Went here for a birthday celebration. We were fortunate to get a table outside. It wasn't too crowded, and a real treat to dine under the stars. One of their winning dishes was the crispy cauliflower appetizer. I even liked their French fries which we had on the side. Branzino was cooked really well. The steak was nice, although not as tender as we would have hoped. Lamb dish was flavorful and plentiful. I'm not sure if they do this all the time, but the server gave us some glasses of prosecco for a birthday toast. That was a nice touch. Service was quick too. I hope to have the opportunity to dine there under the stars again some other time. It was truly a memorable experience. read more

Been driving by for years but always had horses with me and couldn't stop. Finally, a day without the ponies and we decided to stop in for lunch. Mind you, we just finished riding at the trainer's and weren't dressed as nicely as the other guests. We were treated very well. No one batted an eye about my ponytail and baseball cap. We were treated warmly and sat immediately at a nice table. I had the smash burger. Hubby had the BLTA. Both were exceptional and the service was top notch. We will be back. Thanks for making it a great lunch! read more

The main dinner courses were very sub-par. I would not suggest having dinner here. The chef is trying to make bold pairings that become a disaster on a plate. Pork sausage paired with berries- not good, thin dry branzino swilling in over acidic tomatillo salsa with roti flat bread on the side that tastes like hockey pucks, over whipped mashed potatoes that taste like they have glue added to the mix. They definitely need a new head chef! However the ambience, appetizers and dessert were worthwhile for a pitstop. read more

Food poisoning should never happen at any restaurant. We came Sunday night to celebrate my husbands birthday. We ordered cocktails, two appetizers, two entrees and dessert. It was $350 with tip. Unfortunately I got sick and was sick for nearly 24 hours. I really believe this should never happen and especially at an establishment like this. read more

The Tavern - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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We made a reservation at The Tavern to celebrate our one-year anniversary, so it was disappointing to arrive and learn that our reservation had somehow been canceled. We had specifically chosen this restaurant because we were traveling with our dog and understood that their outdoor seating area was dog-friendly. We were told that the outdoor patio was closed for a private event. Since we had made our reservation more than a week in advance, it would have been helpful if the restaurant had notified us ahead of time so we could have made other arrangements. Unfortunately, we ended up having to leave our dog back at the hotel. To their credit, the hostess did her best to accommodate us and found us a table in the bar area near the fireplace. However, the location wasn't ideal for an anniversary dinner. Guests frequently walked and stood in front of the fireplace directly in front of our table, and at one point other patrons even sat down at our table, making what was supposed to be a romantic evening feel awkward and disrupted. The food itself was excellent, and we genuinely enjoyed our meal. Had it not been for the reservation mix-up and the restaurant's lack of proactive communication regarding the patio closure, this would likely have been a much higher-rated experience. Unfortunately, the service and overall experience fell short of what we expected for such a special occasion. read more

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Been here twice now and trying to be fair about it. 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. read more

The Tavern - Sparkling Rose - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Mattei's Tavern is a fantastic mix of nostalgia, European vibes without the stuffiness, cozy fireplaces, darker, moody ambiance in the historic bar portion of the venue, with wallpaper still original to the 1850's, etc...high quality foods, amazing wines and and a wonderful friendly staff. We only wished we had something like that in Santa Barbara! Whoever did the decor has world-class taste, has an incredible eye for detail, and is truly a connaisseur. The owners also own "Strange" winery and have a wonderful tasting room in the heart of Los Olivos. Today, we had the steak frites, mushroom toast, various tastings of beer, mimosa, and wine, and the vanilla/coffee ice cream dessert. I've already requested to have my birthday party there. Thank you owners of Mattei's Tavern for giving us such a wonderful ambiance to enjoy! You are artists! read more

We stayed at the Inn at Mattei's Tavern this past weekend and had dinner at the titular Tavern, an upscale 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. read more

Food was great. We had reservations and were seated right away. Our food did take long but they said we got stuck behind a big party. They brought out a complimentary dessert for my birthday and offered us free champagne but we declined since we were off to go wine tasting. The dessert was our favorite part, so delicious!! I had the smashed avocado and added an over easy egg. It was good and tasty. My husband had the cheesy scrambled eggs toast and added salmon. He loved it. We enjoyed our food but also enjoyed the ambiance of the place. Feels like a country side place but modern. Such a beautiful space and decorated so well! We definitely recommend for breakfast or brunch and enjoy the grounds outside. We will come back for another vacation. read more

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We stopped in because: we were hungry, we were picking up our wines from Blair Fox, and we wanted to see the new(ish) iteration of Mattie's. It's a beautiful location and the patio is perfect. Our waitress was very friendly and talkative BUT the service was far from good. There were other diners that literally sat there with water for over 10 minutes without the waitress checking in. Finally someone else came to their table and gave them a menu. Meanwhile, the same waitress was talking up a different table for that same 10 minutes. It was a bad sign. I ordered a beer and husband ordered a glass of wine. His came and mine didn't. I had to ask for it and wait another 5 minutes for it to arrive. Husband ordered the $32 steak sandwich and I ordered the $24 crispy zucchini sandwich. His was good, not amazing and mine was anything but crispy. For the high prices, one would expect good (if not excellent) service and food to match. Don't waste your time or money here-literally the sandwich place on the corner by the flag pole is wayyyy better. Also, they don't have a website and do not have an email to speak to a manager. Meh. read more

My wife and I had a very fun evening at Mattei's. rhe wait staff were just fab, informative and friendly. When they found out it was my birthday, they treated me very nicely and that was greatly appreciated. The Tavern is also a pretty space for dining and that made it even better. My wife had the kale salad (she loved it) and we shared the fried cauliflower and mashed potatoes (also good) The one downside was that I had the pork chop as my main and it was way overdone. It was a bit tough to eat. Otherwise Mattei's would have been 5 stars for sure. The next morning we went back and visited the coffee bar. Drinks were excellent, we got the cheesy eggs/toast which was very good and they have a nice seating area. read more

My review is for the breakfasts and the dinner that I had over the course of a three night stay at the Inn at Mattei's Tavern. As a vegetarian who doesn't eat egg dishes (I do make exceptions for baked goods containing eggs), breakfast can be quite difficult for me. The first day I opted for the breakfast sandwich subbing avocado and tomatoes for the sausage and fried egg. They used heirloom tomatoes which were fantastic! The hash brown comes inside the sandwich, so it's a bit difficult to eat as it's quite large and the English muffin is messy as it has a dusting of cornmeal, but the flavour was good. They bring some house made hot sauce too which is great. I also HAD to try the blue corn hotcakes...luckily I was able to get a short order as I really just wanted to taste them. They're delicious and not too sweet, and my word that Chantilly cream is SO GOOD! I also got one biscuit to go...biscuits and gravy are a new addition to their menu. I'm certainly not an expert in biscuits, but this had the texture and density of an English muffin more than that of a biscuit. I wouldn't have this again. The second morning I had the mushroom toast which is actually on the lunch menu but as I'm Veg, they made an exception for me. It wasn't bad but also not what I expected so I politely ate half but couldn't eat the rest...the mushrooms are almost puréed with creme fraiche, and it's a bit off putting to look at. The third morning I had the huevos rancheros, sans huevos . Yes this may sound odd, but it was fantastic! Two fried blue corn tortillas sandwiched a mix of black beans and queso fresco, and this was on top of mole rojo, and topped with sliced avocado and chilies. Sooo good! I also had a side of sautéed mushrooms and spinach. I only had dinner there one night...but wow it was good. Two people in town had recommended the kale salad. It was hands down the best kale salad I've ever had. No bitterness, and obviously this kale had been properly massaged! Haha. It's a HUGE salad and probably best for two people to share...pine nuts, thinly sliced Serrano, tiny bits of avocado, and finely grated Parmesan. I could eat this every night. I also got a side of brown butter mashed potatoes...and...they were so good that I almost cried. Easily the best mashed potatoes I have ever had as well. All of the servers I had (Jimmy, Marcos and Ryan) were lovely and knowledgeable. The restaurant manager is attentive and remembers diners names, which is always nice. I will gladly eat here next time I'm in Los Olivos! read more

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Being an Auberge property, we assumed the food would be outstanding. It was not. I ordered a Caesar salad with chicken and while the lettuce was great and the presentation was nice, the dressing was not even close to what a Caesar should be. It was white and VERY sweet and had no lemon or garlic. Very disappointing. When I told the waiter why I didn't eat much, he said other people had also complained and he took it off our bill. My husband ordered the smash burger and it was super salty and he kept guzzling water. The service was friendly but slow and because we think a Caesar salad and a burger are hard to mess up, we are worried everything else will be bad as well. Won't be returning. read more

What I loved: Jimmy our server knew my husband's name, as he had made a reservation. He was very friendly and when we asked if we could bring on our dog he said yes, even though the hostess had said no about having dogs in the dining room. She said only on the patio, but because it was raining it was not open today. Also liked the wine list by the glass. Although pricey, the selection was great for reds. When I looked earlier at the wine list there was a Viognier, however it was not on there today. Love the ambiance with a very cozy feeling in the front area and bar on a rainy spring day. Food was good, especially the bread on the BLT sandwich, which he said was from a bakery in Santa Barbara. What I didn't like: nothing. read more

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Service was friendly and professional but a bit slow. Of course, you might think that the pace of dining is intended to be relaxed. I'm not sure. The location is rich with history and it was fun to visit. The cocktails were good but not amazing. The crispy cauliflower was the best dish in my opinion. The chicken sounded amazing but was a bit dry and the chicken flavor was muted. read more

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The service/experience here is so bad you'd think you were the unwitting subject of a hidden camera show. I haven't been to Mattei's Tavern since they rebranded but I was really excited to check it out. My partner made reservations weeks ago for Mother's Day, having dined there for breakfast a few weeks ago with her friends. Our reservations were for 10 AM on Sunday and we arrived about 10 minutes early. We were seated immediately by the hostess, who was already giving off negative and cynical vibes. The hostess grabbed menus and asked if we needed a kids menu for my toddler daughter. We said yes. She sat us outside in the grass area, beyond the patio. Then instead of leaving the menus, she took them all away. We just sat there confused until a busboy came and offered us water. We asked if we could get a high chair (we also asked the hostess who never returned). We also asked where our menus were. He was very confused and thought that maybe since it was "almost" 10AM, that buffet brunch was the only option. We were not told this. Brunch was not even ready - the staff spent the next 20 minutes setting it up. Then our waitress came and even she was confused. She acted like she'd "allow" us to order breakfast if we went to the bar. See the attached photo. Breakfast is served until 11 on Sundays. Buffet starts at 10AM. It was 9:55 AM at this point. Finally they came back with the high chair and the waitress came with menus saying she was able to convince them to "allow" us to order off the breakfast menu. We ordered and waited. From the time we sat and the first dish appeared, forty minutes had passed. During this time all our our pants were soaked through because the seats were damp with dew/moisture. I didn't even realize this was an issue at first because they looked fine the soaking was very slow and gradual. By the end of the hour, you really felt your pants wet, especially after you stand up. I also noticed the table near us that got up before us, all had napkins laid down on their seats. This is supposed to be a luxury resort but they couldn't figure out how to a) store their cushions inside b) flip their cushions or dry them off or c) provide a towel or light blanket to place over the wet cushions. During the whole meal we watched every single employee stepping over the planters/flowers to serve the guests on the lawn then back again when they returned. I can't stress how unprofessional and weird it is to see employees leaping over plants rather than going around. If they thought this was a problem, why not just cut a path and put a paver so there's a natural place to travel? Now the good parts - the busser did the most to help us even though it wasn't his job. He was the one that figured out the menus for us and got us the high chair. Two of us ordered ice tea and once person asked for extra ice. When they brought out the drinks the waitress also brought out a large mason jar of ice and a full carafe of iced tea. I know this sounds like a small thing but I was really impressed with this and the ice tea actually tasted really good unlike many places where it's kind of an afterthought. The food was mostly good too especially the Huevos Rancheros. We also got the blue corn pancakes which was good, but not great. My partner said last time she visited they were fluffier while this time they were kind of dense. Speaking of last visit, she also said the same hostess was working and she also put a damper on their experience last time. We drove about an hour to visit Mattei's Tavern. I am glad it's around to serve the people in they valley but I would not recommend visiting the restaurant unless you have incredible patience, money and time to waste, and can put up with a lot of incompetence. read more

The Tavern - Shrub the staff leaps over throughout the service - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Los Olivos, California

We made reservations for an 8:00 seating at the Tavern. As we arrived about 15 minutes early we were excited to be seated sooner. The staff from the hostess to the servers and attendants were second to none. We felt connected to our server based off his recommendations and they were spot on. We started out with the fried cauliflower and chicken and caviar. Both total stars for starters. Our mains included filet of beef, lamb, and the porkchop. All were great but our party felt the pork chop was the star of the show. When asked about what side to add it was suggested to add the brown butter potatoes. What a treat. It complimented the dishes so well. Drinks were thoughtfully curated and spot on. As satisfied as we were we decided to go for two desserts, the mud pie and apple crumble. Both delicious. We are excited to return and try another dinner service or breakfast. Thank you all for the fantastic evening! read more

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I love this place. The ambiance the food the service. It's always great ... stopped by to have lunch with my husband yesterday but the dining room was already closed we we took a seat at the bar and ordered a persimmon spritz and wedge salad and steak and fries. We shared everything and it was perfect. Delicious and fresh food. Great service from the moment we walked in A beautiful resort with this beautiful restaurant. You transfer to another world when you are here. So relaxing. read more

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Great Food and Great Service! Brown sugar Latte was soooo good! The whole restaurant was beautiful! Will be coming back! read more

The Tavern - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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Definitely a throwback to the Stagecoach days, Mattei's Tavern was established in 1886. There is a newer, brighter main dining room attached to the tavern/bar lounge. We decided to stop here on our drive back to Orange County from our long weekend of Paso Robles wine tasting (recommendation from one of the Paso wine bar hosts). We ordered a wedge salad and a chicken Sammie to share. * Wedge Salad - 5/5 the right proportion of each ingredient including the dressing; the red cabbage was a nice addition; large chunks of bacon lardons * Chicken Sammie- 3.5/5 fried chicken was overly fried but the fresh daikon radish, thin slices of carrots and cucumber made the sandwich delicious (basically a fried chicken banh mi); the accompanying fries were just meh Service was a little slow, but they were friendly. FYI- the restroom was definitely modernized, but still tried to retain the 1800's feel The lunch menu was short, but we were told the dinner menu is much more extensive 3.5/5 read more

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Even though this place is $$$, we loved it. The vibe was super chill. The surroundings absolutely beautiful and peaceful. The service was attentive and friendly. The food was really quality. Aside from the very steep price tag, I couldn't recommend this place enough. read more

Initially gave it two stars for good service and great ambiance. But then all four of us got sick and one of us vomited, which led to updating this review to a 1 star. Terrible food, would have been way better to have just gone to Jack in the Box. Avoid the cocktails, onion dip, salads, beef tartare, salmon, and burgers. It's horrifying that they charge so much per night yet the food is such low quality. Needs some serious improvement. Overall, an expensive disappointment. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE. Unless you want more stress and less vacation/relaxation. Don't be fooled by the Auberge brand for this hotel. This hotel is a diluted version of what should be standard with that brand and caliber. Let me start off by saying that the staff are incredible friendly. I don't mean to be rude when I say-- they're not very sharp-- at all. They all seem to be deer caught in headlights-- even for the simplest things. Btw-- to set the stage for this review, I am not a hotel snob by any means. Every time we ordered room service, I had to follow up 3 times because every time it was incorrect and then they kept forgetting items. It was getting embarrassing. I felt sorry for the poor guy who kept having to go back and forth. It made us not want to order room service anymore. Even asking them to remove the dirty dishes they would never come to they kept piling up outside. Same went for requesting our room to be cleaned. We'd have to continually follow up. When it was finally cleaned, I noticed that all of the windows were unlocked. I'm cognizant of the security for my family anywhere we stay and when we checked into the room, I went through and manually locked all of the sliding windows-- they were all unlocked. Oddly enough, they were unlocked after the room was cleaned. They told us at check-in we could make s'mores in our patio fireplace and just call front desk to order some kits. We did. And we waited and nothing ever came. We called again and was told same thing. Still never arrived. I had to go in-person to the office and when I explained the situation, they just stared at me and then quietly went into the back to go make a kit. No sorry-- just here you go. Kids are supposed to eat free during our stay and we kept getting charged and we'd have to remind literally everyone to remove the charges. Very annoying to have to keep examining our bill to ensure these people follow directions. We kept getting charged for random fees throughout our stay. Not small amounts-- $2K once, $600, then another $500 and others. When I called the front desk, no one could explain what the charges were for. They just said "I don't know." We were told a 4pm guarantee check-in time. We request an early check in and know it's not guaranteed but we didn't end up getting checked in until 4:40pm. We have kids with us and this caused a huge inconvenience after being told something by the staff with yet again, a lack of follow through. We were also told we'd receive a text when it was ready and never did-- I had to keep calling to follow up. The fire-pit in the back of our cottage never worked either. Big disappointment, as we were looking forward to making s'mores. The grounds are nice. Not a quiet location though, as the main road is right next to the hotel so you hear cars driving by. We went to the pool to check it out and I had to find someone to help us get towels. They told us they have to go find some and then we never saw him again. We finished our last night with my wife telling me at 10pm "there is a man on our porch with a flashlight and he's been there a while." Keep in mind, our two kids are sleeping. I open the door and he said that he received a ticket that we asked to get a light fixed on the porch, which we did not request. This person also wasn't wearing a hotel maintenance uniform. Again, these people are just so unorganized it's embarrassing. I would recommend that management and ops align and ensure that their staff is trained and there is some semblance of consistency in their approach to service. Simply put, follow through and do what you say. There's enough stress that comes along with traveling with kids-- it was really unnecessary to deal with all of this and the worst part is, they did nothing to rectify anything. read more

We LOVE The Tavern, it's become our go-to when in town. Their breakfast and dinner options are amazing. You're in luck with Tammy or Gabby as your server!! read more

Dog friendly. We visited the bar and tried the chicken sandwich and some cocktails - both were really good. Laid back tavern aesthetic atmosphere. Service was slow but it was busy understandable - their welcoming nature of dogs made up for it though. read more

We celebrated our daughter's birthday here & it was lovely! Gabi Barajas was with us for the evening and gave us excellent recommendations on both food and wine selections. The place was beautiful, cozy, packed with people, and lively! read more

Terrible service! Sat in a bar and waited 20 minutes after we ordered our drink and it never came. They never cleaned our table. We got up and left. read more

This place could've been a old time Stagecoach stop. It might well have been. Even though the Tavern is part of a huge property everything about it is warm and charming...until you get to the food. Hold your hosses, we'll get to the food. The decor is heavy wooden beams, a collection of ancient cheese boards on a wall, and more leather than a Dominatrix's den. All of it exudes deep rich comfort while dining. It's what you'd expect in a Brothel catering to Congressmen in the 20's. Hushed conversations, muted tones, money. It has that "take a niece to lunch" feel. I can envision Eleanor nibbling at her toast and sipping tea while Franklin was busy wheeling after the cute server and leaving a trail of smoke behind his chair in every one of the several dining rooms. Sit outside and take in the expansive nature all around or sit inside nestled into a deep dish wing chair and savor the clubby atmosphere. A promising menu offers a substantial number of breakfast choices coming from the busy open kitchen. I thought it would be a perfect way/place to start your day walking, waddling, and or staggering from tasting room to tasting room in town which is mostly what there is to do in Los Olivos. Very civilized, no? The Staff: They are all completely caffeinated, cheerful, in constant motion and happy to see you. Who's sitting at the next table? Inn'erts and tourists giving occasional thought to reacquiring sobriety after a day of tasting and wasting. What's to eat? There is a Full Bar, and Wine to the rafters. It's the perfect spot for a Bloody one. And someone knew how to make a good one. So, I say, go ahead, it's a vacay, what the hey. The menu lists upscale diner chow and all House made. No throwin' shade on what's available. You can have your Death Row Breakfast here. Wait a minute, they only give you a last dinner. You'll have to work with that. Sadly, the touted Chilaquiles was MIA. So, instead I opted for the Hangtown Fry. A classic originating in Placerville, California. (aka Hangtown). One day a miner hit a main vein and emerged from his mine filthy and filthy rich. He proceeded to the Cary House Hotel and ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Eggs and Oysters both sold for $50 per during the Gold Rush. He asked for a dozen of each. The added thick sliced Bacon was a spiff on the House. Mattei's version from the top down was a scattering of Baby Arugula lightly dressed in a basic Vinaigrette. Not bad, but not necessary. Just underneath the Salad were two Monkey fist sized lovely breaded bivalves. Hot, crispy, gooey and oozing serious oysterosity. They were wonderful and wonderfully plumb and I could have easily polished off that miner's dozen, plus. The whole dish was prepared in a small cast iron pan that held the Eggs. Cast iron holds the heat. Sadly, the Eggs were an Omelet of sorts as a stage for the Oysters and was as rubbery as a Whoopie Cushion. You could have used the Eggs for a Bounce House floor or a Pickle Ball paddle. I needed a steak knife to cut it, so for me the Eggs didn't cut it. The takeaway, is that a good Hangtown Fry requires a soft scramble and if the Chef insists on an Omelet then make a French one preferably made by someone who can truly make one. It should be as loose and creamy as whatever you've experienced in your life that was loose and creamy. (By the whey we want to see them curds). Fine, call me a food snob. But then you're reading this review to get my opinion for whatever that's worth. (Exactly what you've paid for it, probably). And that's exactly what it is, just my opinion. The tough little Egg round was supplemented by a few sad lardons of uncured, unseasoned Pork Belly. Boy's you need to rub your slab with enthusiasm and season for a reason and this dish requires both curing and rubbing your Pork before adding it to the mix. On the plus side, the House makes a Hot Sauce to be reckoned with. It's as good as Hot Sauce gets. Slightly vinegary, slightly garlicy, and just the right amount of Chile to leave some lovely lingering heat. The razor thin Red Jalapeno coins were just the right punctuation point to boost the Sauce to top tier tear jerker. Go ahead, have breakfast here. Make up your own mind. For me, it's Mattei...nice try. read more

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A solid 3.5 stars Ambience - bar 5 out of 5. Really cool vibe in the bar. Upscale western chic sort of vibe. The dining room is 3 out of 5. Food & drink- 3 stars. Hard to believe you can mess up a cocktail with a full bar but I have come multiple times and have been disappointed with my drink multiple times. Not only are they not full drinks, they don't taste that good. Almost like a dive bar cocktail. And they are expensive. Same with food. Really mediocre food. Nothing special and very pricy. Definitely can get a better meal at home or just down the road at one of the multiple better restaurants; bar la cote, SY kitchen, the victor ... all significantly superior food & drink wise. Service- also very average. Not engaging, not attentive at all. Very impersonal. I guess I'm not sure myself why I keep coming back . I think I really like the bar ambience. Just wish I could get a really good cocktail to go with it. read more

Overall it was an excellent meal and date night! Had a delicious octopus with squid ink rice, cauliflower crisp and super delicious endive salad. Coconut crispy rice dessert with mango sorbet was perfect and not too sweet. Plus loved sparkling Wines in beautiful glasses! Really enjoyed the food although the rice was a bit salty and the aioli could have been eliminated. The service was amazing and the interior is rustic chic elegant. Would love to go back! read more

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We had a great experience in the bar area of Matteis, the drinks and appetizers were both excellent. Things went a bit downhill in the restaurant, however. It was really the ambience that made the experience so strange. The bar decor is dark and cozy with comfy seating and it feels like an authentic old world place. However, that changes when entering the restaurant. The lighting is too bright and harsh, it's too loud and it feels more like a cafeteria than a higher end dining room. The food was alright but we might've had our expectations too high. Our group had a variety of dishes and no one said any of them were really great. The service was fantastic in all areas and we had a great experience with all of their staff. Every person we interacted with was warm, friendly and welcoming, they've done a great job with hiring their team. We all agreed that we'll try Matteis again because we think if they fix the lighting and the sound issues in the restaurant, it will be a better experience. Or we could just eat in the bar next time? read more

Come here and sit at the bar. Our tender, Louis, was easy to talk to and suggested some fine drinks. My wife and I shared the fried calamari and a chicken sandwich with a little extra aioli. No complaints here. Good service, good food and fun customers to talk to. read more

I am super perplexed by some of the negative reviews here. We have been to Mattei's numerous times since its opening and have had a fabulous experience EVERY time! Make sure to start with the heirloom cauliflower fritters... can't go there without having them! The shaved Brussels sprout salad will leave you speechless. The lamb chops we had during our most recent visit were tender and cooked to perfection. And finally, we couldn't decide on one dessert so we splurged and got both the chocolate mousse tart with homemade marshmallow fluff and the apple galette. NO REGRETS! We cannot wait for our next visit! read more

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Matteis being anything short of a good experience is so upsetting to me. It's such a cool venue and has so much potential to be a staple restaurant in the valley for locals and people visiting. The service seems to be improving, waitstaff were all very friendly and were accommodating. The food is below average, and when you take the auberge pricing (expect $100pp) into account I'd actually say it's bad. If I'm paying $30 for a smash burger or $85 for a steak it should be nothing short of perfect - especially considering some of the other food options in the area. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, mine is that they seem to be suffering from trying to do too much and I believe it's not necessary. This restaurant could succeed if they focused on doing half as many items on the menu exceptionally well instead of doing 3 dozen items mediocre. Unfortunately not at all worth my hard earned money. I really hope they can improve it's got so much potential! read more

We had the sour dough, kale salad, Lucy's chicken, and the steak + our kids had the burger, butter noodles and gelato. Everything was phenomenal. Most notable was the incredible service. I ordered a coke and a glass bottled coke was brought to the table and served in front of me, ha! What a treat. read more

We had the rare opportunity to dine at what I'm sure will be Michelin star restaurant yesterday. The recently re opened Matteis Tavern was everything I hoped it would be, AND MORE. We started with drinks in the lounge, were seated promptly in the spacious yet intimate dining room promptly. Our secer was the adorable miss Susie. She was so much fun. We had a large group with lots of demands and she never faltered. We kept her busy with lots of drinks (they make a mean whiskey sour) a round of appetizers where we sampled the sweetbreads, abalone and fresh bread, 6 main dishes and dessert. The sommelier stopped by after we had finished our main course but she was a good sport and helped us choose our "winner" of the night's dinner check lottery. Please, please, please visit if you get a chance. You'll want to say you've been to Chef Rhoda Magbitang's Matteis Tavern before she earned her first Michelin star. read more

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If you happen to be there on a Tuesday, definitely check out taco Tuesday! Tacos are awesome in the vibe inside is something you just gotta see for yourself. read more

Had an okay experience. Venue was nice but service was not as great as I've experienced at other Auberge properties (ie Auberge du Soleil, Stanly Ranch). We arrived a little early and made to wait in the bar, but when we were eventually sat, half the restaurant was empty. Others without reservations were made to wait as well, and we saw tables that could have accommodate others without reservations remain unoccupied the entire time (hour and half) that we were there. Bar patrons were able to order the same food without the pretense of a reservation. Seemed weird that they wouldn't seat them in the dining room. Food came out pretty slow (probably from also having to service the bar) but was pretty good, solid but not that memorable - we had the burger and salad. The staff did accommodate my request for the onion dip which was on the bar menu but curiously, not on the restaurant menu. Overall, 3 star solid experience, just not the best. read more

From the moment we arrived, Mattei's Tavern felt like stepping into a dream. Every detail was flawless -- a perfect blend of California charm, quiet luxury, and heartfelt hospitality. The grounds are absolutely stunning -- tucked away among oak trees and vineyards, the entire place feels like a peaceful sanctuary. The pool was a personal favorite: crystal clear, refreshing, and surrounded by beautiful loungers that invited you to relax and just be. Our room was gorgeous -- spacious, spotless, and thoughtfully designed. Every corner felt curated with comfort in mind. You can tell that so much care has gone into preserving the soul of this historic property while elevating it with modern touches. And the restaurant? Beyond words. Every meal was a celebration of fresh, local ingredients -- perfectly prepared, beautifully plated, and genuinely delicious. The service was warm and attentive without being overbearing. I found myself looking forward to every bite (and sip of wine!). Mattei's is more than just a place to stay -- it's an experience that nourishes your senses and your soul. Whether you're visiting for a romantic weekend, a family getaway, or a solo retreat, this place offers something magical. Already dreaming about my next visit. If you're looking for something special in the Santa Ynez Valley, this is it. read more

We had a reservation for 10:45am on 02/14. We had called and spoken to Hannah in which we relayed that we're gonna be about 10 min late due to traffic. She reassured us that it's okay and that we should be fine and would receive the breakfast menu. Anyways, we got there around 10:55ish and the two girls in the front (hostesses) said we're too late, can't be seated, but we can go to the little coffee area in the back of the check in area. Obviously we didn't want that so we went back and the blonde haired girl (dont know her name) kept saying it's looking pretty slim and we can't be seated for lunch. Anyways they ended up accommodating us but this blonde chick was so rude lol. Like we were running a little behind and called ahead of time to let them know and Hannah said it's fine. Anyways we sat down, received the lunch menu (which had the smallest amount of options). Ambiance was decent, food was decent but overpriced. $26 for a salad plus about $15 extra for protein. Anyways, blah read more