I've seen such an incredible improvement since the new general manager came in. I honestly haven't…read moreseen Flatbread flourish like this in a long time. The staff is attentive, professional, and the restaurant no longer feels understaffed. It's clear that the previous management took the restaurant in the wrong direction, but it's refreshing to see it turning around. I was genuinely worried about this place, and now I'm excited to watch it continue to grow. Great job to the new general manager Chris and the entire team--keep up the amazing work!

We always have such a delightful time at Full of Life. The food is amazing, the staff is friendly,…read moreand the whole atmosphere feels warm and welcoming. The menu changes with the seasons, and they use lots of local ingredients, including locally caught crab if you're lucky and locally farmed mushrooms. Everything always feels fresh and thoughtfully prepared. They have a huge patio along with plenty of indoor seating. I also love that you can watch the action around the wood-fired pizza oven which adds so much energy to the space. They offer a great selection of local wines and beers as well. This place can definitely get busy, so I highly recommend making a reservation.

As a local, it is always our date night choice! We also love their Taco Tuesdays when we can make…read moreit! They always cater to my vegan husband and I absolutely LOVE the vibe here! Grateful for it!

Norman at Norman at Skyview gets one thing undeniably right: the setting is stunning. Overlooking…read morethe charming town of Los Alamos and surrounding ranch land, it feels like a true escape and makes for a beautiful lunch backdrop. Unfortunately, the dining experience didn't live up to the property itself. Service was painfully slow, and my dish arrived cooked differently than requested. Beyond that, the food was simply underwhelming and largely forgettable. I'd absolutely return for the property, pool, and views -- just with much lower expectations for the food.

Here's a clean version that keeps your voice but tightens it up a bit:…read more We went to The Victor for Sunday brunch in Santa Ynez and it was kind of perfect. We started with Bloody Marys, which were insanely good. They were out of the Verde, but the bartender improvised and made us something even better. It came with what might be the best bacon I've ever had, which is a bold claim but I stand by it. He even came out to check on us and talk through what he was testing. We loved them. We ordered the deviled eggs with trout roe, which were to die for. Highly recommend. Then we split the breakfast sandwich. They divided it in the kitchen and brought it out with two side salads, which is always such a nice touch. Service was incredible, the atmosphere was lovely, and the whole thing felt a little indulgent in the best way. Exactly what you want on a beautiful spring day in Santa Ynez. Would absolutely go back.

Absolutely lovely room, with delicious food and friendly service. There is beautiful outdoor…read moreseating, but it was a cold rainy evening (quite unusual for late April) but the dining room was cozy and warm. We had great cocktails, made at the gorgeous bar in the next room. Two couples, and we each split our orders and they plated everything separated for us, which was wonderful! Started with cold oysters, Caesar salad (sprinkled with smoked paprika, which was a cool enhancement.) We couldn't resist trying the soup of the day, which was a corn chowder. Each couple split a cup and it was incredible! Then had the Santa Maria tri-tip with chimichurri and duck fat fries. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the fries were also. Our server, Ernesto, could not have been nicer. Definitely a recommended restaurant, and we all said we would return the next time we are up in Santa Ynez.

We stayed at the inn and decided to make it easy and make reservations at the Tavern. They give you…read morescones to start your meal and they were amazing! Savory and one of the best scones I've ever had! Didn't even need the sweet butter that came with it. We had the crab beignets for an appetizer. Very nice and light, fresh crab just missing a some salt. My fiancé ordered the burger with their version of fries and I had the scallops pasta. My fresh scallops were perfectly seared and paired with the beautifully blanched veggies and pasta. All fantastic, just missing a little salt. Burger was really well made and so were their fries. Service was ok, a little hands off for such a slow night. Well decorated inside and out with lots of plants. The whole place is dreamy!

A charming restaurant with a lovely, quaint ambiance that creates an immediately welcoming setting…read more The service was exceptional gracious, attentive, and genuinely personable. Our party was warmly greeted upon arrival and made to feel completely at home throughout the evening. The cuisine was very good, and the overall dining experience was thoughtfully executed. One minor note would be that one of the pasta dishes could have been drained slightly more prior to plating. Otherwise, the meal was excellent. I would gladly recommend this restaurant to others seeking a warm, inviting atmosphere paired with attentive service and excellent food.

I wanted to find a nice spot for dinner while in Solvang. Luckily we were able to make a same-day…read morereservation. We arrived a little bit early to our reservation, and even though the restaurant was only about 20% full, we waited for about 10 minutes for someone to check us in. We were seated at the high top tables. We started off with the Roasted Cauliflower with miso white bean puree, arugula, chimichurri, and pecorino panko crumbs. The dish comes with large florets of cauliflower, so we had to cut it up into smaller pieces. For my entree, I got the Local Miso Black Cod with spinach, sesame dressing, and miso butter. The fish was moist and flakey. I enjoyed it! I also tried the New Zealand Rack of Lamb that had asparagus ratatouille, crispy potatoes, and lamb jus. This dish was not bad, but the portion seemed a bit small for the price.

I'd Gather Not One…read moreof Solvang's newest restaurants isn't known for its æbleskivers or Danishes, but rather for French-Asian fusion, and is led by Indonesian-born head chef and co-owner, Budi Kazali. They promise to bring you bold flavors using fresh seasonal ingredients in an elegant but approachable space. The Good: * Reservations via OpenTable™ * Free street and city lot parking nearby. * Dog-friendly outdoor dining * Right on the downtown strip in Solvang, next to our favorite bakery. * Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) was delicious and hit all the right notes. The fried chicken add-on was a different story, though... See below. * Caesar Salad had a delicious flavor, but Carissa found the salad to be a bit overdressed for her liking. I didn't mind it, but I like an obscene amount of dressing on my salads, so go figure? Salmon was a little undercooked for her liking, but again, I wouldn't mind it a bit pink. So, comme ci, comme ça. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Meh: * Not all the outdoor spaces are shaded/covered. * Prices are a bit absurd for certain items. Yeah, I know it's über-touristy Solvang, but jfc. $12-14 for a beer? And don't get me started on $12 for some of the blandest and most minuscule serving of fried chicken ever. * We arrived ten minutes early for our reservation, and the hostess seemed very annoyed that we were. In fact, she made us wait until it was time for our reservation to the very minute--despite the restaurant being at less than 10% capacity. * Service wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't say it was good, either. More on this below. The Ugly: * I ordered the Hazy IPA they had on tap, and when it arrived, I could tell it wasn't a particularly "hazy" Hazy IPA. But I figured some are better than others. For my second drink, I asked for the Clown Shoes IPA they had in a can. When the waitress returned with it, she admitted that the first beer she'd brought me was actually the same Clown Shoes IPA. Apparently, they'd run out of the Hazy IPA and decided to make the substitution without asking me. It's not a huge deal--I probably would have made the same substitution myself--but I definitely wouldn't have ordered a second one if I'd known it was the only IPA they had in-house. Like I said, it's not the end of the world, but for some reason, it just feels a little devious. Would they have made a substitution without asking a wine connoisseur? I would hope not, but now it kind of makes you wonder. Conclusion: Not a great experience here, from the hostess to the waitress to the food. I wish them luck.

The key lime pie was a religious experience. I've never had better in my life. The Italian Merengue…read moreon the top was light, fluffy, and barely sweet 10/10

You know the food is fantastic when it's great straight out of the fridge the next day…read more We didn't have reservations here but we were able to walk up and get a seat at the counter even though it was packed that day! Inside of this restaurant is pretty cute but can get a bit noisy since there are so many people inside. We ordered the Copenhagen caesar, Solvang hot chicken sandwich with crispy potatoes, and the mac & cheese with caramelized onions to share. I love a hot chicken sandwich and theirs is absolutely fantastic. The herbs, shredded cabbage, and pickled onions were a great addition to the spicy fried chicken. The crispy potatoes were so good, they held up well the next day as well! I highly recommend getting the caramelized onions added to the mac and cheese. The portion was quite big so we had to take it to go but it was also great to eat cold straight from the fridge. We are definitely coming back again if we are in the area but will try and make a reservation so we can sit outside next time!

My first time here and our server, Riley was wonderful in suggesting cocktails for us to have . We…read moreordered the fried green tomatoes as our appetizer and then had the mushroom sausage pizza. The fried green tomatoes were wonderful with the shrimp on top and the pizza was generous and we were able to bring home leftovers to enjoy the next day. We also ordered the apricot tart for dessert which was light and creamy! The only negative thing was we were dining inside and it happened to be on a warm day so there wasn't much cross breeze inside and it was a bit warm, but other than that food and service was excellent.

With Ember being on the Michelin guide as a recommended restaurant, I went in with high…read moreexpectations. And boy did they deliver. Rarely do I walk away from a dining experience where the quality of service and quality of food fight to outshine one another, but this was one of those spots. Our server, a German gentleman, was the consummate professional- always friendly, never overstepping, and added such a warm dimension to our meal. The fried green tomatoes and the white beet appetizers were standouts. I especially loved the vinegary dressing on the greens of the beet dish. For mains, we got the leek olive potato pizza, the ribeye, and the wood fire poached halibut. The avocado chimichurri that accompanied the ribeye was the perfect balance, and the sautéed greens under the fish were savory with the right amount of bite. I also liked their selection of mocktails; the pink pony club was a particular standout. All this for $200 was a better price tag than I was expecting, but most importantly, it got the stamp of approval from my notoriously picky grandmother and uncle. This spot is worth the drive.

My wife and I had a very fun evening at Mattei's. rhe wait staff were just fab, informative and…read morefriendly. When they found out it was my birthday, they treated me very nicely and that was greatly appreciated. The Tavern is also a pretty space for dining and that made it even better. My wife had the kale salad (she loved it) and we shared the fried cauliflower and mashed potatoes (also good) The one downside was that I had the pork chop as my main and it was way overdone. It was a bit tough to eat. Otherwise Mattei's would have been 5 stars for sure. The next morning we went back and visited the coffee bar. Drinks were excellent, we got the cheesy eggs/toast which was very good and they have a nice seating area.

The main dinner courses were very sub-par. I would not suggest having dinner here…read more The chef is trying to make bold pairings that become a disaster on a plate. Pork sausage paired with berries- not good, thin dry branzino swilling in over acidic tomatillo salsa with roti flat bread on the side that tastes like hockey pucks, over whipped mashed potatoes that taste like they have glue added to the mix. They definitely need a new head chef! However the ambience, appetizers and dessert were worthwhile for a pitstop.

Excellent food and excellent service. Tonya was a great server. I had the pork chops and my mom had…read morethe chicken marsala. Both were amazing. Onion rings and Brussel sprout were great too.

Food was great ! Burger just the way a like it great taste, macaroni and cheese side really good…read morewith bacon. Onion rings thin and crispy so good. Service amazing servers very good food came out fast onion rings on the house. Ambiance ok could be better but it was fine.

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

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