read more

Went to Madeline's this past weekend and was wildly disappointed. While the vibes and staff were great, we both sent our food back. (More than once) The steak was completely undercooked and returned back within a minute - seemingly been placed in the microwave. The pasta was awful. Flavorless and overcooked. The manager did try to make things right (why I'm giving them 2 stars) but I do think an honest review is deserved given we felt blind sided by all of the amazing reviews of this place. read more

Madeline's - Appetizer - decent. Wouldn't need it again - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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We wanted to go somewhere special for our anniversary and Madeline's was highly recommended and it did not disappoint! The ambience was indeed intimate, and the food and service excellent. Natalie was so hospitable and made our celebration even more memorable with her warm personality and enthusiasm for our special occasion. We ordered the filet mignon and the stuffed chicken breast. Natalie paired our dinner with a lovely Pinot Noir and the Lime Pie with raspberry sauce was memorable too. If we could afford it, we probably would've wanted to buy the beautiful painting hanging by our table. It was a night to remember! Thank you Natalie, and the chef and amazing staff read more

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This is the gem of the town. It is a wine shop and restaurant. They offer a good selection of wines local and imported as well. Reservations are strongly suggested during Holidays/long weekends. I called in the same day to make sure I could be accommodated since it was Memorial Day weekend. Very welcoming ambiance and staff. The place was busy but service was never compromised. I started off with the Scallops, that were over mushroom duxelles and lemon beurre blanc. Amazing texture and flavors. I paired it with a glass of brut champagne. For dinner I had their filet mignon that came with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. It was perfectly cooked to term. The mashed potatoes were perfect as the garlic was not strong enough to take from the flavors in the filet. Sometimes the sides overcome the main in the dish but these potatoes sure complemented the star of the plate. I finished off with their vanilla bean creme brûlée. It was good and worth to try. I would definitely recommend this place and come back when in the area. read more

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The atmosphere wonderful and the food is delicious. My husband and I went for lunch for our anniversary. The service was fantastic. read more

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Fantastic food and service.....the owner David was a proactive element in the experience there. It was great watching him be very active as a owner and chef....my wife and I visit here anytime we are in town. Thanks for the great experience..... read more

This is my second time here. Madeline's is a small and intimate restaurant with great food and staff. The service is beyond amazing. Our waitress was great from start to finish. We started with the scallops, Madeline's salad, and bruschetta. I love their scallops. They are cooked perfectly. Their bruschetta is the best I have had. I am not a big bruschetta fan but love this dish. We also ordered the filet mignon and stuffed chicken breast and finished with apple pie, crème brûlée, and coffee. Everything was amazing. read more

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We decided to be in Cambria for my wife's birthday and so I made a reservation at Madeline's. Just like Parkway Grill in Pasadena is our go-to restaurant for a celebration; Madeline's has become that restaurant when we are in town for a special holiday or milestone. This evening's meal was excellent from start to finish. Our server was Natalie and she was knowledgeable, super friendly and helpful. We started with appetizers and when my wife was told that they had run out of her appetizer choice, Natalie was able to get her a substitute that was perfect. Our salads were delicious and beautifully plated. The entrees we chose were excellent. My wife had the filet and, on Natalie's recommendation, I had the lamb chops. They were scrumptious and very tasty. It was a lovely evening and we were able to relax and enjoy a delicious meal with wine in a cozy restaurant that reminded us of our vacations in Paris and the great food at Petit Chaisse. Spending more and more time here in Cambria at our second home will surely mean that we will enjoy Madeleine's regularly. read more

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We made a reservation for 5PM and was sat immediately. It's a fairly small and. Intimate restaurant, which was so nice! The food was very delicious and the service was great! Probably one of the best cooked filet mignon I've ever had and the pork belly was to die for. We also got their Firestone soup and it was very hot! Our server was Giovanni (hope I got that correct) and he was very helpful. He checked up on us several times, inquiring if our food was good. Highly recommend for anyone staying in Cambria. When you make a reservation, ask to be sat in the alcove! read more

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Came back for some more Madeline's. It was good but not as good as we remember. I got the stuffed chicken again. It was not great. It was dry and much much smaller than the last time. The dessert was amazing...chocolate cake. So so good. Very rich and delicious. Adair (our server) was great. read more

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