One of our favorite spots in town and a must-visit when hosting the in-laws. Frog legs/escargot/ground duck burger all packed with flavor. Our server FABIOLA was hospitable and accommodating and MAGZ was a superstar employee from her etiquette over the phone while taking our reservation, to seating/bussing/making her presence felt all over the restaurant while we were there. Highly recommended!
Adam B
Lovely ambience, excellent attention from waiting staff. Good food. Excellent wines. Would come again.
Gohar K.
What a great find... we had a wonderful dinner at Stella Mares to celebrate my moms birthday. The ambiance here is wonderful. Beautiful dining rooms indoors and outdoors. Great service Great decor Great atmosphere Great drinks Great food Great desserts. We loved everything we ordered, the service was wonderful. We will be back soon ... Great place to celebrate a special occasion, especially in the private seating areas. So cute
L4Kemp
We had dinner here at the end of June for one of our two dinners in the Monticeto area. We really enjoyed the dinner. We were seated in the atrium area with the glass ceiling. It was very pleasant. We had never been here before. The waitress was very accommodating and our dinners were very delicious.
Divine A.
Food was delicious, ambiance was beautiful, and the servers were in point. Definitely recommend this place.
Wendy K.
We celebrated my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary on the lovely terrace and are so glad we chose Stella Mare's. The food was good but the service was superb. We were greeted and seated with a warm welcome and were then in our waiter, Terhyn's most capable and charming care. He truly made the evening special for us. We especially enjoyed the grilled artichoke, onion soup, salmon almondine and crepes suzzettes... and complimentary champagne. We will return to Stella Mare's... and will make a point of requesting Terhyn. Thank you for a wonderful evening!
Julianna H.
Delicious food and wine and great service. Beautiful space. I had the short rib bourguignon and my husband had the filet mignon. Teryhus our waiter was super attentive and gave great recommendations.
Paula R.
Came here for dinner with my husband for an LA getaway. Charming indoor and outdoor seating. The food flavors were delicious. Started with the grilled artichoke and cheese platter. Had the duck special and salmon almandine and finished with crepes Suzette and chocolate torte. Service with Teryhus was great - friendly, good timing of food, checking in on us, recommendations. Definitely recommend this tucked away gem.
Leigha B.
Teryhus was amazing tonight! We had an 18 person party and he made sure we we all taken care of! The food was AMAZING!! If you eat here get the duck and have Teryhus as your server!
Don F.
fabulous dinner tonight in a gorgeous old home. Started with French Onion Soup, sweet, cheesy and plenty of onions. My wife had the Sole Muniere, which was served with sautéed spinach and potatoes. The special was a crispy duck breast in pool of vegetable purée with an orange glaze drizzle, it was simply perfect. Highly recommend, the best meal we've had in several trips to the SB area.
I've frequented this restaurant for several years. Still a lovely establishment. Dining outside was wonderful and its located on a quiet street. I would have given them four stars but I tried their French onion soup and was disappointed. This is a basic standard for a French restaurant. The soup itself was not flavorful as it should be. And the amount of cheese was over the top. Yes, you don't want to be shorted on a layer of cheese but this was way too much. I suppose trying to overcome the tepid flavor of the broth. All the other dishes we had were fine. I hope this was a one off day for the kitchen. I had Oeufs Mimosa au Homard which was delicious.
Marie O.
I would give it ten stars! Absolutely fabulous in every single way. The ambiance, music, people and food were wonderful. Had the salade Nicoise with a generous amount of tuna and an amazing Meyer lemon vinaigrette for lunch. For dessert, my friend and I had a creme brûlée that was still warm and a chocolate tart. The tart had an amazing crust. This place is a gem. Abundant seating inside, in the extended patio and outside under the umbrellas. I will be back for dinner and brunch and I can't wait
Mike O.
It's tough to find a great French Bistro anymore. Well, when on Montecito this fits the bill. It's classic yet has some amped up additions. Deviled eggs with lobster tail slices? Yes please. Everything was spot on. And Francisco our waiter was awesome. He allowed me to banter back and forth with him, each of us having our funny lines. They have all the Bistro classics but just at the A+ level Thank you Stella Mare for an amazing experience, incredible food, staff that knocks it out of the park. And my husband and our cousins loved the French 76's that were almost "vat" quantity. Well done.
Erin L.
Everything about this place is excellent, from the ambiance to the menu to the location, Stella Mare's is a 5/5. I went here the other night for the first time, after hearing only good things, and was thoroughly impressed with this spot. For starters the greenhouse room is gorgeous, the tall glass ceilings make you truly feel like you are dining outdoors, the fireplace is so cozy as well. We had a 7:30 reservation for dinner and were told the guests who were at our table had been there for 2 hours and would hopefully leave soon, we were okay with that because we got to sit by the fire and order cocktails while we waited. I also completely understand why the group took so long to enjoy dinner, we closed the place down as well! It is just such a cozy atmosphere, there is no need to rush a dinner experience here. I ordered a French 75 for my drink and it was so refreshing and light, the perfect spring evening cocktail. For our appetizers, we ordered the escargot and grilled artichoke. The escargot was very yummy, the texture was so soft and the flavors of butter and garlic melted in your mouth! The artichoke was also delicious, the heart was tender and paired perfectly with the aioli that the artichokes lied on. For our mains we ordered the filet which came on top of a bed of the most delicious ratatouille I have ever tried and roasted potatoes and the short rib entree which was so flavorful. I will crave that short rib on chilly nights. We didn't end up ordering desert, although we did order one of the 20 year Tawny port wines that they had on their menu, it wasn't the best dessert wine I have tried, but we were able to cap our night off by sitting by the fire and enjoying the drink! Everything about our experience was lovely and I can't wait to come back soon, I heard they have live music occasionally on Wednesdays, so I will be keeping an eye out for that!
Venture815076
All the French classic breakfasts done in superb style in an elegant atmosphere. Don't miss it if you love European cuisine.
One of our favorite spots in town and a must-visit when hosting the in-laws. Frog legs/escargot/ground duck burger all packed with flavor. Our server FABIOLA was hospitable and accommodating and MAGZ was a superstar employee from her etiquette over the phone while taking our reservation, to seating/bussing/making her presence felt all over the restaurant while we were there. Highly recommended!
Lovely ambience, excellent attention from waiting staff. Good food. Excellent wines. Would come again.
What a great find... we had a wonderful dinner at Stella Mares to celebrate my moms birthday. The ambiance here is wonderful. Beautiful dining rooms indoors and outdoors. Great service Great decor Great atmosphere Great drinks Great food Great desserts. We loved everything we ordered, the service was wonderful. We will be back soon ... Great place to celebrate a special occasion, especially in the private seating areas. So cute
We had dinner here at the end of June for one of our two dinners in the Monticeto area. We really enjoyed the dinner. We were seated in the atrium area with the glass ceiling. It was very pleasant. We had never been here before. The waitress was very accommodating and our dinners were very delicious.
Food was delicious, ambiance was beautiful, and the servers were in point. Definitely recommend this place.
We celebrated my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary on the lovely terrace and are so glad we chose Stella Mare's. The food was good but the service was superb. We were greeted and seated with a warm welcome and were then in our waiter, Terhyn's most capable and charming care. He truly made the evening special for us. We especially enjoyed the grilled artichoke, onion soup, salmon almondine and crepes suzzettes... and complimentary champagne. We will return to Stella Mare's... and will make a point of requesting Terhyn. Thank you for a wonderful evening!
Delicious food and wine and great service. Beautiful space. I had the short rib bourguignon and my husband had the filet mignon. Teryhus our waiter was super attentive and gave great recommendations.
Came here for dinner with my husband for an LA getaway. Charming indoor and outdoor seating. The food flavors were delicious. Started with the grilled artichoke and cheese platter. Had the duck special and salmon almandine and finished with crepes Suzette and chocolate torte. Service with Teryhus was great - friendly, good timing of food, checking in on us, recommendations. Definitely recommend this tucked away gem.
Teryhus was amazing tonight! We had an 18 person party and he made sure we we all taken care of! The food was AMAZING!! If you eat here get the duck and have Teryhus as your server!
fabulous dinner tonight in a gorgeous old home. Started with French Onion Soup, sweet, cheesy and plenty of onions. My wife had the Sole Muniere, which was served with sautéed spinach and potatoes. The special was a crispy duck breast in pool of vegetable purée with an orange glaze drizzle, it was simply perfect. Highly recommend, the best meal we've had in several trips to the SB area.
Restaurantji Recommends
I've frequented this restaurant for several years. Still a lovely establishment. Dining outside was wonderful and its located on a quiet street. I would have given them four stars but I tried their French onion soup and was disappointed. This is a basic standard for a French restaurant. The soup itself was not flavorful as it should be. And the amount of cheese was over the top. Yes, you don't want to be shorted on a layer of cheese but this was way too much. I suppose trying to overcome the tepid flavor of the broth. All the other dishes we had were fine. I hope this was a one off day for the kitchen. I had Oeufs Mimosa au Homard which was delicious.
I would give it ten stars! Absolutely fabulous in every single way. The ambiance, music, people and food were wonderful. Had the salade Nicoise with a generous amount of tuna and an amazing Meyer lemon vinaigrette for lunch. For dessert, my friend and I had a creme brûlée that was still warm and a chocolate tart. The tart had an amazing crust. This place is a gem. Abundant seating inside, in the extended patio and outside under the umbrellas. I will be back for dinner and brunch and I can't wait
It's tough to find a great French Bistro anymore. Well, when on Montecito this fits the bill. It's classic yet has some amped up additions. Deviled eggs with lobster tail slices? Yes please. Everything was spot on. And Francisco our waiter was awesome. He allowed me to banter back and forth with him, each of us having our funny lines. They have all the Bistro classics but just at the A+ level Thank you Stella Mare for an amazing experience, incredible food, staff that knocks it out of the park. And my husband and our cousins loved the French 76's that were almost "vat" quantity. Well done.
Everything about this place is excellent, from the ambiance to the menu to the location, Stella Mare's is a 5/5. I went here the other night for the first time, after hearing only good things, and was thoroughly impressed with this spot. For starters the greenhouse room is gorgeous, the tall glass ceilings make you truly feel like you are dining outdoors, the fireplace is so cozy as well. We had a 7:30 reservation for dinner and were told the guests who were at our table had been there for 2 hours and would hopefully leave soon, we were okay with that because we got to sit by the fire and order cocktails while we waited. I also completely understand why the group took so long to enjoy dinner, we closed the place down as well! It is just such a cozy atmosphere, there is no need to rush a dinner experience here. I ordered a French 75 for my drink and it was so refreshing and light, the perfect spring evening cocktail. For our appetizers, we ordered the escargot and grilled artichoke. The escargot was very yummy, the texture was so soft and the flavors of butter and garlic melted in your mouth! The artichoke was also delicious, the heart was tender and paired perfectly with the aioli that the artichokes lied on. For our mains we ordered the filet which came on top of a bed of the most delicious ratatouille I have ever tried and roasted potatoes and the short rib entree which was so flavorful. I will crave that short rib on chilly nights. We didn't end up ordering desert, although we did order one of the 20 year Tawny port wines that they had on their menu, it wasn't the best dessert wine I have tried, but we were able to cap our night off by sitting by the fire and enjoying the drink! Everything about our experience was lovely and I can't wait to come back soon, I heard they have live music occasionally on Wednesdays, so I will be keeping an eye out for that!
All the French classic breakfasts done in superb style in an elegant atmosphere. Don't miss it if you love European cuisine.