Gardens of Avila Restaurant

We visited the Gardens of Avila Restaurant for my fiancée’s birthday dinner, hoping for a special experience—but unfortunately, it fell short.

While the staff was friendly, they didn’t seem very informed about the menu. When we asked about popular dishes or specials, our server simply said, “The menu is small. I serve all of the dishes.” I also asked for a wine pairing with my entrée—especially important considering we’re in wine country—but the server had no recommendations.

The wait for our food was over an hour (1 hour and 5 minutes), which really took away from the evening. When the food finally arrived, it lacked flavor and attention to detail. The mashed potatoes, for example, were closer to soup in consistency.

To top it off, the bill came out to nearly $150 before tip, which felt excessive for such a disappointing experience. We were really hoping for a memorable and enjoyable night out, but sadly, Gardens of Avila didn’t deliver.

Don't order the beet salad, all beets and nothing else. Salmon portion was very small but cookd perfectly. Maybe we just hit an off night, we dined with friends, and they weren't enthusiastic about the food either. Service was good, I just think they were short staffed, she was very sweet.

1st time there while in vacation. Nice property. Limited parking. Food was above average. My wife's fish came out cold and had to be remade. Limited wine list and they were out our first choice, but the recommended replacement was quite good. The “sommelier” struggled with opening bottle and clanking glasses with bottle while filling away from table. No tasting and overfilling glasses without leaving cork. Also put bottle in ice bucket without ice. Our Mourvèdre red blend didn't need an ice bucket - with or without ice. It was just weird for this level of restaurant. When they took my wife's fish away to redo, the manager came out and told her to keep and enjoy her broccolini and rice. She wasn't going to want cold rice either so she asked for that to be redone too. Food ended up being quite good, but the service really struggled All evening.

Unfortunately, the meal was a major disappointment, despite a couple of small highlights. The bread and honey butter were genuinely good — warm, soft, and comforting. Sadly, everything that followed fell short in a big way. The shrimp appetizer was tiny and buried in a thick, bland coating that overwhelmed what little shrimp was there. It lacked flavor entirely. Next came the Caesar salad, which was surprisingly off the mark. It had none of the classic Caesar elements — no anchovy, no garlic, no tangy bite. It was flat and unrecognizable as a Caesar at all. The main course, a pork chop, looked beautiful when it arrived, but that promise ended with the first bite. It was dry, unseasoned, and flavorless. There wasn't even a touch of salt on the crust. Overall, the experience was frustrating because the basics — like bread and butter — were done well, but the actual dishes fell apart in execution. I hope the kitchen revisits its recipes and seasoning, because right now, the food just isn't working. Even the menu itself felt uninspired. Dishes like the “ABC Burger” don't offer anything new or memorable — it's something you'd find at any average café. For a place that seems to aim for something elevated, the creativity just wasn't there. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity. With some solid basics in place, there's so much potential here, but as a former food critic, I can't recommend other than eating because of its beautiful setting.

My husband and I celebrated a special anniversary dinner here. The entire staff made our meal so special. The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. Love that they have their own organic garden on site.

We were tired and we were not real hungry so we came here and it was great as usual. I always get an old-fashioned.

I only didn't give 5 stars because my filet was overcooked . That saying it was still tender and tasted fabulous just wasn't med it was med well. The seafood chowder was top notch. Best chowder I've ever eaten.

Another amazing breakfast! Shout out to our wonderful server Macy(?) Not sure about the spelling. We dined on the patio and it was the perfect temperature.

Absolutely love the service and the quality of the food offerings. Nice menu with wonderful selections of Seafood, Beef, Pork Chops, etc. Great experience and environment for a comfortable. Our server, Dana made sure the evening was filled with delicious food and drinks for a memorable occasion.

Amazing!!!! Food, service and overall ambiance was perfect. We sat fireside in the second lounge which felt like a Costa Rica experience. The beauty definitely caught us off guard. Will be back for hotel stay and dining very soon!

Our waiter was very attentive and comprehensive w/ regards to explaining the nightly special; offered my wife and I a free dessert as we were celebrating our anniversary. Food was of good quality but serving temperature came out on colder side as well as the dessert. Disappointing; we could've sent it back but didn't want to extend the meal any longer. Ambience is tired and needs to be updated. Example: wood burning fireplace would've added a more romantic ambience but we were told it hadn't been functional for several years. We'd come back for a drink at the bar and maybe light bites; not dinner as the place is rundown.

A Hidden Gem with Amazing Service and Flavors I had such a lovely experience at The Gardens of Avila Restaurant that I had to share! From the moment we arrived, the peaceful and quiet environment made it easy to relax and enjoy the evening. It's a perfect spot if you're looking to unwind and indulge a beautiful meal without the hustle and bustle of a louder dining scene. It was a great place to celebrate my mother in law's birthday. What really made our visit stand out was our wonderful waiter, Tyler. He was warm, attentive, and genuinely made us feel taken care of. Tyler even made us a delicious fresh strawberry lemonade—so refreshing, with just the right balance of sweet and tart. Honestly, it was one of the best lemonades I've ever had! For our meal, we ordered the short ribs and pasta, and both dishes were absolutely incredible. The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and full of rich, savory flavor, and the pasta was perfectly cooked and beautifully seasoned. You can really tell that a lot of care goes into the food here. Overall, this place exceeded our expectations. If you're looking for a peaceful, charming spot with excellent food and exceptional service. We look forward to returning for other special occasions.

Always a delightful experience. Lunched next to the fireplace. Service attentive but not rushed nor intrusive. Food outstanding. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens; calming!

Ordered the chowder and halibut. Chowder was good but halibut wasn't very flavorful and the restaurant gave a lot of rice to fill the plate.

Girls weekend trip up from LA. Dinner was nice. Very relaxed vibe in the restaurant. We sat near the bar. The seafood was outstanding. Halibut, salmon, and Shrimp pasta were awesome. A tiny bit on the pricy side but the portions were large. Enjoyable dinner.