Restaurants in Santa Ynez

“Pleasant local place to stop for Mediterranean fare. I had a Lamb Shawarma wrap that was great. Outdoor/indoor.”

“Grappolo in Santa Ynez is a true gem. The food is amazing — bar none, the best ravioli we have ever had. The special pumpkin ravioli was out of this world — we can’t stop talking about it and will probably be dreaming about this dish for the next week. You have to try it! We also had the lemon caper sole, which was equally delicious and perfectly prepared. As self-proclaimed foodies, our expectations were high, but Grapolo far exceeded every one of them. Our server Eric made the evening even more memorable with his warm and attentive service. The quaint ambiance transported us straight to Tuscany — it felt like dining at a family-run hillside restaurant, authentic and second to none. We will absolutely be back — no matter what. Grapolo is a must-visit in Santa Ynez!”

“This is our go-to occasion (birthday, anniversary, small milestones) restaurant. The portions are a good size, service is good, we’ve never had anything bad.”

“Awesome place with amazing tacos. Unfortunately we ordered a Gordita with the guacamole on the side and it was not received as such. Which was a bummer due to a member of our party having food allergies. Other than that you cant miss the place and i highly recommend the cheek and al pastor. The home made tortillas were 👌”

“Service was excellent, dinner suggestions were great and we loved our whole experience. Highly recommend”

“Husband and I decided to stop by due to the amazing reviews and photos of the sushi. We were eager to try as we were visiting from LA/OC. And we LOVED it. We felt it was better than most of the spots we had in LA and in OC.

The quality, fish to rice ratio, and the level of service and kindness from Brian was all such a pleasure to experience. The rice was also so good and perfectly flavored. The tuna and scallop sushi were delicious and memorable. Almost every bite was savored and enjoyed.

Brian even wrote us some wineries to check out on the guest check list despite being super busy. We really appreciated his hospitality and energy. And we were able to try the cheesecake which was absolutely incredible.

Please come visit and try the sushi here! Totally worth it and support a beautiful family business!

Thank you Brian for the amazing meal and winery recommendations! :)”

“Best wine in the Central Coast. Great experience at the family vineyard, feeding goats and tasting grapes right from the vine!”

“We’ve been to Dos Carlitos several times and have thoroughly enjoyed it each time, whether sitting inside for dinner (3X) or outside for lunch (once). I’ve had several different dishes and each of them were delicious. The service is superb—professional and friendly. And the setting is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. It’s a step above your average Mexican restaurant and the price reflects that. Drinks were delicious when I had them. I highly recommend!”

“We had fun. Our host was had the best knowledge on wines. It was overall a good time. Beautiful vineyard definitely will come again.”

“Superb experience at Roblar Vineyards from the moment we entered and it continued through our departure. The hostess was kind, efficient and caring when seating us. Then on to the service that we chose - a wine tasting and lunch (we had made reservations) We received pleasant and informative wine descriptions from our knowledgeable sommelier with each taste and the proper improvised wine-taste choice that he knowingly paired with my meal! Our meals, the roast salmon and a Cobb salad were perfection enhanced with their high standard of farm fresh vegetables. As we finished, feeling totally content and enjoying the ambiance of soaring ceilings of the timber frame tasting room with the massive fireplace warming our souls, we were visited by Matt, the owner. We had an engaging chat, with him entailing the history of the vineyard and its ongoing development of the vines, the farm and the buildings. Finally, we walked the beautiful estate grounds past the active vegetable gardens to the edge of the vineyards enjoying mountain scenery all around. A memorable experience with perfect food, wine, and caring people!
We highly recommend a visit!”

“Paninos is a treat. It is amazing food definitely worth the price. Today was extra perfection. The staff at this location is friendly, helpful and fast service. The atmosphere is relaxing.”

“very good. Disabled parking is in the back. Great service.”

“what a great night out as far as i can remember 😬😁! Great tasting wine three bottles made me sleep well later , the band The new vibe were great and even took the time for a little chat with us and photos , thanks for looking after us and being so friendly hope to make it back again soon !”

“Such a fun random stop! This wine bar has the perfect mix of cozy and creative, surrounded by beautiful artwork with a really welcoming, laid-back vibe.

What really made the experience, though, was the company. We loved getting to hang out with Tammy and Robert. Great wine, great conversation, and an all-around memorable experience.”

“Overall this was a pretty fun experience for us. At least as far as a trip to Starbucks goes. Yes, we ventured a trip to the casino looking for the Grains & Grounds coffeehouse bakery which soon turned into a slightly confused, dark & flashy, casino lit, cigar smoke infused, hunt and discovery of Chumash's back-of-the-house, hole-in-the-wall, Starbucks gem! I'll admit I was disappointed at realizing our Google maps wild goose chase ended in finding a 'boutique bakery/coffee conglomerate consolidation. But as early morning, albeit last minute, adventures go we still got a lot of enjoyment in playing around with a delightfully glittered, Almond Honey Cake fluff and a dark chocolate & gold gilded Cake Pop! Wow!!
But while I can't say either confection knocked my socks off in the taste category, I will give full marks for imagination and whimsical presentation. So I'll conclude by admitting that I'm deeply curious to sample whatever else they've got for next time.”

“Great set-up post Covid. Make a reservation and try great wines. Rich collection of reds, and they surprised me with Icewine. Outstanding service!”

“Everything is good even the coffee”

“We enjoyed a nice happy hour at the beautifully appointed bar at The Victor. Our drinks were delicious and served in elegant glassware. The best part of our evening was Deanna, our bartender. She was so kind and attentive while taking care of all her customers. We really appreciated her genuine smile and attention to detail. We will be back for dinner next time we visit. Thank you Deanna!”

“Drinks were awesome. I love the coffee ice cubes in my wht mocha. Definately worth trying them out.”

“All great bands food drinks staff customers!! Our favorite place to play! CROWN City Bombers love the Maverick Saloon!!”

“The kinda old school breakfast joint with excellent food that other old school breakfast joints wish they were. The corn beef hash, chicken fried steak and hash browns are some of the best I’ve ever tasted.”

“We came here for a wine tasting. It was beautiful with plenty of nice photo ops and the staff made it an overall fun experience. I had to leave with a membership and a couple bottles of my favorites.”

“Their breakfast burritos are delicious, and they’re friendly as well. Would recommend the habanero sauce if you love spice! 🙏 Perfect place for a quick stop or for a loaded breakfast ☺️”

“Great wines, great atmosphere and great service, all with a laid back, relaxed but attentive service and good explanation of the wines being sampled. Highly recommend.”

“Setting up reservations was easy through OpenTable. Our dining experience was amazing at Willows! The food was delicious, even as leftovers for days during our travels. Good price for a group of 4 people. We look forward in returning on our next trip!”

“We enjoyed the visit. Almost everything was excellent (as it should be at that price point) but, since you asked by sending the email requesting a review, the carrots were underdone and rather underflavored. Everything else was wonderful. OK, maybe the asparagus should have been broken/cut shorter, as the ends were also a bit tough. But other than that! We enjoyed the visit and would return if we're in the area again. The fillet and the scallops were "melt in your mouth" good, the mashed potatoes as good as they get. The service was attentive and fast. (Maybe a bit "over-attentive" as I was asked if I was "done" 2 times after I had just cut a slice of my remaining steak and had it sitting on my fork... But the guy was nice, and it seemed like he was going out of his way - it wasn't his table - so, no fault.) The music - we could hear faint music - but it wasn't quite loud enough. Something soothing if just to cover conversations would have been better than playing music - maybe in another section? - that we couldn't identify. The creme brûlée was a fine finish and enough for two. So, overall, 4 or 4.5 maybe even 4.7 out of 5.”