This was probably one of my favorite experiences as a result of walking into a random store. I…read morewasn't sure what to expect when I walked in but I was immediately greeted by Carolina who welcomed me to try anything in the store. I knew Ojai was famous for its olive oils, but Carolina especially embodies mastery and craftsmanship as reflected in her offerings of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. As I was the only patron in her shop at the time, I was privileged with her showing me various unique combinations of balsamic and olive oil. She certainly lives up to the Italian stereotype of having good taste. She suggested against me buying food for my mother for Mother's Day, but she understood when I insisted that my mom is a foodie (where I get it from). Carolina herself is classy and refined, yet still so open and welcoming, all of which also is reflected in her store. It is thus no surprise that her shop has been around for over a decade. I hope her shop is there when I am 100! If there was ever a place to stop in Ojai, I would recommend this place. A truly unique experience, unparalleled. I am bringing my mom and all my other loved ones here.

It's a cute little store. It was quiet since we were the only ones there. They have samples in a…read moreglass covered sampler. We were also told that we could sample anything even if it was closed, which was great. We were focused on the balsamic vinegar. We tried the Blackberry Reserved Balsamic, and it was amazing. I didn't ask, but they have like a salad recipe that it would be paired with or possibly sell salad there as well. So glad we decided to stop by. The lady who helped us was kind and friendly. Overall, we will be returning since the service and tasting was a pleasant experience.

We arrived towards the end of the market as they were starting to pack up and put things away…read more Still there were plenty of vendors still there offering their goods but slowly shifting and packing up. It's located in a parking lot behind the main strip and in a residential area. All street parking but it tends to be pretty easy. There's a bakery vendors that I've had a few times but they do sell out quite fast. Their fresh baked bread and sweets are one not to be missed. This visit, they weren't there in their usual section so I assume they were pretty much sold out fast. Loads of fresh organic vendors with all their goods. As it was summer, there were so many vendors with amazing tomatoes. Heirlooms, grape tomatoes and so all. Everything all looked so fresh and I'm sure it was straight from the farm that morning. Also loads of other vendors selling their homemade goods, like soap to candles to everything in between. Majority of the vendors are fresh produce so you know you'll be picking up fresh farm products. Also fresh flowers are always a must when a visiting the farmers market. Can't forget the fresh berries and fruits. Doesn't scream summer without all the fresh berries straight of the plant. Regardless what you're looking for or not, I'm sure you'll always leave with plenty of fresh things at this market. Their items are always so fresh. A must whenever I'm Ojai. It's always on a Sunday morning.

First timer to this Farmers market. I usually go to the Oxnard Harbor one but it was nice to see…read morewhat Ojai has to offer. There were a lot of flower, veggies and fruit vendors. Prices are a bit more than Oxnard prices but I do think it's great to support local especially seeing the quality difference between local vendors and grocery stores. $13 for eggs still seems a bit steep for recovering from the egg hiked prices where they are now back to $6-7 in grocery stores. There was a vendor that sells sourdough breads and she was quite popular has she always had a line. Caroline's preservative jams are amazing in flavor and quality. I also appreciated that Centri Coffee was there so that I could buy some whole beans.

We happen to be in town for the wifey's birthday weekend. After doing some research, I knew this…read moreOlive + Lavender farm would be a great spot to check out. Glad we added it to the itinerary. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon. The olive oil tasting farm is located in a nice neighborhood area in downtown Los Olivos. There is parking accessible in the back parking lot and limited parking next to the olive oil tasting area and boutique shop. As soon as we parked and headed to the olive oil tasting area, we were greeted by a very friendly and hospitable staff member. I appreciated all the information she told us about the property and instructions about the olive oil tasting experience. Their complimentary olive oil tasting was unique and unlike any other olive oil tasting I had ever done before. There were 10 different olive oils to taste from. You are given a freshly made sourdough bread slice to go along with a tray with a menu sheet of all the olive oils. Some of the olive oils that stood out to me were the white truffle, garlic, and Italian honey. We were then encouraged to explore the rest of the property where there was a charcuterie cart, pottery vendor, and complimentary wine tasting on the other side of the premises. This enhanced our olive oil tasting experience even more. The rest of the property was beautiful as there were a lot of tables and chairs for guests to enjoy. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Olive + Lavender Farms. The staff were nice and accommodating. The vibe was relaxing and inviting. The boutique shop were selling a lot of wonderful and distinctive local products in the area. The olive oils price point are in the higher end. Next time we are in the area we would love to come back.

Such a gem of a place. Popped in to hopefully buy some lavender plants in pots. And while they…read moredon't sell lavender to plant (why not!?), they had a lovely selection of other things. We did a free olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting, and both my friend and I bought a bottle of habanero olive oil, so yummy! They sell bundles of lavender, soaps, cute kitchen things, candles etc etc. A great stop to pick up some gifts and great way to support local businesses.

I have to start by saying that having an experience like going to Olivella is not something we do…read morefrequently. For us, this is reserved for birthdays or anniversaries. This visit was actually to celebrate my birthday. We were slightly hesitant because of the set course menu, not knowing if we'd like the offerings and leery of the value. Let me put this to rest right of the bat, it was totally worth it. We left very satisfied with both the offerings and the portion sizes. We were seated promptly and were immediately greeted by Alana who was our server. She was warm and knowledgeable, friendly yet professional, attentive but never intrusive. I had notified the restaurant during the reservation process that I needed to avoid onion and garlic because I get intense reflux. Alana confirmed this before we began discussing the courses. She assured me that she would guide me away from offerings that would upset my system. There are actually 6 courses, not just the 4 on the menu. They bring an amuse-bouche and then bread to start, before the first course. I won't get deeply into our courses because the menu changes daily, but there were a couple of things we were told that are often on the menu that were soooo good. For the pasta course, both the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and the Rigatoni Bolognese were phenomenal. We both had different fish offerings for our main course which were excellent as well. We were so impressed with Alana that I asked to speak to the manager on our way out to express our gratitude. I feel that so often people only speak to management to complain, so when we receive exceptional service, I feel it's important to express appreciation.

We had Valentine's dinner at this beautiful, elegant restaurant. The service was exceptional, they…read morewere friendly, attentive & professional. The food was delicious, everything was fresh & flavorful. They were able to accommodate gluten free & dairy free. They had a special 4 course valentines menu $200/person. We enjoyed the bread, refreshing salad, lobster bucatini, dried aged ribeye, torta tenerina & sorbet. The only dish we didn't like was the black truffle risotto, it was way too salty. We had a wonderful experience, we would definitely return the next time we're in the area.

This is a somewhat small grocery store, but has a good variety of specialty foods including fresh…read moreproduce, frozen meats, bulk grains, fresh dairy, baking and cooking ingredients as well as some personal health items like vitamins and essential oils. A few odds and ends but mostly groceries. I appreciate that you can find things for dietary restrictions here, and the products all seem high quality. Love that I can buy Rancho Gordo beans here. Prices are not cheap, so I usually only go here when I need something specific, but they do tend to have what I'm looking for. I haven't ordered at the deli counter before, but the selection there looks good too. Store is clean and well stocked, and the staff has always been helpful for me. Last time I went in I needed some freeze dried strawberries and couldn't find them on my own, and when I asked at the cash register, the young woman walked me to them herself. I would recommend stopping in to see if this is the kind of store you want for your grocery needs. I like it. :)

I visited Rainbow Bridge Natural Foods in Ojai and while the food was great, the service was very…read moredisappointing. Three employees saw us at the register and ignored us. I had to call one over, and she asked me to walk to her instead of coming to the cashier. I ordered a hamburger with just cheese and a juice (which I repeated twice). The juice never came, and the burger arrived with lettuce and tomato. The attitude from the staff was not friendly, and even others in line noticed. Great food, but service is part of the experience. I hope they improve their customer service.

I live in Santa Barbara, planning an out-of-town trip, and was looking for gift for a host at…read morewhose home I would be spending a couple of nights. Viva Oliva was perfect. A small, local company, they offer a large variety of very reasonably priced gift choices. The sales associate was very friendly and helpful. (I chose a beautiful gift box of gourmet olive oil/vinegar pairings.)

Stopped in here to pick out a gift for my husbands grandparents. We walked in and were greeted by…read morethe kindest lady I forgot to ask for her name but I'm assuming she may the shop owner? There are sooo many amazing olive oils to sample!! The layout of the shop is open, airy, and inviting. Would highly recommend stopping here if you're passing through Santa Barbara!

I had been wanting to stop by for awhile now located in Downtown Ventura . New year ... so NEW me!…read moreI was looking for a good balsamic to make my salads more exciting! After tasting just about most of the balsamics in the shop- I bought the strawberry balsamic. OMG I am so excited . I joined their free loyalty club and I'll be back for more goodies soon! Highly rec, if you're a foodie looking to spruce up your meals! They don't just have balsamics - They have pastas, honey, teas, sauces, gift sets and so much more. Such friendly staff and the shop is kept clean / well organized. It was not busy at all when I stopped in.

This was our third trip to Olive Ventura. We actually remembered to bring our empty olive oil…read morebottles to be refilled. You save money that way. I tried some new varieties and can't wait to use them. It's also a great place to do some gift shopping. They have all sorts of olive oil themed soaps and creams plus candles. It's right on Main Street.

My brother-in-law invited me to a member event, so we took a day trip down to beautiful Ojai. After…read moredriving a few miles outside of the main town, we came across this cute and intimate winery, which, I might add, is family-owned. We had to pick up some wine bottles, so we decided to take in the member perks and enjoy our day listening to live music, drinking some great wine, and dining on a few of the delicious foods they provide. The lady and man at the entrance guided us to our table and immediately started the experience. We got to do a total of six tastings and tried out some charcuterie snacks. A few of my favorite wines were the Sahngri-La, Pink Moment Syrah, and the Zinfandel. I enjoyed the crackers and cheese they gave us to pair with our favorite testers. Throughout the event, they brought out some fruit, more wine, and pizza tasters, which were all delicious. I really enjoyed their pizza, so I definitely want to come back to enjoy the restaurant and drink some more refreshing wines.

this quaint restaurant is amazing!! pizza, pasta all salads were great!! the tomato salad reminded…read moreme of my grandfather that would bring home farm fresh bright red huge tomatoes that were SO amazing. a must have!! we took our order to go it was extremely hot!! they provide outdoor seating. a must if going to ojai, ca! the service was quick and helpful.