I had such a fun time olive oil tasting at Olive Hill Farm's tasting room in downtown Los Olivos!…read moreThere were so many different flavors, and when I asked our host for the most popular tasting options, I was surprised to hear they were blood orange and cranberry pear. I tried both, and then also sampled some savory options as that's what I was looking for. My favorite local oil was the savory garlic olive oil and for the imported option, the truffle oil was amazing. I did not like the sundried tomato olive oil and was surprised to read that canola oil and sunflower oil were ingredients. While tasting, my boyfriend and I noticed they offered ice cream topped with oils and vinegar. Intrigued, we ordered the chocolate ice cream with blood orange oil and chocolate balsamic. We hadn't really liked the blood orange oil with bread, but wow was it an amazing combo with ice cream! Overall, a great spot in Los Olivos that does not involve wine drinking and we appreciate that it was dog friendly.

I had about an hour before my friends were going to meet me for lunch nearby so I went and did an…read moreolive oil tasting. The young lady that helped me was supremely knowledgeable about all things olive oil. She paired each olive oil with a vinegar and served it with a basket of soft, yummy bread. I devoured every single olive oil and while I wanted to buy more than one, I decided to limit myself to my most favorite of all--the jalapeño infused olive oil. I highly recommend this place. They have a great patio to sit outside and enjoy the day. Alas, I forgot to snap a photo because I was so present in my thoroughly pleasant olive oil, tasting experience!

Yummy cupcakes. I like that they have unique weekly flavors. I always get the mini pack because you…read moreget to try a few different types. Service has always been great! We always pickup from sarloos and sons.

Amber at Enjoy Cupcakes made the process of ordering our wedding cake so easy! Everything was set…read moreup seamlessly over email, and the cake itself was both gorgeous and absolutely delicious. Our guests couldn't stop raving about it. If you're looking for a delightful cake and an effortless experience, Enjoy Cupcakes is the way to go!

Do not miss this winery! There are many tasting rooms to choose from so this is to help you choose…read morethe top wines. We loved their wine, we did a tasting which I typically skip right to the reds. I did the full white and red wine tasting. Every wine was so well balanced, smooth, and ready to enjoy, We were fortunate to be served by Kieth Saarloos who was so informative about the wines, the region and the family history. We were captivated by not only the experience but also both the white and red wines, we left with quite a bag full. Tip: some bottles can be less expensive at the winery vs online. Cant comment on cupcakes experience hopefilly next time. But the wines 5 stars absolutely

We will never return to this place whenever friends come to visit from outside we try to take them…read moreto wine tasting, years ago we came to this place and we liked it but this time the experience was not good at all: The place was empty so there were no reason for this attitude the ladies working here seemed like they didn't want to be bothered. They didn't even give any kind of welcome No explanation at all of the wines We had to walk up back to the bar for each glass and each tasting, They didn't even have water at others tastings they always offer water as part of the experience, Hate this to happen when we're entertaining friends that travel from so far.

Hands down the best restaurant in Los Olivos. Have the three course dinner or lunch meal which is…read morethe best deal in town. Easily the best wine selection in town as well. Staff are extraordinary. Setting is wonderful. And the best one selection for purchase as well.

This is a hard one to review. We had one good appetizer and a glass of wine. The rest of it kind of…read morewent south. The positive first: walking in everybody was super friendly and greeted us with a smile, and sat us down right away on the patio since we had our dog with us. We ordered the baked brie appetizer and two glasses of red wine. My husband had the Austin Hope Cab and I had a red blend. I don't remember the brand name. It was a little bit expensive for a glass of wine. I wanna say around $25 but we both were in the mood for a good wine and wanted to treat ourselves. The baked Brie was delicious. Negative: the fish and chips and the service. I was so excited to see fish and chips on the menu because it was halibut. I'm used to cod in fish and chips so of course I had to order since I am a huge halibut lover. The table next to us also said what an amazing meal that was and ordered one to go. We received our fish and chips from not our server and the person dropped the meal and left without asking us if we needed anything. My husband and I looked at the fish and chips and immediately started laughing. It looked like little fish nuggets as opposed to fish! I kind of thought we were being punked. We waited and waited for the server to come by or a manager or some thing and could not get anybody to come talk to us. It took 14 minutes for her to finally come tap on our table and ask if everything was OK. We told her it was not OK and to look at the size of the fish and she said she would go tell the kitchen and asked if we wanted to remake it. At that point, we weren't even hungry anymore. We were just kind of annoyed at the entire situation. She comes back out a few minutes later and says we're going to take it off of your bill. We don't see her for a while and then the manager comes over and says we took it off of your bill. He didn't ask if there's any way to make it right he just said OK anyways and walked away at the end. Being in the restaurant industry for many years, I thought this was pretty offensive. If I were him, I probably would have made another one right away or offered something they are known for like their pizza. So overall, I wouldn't be back. I think there's many other restaurants around there and to be treated like that after how we were served....no thank you!

We went to Los Olivos for a weekend without the kids and made a reservation at Bar Le Côte before…read morewe even booked our hotel. We'd been to Bells for lunch and heard rhapsodic things about this sister restaurant and were excited to go for a getaway date. We showed up half an hour late for our 7:45 Saturday night reservation and were relieved that we didn't lose our table. (No joke, our hot air balloon landed behind schedule.) The restaurant doesn't have a phone, so I had to message them on Instagram. Thankfully, they received the message and were very understanding. Dinner service was in full swing when we arrived, and we were seated right away. The space was lovely, contemporary and attractive, with designy fixtures and cool art on the walls. The vibe was casual and comfortable, and service was great. We'd been drinking wine all day and went easy on the alcohol, getting a glass each of the Mas Martinet Menut, a Spanish Priorat Garnaxta blend, and the Storm Sauvignon Blanc, a local selection. Both were excellent, and worked well with our dinner. The food was delicious. We started with a few picks from the raw seafood section, a half dozen oysters, some Santa Barbara sea urchin, and Peruvian scallops. The oysters were fresh Pacific Gold Reserves from Moro Bay and Fortunes from PEI, Canada, served on ice with cocktail sauce, mignonette, and lemon. The sea urchin was okay, the only skip of the meal, but I wasn't sorry to eat it. The scallops were fantastic, sweet in their shells, finished with BD's Pixie tangerine and mint. (BD came up a couple times on the menu; I assume it's a farm.) Next, we dug into the pan con tomate, Chef Bri's rosemary and saffron focaccia with a side of vibrant, jammy tomato. We added the boquerones, a pro move. These were five plump, salty marinated anchovies that were destined to be eaten with pan con tomate. We ordered two entrées and both were outstanding. The Morro Bay vermilion rockfish was a beautiful piece of fish, served with Finley Farm snap peas, tendrils, consommé, and mint. The heritage pork chop was tender, juicy, and super flavorful, seasoned with fennel pollen, with a bright side salad of BD's arugula and Finley fennel. We shared a bowl of vanilla ice cream with Pedro Ximénez sherry for dessert, and it was kind of perfect. I don't think I'd had this combination before and am thinking of buying Pedro Ximénez sherry just to put it on ice cream at home. This was a wonderful dinner, one I'd be happy to repeat almost course for course. If you're planning to hang out in Los Olivos, I'd highly recommend booking a table at Bar Le Côte. It's worth going out of your way for, too. Like Bells in Los Alamos, it's a destination on its own.

Bar Le Côte is popular for a reason so I highly recommend getting a reservation if you hate waiting…read moreas much as I do. If you need to get in touch with them, know they don't have a phone number so you'll have to reach out via email or Instagram. They're also a service‑included spot and automatically add a 20% service charge to every check, regardless of party size. We recently came in for a Sunday lunch with a group of 8. We ordered a half-dozen Oysters, the Peel & Eat Shrimp, the Peruvian Scallops, the Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, the Paella Negra, the Boquerones, the Roasted "Fortune" Oysters, and the BLC Spiced Fries. All the seafood was so fresh and the paella was especially delicious. The fries were a bit of a miss for me since they didn't really have much seasoning, but they still came out hot and crunchy. I'd love to come back for their Happy Hour (runs from 3-5 PM every day and all night on Thursdays) and to try the Dinner For Two (Chef's 7 Course Tasting Menu available after 4 PM).

Stopped here for lunch on Wednesday. What a fabulous place!…read moreFrom flatbread pizza to crudo, and to the wine selection, it was truly perfect. We sat outside as it was a really nice day and the great service, the menu options, and the music was all chill vibe we needed after a 4 hr drive. Thank you and I will be back! Cheers!

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Nella Kitchen & Bar on our way out of Los Olivos the Sunday before last…read more I made a reservation, but it didn't seem necessary, at least when we went at 11:30, right at opening. The vibe was pleasant and a little bit fancy. No lowly brunch menu here--we had raw fish, medium rare steak, and red wine. I suppose not everyone wants all that before dinner. Nella is an attractive restaurant at the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. The dining room looked charming, but we opted to sit on the patio, which was comfortable and breezy. Service was great, attentive and prompt. We were in and out in an hour, as planned, but we could've lingered longer. The food was delicious, starting with the $9 bread and butter--French baguette with a bright yellow block of salted Bordier butter. The salmon crudo was fresh and silky, finished with Fresno chile, citrus, passion fruit, avocdao mousse, calamansi vinegar, and fresh basil. My favorite dish, though, was the spring salad, a vibrant assembly of Tutti Frutti Farms sugar snap peas, fava beans, kumquats, calamansi pickled red onions, arugula, pecorino, and rosé vinaigrette. I don't typically go for salads without meat, but this one was superb. For our entrées, we shared a Margherita pinsa and the filet mignon. The pinsa was an airy flatbread, topped with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, basil, and sea salt. The prime cut filet was flavorful and satisfying, cooked a tender medium rare and served with yu choy and green peppercorn sauce. We ordered two Italian reds by the glass, which went well with everything, but especially with the steak. The Grosjean Vallee d'Aoste, a Gamay , and the Clos Venturi Vin de Corse "1769," a Sangiovese Sciaccarellu blend. I'd been to SY Kitchen once before and plan to go to whatever restaurant the group is about to open up in Montecito. These people obviously know what they're doing. We had a lovely lunch at Nella Kitchen & Bar and would recommend it to anyone visiting Los Olivos.

From the moment we walked in, the staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and genuinely kind. The…read moreservice was attentive and everything felt easy and relaxed. We absolutely love the corgi theme. It adds so much personality and charm to the space without feeling gimmicky. The shop has a cozy ambiance, but the standout feature for us was the huge back patio. It is spacious, peaceful, and ideal for getting work done with a laptop, or even with big groups of people. The patio covers provide plenty of shade so the sun does not feel overwhelming, and the WiFi was strong and reliable. We ordered hibiscus iced teas, and they were delicious. It was perfect for an 80 degree day. Overall, a great little coffee shop.

The space is super eclectic and I dig it. My barista was…read moresuper nice. Vanilla latte was not strong enough and needed an extra shot of espresso. My barista informed that all drinks are two shots so I would recommend the 12oz instead of the 16oz or ask for an extra shot if you're a caffeine lover. There is a great outdoor space for the nice days and a cozy bookstore area for those looking for a calmer atmosphere. Restroom is clean but there is only one as far as I saw which thankfully was not busy. Parking is all residential but it seems like there is plenty and for those looking to do work on their laptops there are definitely plenty of outlets so enjoy. Thanks Lefty's, maybe I'll stop in next time I'm in the area.

We stayed at the Inn at Mattei's Tavern this past weekend and had dinner at the titular Tavern, an…read moreupscale contemporary restaurant in a reincarnated central California stagecoach stop dating back to 1886. The inn leans into the old west aesthetic, but the tavern is just elegant and attractive, with leather furniture, a high vaulted ceiling, and a lot of windows. It was pleasantly bustling on a Friday night, with what seemed like a mix of hotel guests and other visitors. Los Olivos has a population that hovers around 1,000, so this restaurant, like the stagecoach stop, is there to serve travelers. Accordingly, service was first class. There was a full bar with elaborate cocktails and plenty of wine from the area. We ordered two rounds of cocktails, as we planned to drink wine all weekend, and they were all very good. The Vaquero Campfire was a refreshing mezcal drink with pink peppercorn, honey, and charred grapefruit. The Cigars & Horses was a boozy mix of bourbon, yellow chartreuse, and smoked cinnamon. Los Rancheros Vistadores was a pleasantly bitter tequila cocktail, with reposado, amaro, Aperol, and orange olive oil. And the Pinochle Punch was a smooth blend of milk-clarified rye, cognac, and orange. We ordered wines by the glass to go with our entrees, and these were both lovely, too. The Sandlands Lodi Red Table Wine and the Racines Mattei's Cuvée, a Chardonnay that must have some connection to Mattei's Tavern. The food was delicious. We started with a half dozen oysters with mignonette and lemon and Gin's tuna carpaccio, topped with scallion, radish, ginger dressing, and cold-pressed California olive oil. Then we had Mattei's house focaccia, served with cultured butter and herb oil, and the country pâté, with cherry, tarragon, and sourdough. The entrées were both excellent. The Channel Islands rockfish was beautifully cooked, served in a vibrant tomatillo sauce with hoja santa, with sides of roti, grilled avocado, and grilled lime. The Colorado lamb was tender and juicy with a nice spiced crust. It came with couscous, vadouvan, mint yogurt, onion, and dates. For dessert, we shared the affogato: vanilla ice cream, Handlebar espresso. Hard to think of a better way to wind down a big meal. We charged dinner to the room and got $100 through a hotel promotion. This covered some of our drinks. The Tavern is not a cheap restaurant, but it is a great one, well worth checking out on your visit to Los Olivos.

Been here twice now and trying to be fair about it…read more The food is genuinely great and pricing feels in line with other spots around here. Not cheap, but not over the top either. Service is where things fell short both times. It took about 40 minutes to get our breakfast after ordering, and it was pretty obvious the plates had been sitting under a heat lamp for a bit. I used to work in food service, so it's something I tend to notice. We weren't in a rush, but we did need to be in and out within an hour. By the time the food came, we had maybe 15 minutes to eat and had to ask for the check right away just to stay on schedule. Overall, it's a great spot if you have the time to hang, but I'd be cautious coming here if you're on any kind of timeline.

We love Roblar. The wine is great, but the food is honestly what keeps bringing us back. One of the…read morefew wineries around with a real full kitchen instead of the usual cheese board or boxed lunch setup. Everything on the menu has been fantastic so far. Best recommendation: ask your server or pourer what food pairing works best with whatever wines they're pouring that day. They really know the menu and it makes the experience even better.

Started off a golf weekend with a visit to Roblar. They had a nice patio area in the back that was…read moreperfect for a sunny day. I had the 5 glass tasting. I enjoyed all of the wines but I really enjoyed the Rose, the CSG and LOVED the Cabernet Reserve (to no one's surprise). This is a really nice winery in the Santa Ynez valley.