I was really surprised at how good Pico was. We were seated in a nice table overlooking the ground level. The water glasses are small but refilled often and the service was really great! The food was interesting and exciting and my wife and I enjoyed everything we had. I have only minor gripes about the food. We thought the duck carbonara was very one note and salty. I am not adverse to salt but all the components just added more salt - the grana (aged cheese), the duck confit (salty), etc. It would have been nice to have an acidic or fresh (maybe herbs) element. The beef tataki was a standout dish and must get. We really enjoyed our pork chops as well. I normally don't order ice cream in restaurants but was sure glad we got the squid ink salted caramel. If you like salted caramel but want a little twist, you should try it. However, the big letdown of the night were the cookies. They were extremely "cakey", maybe from too many eggs or too much baking soda? Anyway, really awful and I am not sure if it was just a bad batch or it's intended to taste that way. Overall, I can't wait to go back and try some new dishes. read more

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Incredible atmosphere and service, even during covid! Rosie was our server and she was so sweet and extremely accommodating. Cocktails were gourmet and the food was very good. We wish we had been able to try the homemade gelato but we were too full! Suzie the Skater was so friendly and kind and made it so that we knew we had to return! read more

Pico - House Old fashioned, gin martini of sorts and a juicy whiskey drink. Very tasty! - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

One of the few dinner options in Los Alamos - Pico did not disappoint. To start, my friend and I ordered the head cheese + manchego for a whopping $8 dollars! That's a steal by LA standards. I did love the cheese, and wasn't so much a fan of the head cheese because it was rather proportionally thick and I wasn't into that sort of texture. I'd prefer a thinner cut of head cheese. We also ordered the pork cannelloni ($12) which is pork rolled up in some sort of dough and topped with béchemel + manchego. This dish was oh so good and decadent. I'd recommend ordering this a hundred times over. As for our entree, meh. We shared the heart of ribeye ($31) which comes with sweet potato pavé, brussel sprouts and parsnip. In comparison to some of the other dinner options, this one was less imaginative and slightly predictable. It was good, but not memorable. Overall, I had an incredible dining experience here. Pico sums up just about everything you'd expect from a small town like Los Alamos. Kudos. I look forward to coming back. read more

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What a meal. Decided to make reservations for Pico on our drive back home from Paso Robles. I am so glad I did. I first stopped here when we moved to Santa Barbara last year but the pandemic had just started and they were mainly selling wine and to go food. I loved the atmosphere and after talking with the owner, I knew they moved to the area from LA which also intrigued me. When my party and I arrived we were placed in the back patio which was absolutely beautiful. We had a lot of the starter and shared two mains. Our meal consisted of: Prawn Cocktail (They need to bottle and sell the cocktails sauce) Roasted Carrots (Delicious) Uni Tostatda (Wow...what a flavor bomb) Tuna Avocado Crudo (The Dash broth was slurp worthy) The Wagyu Rib-Eye (Perfectly cooked) Sea Bass (Sunchoke Puree was the perfect accompaniment) The cocktails were well done as well and the service from Rosie and Forrest was top notch. I am so glad I live close enough to come here often, which I plan to. read more

Amazing food, and amazing experience thanks to Caleb and Bolmaro!! 10/10 recommend. Will definitely come back!

I came in on a Friday evening with 5 adults and two children. The restaurant, both inside and outdoor patio, is very nicely designed and has great ambiance. Our server and busser were so kind and attentive, especially with the ever changing needs of a 3 year old. The waffle fries, cornbread, and marinated olives were great. I ordered the whole branzino and it was amazing, and easy to eat despite being served on the bone. It was served over a red onion salad with fried herbs on top which brought beautiful acidity and really made the dish. Finally, I had the dark chocolate creme brûlée for dessert and oh my goodness was good. It was perfectly smooth and not too sweet. Highly recommend! read more

Kace was very knowledgeable with his wines and didn't steer us wrong. Strongly recommend this restaurant if you're visiting the Solvang area to get away from the tourist trap places. Food was delicious. (Plan a ride, Ubers are scarce here) read more

Looooooove this place! It's adorable, cute, welcoming, fun. I went before. But there was an amazing upgrade of the chef (and team). Don't get me wrong it was solid before, but now. I can't say enough... I love the Brussels sprouts, the fish, wine, sides. Well done Pico. We met the owner who was sweet and super present on the floor. Thanks Callie. Totally worth the drive. Only thing I'm upset about it how amazing the burger looked after I was already stuffed. So next time burger, next time! read more

Chef Drew is a master of his skill! Not only is he personable and create the most amazing dishes you will ever taste, he is also the most passionate chef I've ever had the pleasure of speaking with. Our server, Jay made our evening a notch above the rest. Jay's knowledge of the chef's creations paired with his undeniably fabulous attitude made our evening a night to remember! Thank you to the Pico staff for helping make my husband's birthday one for the history books! I highly recommend anyone looking for a true dining experience try Pico and request the Omakase! Our 8 course meal along with dessert was the most decadent meal you will ever experience. Between the layered flavors, the love and care put into each and every plating presentation and the homey ambiance, Pico should be on everyone's list of musts! read more

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Our sommelier at Sanford Winery turned us on to this place for dinner. What an amazing place! We were on a time crunch or we would have tried to enjoy more. Had the steak along with a shrimp starter. My wife wants a gallon of the house steak sauce btw. A+ excellence throughout including the service. Tasty cocktails plus lots of wine options available if you want. Definitely plan to come back and try more. read more

Fantastic place, great atmosphere. Came here after a late check in to the motel across the street. Jessica was a lovely server. Had great suggestions and even brought us a dessert for our honeymoon. Can't wait to come back. Thank you! read more

Pico - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

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We'd drive up here from Orange County just to eat dinner... it's THAT good. Luckily we were on a road trip this time so we were able to roll ourselves across the street when the meal was over to fully settle after our amazing meal. This is the most unexpected little gem of a restaurant in the most random location. The service is small town friendly while still upscale professional. We had the brussel sprouts as a starter, the steak and the ahi tuna. The Bing Bong cocktail may be an all time favorite. The decor of the restaurant is amazing and they have done a great job of making it family friendly without loosing it's upscale feel. 100% a must stop place if you are in the Central Coast. read more

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We love Pico!!! They always have incredible steaks my daughter enjoys and fish that I enjoy. The staff is welcoming and always remembers us. This is truly a special restaurant that you will remember every savory meal at. read more

Pico - Porch chops over polenta with apricots - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

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The old Pico menu/format was much better. The new chef and the farm to table approach can work, but it's not working at Pico. The dishes feel unfinished, under seasoned, are lacking finesse, the and presentation is weak...and with drinks/wine/apps/etc. it isn't inexpensive. I miss the uni tostada, and their killer burger. I really wanted to like the new Pico, but it did not happen. It feels a little like Pico forgot that it is in Los Alamos, not the Hudson Valley. read more

Pico is FABULOUS. I really wanted to visit Pico because they feature Lumen Wines made by Lane Tanner. Lane was the first female winemaker in Santa Barbara County and one of my heroes. She stopped making wine a few years ago until she met Will Henry, who encouraged her to get back into it. He handles the business side and lets her do what she does best. Pico and Lumen Wines are all in the Los Alamos General Store. Our bartender, Jay, was great and we had a really fun time. We supplemented our wine flight with an awesome Charcuterie board with homemade bread. It was really enjoyable and great for a late afternoon treat. They also have a unicorn wine flight where you get to try three rare wines. It's a little pricey, but fun to split with a friend! We later visited for dinner and enjoyed the scallops with skuid ink pasta and brussel sprouts with a glass of Lane Tanner '96 Pinot Noir. Heavenly. read more

Pico - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

Fabulous. Our preference to Bell's. We preferred the humility and kindness of the wait staff here and the warmth and skill of the chef here. It's not supposed to be a competition, but it seems people tend to compare the two and for us, it's Pico hands down. The food was extraordinary and we felt although expensive, still good value. The chef happened to come out and speak to us and he was understated rather than boastful. Came across just an honest man with a passion for food who loved his job. Pictures say it all-- creative cuisine imaginatively presented and delicious. read more

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This is essentially a love letter to the people that make up this fine gathering place. From the moment you walk in you are treated like you are special. All staff is kind, professional, attentive and genuine. These folks are doin it right! We celebrated my husband's birthday this weekend and we could not have picked a better spot. I won't tell you what we ate because I am sure that WHATEVER you get will leave an indelible mark on your soul. Yes, im full of hyperbole but what can I say....... I really enjoy great food especially when it is in a beautiful setting but most importantly, when it is served in a place where there is so much attention to detail. And when you are treated like royalty whether you are black, brown, white, gay, straight.....well you just can't help but savor that glass of wine just a little bit more. Pico definitely made it into our top three most enjoyable experiences of an all-around great weekend Shout out to the young busboy, Ivan who seemed to have a handle on what every customer needed. It was a pleasure to watch this lad take such pride in his work. To our waitress, Jessica, who shared some great insight about this charming town of Los Alamos. Thank you to the manager who recommended a great bottle of Tempranillo. Hats off to the entire team at Pico for raising the bar and making it really difficult to want to dine anywhere else! read more

Last night my wife and I went and the food and wine were delicious. We had an issue with the food and they took the plate back, gave us a new entree, and made it right on the bill. I was thoroughly impressed with the fantastic service and romantic ambiance. Thank you for a beautiful experience. read more

We'll, don't go if you're hungry,but definitely go. If you're in the mood for a unique cocktail, Pico is the place. The owners have invested a bunch of money it the place and it shows. No matter how great the food, we've never been a fan of itty, bitty portions at San Francisco prices. No denying the kitchen knows how to prepare high quality, delicious dishes. If they offered the same menu with entree items that included a veg and starch, we give Pico 5 stars. read more

Four Words... Awlful, in every way! Clams, most on bowl did not open, Oyster Condiment, sooooo spicy two of us were burning up, literally had to drink Luke warm, aged milk Never got to Entrees... asked for check and left. Server: rude & indifferent. Ambiance: a few folks upstairs with us, otherwise empty Resturant... and only one opened in a Wednesday night. Best Resturants, and Bakery, in Los Alamos: Bells: 10 Norman's, in SkyView Hotel: 5 And the Full of Life Flatbread for Great Pizza! Forget Pico... we have, forever. Sorry, no photos. read more

Took my family to Pico while my son was visiting for the weekend. He is definitely a foodie;loves to cook and experience different restaurants. We ordered what felt like one of everything on the menu so we could eat family style. It was amazing as we were all able to try a little bit of everything. We honestly enjoyed every dish we tried. My son loved the "vibe" and my husband loved the history of the building. Pico is not just a good meal but an experience. read more

My wife and I were really looking forward to a great meal at Pico. On entering the restaurant is beautifully laid out with a nice bar area, two levels of interior dining as well as an outside patio. Wonderful use of the space. Service was solid and attentive throughout the evening. There is a nice drinks menu so that was good. Now on to the food and here is where it was disappointing. My wife and I started by sharing the House Pappardelli. For the price it was a pretty small plate but what was surprising was how non-descript the taste was - the shallot tomato sauce was a bit overwhelming leaving The whole dish rather one note. Ok but not wonderful. For main, I had the bone in short rib. It was nicely cooked but again the flavor of the beef came up short and faded into the background along with the risotto. The best part of the dish was the braised collard greens and the two tiny roasted carrots which had more flavor. I think the dish would have worked better with more of those sides to add to the overall flavor. Again, it was an ok meal but not that extra star or two that I was expecting. My wife had the halibut and she felt the same about her dish. Maybe we got an off night, not sure. Pico needs to kick it up some where the food matches the beautiful decor! read more

Pico - Front bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

Food was good- service was outstanding - ambience - outstanding portions too small for the price point

Since my last review, the restaurant has definitely stepped it up. I guess they had a momentary downfall. I love going there.

Spent a week in Los Alamos and could not tear myself away from this place. The food, wine and service was exceptional. The kids "cave" is the best idea I've seen for entertaining little ones. They created a kids size nook under a mezzanine seating area and cover the floors with foam mats and walls with chalkboard paint. Genius! Parents can sit nearby and enjoy a meal and kids can have fun while you are at it. The chef, Drew, is doing some great stuff here. There are inventive and interesting ideas perfectly executed with wonderful ingredients. Locally sourced food, wine and spirits are featured here. I tried a bunch of things and everything was really great. Some stand out favorites were the asparagus, smoked scallops, mushroom consommé and squid ink caramel house made ice cream. All paired nicely with a great selection of local wines. The charcuterie is made in house also, and did not disappoint. I would encourage anyone within a few hours drive to come here and spend some time with these fantastic people. Really had a wonderful time several times throughout the week. Had some great conversations about food, wine and how they do things around here. Well worth the time and a great value for the money. read more

This would be my third time coming to Pico. This is such a very classy and high customer prioritizing establishment. Served by an amazing waitress Chris, who made it a very relaxing, comforting, and entertaining experience for sure. On that note, the runner who came by frequently to pour water into our glass props to him for such outstanding customer service. The food however cannot go unnoticed, I had the Whole Branzino, which was served on diced purple onions with a satisfying amount of green toppings and my friend had the beet salad which she finished and greatly enjoyed, I too enjoy that dish as I have had it before. We then went on to ordering desert, I am usually not a fan of Crème Brûlèe nor chocolate flavored anything but Pico knocked it out of the park with this one with a satisfying pinch of salt that made the whole thing savory. This is definitely worth a stop if you happen to pass by the small town of Los Alamos. read more

Pico - Chocolate Crème Brûlèe - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

Change of Chef, huge fail ! John Wayne ( yes seriously) was the previous chef, with great imagination and skills to match. His menu ranged from a stunning burger to an exquisite avocado wrapped tuna tartar with caviar. Fast forward to the present chef who possesses the skills of a Denny's line cook ( unable to prepare a $44 dollar steak frites ) which was full of gristle and chewy. Our dining partners ordered the branzino which was served whole off the grill, unseasoned and unfilleted causing the dining experience to be punctuated with bones. This whole menu increased in price by at least 40% and in my opinion the dining experience decreased by 100% We were enthusiastic regulars, but now are alienated strangers." read more

Such a lovely gem in this small town of Los Alamos, CA. The duck breast from the "Tres" part of their menu, which is basically the main course, is the best duck breast you can ever have. The chef and staff are all wonderful and very friendly. The wine flights are exquisite and reasonably priced. The ambience of the restaurant is homey and classy at the same time. Kids will also enjoy as they have their own little sanctuary here, a little "kid cave" where kids can play while parents enjoy their meals. Also, while it's not formally written on their menu, kid-friendly food choices are available, simply ask the server! In our case, it was offered to us, though our kiddo still opted for the "adult" menu choices. We enjoyed everything about this restaurant. If you'd base it on tonight's experience, this resto can easily pass for a one Michelin Star, seriously. read more

Wonderful service, excellent food overall, but the best burger I've had in a while! Their outdoor dining area is beautiful and my friends and I had a lovely dinner. Being dog-friendly is a huge bonus and Chloe had the time of her life. And I think she made a love connection with another dog named Finley :) Looking forward to my next trip up there. I think a birthday dinner at Pico is going to be on the itinerary. See you soon! read more

The most delicious food I've had in a while. Came to stay at Sky View Motel for a quick little vacation and came to this perfect little gem for dinner. You can tell that all the food was made with love. My partner and I ordered the halibut, seared scallops, bone in short rib, and sashimi. Each plate was presented beautifully. Man ohhhh mannnn. Halibut was cooked to perfection. Seared scallops were AMAZING. I'm personally not a huge fan of scallops and realized it's because I've never had them the right way. They executed them and if I could, I would have ordered another 4 plates of them. Sashimi was light and delicious. The bone in short rib was magical. The meat literally just fell off the bone and cooked to perfection. I ordered the bing bong to drink and loved it! So upset that I can't come here for dinner every night due to them being 121 miles away. But perhaps we'll make the journey again! read more

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Pico just reopened after a new chef and revamp of the menu and this was my first visit and will not be the last. The chef has a delicate touch and creative mind. Having been only open 3 days and having an issue with a limited workforce in Such a small town he is pulling off magic behind the stove. Giving more time for the restaurant to workout its employee issues this is a great place to dine and will be for a long time to come. The charcuterie is all made in house and fantastic (never had cured tongue before and it was special). The aged ribeye had the perfect amount of aged funk along with some beautiful crisp potato and just a hint of truffle oil made this dish one to get. Uni on crispy rice was perfectly subtle with a touch of caviar and finger limes. Short rib ragu was delish with plenty of meat and a great finish of crunchy flake salt and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The cocktail "bing bong" was a great whisky drink that was neither sweet or overly straight whisky flavor (I normally drink my whisky straight) so good I had 3 and normally I never have more than one cocktail before I go to just neat whisky. To end the Panna cotta was perfect with a touch of orange coco butter on top to give it a unique look and taste. Over all I will be coming back here anytime I'm wine tasting in this area. One last note everyone from the bartender to chef his wife / manager and waiters were super nice and attentive. read more

Service here was stellar and the Brussels salad was fantastic! The burgers were fair and the pasta was fine. The wine corkage fee was high, but it was ok. The new chef has not embraced the prior chef's smoker. We'll give it another go, but we were a little disappointed this time. read more

I did my research about some of the best places in Los Alamos and this came up several times. I have to say, it was amazing! Everything from the service to the food was beyond. It's clear why this is such a gem. Highly recommend! The wine list alone is 25 pages!! read more

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We loved our dinner at Pico. The staff was incredible. Thanks to Kari, Case, & Chef, we had a great night. Thank you! The wine list is amazing. The Tarragon Pesto tomatoes were amazing. We loved the bread, and thought the beet salad was amazing. Thoughtful wine with amazing food is everything you could ask for at a restaurant, and Pico delivered! read more

I went here because of all the great reviews on Yelp, and it was without a doubt totally worth the reservation! The outdoor garden is so charming. I ordered the fired chicken and Brussel sprouts. Hands down the best damn chicken I've ever had. Highly recommend it!!! Also, great service! read more

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Pico was a very nice experience! The back patio is beautiful, the service is great and the food was fantastic! My wife and I had a very romantic dinner outdoors and we can't wait to go back! read more

Pico - Burrata - Wine Bars Near Me - Los Alamos, California

We stopped by the little town of Los Alamos for a quick bite... or so we thought... until we looked at the menu at Pico. Everything sounded amazing! We decided to try the Chef's Choice menu. Everything was delicious and beautifully plated! We can't wait to come back and bring our friends and family! read more

I was so excited to try this place because of the ambiance but left disappointed as the prices aren't worth what you get, our server was not attentive, and the wait times for our meals were *very* long. I want to say maybe it was an off night because it was Valentine's Day but it wasn't very busy. We were there for around 3 hours (this plus the dim lighting had my partner and I fighting for our lives against sleep), which rendered us unable to do anything for the rest of the night. Unfortunately because of these things, I would not recommend this restaurant. If you want more specifics: We ordered the bread ($10), rabbit carnitas ($20), Pico burger ($26), and the dry aged New York steak ($48). No tiny loaf of bread (it was a little bigger than my fist) is worth $10 and I wish the description or the server would have mentioned it was *loaded* with olives because my partner and I are not the biggest fans. The rabbit carnitas were really good but only included 2 tacos, which is typical pricing for the area but still made me feel a bit robbed since I know it doesn't cost much at all to make that plate. The profit on it must be crazy. The burger was unevenly cooked (worst bites were overdone or raw), there were too many onions (again unevenly cooked), and it was quite dry and boring in flavor -- it needed an aioli or jam. The bites that were cooked medium rare were pretty good but definitely not good enough for the price. I've gotten tastier burgers at diners for much less. The fries, which were very addicting, and bacon were the highlights of the dish. Lastly, the steak plate... That was the biggest disappointment. It was plated beautifully (I would have been able to admire it more if not for how dim the lighting was) but the steak was tiny and unevenly cooked (most of it was not medium rare like I asked), the potatoes were pretty dry and bland, and the sweet potatoes were terrible. I feel so bad saying this but I would have spit them out if I wasn't at a nice restaurant and I had a disposable napkin. Overall a shame because the pieces of steak that were cooked correctly were amazing (I didn't want to ask them to recook it since I already had to wait an hour or so and I just wanted to leave at that point). Made me so upset that I spent $50 just for 2 or 3 good bites. The cab also had a funky smell and aftertaste so I'd recommend getting a different wine off their menu. As for the service: Our server checked on us twice in 3 hours, leaving us without water majority of the time we were there. Other servers actually had to come & fill it for us. One of the times she came to our table, I was not even there so I was unable to ask for anything -- She apparently sparked a full-blown conversation with my partner about how she has been heavily considering switching from her current job to one in his field, which I felt was really unprofessional but in hindsight, is probably a good idea considering the quality of her service. We kept trying and trying to get her attention (we were surprised how she wouldn't even glance our way) and failing and were left asking other servers for help. I actually had to get up and walk across the entire restaurant to the bar once. It was really frustrating, especially having worked as a server in the past and seeing how often she was chatting to coworkers. You should really check on your tables more often than that, especially at a nicer restaurant and especially if your cook is running so behind. Service is SO important and changes the entire experience. It can mean the difference between your guests leaving with a smile and regretting spending their time and money at your establishment. Overall, really disappointed. I wanted to like this place so badly and was so excited to eat here but it's a no from me as the pricing, food, wait times, and service were subpar. I genuinely wish I had more positive things to say. read more

Setting and interior decoration is incredible. Romantic. Lovely. The images on their site underestimate the interior beauty of its warm ambiance. Service is great. Sparked a great and sincere conversation with the busboy. He offered to buy us a latte. We were humbled. Waiter exhibited grace in his description of food. The hostess, not as warm, but welcomed us and invited us to explore the restaurant's beautiful outdoor grounds. The food, however, was disappointing, terribly disappointing. We can only speak to the items we ordered, the steak frites ($45) and pork tri tip ($39). Both items came swimming is balsamic vinaigrette. It robbed the meat of its potential, genuine flavor. I would have preferred the food was drenched in A-1 steak sauce instead of vinaigrette. What made it worse was the potatoes in the tri tip were also drenched in vinaigrette. So I couldn't explore any other culinary flavor. My wife's frites (fries) could have come from Chick-a-Fila. In our conversation with the busboy, we discovered (inferred - we may be wrong) that the chef was relatively new and the restaurant might have undergone or is undergoing a tough time securing a resident chef. It shows. This was further reinforced the next day when we went to Los Olivos and a sommelier at a wine tasting room asked us about our experience. We mentioned the food and she confirmed that the food hasn't been up to par as of lately. We were so relief it just wasn't us. Do I recommend this restaurant? Yes, great venue for a romantic night out, particularly if you have the discretionary funds and appreciate vinaigrette in your meat. Otherwise, I would recommend visiting when a new cooking staff is put in place. We also ordered the Salmon Crudo. Nicely presented. But nothing more than salmon ceviche. We also ordered the coffee walnut budino. Took some time to receive it and, unfortunately, it disappointed. The best thing we had was the coffee latte. This review is not meant to be mean. I would encourage anyone to go. Great ambiance. But the food was simply not up to par. We left disappointed having spent $179 for a meal we could have made at home for $35. Will we visit again in the future? I don't know. Maybe in 5 years. read more

Fairly priced, nice wine list and a delicious menu. Customer service is great, staff is friendly and service is fast. The Green Garlic Risotto and Duck Breast were very tasty. I had a great time at this restaurant. Loved it. read more