The food is absolutely fantastic! Each dish we tried was bursting with flavor and made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Whether you're a fan of seafood, steak, or vegetarian options has something to satisfy every palate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Jim R.
Super charming little restaurant in an expected place, just north of Lone Pine. The owner/chef is as charming as her place, and the Very French food would score well in San Francisco, making it an unexpected joy in the middle of the Owens Valley. The place itself is a very nice mix of sleek and informal.l with a very well trained hospitality dog.
Brian Travis
Had a wonderful meal here. Food was of the highest quality and the wine was great as well. Service excellent and owners were very friendly and gracious hosts. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. Highly recommended to people who want real, home cooked meals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Frank Schillinger
Best food in town. Service a little slow but appropriate. Don't go if in a hurry.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Wild Salmon Burger
Tom K.
I called for a reservation one week in advance and gave my name and phone number. When I arrived on Saturday, Oct 14, 2023, at 6:30 pm, the time of my reservation, the restaurant was closed and dark. No one answered the phone. Very disappointing, as I had scheduled my trip to allow for dinner at the Still Life Cafe.
Lark Ann Cobb
Like eating in your French friends' home.
steveoinsb
Some serious service issues here. Use to be stellar food but now just burgers and if you put in any specific requests they are ignored. For instance, the ketchup served with the burger and fries MIGHT moisten 1 French fry….the server asked if I wanted more!….and then she never came back to the table! Served the salads after the burgers though they agreed to serve them before. Waitress ghosted us after serving. The actual meat and cooking of the burger tasted great but when every request or normal expectation is completely overlooked, it really ruins the experience.
Jim F.
There are treasures and then there are hidden treasures. The Still Life Cafe in Independence, CA is a perfect example. There are a few good places to eat on Highway 395 through the Owens Valley, but in the case of the Still Life Cafe, the town is so small, blink and you could miss it. It's combination of funky (in the best sense) artistic charm and cool jazz sophistication is paired with a small menu that features American standards with French and North African cuisine. It is totally unique. The long-time Chef (and owner) Algerian, Malika Adjaoud, founded the cafe decades ago with her late husband (a crusty Frenchman who was traditionally installed at the bar with a glass of wine-- FRENCH WINE! A small painting of him (with his back to the viewer) is now in the main dining room. When I dinned there last (on August 27) it was a night when the menu included a special Moroccan-style tajine of chicken prepared with homemade preserved lemon and Greek green olives. It was perfectly prepared and served in a traditional clay tajine. I also enjoyed a half-dozen escargot with Cote de Rhone rose. I was served by Chef's charming daughter, Kanza, as her 3-year old daughter romped around and the perfect restaurant dog, Carlos, looked on hopefully. I will never miss a chance to return to the Still Life Cafe. If you're in the vicinity, you have a treat in store.
Firdausi Noorzay
Wonderful and delicious! Such a special place! Two thumbs up!! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Kurokawa
Fresh, thoughtfully handmade food and served in a warm, inviting space by warm, inviting people. We had wonderful salads and soups for lunch there. Next time we are in the area we will most certainly go there to eat.Dietary restrictions: Very understanding of my dietary restrictions: gluten, soy, and dairy-free - all medically necessary. I had no problem having confidence that I could eat here safely. I'm grateful because it is rarely the case at restaurants.
Cute dog greeted me as I entered, laid by my table and got up as soon as I got up to leave. I came on a Sunday afternoon and was the only patron, it was very peaceful and the decor is cozy and cute.The owner/chef was accomodating and made a vegetarian sandwich. It had grilled mini bell peppers, and fresh tomato, red onion and parsley. It was so tasty (I never think to add parsley to my sammies), I wish there was more of it! It came with a generous side of French fries.Bonus points for bringing out habanero sauce when I asked for hot sauce!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren
Cute dog greeted me as I entered, laid by my table and got up as soon as I got up to leave. I came on a Sunday afternoon and was the only patron, it was very peaceful and the decor is cozy and cute.The owner/chef was accomodating and made a vegetarian sandwich. It had grilled mini bell peppers, and fresh tomato, red onion and parsley. It was so tasty (I never think to add parsley to my sammies), I wish there was more of it! It came with a generous side of French fries.Bonus points for bringing out habanero sauce when I asked for hot sauce!
Dorothy N.
Had a lovely time here for a quick meal with my partner. Our server and her daughter were a breath of fresh air. A true ma and pa old school jazzy feel here! Felt like home :) our fries and beer were great too!
Mo and Martin Daniels
I was wary about whether this place was going to be open because of all the negative reviews about it's unreliable hours. So, I called the night before we planned to go to check that they would be open and was told yes. We walked to the restaurant from our motel and got there to find a closed sign and locked door. I called again and the same lady answered and gave a lame excuse about getting the kitchen ready after the winter - she didn't know about that the previous day? Clearly the owners don't have a clue how to run a business or a restaurant. Can't comment on the food for obvious reasons.
Eragon Drako
It was great, even though I was giving food with parsley. Forgot to mention I was allergic to it. The girl there tried her best to feed me with precautionary measures.
The food is absolutely fantastic! Each dish we tried was bursting with flavor and made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Whether you're a fan of seafood, steak, or vegetarian options has something to satisfy every palate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Super charming little restaurant in an expected place, just north of Lone Pine. The owner/chef is as charming as her place, and the Very French food would score well in San Francisco, making it an unexpected joy in the middle of the Owens Valley. The place itself is a very nice mix of sleek and informal.l with a very well trained hospitality dog.
Had a wonderful meal here. Food was of the highest quality and the wine was great as well. Service excellent and owners were very friendly and gracious hosts. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. Highly recommended to people who want real, home cooked meals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best food in town. Service a little slow but appropriate. Don't go if in a hurry.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Wild Salmon Burger
I called for a reservation one week in advance and gave my name and phone number. When I arrived on Saturday, Oct 14, 2023, at 6:30 pm, the time of my reservation, the restaurant was closed and dark. No one answered the phone. Very disappointing, as I had scheduled my trip to allow for dinner at the Still Life Cafe.
Like eating in your French friends' home.
Some serious service issues here. Use to be stellar food but now just burgers and if you put in any specific requests they are ignored. For instance, the ketchup served with the burger and fries MIGHT moisten 1 French fry….the server asked if I wanted more!….and then she never came back to the table! Served the salads after the burgers though they agreed to serve them before. Waitress ghosted us after serving. The actual meat and cooking of the burger tasted great but when every request or normal expectation is completely overlooked, it really ruins the experience.
There are treasures and then there are hidden treasures. The Still Life Cafe in Independence, CA is a perfect example. There are a few good places to eat on Highway 395 through the Owens Valley, but in the case of the Still Life Cafe, the town is so small, blink and you could miss it. It's combination of funky (in the best sense) artistic charm and cool jazz sophistication is paired with a small menu that features American standards with French and North African cuisine. It is totally unique. The long-time Chef (and owner) Algerian, Malika Adjaoud, founded the cafe decades ago with her late husband (a crusty Frenchman who was traditionally installed at the bar with a glass of wine-- FRENCH WINE! A small painting of him (with his back to the viewer) is now in the main dining room. When I dinned there last (on August 27) it was a night when the menu included a special Moroccan-style tajine of chicken prepared with homemade preserved lemon and Greek green olives. It was perfectly prepared and served in a traditional clay tajine. I also enjoyed a half-dozen escargot with Cote de Rhone rose. I was served by Chef's charming daughter, Kanza, as her 3-year old daughter romped around and the perfect restaurant dog, Carlos, looked on hopefully. I will never miss a chance to return to the Still Life Cafe. If you're in the vicinity, you have a treat in store.
Wonderful and delicious! Such a special place! Two thumbs up!! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fresh, thoughtfully handmade food and served in a warm, inviting space by warm, inviting people. We had wonderful salads and soups for lunch there. Next time we are in the area we will most certainly go there to eat.Dietary restrictions: Very understanding of my dietary restrictions: gluten, soy, and dairy-free - all medically necessary. I had no problem having confidence that I could eat here safely. I'm grateful because it is rarely the case at restaurants.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
Cute dog greeted me as I entered, laid by my table and got up as soon as I got up to leave. I came on a Sunday afternoon and was the only patron, it was very peaceful and the decor is cozy and cute.The owner/chef was accomodating and made a vegetarian sandwich. It had grilled mini bell peppers, and fresh tomato, red onion and parsley. It was so tasty (I never think to add parsley to my sammies), I wish there was more of it! It came with a generous side of French fries.Bonus points for bringing out habanero sauce when I asked for hot sauce!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute dog greeted me as I entered, laid by my table and got up as soon as I got up to leave. I came on a Sunday afternoon and was the only patron, it was very peaceful and the decor is cozy and cute.The owner/chef was accomodating and made a vegetarian sandwich. It had grilled mini bell peppers, and fresh tomato, red onion and parsley. It was so tasty (I never think to add parsley to my sammies), I wish there was more of it! It came with a generous side of French fries.Bonus points for bringing out habanero sauce when I asked for hot sauce!
Had a lovely time here for a quick meal with my partner. Our server and her daughter were a breath of fresh air. A true ma and pa old school jazzy feel here! Felt like home :) our fries and beer were great too!
I was wary about whether this place was going to be open because of all the negative reviews about it's unreliable hours. So, I called the night before we planned to go to check that they would be open and was told yes. We walked to the restaurant from our motel and got there to find a closed sign and locked door. I called again and the same lady answered and gave a lame excuse about getting the kitchen ready after the winter - she didn't know about that the previous day? Clearly the owners don't have a clue how to run a business or a restaurant. Can't comment on the food for obvious reasons.
It was great, even though I was giving food with parsley. Forgot to mention I was allergic to it. The girl there tried her best to feed me with precautionary measures.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5