World class location, world class cusine with accented flavors and presentation. World class service. However the waiter was not dressed in world class attire. The waiter was not dressed in the attire that represents the restaurant. Don't get me wrong the service was excellent. He just looked like he walked out of Goodwill. He did not dress the part or look like a world class waiter should look like. Iron your shirt polish your shoes, look like you take pride in your job. read more

At first, we were very unhappy with everything, but eventually were quite pleased... We had reservations set for 7:15pm and there were no tables available when we arrived. We had to wait outside in the cold for about 1/2 hr even with our reservation. When we finally got seated, we got some bread to snack on, but it was a bit hard to my liking, scratching the roof of my mouth and making my jaw sore! We were really agitated by this time. But once the main food started arriving we were quite pleased. We got the muscles for appetizers which were very good and the plate was quite full...didn't expect that many! We also got new rolls which actually came warm and soft. My wife had fillet mgnon (it replaced the kobe steak on the menu) and I had the game hen. Both dishes were excellent! We shared a vanilla creme brulle (sp?) for dessert which topped off the dinner and that too was quite tasty. The meal was very reasonable! appetizer, 2 main dishes and a dessert for around $60, not too bad for the quality of food. Service was ok...server was very pleasant, but just slow. Overall, quite pleased with the restaurant. read more

I remember eating the duck... How can you mess up duck? The fat and flavor is built in. Well, apparently the chef agreed (tough piece of meat) and comped us. Much appreciated. My better half got the chicken and it was spot on. Well seasoned with strong yet not violent garlic. The meat was very tender: knife was unnecessary. The gravy was rustic with a great mouth-feel. Its actually a very intimate spot, tucked in a charming courtyard. We sat in a wood-lined booth and combined with the lighting, lingering over meal and conversation is unstoppable. All and all, good for SB read more

Yelpers, you've saved me yet again. Was back at home and decided to have dinner with my mom in SB after shopping. Almost missed this place because the sign was hard to find! Was seated right away because they were just about to start the dinner service and I felt silly for reading the french laundry cookbook, but I did anyway while I was waiting for the food. I had the Steak au Poivre, recommended by the server, which consisted of typical french items on plate: Protein (flilet mignon), Starch (mashed potatoes), Vegetables (fresh baby spinach), and sauce (I believe it was a pan sauce with heavy cream.) Delicious and affordable. The ambiance is cozy and elegant, somewhere definately dateworthy. read more

Most reasonably priced French food I've seen in a long time. Kind of small place, not easy to find. You go down the walkway past 1112 State St., then take a right. Cozy place, not for large groups. Service is friendly and competent. I had the bean soup, which was just okay. My wife had an excellent salad. Son and wife had the duck breast, served over mashed potatoes, and raw spinach. This was probably the best dish at our table. My wife had the black cod in a saffron broth, with mussels. The cod was wonderfully tender, and properly done, but not very flavorful. The trick is to get some of the broth with a bite of the cod. The broth was quite tasty, and the mussels were excellent. I had the skirt steak on top of mashed potatoes and spinach. This was excellent, done medium rare, juicy, tender, with a delicious bit of grilling crust. The creme brulee was properly done, rich and creamy, with an evenly crisp top crust. I don't remember which chocolate dessert we had, but it was very nice chocolate. read more

Cozy, and romantic little French Bistro, great food and prices. the sauces are not overdone and light, a departure from typical French fare. I had the duck which was incredible, very lean and it tasted like a cut of exquisite sirloin. Delicate and flavorful. Great date-night spot with your honey or even a quiet biz lunch read more

What a find!! It is located at the backside of Arcada so it may be hard to find. Once you find it, you are in for a treat. We had salad, crab cake, mushroom crostini and sea bass and everything was prepared with such care and attention to details and tasted sublime. I definitely want to come back when we visit Santa Barbara next time. read more

Petit Valentien - Sea bass with saffron soup. Delish!!! - French Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This place is off the beaten path of state street. Great setting to Sit outside and people watch. Enjoy delicious cuisine by the executive chef who is also the owner. We will be back soon and recommend locals and tourists alike to check it out! read more

We came to celebrate my friend's birthday and it happened to be the same night of LaArcada's Christmas celebration. So the courtyard was jammed. My friend suggested we make a reservation for SOME restaurant but I wasn't sure when we would be ready but with the crowds, we were ready right away! So we dined upstairs. The waiter and host were both chatty and charming and took great care of us. We had the charcuterie which was delicious. The salads were fresh and not overdressed. The bread and olives were fresh and delicious. The fish was outstanding. The dessert was delicious (chocolate something for the birthday girl) and a bottle of Happy Canyon. I would go again for a special occasion and recommend it. read more

Very good place. Lamb with polenta was excellent, although the polenta was a bit bland. Soup of the day was good. Overall very good food. However service was not great. One overwhelmed waitress who clearly struggled to handle the crowd. read more

We wish we had the same great dining experience with this restaurant as the other reviewers. But my husband and I were very disappointed when we went there on Sunday (Labor Day weekend). On Sundays, they only offer the pre-fix (prix fixe) menu for $23.50 per person for four courses. The appetizer was crab cucumber salad and was okay. The second course, the frog legs with curry sauce, was unfortunately quite bland and needed salt. The main course, fillet mignon, was overdone and the sauce was too salty. The creme brulee was disappointing (we definitely had better). We couldn't taste the egg in the custard and it wasn't firm or cold enough. Only thing we like was the bread. The staff, though friendly and polite, was obviously not ready for the busy weekend because the service was very slow and disorganized. With several large tables to wait on, our waitress was way too busy to check on how we were doing. We had to keep reminding her to get our next course. We definitely felt forgotten amongst the chaos. Maybe this place really does serve great food but definitely not on the day we went. Too bad, because we probably won't be back to find out. read more

Awesome dinner. The steak was one of the best I have ever had and the roast quail was delicious. Kale Cesar salad was very good too. For the price this restaurant it amazing. I had none of the service issues that the other reviewers mentioned. All the waiters were great and ours had excellent recommendations and new the menu very well. read more

We stopped in on a rainy afternoon, towards the end of their lunch service... Best decision ever! The lunch menu was much less than we expected and the choices were fantastic. The bartender was the only server, which was fine as it was a slow afternoon. He was very friendly, helpful with our questions about the menu and attentive. I had the poisson du jour (a delicious sole), husband had the flat iron filet which he said was delicious. The tomato and white bean soup was perfect for that rainy day and our appetizers (crab cake, scallops in buerre) were mouth-watering. What a great little restaurant in La Arcada! I'll definitely be going back whenever I'm in Santa Barbara! read more

AMAZING place! Driving from San Fran to home near Knott's Berry Farm. And spending the night at a B&B here in Santa Barbara. Innkeeper (owner) recommended the Roast Quail with olives and garlic. We elected to try the rack of lamb and veal Milanese. We were NOT disappointed. Flourless chocolate cake was great too. Very small place, reservation is recommended but we walked in and they gave us a table. Service was excellent. They have a bar and lots of wine but I am not qualified to judge that aspect. FIVE STARS read more

Delightful location, Wonderful food. I love the serene setting and the off of State Street locale and food. I hope to explore their Ethiopian menu soon. read more

Petit Valentien - French Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I hesitate telling anyone on @YELP about one of my new fav restaurants in Santa Barbara. It is intimate, de lupus, fresh and so reasonable. The owner is from Ethiopia and delightful. Loved the eggless Kale Caesar and sole with capers. Just delicious. Outside tables to being pups in beautiful La Arcada Court. Absolutely 5 Stars!!! read more

Excellent from start to finish. Our server, Hailey, was attentive the entire time. Enjoyed delicious wine, the crab cake and the mushroom crostini for starters, and the duck breast and the steak for entrees. Great Groupon deal, but will be back again for sure. Thank you for a lovely anniversary dinner!! read more

Petit Valentien - Duck breast - French Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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While visiting Santa Barbara from Texas, we stopped at this little restaurant . I had the Pork Milanese and she had the Petrale Sole. I drank the Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay. The whole meal was outstanding. I would highly recommend everyone visiting should try it. read more

I have been dining here for many years, the food is excellent, the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, but for god's sake hire some help so your servers can serve! Tonight, we requested water without ice about ten minutes after sitting down and the waiter had to be reminded three times before it finally arrived during our third course with ice. To be clear, this was not the fault of the server but a result of being woefully understaffed, and it has been this way the last several times I've dined here. The Sunday night four course meal is such a great deal that it packs the house, but I would be more than happy to pay a little more per head if only they would hire extra help-- a hostess and/or a busser to relieve the servers so they can do their job and provide timely and smooth service would make all the difference. The service we received remained slow and strained throughout our meal and it was clear that the wait staff knew it and that they felt sorry for being so slow. Our waiter actually apologized for not having time to provide better service! He should not have had to do that, as he was hustling and bustling. It would be so much more fun and better for the whole house if Petit Valentien would hire extra help for Sunday nights! Food tastes a lot better when the atmosphere is happy and light. I wish I could give this place more stars, I really do! The chef is on target but if you are poorly represented by the front of the house (in this case under represented) your food cannot really impress. read more

We had dinner here the other night and everything was perfect. We had the steak which was perfectly cooked over a bed of sweet potatoes with a wonderful wine reduction in mushroom sauce. The wine was also perfect and the service was outstanding. Seriously it was like being in Paris. Our new favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara read more

This place is really a hidden gem of Santa Barbara, the only reason we found it was because of yelp! They have a limited menu, however it changes often. The meals are very reasonably priced and so is the wine. The wait staf is also very nice; attentive and personable even when they are busy. The first time my bf and I went here he ordered a skirt steak. When he tasted it, he actually teared up because it was so good!! I looked at him and asked what was wrong, he just smiled and said "it is just so good!" :) Great place, whenever we have visitors in town we bring them here. They do only serve beer and wine, but that usually does not matter as we are big wine drinkers! read more

By far my favorite restaurant in SB! tucked away in a cobbled alley of La Arcada, the windows fold open and it feels very European to sit and eat a leisurely lunch. Their Sunday Dinner is a treasure! Do go here! read more

The food is good, I wanted a little more something in the sauces or spices, but overall the prep, temp and quality of the dishes is good. Lunch menu has an Ethiopian flare while dinner is just French. The service was great. Usually we have trouble finishing a bottle of wine because we forget to pour more, however our attentive waiter always had our glasses full. He was attentive, but not intrusive, and made conversation when we initiated it. Overall very pleasant service. The place is quiet, with a tucked away feel. No small children or loud customers. Nice for a romantic date. read more

I have ordered to go food twice at Petit Valentien and the food is so savory and delicious. I would highly recommend this place.

The unfortunate thing about the santa barbara food scene is that everywhere you go, you have to know what to order. Throw exploration out of the window because you'll be bitterly disappointed. I'm sure there is a good dish on the menu, maybe two, but in the slew of stuff we ordered we were not lucky enough to find them. I wish you luck if you venture forth, just don't expect French cousine, don't expect food coming out in a timley manner or for that food to be above edible. I give them two stars, versus one. I appreciate the head chef taking to time to speak with me about refunding my meal, which I did not eat. And to give credit to those who rate this place highly, they found their dish, after all, taste is highly subjective and one does not argue about it. read more

This is a charming joint with quality food. I didn't realize it was there, but it's actually been open for a couple of years according to my friendly server. It's near the creepy metal statues of a man and a little girl on a bench where Bogart's used to be. The salads are a really great value (I devoured my watermelon salad) and my scallops were delicious and plump. My partner mentioned that it seemed like a professor bar. They have a lot of wines by the glass and the service is really chill but also on top of things. Fancy food for a reasonable price. read more

I live close to petit valentine and was told I had to try it. I went for their Ethiopian lunch, and I honestly didn't know what to expect. I must say, I think I found my favorite type of food now! it was excellent and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very beautiful. I would recommend this place to any of my friends. read more

Great little bistro. Excellent service and food is very good. Had a nice Mersault here also. Overall excellent experience. Had beet and pear salad which was fantastic. Quail with apple chutney was 5 stars. Great spot read more

Very disappointed with food here for Valentine's Day. Overpriced for what you get. Enough with the beet salad and goat cheese. Is this the only salad they have. It sucks. The bread was good but you only get one small piece. Soup was ok but truthfully no better than Campbell's tomato soup. I had shrimp, good portion size but no flavor. Took some home as take out and realized it was raw in the middle. Served on a mix of lettuce and avocado and pesto I think, not enough and not very good. Desert course was a joke. Shot glass portion of custard with store bought cookies. read more

Reliably one of the best lunch deals in Santa Barbara... with Ethiopian food on the weekends too! Really like their fish, and you get great soup and bread for a bit more. Cozy place with good service. read more

What a great romantic place to spend a special evening (r a regular one) We went for our anniversary and really loved the food and the waiter. Gourmet food with fabulous presentation! read more

First time having Ethiopian food and we were big fans. Great vegan options and a fun eating experience. Excellent service and food was decently priced. read more

Still the best weekend lunch restaurant in SB by far. Nothing touches the Ethiopian lunch menu. All fresh. All delicious. All awesome.

And where were you last Sunday? Must try. The Sunday prix fixe apparently is always a surprise. I came here on a Labor Day weekend and wow! Very fare priced wine by the bottle. Excellent choices by the glass and a friendly staff and attentive owner to boot. So I ask again...where will you be this Sunday? At petit Valentin an eclectic French cuisine that inspires and warmly melts. read more

Food was fantastic however worst service I have ever experienced in fine dining atrocious to say the least the fat man with the facial hair ignored us our dinner took 2 and a half hours due to lack of service we took our dessert to go after being so frustrated again though fantastic food great chefs but you should fire your entire wait staff read more

Walked in and was greeted by the hostess who said "sit anywhere you would like" but then interrupted by a waiter who said "did you have a reservation? Next time ask where you can be seated" which was very rude and unwelcoming. As a visitor of Santa Barbra and a lover of French cuisine I was very disappointed by the service. Then he awkwardly had a conversation about that with the hostess in front of us which was very unprofessional. Have some etiquette. Not a conversation to have in front of a customer. My family and I got up and left. Didn't bother to try their food. read more

We bought a Groupon for this restaurant. Honestly we weren't expecting much and therefore we were super surprised to enjoy one of the best meals I've had in a long time! From start to finish, the meal was wonderful. The ambience was perfect and the service was phenomenal. I hope to go back to this restaurant soon! read more

Utter service failure - NO RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN and NO APOLOGY GIVEN. All restaurants are built on two major factors: food and SERVICE. From reviewing other Yelpers, the food looked great and would have loved to made it to a table. However, when your service sucks, I simply don't care what your food tastes like. First impressions may be your last. Made our reservation weeks in advance for our holiday employee celebration. Literally walked in and spoke with the pudgy brunette guy to personally lock in the date, time and number of people in the group. Good to go? Not at all! Walked in last night with our party, at the specified time and date we discussed a couple of weeks ago. Wouldn't you guess... "Do you have a reservation," the asked? Yes.... Same pudgy brunette guy was there and pretended our reservation and his confirmation never happened at all. I exclaimed, but YOU took the reservation in person. His response, which is classic... "If it was in the book, there would be a reservation." Naturally, my unspoken response was if your dumb ass put in the book like you were supposed, when I personally came in to make it with you, I wouldn't have to write this review because of your incompetence. Restaurants lose reservations, that's natural and I'm alright with that. However, what's not natural is the lack of responsibility and attitude. His demeanor was to silently stare at us until we left. No apology whatsoever and certainly no effort to even try. In fact, the census of our group was he was actually rude. read more

I was very disapointed with this restaurant, especially since I went because fellow Yelpers raved about the food. I went on Sunday evening for the prix fixe "Sunday Dinner" menu - $24. I thought I loved French food, but I didn't like anything they served me. The first course was supposed to gazpacho soup but they substituted sauteed escargo wrapped in a crepe and pan fried...like an egg roll. It looked great but wasn't appetizing. Next was the blue crab and grapefruit salad. It was very fishy tasting. For the main course they had three options--shrimp, lamb, and filet mignon. I chose the filet, medium-well, and it arrived absolutely raw in the middle. It was NOT filet because it was rolled into a circle and tied with rope, it was nearly impossible to cut, and I had a hell of a time chewing it. For dessert I chose the marscapone with stone fruit. What they served me was a tiny cut of peaches in a heavy white wine sauce with unsweetened, homemade whipped cream on top. I know marscapone and I know whipped cream...there is a difference and they didn't fool me. To top it off, the service was atrocious. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

My wife and I just went here 20 minutes ago. Even after making a reservation, we stood and waited inside the entrance for several minutes without anyone even acknowledging our presence or arrival. One waitress even walked right past us with menus for a nearby table, again without a word or glance at us. No problem. We left and went to Bouchon nearby, a much classier place where we were greeted immediately. read more