The food was good but they seem to skimp on portion size to keep the prices lower. But the dessert portions were a little sad (particularly the cheesecake, which was maybe an inch wide and four inches long). And the entire staff was oddly protective over the table bread. We only got one small piece each (a inch of a two-in in ddiameter baguette). And other tables also asked for more bread, and were flat out denied. Odd to not give bread at a French restaurant. read more

This place is consistently awesome. The service is excellent and knowledgeable. The food never disappoints, and their Sunday prix fixe dinner is a great value..I think it's 25 bucks for 4 courses, and sometimes it includes a wagyu beef option or something equally delectable. Call ahead to get the Sunday menu. Most main dishes are served over mashed potatoes and greens, so it's quite filling. The ambiance is nice enough for a date without being stuffy, and it's location in La Arcada makes for a nice stroll. read more

wow. Not sure why all the great review about service. Went here a couple of weeks ago and the dark haired male manager/wait staff (?) was less than polite. Our table was reserved yet it took more than 30 minutes to seat us and we were 10 minutes early. His attitude was very "L.A." Like it was our fault they can't manage reservations promptly and did not offer any sort of concession or apology. Disappointing as we liked the food (had the lamb) but could not recommend this spot as it felt they were the customers, not my husband and I. Just read another recent review about the what sounds like the same individual. Hopefully they can reconcile the issue as there are too many great choices to risk bad reviews and waste what appears to be a talented kitchen. read more

Fantastic ambience, amazing staff (Jen & Kelly), and great flavors for the appetizers we ordered. Chose the Grilled Peaches, Roasted Beats, over Lemon Goat Cheese along with the Crab Cake and lastly the Norwegian Smoked Salmon small plate. All excellent and very reasonably priced. I will 100% come here again and I'd love to try the Ethiopian cuisine on Saturdays and Sundays which the staff recommended. read more

Went for a quick lunch mid-week. I got the sauté shrimp with bok choy in chile garlic sauce. Very tasty and well executed, albeit pretty small. The meal started with good bread and butter, and the service was great. Definitely an enjoyable place to be. read more

No wonder they had a table at 7 pm last minute when no one else did. Things must be harsh in the restaurant biz because they can't afford to have some roasted vegetables ready to nibble with that glass of wine? No, all is cooked to order and that meant ONE FULL HOUR while we sat there waiting for the first edible besides bread (not warm.) AFter the hour I tendered a little inquiry and then got excuses and rebuttals. Sorry never entered into it. Finally, they condescended to comp me my club soda, all of three bucks off a hundred dollar tab. No manager on a Saturday night and it shows. Not fun, not happy, and not even that good. Always depressing when a favorite goes south. read more

Nice atmosphere, if a little tight in the seating. I was surprised to find that they do not stock Diet Coke, which I enjoy before a meal. So I ordered water, but had to ask for refills, which was somewhat indicative of the level of attentiveness of service - there is none. Food was OK, but not great. I had the duck confit, which was rather lacking in taste. My partner ordered the steak, which was also lacking in taste. A bit disappointing all around. read more

Always a great meal. The mushroom Crostini is awesome as was the beet and goat cheese whip salad. The ambiance is nice as there are only about 15 tables. I highly recommend! Be advised that the chef takes his job seriously and when you ask for medium rare, you get it! Mouth watering! read more

In short: the wait staff was inattentive and needed to be flagged down with much effort, the food took forever to come, and finally, we were served raw quail. read more

Came in for lunch the other day with my friend. We go to Jeanines quite a bit so we decided to change things up and try out this place. The venue is great and has a great atmosphere. I was recommended this place by a former professor of mine. We had the Ethiopian lunch special was good but not great. Perhaps I'm just not use to it. I also had a beer that was actually really good. The customer service was great. The waiters and chef are very nice people and really have a deep passion for the meals they make. It is a bit on the pricy side and portion size is adequate. I would come back and would recommend this spot to friends. read more

Great place with very reasonable prices. I love the classic movies on the wall and the high ceilings make it seem more open. The wait staff is fairly off beat, but informed and knowledgeable. I had the lamb sirloin which was very flavorful. read more

Food was delicious! Great atmosphere. We had the veal Milanese, the shrimp risotto and creme brûlée.

If I could give this place no stars I would. I went here years ago and this place was good. My husband and I tried it out recently and I don't know what happened but literally it wasn't edible. We sent a few things back but I wish i could have sent everything back. I'm not sure if there's a new chef or what is going on but I wish i didn't have to pay for a dinner like that. The only decent thing was the wine! read more

After years of living in Santa Barbara and enjoying the numerous fabulous restaurants in the area, Petit Valentien is hands-down the finest restaurant with the most reliable, delicious food. The atmosphere is romantic and quaint, the wait staff is consistently good (we've been there at least 6 times, and always had a positive experience), and the food is out of this world. Strongly recommended!! read more

This is a major gem in SB dining. The food has been fantastic every time we have been (the scallops recently were perfectly cooked and paired with a great citrus sauce that was flavorful but not too heavy). The service is the best in SB, and I tend to find the service at most spots here quite poor. Every little touch is done well, from the warm bread with softened butter to the great wine and beer menu. We highly recommend you pay petit valentine a visit! read more

A favorite of mine in downtown Santa Barbara. Nice approach with "fixed price" starters, first course and entrees. I have had the duck breast and Veal Milanese and both were outsanding, and come at a good value. Wine list is just the right size with very good selections for pairing with the food. The wines are also priced well with a good range. I will likely go back here on every future trip to SB. read more

My husband and I went to this restaurant for dinner on our honeymoon. I liked everything about this restaurant. I'm a fan of French food now. I would definitely come back for more! read more

5 stars for the amazing filet sole! It was cooked to perfection in a butter, lemon, and caper sauce. I highly recommend this dish if you are a fish lover. read more

A nearly hidden gem, tucked away in an arcade off State Street. Small, but evocative interior that resembles a good restaurant in Paris. Reservations recommended! Menu is not large, however, offers several categories. Food is excellent, on slightly rich side, to be expected of French cuisine. Portions are average size, although an excellent value for the surprisingly low prices. Service is prompt and efficient. Highly recommended. read more

I love this place. My wife less so. Ate last night. I had the ceasar salad and the duck breast with cherry sauce. It was great. My wife is a pescaderian and her options were limited. Neither fish selection showed up as a good choice on the MBA seafood guide, so she opted for a beet salad, mushroom crostini and scallop. The salad was a bit thin on beets, but she loved the crostini. The scallop was 'pretty good'. The biggest disappointment was the service. They seemed understaffed. The server promised to get us some awesome bread, but we had to remind him twice that we'd like to actually get some. We finally each got a slice, but would have loved to have had more. It must be rare or made of gold or something. For dessert, we split the chocolate tart. I liked it because it wasn't too sweet and she didn't like it because it wasn't too sweet. The cappuccini weren't quite hot enough. I'll be back but my wife probably won't. read more

My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday pre fixe dinner. From the delicious, fresh-out-of-the-oven rolls, to the delicate lavender panna cotta dessert, the food was beautifully prepared & served. Nate, our waiter, along with the other gentlemen assisting were WONDERFUL. So attentive, polite & friendly yet not intrusive at all. If we find ourselves in SB again, we will definitely return for another dining experience. read more

The menu here may not do the restaurant justice because it seems a bit too limited, but the food is sublime. I had Seabass which is the best I've ever had as well as crabcake which is the best I've had anywhere in the country from Maryland to California. Even the bread was to die for. And a wonderful Field green salad with beets and goat cheese. The chef here really must be a genius. read more

What a wonderful find! Came to Santa Barbara for a fun birthday weekend and had the absolute perfect dinner here. Delicious food, lovely setting, terrific wine, reasonable prices, and Chris, our waiter, was spectacular. It's quiet enough that you can hold a conversation but not too quiet. We could not have been happier. read more

So good!! The wine is the best! We loved the service and the portions were just right. Definitely will go back here!

All the food was excellent, including the salad and appetizers. Delicious creme brulee for dessert. Service was friendly and helpful. Price was not bad for this quality of French cooking. Would definitely recommend. read more

Great service; delicious food; the people working there seem to like being there and are knowledgeable about the food and wine.... One of my "go to" favorites. Yum read more

European charm and the most delicious crab cakes. True to its European style of a relaxing, unhurried meal. However, the welcoming server was the only employee taking care of many full tables. Another server was badly needed. read more

Dinner here on Saturday, December 1, for first time in awhile. Not sure why I am always surprised about the excellence here. Perhaps because you just can't believe any chef is this good with any dish: soup, crepes, flatiron steak, cheesecake. Yet, Mr. Dixon is. Every sip, every bite, as good as it gets. Plus great ambience. I shall, of course, return! read more

Went for the preset Sunday menu, and just loved it. Had the perfect evening with wonderful food, wine and service. Was quite well priced for the great food. read more

We loved this place. Service was great and the food was better! We started with the salmon and capers. A very large portion for a starter. I tried the duck which was cooked to perfection and my fiance' had the steak. Will be back for sure next time we are in SB. read more

Awesome place. Amesome food, atmosphere, and staff. Everyone is extremely kind and helpful. We ordered a dish towards the end of the night that they did not have and our waitress kindly pointed us to something that wasn't on the menu but was the same type of dish and we weren't not disappointed. Will definitely be coming back for me. Highly recommend. read more

My wife and I arrived at 4:50 for an early Monday evening dinner between shopping and a special showing of "Man With the Golden Arm" at the Granada. Only one other customer was there at the time ( they open at 5PM). Service was friendly and attentive. We chose crab cakes and roasted quail, then duck and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. Finished off with chocolate mousse cake. Food was delicately flavored and cooked to perfection. Presentation was attractive. Note that prices are a bit higher than posted on their web site, but well within range for the food quality and location of this restaurant. We had a very relaxing first experience in our new found fav restaurant in Santa Barb. We will return. read more

I was recently in Santa barbara attending musical events and was recommended to try this restaurant by a local person who was of the opinion that this was the best restaurant in town. I heartily agree. Our table had lamb, fish and beef and all were excellent. An additional bonus was the extremely reasonable prices for entrees. A bonus beyond that was that there was a bicycle in the foyer when we arrived with loaves of bread in his basket (deliveryman??). It was all very very French...and the bread was delicious. It doesn't get any better than this. read more

My family was in Santa Barbara for my niece's graduation and we had a lovely dinner here. The atmoshpere was great as was the food. Our server was the absolute best. His name is Ian. He was so helpful. I had ordered a bottle of wine and as soon as I tasted it knew my niece would not like it. He was so kind, he brought over several wines for her to try that would be better suited to her taste. I would definately recommend this restaurant and will revisit when in Santa Barbara. read more

Our first time at Petit Valentien. Excellent rib eye and crab cakes. Fine service and value. Seating was a bit cramped. Overall, 4 stars. We'll return when visiting the area again. read more

My brother and I ate there May 2. We were told the specials of the day and told the Seabass over mussels was excellent, but there were only 2 left. We both ordered it. When we recieved the dish the mussels smelled bad. My brother tried one and had to spit it out. I informed the waitress who said that no one had complained about these mussels in the last couple days, leading me to believe that they were not fresh. My brother had to send the seabass back as it was undercooked. I sent my entire dish back a the mussels were so bad. At the end of the meal, my brother told the waitress that the mussels were really awful. He then ordered a half glass of wine (we had a bottle with dinner). Our waitress never apologized nor did she even offer to comp anything, not even the $5.00 half glass of wine. I am a local and dine out frequently. I will never go back. read more

Petit is one of my favorite restaurants. The service is great, the staff friendly and the food wonderful. My friend and I shared two meals, the potato encrusted halibut and the scallops. Both were delicious and perfectly cooked. The one thing that was distracting was the noise from the kitchen. Our table could see into the kitchen which is not all that inviting and allowed the noise to be heard directly. Also the bathroom could use a facelift. A restaurant as inviting as Petit should have a wonderful restroom. read more

Wondered off the street to this place. It was a great find! It is small, quiet and off the busyness of State Street. Prices were reasonable and the food was delicious. The staff was attentive, but not always bugging you! It was a wonderful relaxing dinner. read more

This is our go-to date night restaurant. Pretty much every time we eat somewhere else in SB we always end up wishing we had gone to Petit Valentien instead. Price points are great and the ambiance is just right. Love that the menu looks very different each time we go, and we always find great dishes to enjoy. Just one thing that wasn't glowing for me about this place - I went once for lunch and for whatever reason, the food was not as good as it always is for dinner. read more

Quaint restaurant, attentive staff, great prices and best veggie "burger" ever...couldn't ask for more!