so glad we were able to snag last minute reservations! there are two madeline's, this one, is located on main st in the east village and the other madeline's is on moonstone beach drive that faces the ocean! madeline's on main is dog friendly. they have two - two person table in their patio. the madeline's on moonstone beach drive is not pet friendly. after a long day of traveling. we were so hungry and tired. but still wanted to go somewhere nice for dinner. it was warner weather that wknd, so we were glad to sit outside! we ordered: Crab Cakes Stuffed Chicken Breast Filet Mignon everything was so delicious!! i was getting so full but kept eating lol. the also provide complimentary house bread with butter (10/10) its so fresh and tasty! parking: no issues. lots of street parking everywhere. read more

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I've been here a couple of times and last time it was good but not as good as the time before so I gave it only 4 stars but I will come again and maybe I will give it 5 stars like I remember it deserves. Great French bistro with very good food with great ambiance. Everything is good on the menu and they have a very big selection of wines. Don't expect big portions, it's a French bistro! The service is good but as much as I like sitting at the bar, I wouldn't come here again by myself. The best way to enjoy this place is to sit at the table and share dishes and try different wines read more

I want to love this place. It's so cute and their menu sounds amazing but I feel like it's inconsistent. Some dishes are seasoned perfectly and some have no flavor. And this place can be pricey so I want to love everything I order. The first time I had a great time. This time fell very short for me and all the my friends that I told had to try this restaurant. It was very unfortunate because we were celebrating my mom's birthday and most of us left very unsatisfied. The bruschetta appetizer is plated beautifully but could have been a little more seasoned. The crab cakes were tasty. My two friends that had not been before were trusting my judgment on taking them. They both ordered spinach salads that were supposed to have bacon infused salad dressing. The dressing had absolutely no flavor and just looked like it was drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. It was supposed to contain bacon, but had absolutely no bacon flavor. And then on the menu, it said candied walnuts. We love candied walnuts. There were no candied walnuts at all. The staff was so amazing and so friendly. They were so kind when we didn't like the salad. They apologized profusely and asked if we wanted anything else or what they could do to rectify the situation. So one of my friends did get another salad, but the dressing was the same way. They were just very disappointed. And our waitress did try the salad dressing after our complaint and said it wasn't made properly that morning because normally it has a ton of flavor. So she apologized again. I ordered a steak. It was expensive and I left feeling annoyed that I spent that much because it wasn't great. It was crispy and tough for the cost. I ate it because I did not want to complain again about another dish. I hate doing that. The mashed potatoes that came with it and the veggies were seasoned very well. My mom whose birthday we were celebrating was the only one who truly enjoyed her dinner. she ordered the polenta. I did taste that and it was done so beautifully with tons of flavor and that's what the rest of us unfortunately were lacking in our dishes. But since it was her birthday, I'm glad she was the happy one out of the four of us. Like I'd said everyone is so sweet and hard working at Madeline's that it saddens me to say I don't know if I will be back again. It's just too expensive to pay, to not enjoy my meal. My steak was $54 and I had one the night before that for $34 that was cooked perfectly. So it's hard to justify ever going back unfortunately. I felt like I let my friends down on our last night in town. read more

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The short ribs were amazing!! I was thrilled to finally try the scalloped potatoes here, they were worth the trip from slo! The duck was cooked well and i enjoyed the sauce a lot. Service was great and i will definitely be back! read more

Madeline's - Short ribs - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Loved this little charming dinner at Madeline's. The food was great, service was great and overall everything was just wonderful. A lot of the restaurants in this area are houses converted into restaurants so you get that warm cozy feel and this was nothing short. It was romantic. The wine selection was great as well. read more

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Stopped in here for our 23 year anniversary after touring Hearst Castle. A first timer and we loved it! The food was delicious from start to finish. Our service was 100% perfect, every waiter and waitress checked on us every few mins as the host too. The ambiance of the place was nice, the tables had roses at every table, Art of the walls, and the lighting was great. I would recommend this place, everything we ordered was a hit, can't wait to try other stuff next time. read more

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While on a mini vacation here in Cambria my family and I came here to have dinner. My husband saw an ad on Facebook and suggested we come here. We were welcomed by the friendly host and were seated right away. Our waiter was also very friendly and attentive. The ambiance is great more of a romantic date kind of place but it also worked for us as a family. The food here is average. The salad I ordered was more of a side salad, for the price of it I thought it's a regular size salad you get in restaurants. The spinach artichoke dip was ok , the filet mignon was delicious but I was disappointed with the veggies that came with it. Tasteless and carrots ??? The New York strip my son ordered was horrible. Completely rare when we asked for a medium. The waiter took it back to fix it then brought the same piece back and still not medium. He apologized a few times and said he can take it back. My son said no he can't eat it anymore. They took the price out of our check at least. Overall for us it was an ok dinner. read more

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We stopped into Madeleine's on a sunny day because Moonstone Grill is closed for lunch during the winter season and Madeline is one of our favorite places in Cambria. We chose the windows seat so we could watch people walk up and down the avenue and looked over the lunch special on the menu. My husband chose the beef tart and got the cream of chili soup with it and because I was getting fries with my shrimp sandwich I chose to try their cheese plate since French cheese is my very favorite. The soup and cheese plate appeared right away and I could enjoy the cheese plate while he saved his soup. I had a delicious Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc While I nibbled away from the treats on the cheese plate the cheese was most delicious very creamy very mild and accented by the spiced olives. When ours came, they were served with care at shrimp sandwich with S soft and succulent and fresh ever while my husband's beef tips were tender and tasty. We really feel that this is a bargain shed around $24 each for two courses in downtown Cambria and will return here again for our lunch treat! read more

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Long overdue review for a lunch visit. At the time, there was outside dining (two 2-person tables on the sidewalk and about 6 tables/24 seats under awnings in the parking spaces). They decorated the area with flowers to make it "cozy", and since the weather was great, it was very enjoyable. Service was very good. For lunch, we shared the Spanish Octopus appetizer, and then each had the Beef Melt with Soup or Salad. We chose the soup of the day, Tomato, which was light, creamy, and very tasty. We plan on returning for dinner on an upcoming trip, so stay tuned for an updated review. read more

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I took family in for lunch today and had an absolutely delicious meal. Each one of us felt our dish was the best. We also had deserts and again ALL of them were fantastic! Daniel was our server. He was awesome. The high end decor was matched with original art on the walls and an extensive wine selection. If you want to make a special occasion even more special, I recommend going into Madeline's. read more

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I made reservations for 5 for lunch. We chose where we wanted to sit and it was perfect. Our server, for the whole place was Cody. He was very efficient and let us have 5 checks as it wasn't too busy. Everything on the menu including the specials were all so tempting. Four of us had the Croque Monsieu, 2 got fries, one a salad and one soup. All excellent, one had soup and mussels. Everything was good, lots of ice tea. I will be back for dinner as I love fish. Atmosphere was fine, very simple table and chairs. I was so caught up with the food I forgot to take pictures. read more

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All out great experience here and the perfect place to come for a anniversary. It was the ideal place for night out after visiting Hearst Castle, and the seafood and the bread was amazing. The service and ambiance were great and contributed to a nice evening. read more

Madeline's - Seafood - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Great food, great ambience! Lovely place with wonderfully tasting food. We come here to Cambria often and will be back for another great meal! This is our first time here at Madeline's. We should have tried it sooner. We had a wonderful waitress, Natalie ( great sense of humour!) and the owner of Madeleine's, David Stoothoff took the time to talk to us and was very personable. We enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back when we are in Cambria again. Come and enjoy!! read more

Madeline's - The beautiful front of Madeline's Restaurant 2025 - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

We came to Madeline's at around 8:45pm on a Friday. We had heard good things about the restaurant, and it was also one of the only restaurants open and taking guests at that time. We felt bad for coming in so late. One thing to note about Cambria is that everything closes very early. The service was good and attentive! The food was also very good. The highlights were the scallops and the Madeline's salad. Both were super fresh. I had the short rib, which came with a pasta. The whole dish was kind of similar to a stroganoff. My husband had the fish special (halibut). Both meals were good. I think we liked the short rib dish better. The apple pie crumble with ice cream was a winner for us! It was hot and delicious. I loved all the paintings on the walls. Very beautiful impressionist works of art. read more

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We went to Madeline's for our anniversary dinner. We were greeted by their friendly staff as we entered and seated right away. The restaurant was full and it was not noisy. We had a female employee come and tell us the specials of the day and then our waitress took our orders. Our salads were great and refreshing. My wife loved her Polenta. She savored every last bite. The filet mignon was overcooked. I asked for medium and it was very well done. I showed our waitress and she took the plate and returned with a rightly cooked filet mignon. It was a wrong made right and that's the most important thing. Thank you! The filet mignon was cooked just right and was amazing. The scalloped potatoes were also amazing. I hadn't had scalloped potatoes like these in a long time! We had a great anniversary dinner thank you! We will be back the next time we are in San Simeon!! read more

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Let's put it this way, one of the Best restaurants in SLO county, if not the best. Normally, I'd go into great detail on my experience, like when eating the scallops, you taste a meaty depth of flavor, comparable to steak, yet a buttery acidic sauce to cut through the rich, almost fatty scallop. How the Bruschetta Eggplant, literally to my words away. The perfect blend of rich, natural sweetness from the bells and the substantialness of the eggplant. The breading, the acid, to intense vibrance, coming all together, WOW. I'd discuss how the service was second to none in the area. How this little cottage like restaurant, when seated in the front window, looking out to the downtown, through the front greenery, transports to Europe! No, instead, I'll say, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE GREAT AMBIANCE, SERVICE, AND CUISINE, THEN MAKE A RESERVATION! *Only qual was they must invest in a real Espresso Machine, so we can have real coffee with Dessert!* read more

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Outstanding food, service and ambiance. The crab cakes, Madeline's salad, short ribs and lamb chops were wonderful. Great wine list. Reservations suggested!!! read more

Thought we would try lunch here and we weren't disappointed. Great selection and amazing food! We walked in at 2pm an hour before close for lunch. There were a good amount of people but we were seated fairly quickly. read more

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Wow! Never have I written a review so fast after a dining experience. Tried this spot for dinner after a visit to Hearst Castle, and it was sooo good! First off this is a little restaurant but very charming. It has a touch of elegance backed by the rustic charm of the nearby Oceanside. I made a last minute reservation and they were able to accommodate my party with ease. The dining experience was truly some of the best food I've had in a long time. We didn't get apps but we tried the filet mignon (5/5, cooked just right with a rich red wine sauce and fluffy garlic mashed potatoes and veggies) and the stuffed chicken breast (also 5/5, cooked perfectly and the scalloped potatoes on the side were phenomenal). It looked like a small portion at first but it was actually pretty filling. For dessert, we tried the chocolate mousse cake (solid 4/5) and the apple pie (5/5, super good). Service was great as well. Highly recommend! read more

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Overall, great service from the moment we checked in to the moment we left. The ambiance was nice and cozy, not too noisy but at an expected volume for the smaller space. Much cuter inside in person than what you can see online. We got the mushroom tart to start and thought it was delicious. It was like a quiche in presentation and taste. For our entrees, my husband got the crispy pork special and I got the short rib pappardelle. My husband thought the pork with vegetables but good, not great. It was simple, nothing special. I thought my entree was very good. They had an extensive wine list as well. read more

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I came up to Cambria with my pup Suki to escape the fireworks on the 4th. There's several places, Inns and restaurants, that are dog friendly. Madeline's is one of them for a nice elegant dinner. There's 2 tables that seat two in front of the restaurant for those who have their fur baby with them. Perfect. Our waiter, sorry I forgot his name, was very nice and attentive and gave us some of his favorite recommendations. First we were served with warm bread and butter, along with water. My dining partner and I both ordered coffee. We skipped with salad and an appetizer since we both wanted room for dessert, which they make on site. For my main, I went with the Veau "Orloff." Which is veal medallions, duxelles, onion soubise, with a mornay sauce, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, and perfectly al dente haricots verts and sliced carrots which are locally harvested. My dining partner ordered the Long Island Duck Breast which is pan seared, topped with a cherry reduction served alongside of scalloped potatoes and also with haricots verts and sliced carrots. My taste buds are drooling as I recall this dinner. We both loved our dinner selections. The veal in the mornay sauce was so tender and decadent. The garlic mashed was a great accompaniment with the veal. I tasted my friend's cherry reduction sauce, it was sublime. I'll order the duck on my next visit. For dessert we ordered the apple crisp and the key lime pie topped with a raspberry sauce. Both desserts were wonderful. Although the key lime pie won me over since it was more on the tart side than sweet. The dining room is quaint, warm and intimate. Madeline's offers a good wine selection with many of the wines from the Paso Robles area. Service was friendly and attentive. I'll definitely be back to Madeline's on my next visit to Cambria. Reservations are suggested, especially if you have a fur baby. read more

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The atmosphere wonderful and the food is delicious. My husband and I went for lunch for our anniversary. The service was fantastic. read more

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Went to Madeline's this past weekend and was wildly disappointed. While the vibes and staff were great, we both sent our food back. (More than once) The steak was completely undercooked and returned back within a minute - seemingly been placed in the microwave. The pasta was awful. Flavorless and overcooked. The manager did try to make things right (why I'm giving them 2 stars) but I do think an honest review is deserved given we felt blind sided by all of the amazing reviews of this place. read more

Madeline's - Appetizer - decent. Wouldn't need it again - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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We wanted to go somewhere special for our anniversary and Madeline's was highly recommended and it did not disappoint! The ambience was indeed intimate, and the food and service excellent. Natalie was so hospitable and made our celebration even more memorable with her warm personality and enthusiasm for our special occasion. We ordered the filet mignon and the stuffed chicken breast. Natalie paired our dinner with a lovely Pinot Noir and the Lime Pie with raspberry sauce was memorable too. If we could afford it, we probably would've wanted to buy the beautiful painting hanging by our table. It was a night to remember! Thank you Natalie, and the chef and amazing staff read more

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This is the gem of the town. It is a wine shop and restaurant. They offer a good selection of wines local and imported as well. Reservations are strongly suggested during Holidays/long weekends. I called in the same day to make sure I could be accommodated since it was Memorial Day weekend. Very welcoming ambiance and staff. The place was busy but service was never compromised. I started off with the Scallops, that were over mushroom duxelles and lemon beurre blanc. Amazing texture and flavors. I paired it with a glass of brut champagne. For dinner I had their filet mignon that came with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. It was perfectly cooked to term. The mashed potatoes were perfect as the garlic was not strong enough to take from the flavors in the filet. Sometimes the sides overcome the main in the dish but these potatoes sure complemented the star of the plate. I finished off with their vanilla bean creme brûlée. It was good and worth to try. I would definitely recommend this place and come back when in the area. read more

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New Years eve dinner in 2024/25 tasted pretty good, but left me "ringing in" the new year for the worse. Most likely, it was the Diver's scallop amuse bouche. Oh well, out with the bad. We foolishly decided to try another new year's eve 2025/26 because on the menu was Lobster Thermidor, a near-forgotten delicacy that I love. We stood in the doorway for some time while the host ignored us. Someone else came up to seat us and the pre fixe meal began. The amuse bouche, appetizer, soup and salad were all good. Not great, but not enough to complain about. The flavor was lacking, but we didn't fuss. The staff was busy, however they all but disappeared when the lobster arrived. An overcooked lump stuck in its shell with a wisp of dried out, curdled sauce. Not only was that NOT lobster thermidor, it was not edible. I could not cut it or get it out of its shell. There was a smear of polenta (I think) and some overcooked vegetable and that's it. The busboy noticed and apologized to me. No one else came near us, as we were noticeably very unhappy and not eating our entrée. We paid the high amount without being able to speak to anyone, and left a note, a call and another call. No one bothered to answer or assuage us in any way. Cambria is our go-to spot for a lovely new year, but Madeline's is permanently off the list for us forever. read more

This is my second time here. Madeline's is a small and intimate restaurant with great food and staff. The service is beyond amazing. Our waitress was great from start to finish. We started with the scallops, Madeline's salad, and bruschetta. I love their scallops. They are cooked perfectly. Their bruschetta is the best I have had. I am not a big bruschetta fan but love this dish. We also ordered the filet mignon and stuffed chicken breast and finished with apple pie, crème brûlée, and coffee. Everything was amazing. read more

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Quiet excellence. Food and service outstanding! Crab sandwich was stuffed with crab and the fries hot and crunchy. My seared tuna salad was flavorful. But the desert was to die for. Wine selection extensive. We had a French champagne which was delightful. read more

This was our first visit and we had high expectations. Have to first say that the service was very good, not overbearing and still quite attentive. I ordered the New York strip au Poivre, medium rare. The steak was cooked correctly, but the "au Poivre" sauce was terrible. The sauce was "broken" and instead of a rich, creamy sauce it had turned to just oil. Also, the generous dab of seasoned butter never fully melted... a clear indicator that the temperature was just tepid. With wine this was an expen$ive dinner ($200+)... I'd have been happier with a burger and fries. read more

We decided to be in Cambria for my wife's birthday and so I made a reservation at Madeline's. Just like Parkway Grill in Pasadena is our go-to restaurant for a celebration; Madeline's has become that restaurant when we are in town for a special holiday or milestone. This evening's meal was excellent from start to finish. Our server was Natalie and she was knowledgeable, super friendly and helpful. We started with appetizers and when my wife was told that they had run out of her appetizer choice, Natalie was able to get her a substitute that was perfect. Our salads were delicious and beautifully plated. The entrees we chose were excellent. My wife had the filet and, on Natalie's recommendation, I had the lamb chops. They were scrumptious and very tasty. It was a lovely evening and we were able to relax and enjoy a delicious meal with wine in a cozy restaurant that reminded us of our vacations in Paris and the great food at Petit Chaisse. Spending more and more time here in Cambria at our second home will surely mean that we will enjoy Madeleine's regularly. read more

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We made a reservation for 5PM and was sat immediately. It's a fairly small and. Intimate restaurant, which was so nice! The food was very delicious and the service was great! Probably one of the best cooked filet mignon I've ever had and the pork belly was to die for. We also got their Firestone soup and it was very hot! Our server was Giovanni (hope I got that correct) and he was very helpful. He checked up on us several times, inquiring if our food was good. Highly recommend for anyone staying in Cambria. When you make a reservation, ask to be sat in the alcove! read more

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It was just OK. The plates were not heated, which is sort of unconscionable at this price point so the food quickly got cold. And beyond that it was just sort of mediocre. Very nice people. read more

It's a very cozy little place, laid out well. The staff was attentive and cheerful, and the host was chatty in a great way. It's billed as a French restaurant and this, but the menu offers something for everyone. My partner had duck with asparagus and scalloped potatoes, all nicely prepared and presented. I had braised short ribs with garlic mash potatoes and asparagus. We both had salads to start, both excellent. It was my birthday and they offered me dessert on the house. I had Dutch apple pie with ice cream, the perfect way to end the meal. The place was filled with locals, always a good sign. Bravo Madeline's! read more

Came back for some more Madeline's. It was good but not as good as we remember. I got the stuffed chicken again. It was not great. It was dry and much much smaller than the last time. The dessert was amazing...chocolate cake. So so good. Very rich and delicious. Adair (our server) was great. read more

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The staff at Medeline's were very welcoming and accommodated my wife and I during a busy Valentine's Day weekend. I had the Filet and Jen had the peppercorn NY, both cooked to perfection. Ambiance is old school Italian joint, if you know what I mean. Kudos to Brooke, our waitress. She was great! read more

Amazing find! Madeline's might be unassuming inside and out but the food is outstanding and the owner David is a gracious host. This is a MUST VISIT if you're nearby. Salami and goat cheese flatbread - lunch entree which four of us split as an appetizer. Excellent balance of flavors and terrific intro to our meal. Poblano pepper soup - rich and satisfying. Large portion. Short Rib Tartine - craveworthy short ribs paired with three different mushrooms amped up with balsamic and served open faced on baguette. OMG. Salmon special - David kindly re-created the precious evenings special for lunch and . Salmon served on mascarpone risotto topped with pesto. If the tartine was a 10, the salmon was an 11. Oh the fries are crispy, lightly salty, obviously house made. My dining companions kept stealing mine. Not that we needed it but we ordered a lime & raspberry tart for dessert. Spectacular way to end the meal. The extensive wine list is fairly priced. There's a wine store in the restaurant stocked with a wide selection of hard-to-find local labels. The art on the wall is for sale, if that's your thing. I'm still dreaming of Madeline's. read more

Madeline's - Salmon special - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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Valentines dinner menu was perfect. I had the moist pork belly. It's the cutest French restaurant in Cambria. Lots of locals were there. You can tell by the way they dress. Our waitress was wonderful and the service was outstanding. Small mom and pop. The owner was as seating and attending to the customers. read more

Madeline's - New American Near Me - Cambria, California

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I highly recommend this restaurant but make reservations. It is cozy and fills up quickly

My husband and I always, always book a reservation for dinner whenever we are visiting. The food is exceptional and a delightful in every way. The staff are very friendly, polite, helpful and professional. Ricky was the Host and he was so professional and pleasant to speak to when answering our questions. Giovanni was our Server and he was very knowledgeable and professional as well. We asked Manny a few questions and he was very nice and friendly. All of these young men reflect a positive image for Madeline's restaurant. read more

Madeline's is always great. The owner /chef is always present to recognize the loyal customers and greet new diners . Food is consistently wonderful . And have a wine or two from their extensive collection. read more