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    The Little Lion

    4.4 (225 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    The Little Lion Photos

    Business Info

    THE LITTLE LION ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Little Lion

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    Inside
    Jenny N.

    Great brunch spot! Beautifully decorated and bigger than it looks from the outside. Their Spanish Benedict was delicious! The saltiness of the chorizo complimented the buttery biscuit and perfectly runny poached egg. Highly recommend the strawberry and cream croissant French toast!! So deng good, not too sweet, light n fluffy- didn't even need to use maple syrup. Wasn't a fan of the Brie Bacon Omelette. The cheese wasn't fully melted and it overloaded with blackberry jam in the middle. Their espresso and Cute as a Cucumber brunch cocktail were both delicious. It took a while to get our order, not sure if it was because we were in a booth that was tucked into a wall and were out of sight, and also took some time for them to come back with our receipt when we paid. Nothing that would stop me from coming back :)

    Judy T.

    Best thing: still the people. And the gravy! Everyone is so nice, welcoming and the service is excellent. We had a great meal at the bar. Super chill. Great food. Another delicious Benedict and yummy poke bowl. Also tried the biscuits with their incredible gravy. Highly recommend. Love this place. Pro tip: tell them to burn your hash browns if you like them crispy.

    Breakfast tacos, the side of bacon
    C P.

    came in on a weekend morning, a little after they opened. there's lots of seating you can seat yourself. You are greeted as you walked in. very cute spot and nicely decorated. We had the Strawberry cloud iced latte, cold brew, breakfast tacos, blueberry pancakes. Everything was delicious. The pancakes were a large serving. We definitely will try other plates next time.

    Clever Daytime Drinking Cocktails
    Robin W.

    Brunch, Breakfast, Lunch, Day-drinking and Wine Flights! I would love to call the Little Lion my new favorite Ladies Lunch place but my husband loves it as well. The interior dining room is bright and airy with an air of casual sophistication. It doesn't try too hard but every detail appears to be intentional. The beverage program offers so many options for day- drinking. They feature a well curated wine selection and flights for some afternoon wine tasting with a delightful selection of sharables. The Champagne Cocktail selection impressed me the most because they house make the syrup combinations such as the lovely Lavender Blueberry. That is one of the best cocktails in Ventura County and it tastes as good as it looks. The food and drink options are smart, creative offerings but Danielle, our server, was a primary element in the good experience we had today. She made recommendations and was genuine in her love of flavor and shared her favorite condiments and combinations. The food- hubby ordered biscuits and sage gravy breakfast which passed this Southern boy's authenticity test. The portions are generous and he finished the entire cast iron serving pan portion. I ordered lunch starting with the lavender blueberry cocktail and for food - the California Cubano with side salad. The sandwich was grilled to perfection on sourdough I asked for a side of pesto, mustard and both salad dressings. Salad was fresh and everything flavorful. Next time I definitely want to try the Elote Steak tacos and the wine flights. For breakfast the strawberry croissant French toast sounds fabulous. Don't sleep on the Little Lion in its little neighborhood strip mall because it has earned its spot as a top spot in Ventura.

    Brie and jam omelet with sweet potato hash
    Alexis N.

    I met a friend at The Little Lion for brunch. The place is super cute and the food was really good. Alejandro was our server and did a good job. I ordered the Brie and jam omelet. It was tasty! I also ordered a biscuit on the side which was warm and freshly made (highly recommend).

    The little lion, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, avocado, chili paste and drizzled with hot honey served over a sourdough toast.
    David Q.

    The food was very good, I ordered the Lil Lion and my daughter ordered the Big Lion with a side of Biscuits & gravy, and both were delicious. The hash browns were cooked perfectly and tasted so good, We went in on a rainy Saturday for brunch and we were immediately greeted and were told to pick any table we wanted. Immediately were provided our menus and a glass of water. Our server was very kind and gave some great suggestions for food and drinks. The vibes inside are cool and also very safari/lion theme and also a modern country feeling which fits very well for a brunch restaurant. Socks the food, service and ambiance were fantastic, I will definitely be back. They also have monthly wine dinners which I want to try.

    salmon fish and chips
    Kaelyn R.

    Large and unique brunch/lunch menu with unexpectedly delicious shareables like the grilled peach BBQ chicken quesadilla. Great selections of different egg benedict plates. The Tennessee orange comes with fried chicken and your choice of gracy over a housemade biscuit. The salmon florentine comes on a english muffin. The salmon fish and chips were okay, the fries had a bit too much lemon pepper seasoning so they were kinda salty. Sausage and sweet potato fritata was decent and had a lot of sausage. Skip the hot honey chicken sandwich. As you can see, the portions here are pretty big. Full coffee/bar menu and mimosas ofc. Plenty of indoor seating, could accomodate larger parties. It can get busy pretty quick. Service has been good in the times I've visited.

    Girl dinner come with salad and fries, chicken is an add on
    Deena B.

    Checked out the happy hour, which is only on Fridays. The Hot to Go beverage was very refreshing. Poke bowl is very filling, lots of goodies in it for a healthy diet choice. The fries that came with The Girl Dinner were so tasty and crispy. Yum! The servers are always super nice!

    6/18/25
    Heather K.

    GETTING HERE: The Little Lion is located in the CVS/Vons shopping center across from Buena HS. REVIEW: This was a really good time with authentic service. This restaurant had been coming up on my Yelp for quite a while, and I finally made it over there. I will be back ASAP to try their other items; you betcha, :-) A PRO TIP: if you're looking for seating with a little more privacy, head to the back, on the other side of the bar. There are a few booths located there. My guest got the breakfast burrito and absolutely loved it. I got their club and it was fresh, the bacon was crispy. The bread was soft and fresh. Since we were first-timers, we asked a lot of questions, but our server went over and above to make it a pleasant dining experience. And she also insured that I will be back ASAP. Absolutely recommend The Little Lion! Thank you for a great experience!

    Callista F.

    Yummy food, busy but well decorated place. Overpriced and needed more spice, but a bunch of Cholula helped with the plainness. $70 for three people. Three entrees and a coffee. A good value for times like this, just shocking especially since all the add ons are $6+ each (fruit cup, sausage,etc.) I was interested in a cocktail but it was $12 for 12oz...

    Fried goat cheese balls with truffle honey glaze, garlic basil aioli, arugula
    Allison C.

    Finally had a chance to check out the Friday happy hour! The staff were nice enough to let me make a reservation for my large party and were so understanding when my party of 10 dwindled down last minute to a party of 5 We all enjoyed the Lavender Haze cocktail but there were several other happy hour drinks that also sounded amazing! I was excited to see my beloved fried goat cheese bites on the happy hour menu and also tried the peach and bbq chicken quesadilla which was so yummy! I have a feeling friday happy hours at Little Lion are going to be a thing for me this summer. Seriously the food and vibes here are everything and all the others I dined with loved their meals as well!

    Devin B.

    Stopped in for the new new at Little lion and ended up with the brunch hangover burger and the cowboy steak and eggs. The burger had such an amazing balance of salty, savory and sweet with a maple syrup drizzle on it with crispy hash browns and bacon! The cowboy steak and eggs was a flavor bomb with the chimichurri sauce on top. Always a top tier visit with amazing staff and always delicious food.

    Monica Y.

    Friendly and nice staff Plenty of seats but they can get busy, so plan ahead. Cute place. Clean. Parking is available. Great food and drinks choices. They have happy hour (I have to come back for that)

    Salmon Florentine Benedict

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    1 month ago

    Amazing food and great drinks! Atmosphere is great. I never leave reviews but it was sooooo good.

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    6 days ago

    Great breakfasts/coffee drinks, etc. so close, so local. Prices were good too. New "go to" place on Saturday/Sunday morning.

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    The Little Lion Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Little Lion

    Is it pet friendly?

    No considering there is no patio seating available

    Is there any outdoor seating?

    No outdoor seating.

    Do they take reservations?

    They do not. Get there early and be prepared for a wait on the weekend

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I came here for the first time to try some wine and snacks after dinner. We sampled some of their…read morewines from their very cool-looking dispensers. And we ordered the chefs charcuterie board. The charcuterie board was delicious! The bread was warm and obviously homemade. All the different cheeses tasted fresh and there were also candied walnuts which were fantastic. I was really impressed by their wine dispensers and how many varieties they had of different selections. I think overall we tried 4-6 different wines for less than $40. The ambiance of the inside reminds me a little bit of Squidwards house (but in a good way) with a high arched ceiling and classical decor. I would love to come back and try their other food and sample more wine.

    Last December, a friend came across The Cave while looking for a place to have lunch in Ventura and…read moresuggested we give it a try. I'm really glad he did because it's the kind of place I probably wouldn't have found on my own. The first thing that caught our attention was the self-serve wine dispensers lined with bottles ready to sample. We had a lot of fun walking back and forth, looking over the different selections, and deciding what to taste next. Being able to sample wines by the ounce before committing to a full glass made the whole experience feel interactive. I especially liked that I could compare different Cabernet Sauvignons side by side, which isn't something you get to do very often. After trying a few different Cabernets, Chimney Rock ended up being my favorite. The dining room added to the experience. The cave-like ceilings, warm lighting, and comfortably spaced tables made it easy to settle in, enjoy our lunch, and catch up without feeling cramped or rushed. If you enjoy trying different wines, it's easy to lose track of time here. We started with a cheese plate, which turned out to be much more generous than I expected. It came with a nice assortment of cheeses, crisp apple slices, grapes, candied walnuts, crostini, and a savory relish on the side. It was a great dish to share with our wine. My friend ordered the tuna poke tower, and we shared the cheese flatbread and sweet potato fries. I went with the Original Cave Salad with salmon, which came with a generous piece of perfectly cooked salmon over fresh greens, apples, grapes, walnuts, and blue cheese. Everything tasted fresh, and the portions were generous enough that we left completely satisfied. One thing I appreciated was that we never felt rushed. Lunch naturally turned into an afternoon of catching up, comparing notes on the different wines, and deciding which pours we wanted to try next. Before we left, we wandered through the wine shop one more time. If you discover a favorite during lunch, you can pick up a bottle before heading home, which is a nice touch. I'm really glad my friend found this place. The next time I'm in Ventura, it'll definitely be on my list again.

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    The biscuits and gravy and potatoes were perfect just enough gravy and just enough seasoning on the potatoes
    The biscuits and gravy and potatoes were perfect just enough gravy and just enough seasoning on the potatoes
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    Sips Coffee Wine Beer

    Sips Coffee Wine Beer

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    This place is truly a hidden gem. Tucked behind a few businesses, it can be a little difficult to…read morespot at first, but once you find it, you'll discover a warm and welcoming atmosphere that's perfect for relaxing. It's never overly crowded or overwhelming, making it a great place to unwind and enjoy a peaceful experience. My wife and I often stop by on weekend mornings for coffee. While it can get a bit busier when the nearby church lets out, it still maintains a comfortable and laid-back vibe. It's one of our favorite spots to sit back, relax, and enjoy some quiet time together. We've also had the opportunity to try their wine, and it was a fantastic experience. It's great to have such a wonderful local business close to home, offering quality coffee and wine without the hassle of heavy traffic or large crowds. This place deserves more recognition than it gets. Although it's somewhat hidden, it's become one of our favorite places to visit, and we always look forward to coming back.

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    Lester Family Cellars & Wine Tasting
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    The Little Lion - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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