The Dutchess is such a gem. It looks tiny when you first walk in but it opens up into a cozy space that stretches behind the register and even has a great outdoor patio in the back. The standout for me was the sourdough bread with tomato chutney. Simple but so good. The bread is perfectly crusty and fresh and the chutney highlights the Burmese roots of the restaurant perfectly. Service was also great. Super friendly and made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. Between the cute ambiance and thoughtful layout and great food this spot is definitely worth checking out. read more

came here on a whim when my bf was running the ventura marathon. the cafe is cute and has a lot of seating. during the morning, they had an array of pastries neatly shown on display. i got the lemon olive oil cake and samosa pastry. the samosa had a lot of filling and the spices were pretty good. their tomato jam was interesting and added a nice touch to the pastry. lemon olive oil cake was a little dry to my liking but still yummy! a little sweet. service here is prompt and they are nice. read more

The Dutchess - samosa olive oil cake - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

I saw this restaurant listed in an LA Times "100 best restaurants in California" article. It was the only one in Ventura County to make the list. I'd never had Burmese food before, which made it even more intriguing! Our server, Julie, advised us that everything was served as shared dishes, or family style. So we ordered accordingly. One starter (crispy potatoes with an indescribably delicious dipping sauce), 3 mains, and an order of fantastic naan completely satisfied our party of four. The crispy rice salad had so many flavors It almost made our heads explode. The coconut chickpea curry was mild yet complex, with a lovely texture. The Tandoori chicken is not to be missed. Burmese food looks like Indian food on paper, but the spices were very different, and the presentation was fabulous. This was an adventure in a meal and I look forward to my second visit! One warning..the soda refills are NOT complimentary so the Diet Coke ended up being $18.00. We were not advised of this during service, so I'm advising you here. But the experience was special enough to be worth it. Next time, water! read more

THE DUTCHESS: One of the most popular spots in Ojai for brunch, you can't beat this place. Known for their bakery goods, a line forms pretty early and I'm always impressed how they crank out their baked goods. We made reservations (highly recommend) and sat in for a lovely brunch on their outdoor patio. The restaurant itself is charming with their multi rooms, it's a little maze and quite fun. The covered patio is the way to go though as it's quiet and pretty outside. Also a quick shoutout to Rebecca for being the absolute best. For this trip we opted for some classic brunch bites: 1. Breakfast Sando is delicious. The tomato chutney gave it that perfect kick of flavor and was reminiscent of my favorite Indian dishes. A perfectly cooked sunny side up egg and I added the crispy bacon which is a must. It's a perfect breakfast sandwich that is filling but not greasy. 1. BLT Sandwich was the star of the show. Giant brioche toast, huge fresh tomatoes, extra thick crispy bacon and a lovely aioli made this dish a 10/10. Simple but perfect. Prices were reasonable and as mentioned above, service was awesome. Rebecca took really good care of us, was thoughtful, kind and attentive. The good vibes and food here will keep us coming back. Definitely a wonderful spot to dine when in Ojai. read more

See all

Crispy rice salad - fried bomba rice w/ cabbage, nut mix & spicy chutney. Organic tandoori chicken - juicy & tender w/ blistered local farm ingredients & rich tikka masala sauce. Grass-fed beef masala - braised chuck eye roll in a bold curry w/ sungold tomatoes and basmati rice. Naan - w/ garlic herb butter & added side order of burmese chili paste. read more

See all

Ambiance and service was great. The food came onto the table relatively quickly too and everything was super delicious. read more

See all

Believe the hype! The Dutchess is proudly the only restaurant in Ojai to serve any of their menu items in pill form. Seriously, I was like why would I want a croissant as a pill? I love the taste and the texture but before I knew it, I was devouring the classic treat with 20 time release capsules. What a trip! This place is ahead of the curve and soon we'll all be eating meals in pill form. read more

Omg !!! I used to love this place until today. I witnessed server, taking a bagel and pastry picking it up with her bare hands and putting it in a bag and handing it to. clients. I've witnessed a higher standard of hygiene in Starbucks !!!! read more

Never thought I would leave a review on toast my god that was the best toast I've ever had in my life for breakfast lol and your customer service is top-notch thank you* read more

Highly recommended walk in, we are group of 2, still able to order dishes and pastry at counter. There are large ballroom and backyard spaces as a first come first serve space. The spicy chicken is real spicy! If you like spicy food, you must try! read more

See all

This is my second time stopping in The Duchess while in Ojai. Would highly recommend coming they have great pastries and sourdough. Also Amanda at the front made the experience so amazing. She was very sweet and helpful. I had some questions about what to get and I really appreciated her insight. read more

From the people who gave us: Rustic Canyon, Milo + Olive, and now closed Tallula's, comes the Dutchess. Drink: The Juicy Food: Naan Crispy potatoes Crispy Rice Salad Rosie's Organic Tandoori Half Chicken All these dishes are delicious on their own and very complimentary when eaten together. Get the crispy potatoes, and smother it in the Chicken tandoori sauce. Yummy! Take the naan fill it with the crispy rice salad and/or chicken tandoori and dip it in the tandoori sauce or the sauce that comes with the potatoes. So good. When you enter, the place looks quaint and homey, but when you head to the restrooms, the restaurant is pretty extensive than it appears. Would definitely come back here or recommend others when in Ojai. read more

See all

This place was so cute!! They had such amazing pastries we could not decide which ones we really wanted. We went during brunch and had a reservation so that was great but I've heard the dinner is amazing. The service was great and quick. Overall did love the place but would be open to trying other menu items especially if I could go back for dinner. read more

The Dutchess - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

See all

Matt is amazing !! He took care of us for dinner and breakfast! The food was great! Love the chickpea curry and the egg sando and the pastries- we tried like all of them! And the pool table was fun! read more

I went to ojai for the weekend and made sure to come here every single morning! They make their almond milk in house and omg their almond milk latte (iced) was the best I've ever had. We also had their eggs, their passionfruit danish, and just a side of sourdough bread, which is truly the best I've ever had as well. The service is great. The people are kind and the food is absolutely a 10. We will definitely be coming here every single time I come back to Ojai . read more

Was really looking forward to having Burmese food and after seeing all the good reviews I have to say we were somewhat let down by the food. The place is in a great surroundings and the person that greeted us was super nice. We ordered chickpea fritters which were good. Followed by biryani with ground lamb which was so bland also the tandoori chicken which was more like flavored rotisserie chicken absolutely not tandoori. The curried lentils were ok and the fanatic wine was ok too. The overall experience was poor and the prices were high for the level of food. read more

All the pastries were great! A lot of variety of sweet and savory to choose from. We went on a weekday right before 10am and beat the crowd. The coffees were great but alittle show to get them, I think because we ordered a more special coffee items. A lot of great seating to choose from inside and out. It was such great weather when we went so we decided to take it to go and eat it outside at their tables read more

The Dutchess - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

See all

5 I got the mandarinquat Danish and the samosa hand pie. Both were delicious! I'm still thinking about how good the mandarinquat was. I highly recommend, especially since Ojai is known for Pixie Tangerines. The service was great and the place itself was gorgeous indoors and outdoors. There are plenty of seating options and they had utensil stations inside and out. read more

The Dutchess - mandarinquat Danish and the samosa hand pie - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

We decided to drive from Santa Barbara to Ojai on this beautiful day and try Roti. They weren't open until noon, and we arrived at 11, so we opted to try the place next door. It has a cool country vibe with a great outdoor patio. There was a long line at the walk-up ordering station. Seating was self-serve, and we got our own plateware and other items. The brunch menu was easy to navigate. There are a few reasons why I'm only giving three stars. I ordered the DUTCHESS BREAKFAST PLATE -- Weiser Farms potatoes, Niman Ranch bacon, tomato chutney, sourdough toast, and two eggs OM. I substituted the bacon for their homemade country sausage patties. The sausage was very pink in the middle and undercooked, and as was rest of the plate;barely warm and definitely cold less than eating halfway through. The crispy potatoes and sourdough toast were the highlights of the plate. Jennifer ordered the CHICKEN SATAY BOWL -- marinated chicken breast, avocado, cucumber, calrose rice, pickled red onion, sesame, served with creamy peanut dressing--and it was also barely warm. I took a few bites and thought it was ok, great. Would have expected much more dominant flavors for an Indonesian dish. The person delivering our food didn't say hello or treat us kindly; they simply asked whose plates were whose, with a somewhat smug attitude that seemed bothered to be there. I dared asked for butter and she never offered ketchup or anything else we might have wanted and didn't check back on us at all. If she had, I would have addressed our concerns. However, a very friendly and polite young staff member came by to address a noisy and disruptive group of kids, whose parents didn't do anything about it. Jennifer is a school teacher, so she was fine with it; I, however, was less so. I wouldn't be so critical if the price weren't $70 for breakfast. My expectations run a bit higher at this price point.. Would we return? Probably, but it wouldn't be our first choice in Ojai, but I would definitely ask for the food to be served much warmer. read more

See all

One of my favorite spots in Ojai. Love the lunch menu! The breakfast plate is perfect. But, my palette just doesn't appreciate the Burmese flavorings and dinner menu options. The decor and atmosphere is what draws me in the most. And, service is always fantastic. read more

See all

The pastries are amazing here. Had the blackberry pie and olive oil cake. Blackberrie's were fresh and the crumbly top was savory/sweet with house made whipped cream on top. Olive oil cake was moist and the pistachios were a nice touch. Service was friendly. read more

Very cute location with both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff was friendly! They had a bunch of pastries and breads on the display window that all looked phenomenal it was hard to pick which one to try. I ended up going with the cheesy twist which unfortunately I was so excited to try. I didn't take a picture of. It was light and fluffy like a croissant and had an amazing cheese and herb taste to it. We shared the BLT from the perfectly toasted bread to the perfectly crisp bacon to the perfectly juicy tomatoes it was one of the best BLTs I've ever had! I got the Matcha and my boyfriend got the cold brew. He loved the cold brew. I didn't get a very strong. Matcha taste at all. I just tasted milk so for me personally I didn't love it. read more

The Dutchess - Blt - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

The food was delicious all around but the Motley crew lamb masala was the star of the dinner the lamb was packed with flavor which complemented the tandoori chicken along with the naan. Our choice of cocktails were the Nuevo mundo which was more refreshing and the Free bird with more of a spicy base both were mezcal. To end the night we got the falooda that had layers of flavor one under the other as pictured and were good to eat one layer at a time but when you grabbed a spoonful of them all that was when you got a concoction that can be described as subtly tart, sweet, and refreshing.It was a very warm ambiance from the bar seating while waiting for a table, to the outdoor seating. read more

The Dutchess - Rosie's Organic Tandoori Half Chicken Motley Crew Goat Masala - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

See all

A nice spot to start your day. We stopped by for some morning coffee and bites. I saw people recommend making reservations for brunch, but those are only available on the weekends. We waited in line to order (best if you're not in a hurry.) Debated on baked goods. We decided on the Frangipane croissant that paired well with the hot latte. The breakfast plate was filling too. The space itself is airy, cute, and much bigger than I expected. I can see why The Dutchess is a highly recommended place! We didn't have a chance to try their dinner though, but I've heard good things too. read more

See all

Lovely venue with true ambience. It exudes an understated elegance and sophistication. The food was surprisingly traditional Burmese fair with a twist. Satisfying and unique? Yes. Amazing? No. Service was shoddy to non existent at best. Oh and don't forget that amazing side dish of exhaustion and condescension...spicy! . read more

The Dutchess - The pendants caught my eye. - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

See all

The food met my expectations, and I loved how it made me feel right at home. The meal tasted fresh and made from scratch. I also enjoyed the service and appreciated the ample seating. I'll definitely keep coming back whenever I visit Ojai! read more

The Dutchess - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

The Dutchess is such a special place. I brought a couple of my girlfriends here for dinner this evening and it was such a delightful experience. Gabriel was our server and he made our evening and experience so much fun! He made great recommendations and was extremely knowledgeable about the wine list and where the food comes from. Extremely personable, passionate, and friendly. My girlfriends and I were saying how long it's been since we received such attentive service--and good service truly does make such a difference. Wonderful restaurant, menu, and staff. We ordered the entire dessert menu. We can't wait to come back for breakfast pastries!! Thank you Gabriel and thank you Dutchess! read more

See all

For me The Dutchess is all about the outrageous selection of delicious fresh baked pastries that even my snobby French friends love. The weekend morning line is kind of a bummer but happens for good reason. Cool dining areas. Good coffee. Very nice staff. read more

I dined here on a Monday night when it wasn't too busy. We ordered the duck liver mousse with puri to start. We then had the coconut chickpea curry with naan and vermillion rock cod as our mains. Everything was so fresh, flavorful and beautifully plated. Even with something as simple as naan, I feel like I could've just kept eating it on its own for days, because it was that good. I do feel like the service could improve, as I don't think anyone checked on us during our meal or refilled our waters. The ambiance and food were incredible and I'd love to return again in hopes that they can improve the service, especially given the price point. read more

See all

I came to Ojai for a meditation and stumbled across this gem of a restaurant looking for Sunday brunch. It's Burmese-American cuisine and they have a bunch of delicious brunch options. What I love is that they're a bakery as well and they make all their breads and pastries in house and wow are they delicious. Right when you walk in it has a very homey, welcoming vibe with wooden floors and interiors. The manager seated us and he was super friendly and gave us a great outdoor seat (they had heaters so we stayed nice and warm). I got the breakfast plate which comes with 2 sunny side up eggs, sourdough toast, crispy smashed potatoes, bacon, and a side of tomato chutney. The bread was so crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Went perfectly with the gooey sunny side up eggs. And the chutney on the side turned out to be a standout element of the dish. It had a curry flavor that brought everything together and gave the dish a Burmese flare! Our server, Jordan, took excellent care of us. She recommended the chocolate chip cookie and the gluten free blueberry muffin, both of which complimented our breakfasts so well. The chocolate chip cookie tasted like an old school cookie with big chocolate chunks dispersed throughout and it was the right combo of salty & sweet. I'll definitely be coming back every trip to Ojai I take: I can't wait to try their Burmese cuisine for dinner. read more

See all

the food is great, but their line system is so inefficient i basically never go. its not hurting business, tourists gone wild, but they lost me in the 45 min bread line read more

Sunday brunch with no reservation, admittedly. "We can't seat you but you can find space in the back room and order from the register." Sat at a table, realized that it was in the wrong room, our mistake. Found a table in the correct room, gathered the order and stood in line at the register for 15 minutes. Finally got to the front. "We aren't currently accepting food orders at this register" Asked the waitress that initially sat us "which register should we be ordering from?" The one we were just at... apparently. Menu looked good. Place needs a proper manager who has an eye for process improvement. Go to the nest instead. read more

We catered a small citrus cutting cake and assorted cupcakes and cookies to create a dessert table for our wedding. The table was definitely a highlight of the event and everything came together beautifully. The coordination was made easy by Jesse and the team, and we enjoyed visiting for a cake tasting and ordered dinner too for a wonderful experience. Thanks for helping us create such special memories for our day! read more

What the heck did they serve me? I have absolutely no idea what this was. I took a few bites because I was hungry. It had a piece of cauliflower in it. It had some kind of nut, but it tasted like Indian food. A little bit of cilantro, don't know if they just took whatever's left in the kitchen and threw it in a bowl. I'm sorry I couldn't eat it! Really sad not being able to throw a dish together. It's not that hard. read more

The Dutchess - Don't know - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

stopped by for the pastries and omg... i'm still thinking about them!! the citrus olive oil cake was moist, delicious, and beautifully adorned with flowers! the candied mandarinquat danish was the perfect level of sweetness for me, and the pastry was so flaky, it was perfect! i really wasn't expecting to enjoy the samosa as much as i did, but it was spiced well and easy to eat :) def would come back!! read more

The Dutchess - pastries - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

The food was outstanding! Had lunch there one day (brisket naan "Wrap" and Chicken satay bowl) - both were delicious and you could tell made from scratch. We came back another morning for pastries which were even better comparably. Can be a super busy place and the one negative is they have an ordering bottleneck - one person taking orders right in the main passage to the back dining spaces, and you have to go get all your flatware, cutlery and napkins from a central place. So they can be more efficient, but easy to overlook given the quality of the food. read more

Pretty good cafe food! We ordered a breakfast plate, a chicken sandwich, and their garden salad. i would say that the food is pretty pricey so i would have expected a little more. the salad was to come with fruit, but it was pretty much one strawberry cut up into very tiny pieces and a couple pieces of the other fruit, so it's mainly lettuce. the dressing was also just okay, sweet, citrusy but had a bit of sesame. there was a strange papery stale undertone to it that made it hard to keep eating. the chili oil was also extremely cinnamony bc they left a stick in there, so it didn't taste like much else except oily spicy cinnamon. the breakfast plate was pretty standard along with the sandwich. but it was really pretty inside! read more

The Dutchess - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

Loved the atmosphere. They have lots of space in there and it felt like you were in a place that was different than the California vibes. It was a great place to have dinner at since I have never had Burmese food. I loved the garlic naan. The chicken was very tender and the food took a bit of time. It wasn't a place where it's an in and eat real quick and leave type of place. The drinks were great and people were friendly. Good service and I would visit again to order other things. read more

everything was a bit overpriced and the pastries weren't the best. i don't think there are many other coffee spots in Ojai, but if you're coming from out of town I'd suggest just getting coffee before arriving read more

See all

Went to the Duchess for dinner which i believe is a completely separate and distinct experience from their day time scene. It was simply marvelous. Burmese menu that leaned heavily in the Indian direction of Burma. We got weiser farms crispy potatoes. I thought this was overkill with all the other things we got, and boy was i wrong! They were spectacular! Puri with paté. So interesting, it was in every way a french paté, but little shocks of Burmese came through in a delicious way. Tea leaf salad. Never go to a Burmese restaurant and skip the tea leaf salad. Coconut chickpea curry. The only thing that didn't blow me away, but the others loved it. Mutton masala. Oh my god. The naan came with it and it was lovely and rustic and wheaty with a surprising sweet butter on top. The curry was also terrific. Waitress was marvelous. 10 stars! read more