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bouchon
9 W. Victoria St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 730-1160
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Reviews by the General Public
The American Riviera , 8/19/2010
Reviewer: Kathy
from Santa Barbara, CA
If you are looking for superb French cuisine with a distinctly California flair, this is the place. The patio buzzes with happy patrons, the hostess is charming, and the waitstaff is unobtrusively attentive. Our meals were all delightful and perfectly prepared - the lamb was tender and pink right to the crusty edge. The pork chop must have been brined, and each bite had that grilled caramelization. The special short rib was a "master bite" with the creamy risotto base...mmmm...then a sip of bordeaux...heaven. If you are an accomplished cook, order the venison, knowing you'll never be able to do this at home. Why get on a plane to Nice? Just sit on our beaches, and then retreat to Bouchon.
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excellent, 7/17/2010
Reviewer: Elaine
from Santa Barbara, CA
I took my boyfriend here for his birthday - the service was amazing. The food too. It was pricey, but well worth it for the special occasion.
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Great evening , 4/16/2010
Reviewer: Sebastian
from Kingwood, TX
Took our future daughter-in-law to dinner. The service (Tony) was exceptional, the wine list was sophistocated, and the meal was excellent. The owner greeted us warmly starting the evening. Our server had good knowledge of the wine list as well as the menu. Everything was done to perfection. We had the proper amount of attention allow us to talk to each other without being interrupted. An excellent evening and will return.
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had a great meal but, 4/4/2010
Reviewer: Terry
from Alameda California
My wife and I had dinner here last week. The reviews we read on this restaurant were very good and We were expecting a special experince. The food was excellent But The service was very poor. It took quite some time to even get a wine order placed and the rest of the meal service was unattentive and snobbish. When the bill arrived it was incorrect and took them two tries to get it correct. With all the excellent restaurants in santa Barbara I don't see us returning here.
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Wonderful, 3/19/2010
Reviewer: Sarah
from Santa Barbara, CA
Went for my birthday dinner and it was one of the best dining experiences I've had in SB. Our waiter made the night, he was knowledgable of the food, extremely knowledgable of the wine, understood my dietary restrictions, and present just enough, but not too much. When we made a reservation and requested a patio seat they said they'd try their best, then the manager called the day of to confirm they had put us on the patio. Highly recommend this restaurant, you won't be disappointed. The food is wondeful and the experience is not to be missed.
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A Wonderful Dining Experience, 1/4/2010
Reviewer: Brat
from Napa Valley, CA
My husband and I had reservations for Christmas Day at Bouchon. It was wonderful!! Each course was beautifully prepared and presented. The service was excellent and attention was paid to detail. The holiday menu selection choices were terrific. A wonderful blend of flavor. This is definitely a restaurant to visit in Santa Barbara. Our server, in particular, made the dining experience a special treat for us. We look forward to dining here again on our next visit.
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Excellent Experience Overall, 12/11/2009
Reviewer: Mark
from Santa Barbara, CA
We booked dinner in the 'cork room' for an important corporate customer. All courses were were delicious, well prepared, flavorful, interesting and beautifully presented. The service was thorough, thoughtful, and attentive (subject to the cork room note below.)
Setup for the cork room included customized menus incorporating our artwork and the customer's artwork we provided. Menu choices were best in class, with interesting accompaniment. The cork room has an excellent ambiance, though I'd recommend a music system that holds the volume steady (had to ask to turn it down which was great, then the next song as too soft, -1pt for service, haha.)
Yes, we will be back!
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Wonderful Family Dining Experience!, 9/5/2009
Reviewer: Robert Smith
from Valencia, CA
We try to visit either Bouchon or Seagrass every time we come to Santa Barbara. I consider these to be among the 2 best restaurants in town. Last night we dined at Bouchon and sat on the patio. The ambience was very cozy. We all had the same starter- the Heirloom Napolean salad, which was terrific. For the main course my wife had the duck, my mom had the white seabass, my daughter had the salmon, and I had the Ahi tuna. Everything was excellent. We coulnd't decide which wine to order, so we trusted our waiter, Tony, to pair the wines for us. He did a fantastic job and made the whole dining experience most enjoyable. Our daughter studied in France this past year. Bouchon's owner, Mitchell, came by a couple of times and chatted with our daughter in French. Our family had a very memorable dining experience last night thanks to the attentiveness of Mitchell and his well-trained staff.
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Not Very Good
Reviewer: Peter
from Santa Barbara, CA
We had never been to Bouchon before, but we had heard good things about it. We were very disappointed in the food, especially for the price. We tried most things on the menu. The lamb was tough, the seasonings were boring, and the dishes in general didn't hold together. The overall quality of the food was not much better than cafeteria food. And it was very expensive!
The service was very friendly and attentive ... maybe a little too much, but I know people like that.
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Great Food ruined by a noisy group
Reviewer: Brent
from Santa Barbara, CA
First time to Bouchon, great food, great service, until a party of 8-10 loud people showed up during our main course. The staff did little to quiet them, the group had obviously been drinking before their arrival. Again, great food, good service, I have no idea on how you handle a bunch of obnoxious loud folks who are oblivious to their surroundings. I would like to re-visit on a quieter night! Excellent food...and wine!
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Disappointing Birthday Dinner
Reviewer: Taryn O.
from Santa Barbara, CA
I've been dying to go to Bouchon since we moved back to Santa Barbara - both of our starters and main dishes were bland, under-seasoned and frankly boring. I had the sea bass, it was charred on the outside and my husbands duck was tough and 'blah'. On a positive note, the wait staff was attentive, yet a bit cocky. We won't be back to Bouchon...we should have stuck to our guns and went with one of our favorite SB spots like Elements or the Hungry Cat, whose dishes (and cocktails) are always fresh and perfectly seasoned.
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Lovely Dinner for Four
Reviewer: Lyman Orton
from Steamboat Springs, CO
First time at Bouchon for four friends from Steamboat Springs and the staff immediately pulled us into the warm ambiance of this French-country place. Even convinced Rob to go for a $55 bottle of wine - Mr. Ripple had to dig deep on this one - and we could not tell if it was the wine that made the food better or food the wine. Do not miss the braised short ribs. Look forward to returning.
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Inspired and well-rounded!
Reviewer: Erica
from Santa Barbara, CA
We went to Bouchon on a Tuesday, typically not a great day for fine dining, but it was awesome! The chef's creations were soundly inspired by local ingredients and the flavors were very well-rounded. Not too trendy or presumptuous, just classic rustic ambiance and the best steak I've had in Santa Barbara.
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Nice experience
Reviewer: Jim
from Santa Barbara, CA
Salads were great, my filet mignon special (surf and turf with shrimp) was fantastic, service was excellent, overall tone and experience were solid (casual upscale, would be my description), but my wife's seabass was uninspired. We had better seafood at Seagrass (sister establishment), but I liked the experience overall a bit more here at Bouchon.
Great desserts, good wine list. Staff were all pleasant, informal yet still professional and respectful.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!
Reviewer: leah khan
from Santa Barbara, CA
i live in sb. i go to bouchon about once a month and i have never been disappointed. i ate there last week and the service was amazing as usual, their help with the wine parings always completes the dining experience. although i am occasionally sad to see my favorite dishes go with the seasonal menu changes, i am always pleasantly surprised by the new additions. it's refreshing because there is always something new and exciting on the menu along with the classics. thank you bouchon!
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Outstanding
Reviewer: Jonathan N.
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food here is simply amazing. A friend and I went here after work one day because the online menu sounded delicious. It defintely did not disappoint. I started the meal with Crispy Sweetbreads, it was the first time I had had sweetbreads, and they were very good. The risotto was perfectly cooked with delicious fresh peas and the sweetbreads were crispy on the outside and flavorful and succulent on the inside. For an entree I had the House Smoked Sonoma Rack of Lamb. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was complimented very well by the Syrah Demiglace. The Honey Mustard Glazed Carrots were sweet and savory and the perfect mix of tenderness with a little bite to them. The only thing that seemed out of place was the Turnip-Potato Gratin which was good, but just a notch below the rest of the meal. Dessert was a Vanilla Creme Brulee which had a great texture and taste, but the real star of dessert was my friends Blue Berry Upside Down Cake with the Lemon Zest Ice Cream. The ice cream was lemony and refreshing... a great way to end a meal. My only real complaint is that it took us way too long to get bread, people who had come in after us had gotten bread long before we did.
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Outstanding service, fabulous food!
Reviewer: Leslie Thomas
from Santa Barbara, CA
Selected Bouchon to treat a friend & his girlfriend to dinner because they don't get out much. Talk about a treat! We were treated like royalty, from the welcome champagne through the trio of desserts with a birthday candle. From the manager/sommelier John, to our waiter Todd, to the owner Mitchell, everyone made us feel special. The appetizers (wild mushrooms, buffalo carpaccio) were delicate and delicious, the entrees (duck, scallops, ahi) were perfectly cooked with interesting accompaniments, & the desserts heavenly. Great wine list too, & the servers are extremely knowledgeable about food/wine pairings. Will definitely return, & not just for special occasions as in the past.
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Very good food and excellent servce
Reviewer: Len
from Santa Barbara, CA
Hadn't been to Bouchon for over 9 yrs. (As an aside, after it was open for only a few months (the restaurant is now 10 yrs old), I went there then, and the food was just okay and service not very good.....so I never went back.) Returned last night with 3 others. The food was very good. Braised short rib was VERY tender...melt in your mouth. Everyone enjoyed their food! I must add that our server...Eric...was absolutely wonderful...gracious and attentive and a great smile. A very, very pleasant dinner overall. Great wine list and prices to match! If I had to mention a couple of minor negatives, it would be: the friendly (and very pretty) hostess shouldn't be chewing gum and the dessert was a bit small (tasty though) and a bit overpriced.
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Wonderful
Reviewer: Kathy
from Malibu, CA
I drove down from San Francisco and stopped at Bouchon. I ordered a dish with pasta and salmon. The pasta was home made, and I could tell by the wonderful texture--yummy! The salmon was cooked perfectly, so delicious! I love this restaurant. I've eaten there three times and have never been disappointed.
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A rare treat
Reviewer: R. Williams
from Santa Barbara, CA
Because of the economy we have not gone out to a nice dinner in a long time. We forgot how much we love Bouchon, the food, the staff and most of all Mitchell. Everything was superb and we had a special evening.
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VEGANS TAKE HEART !!!
Reviewer: Kristin
from Santa Barbara, CA
When my daughter had a special celebration in September, I wanted to take the family to a really nice restaurant--not hard in SB unless you are a vegan. A friend suggested Bouchon and I called ahead and spoke with the most gracious young woman (sorry I forgot her name) who assured me a vegan meal was no problem. I arrived early at the restaurant, gave the hostess a vase of flowers with balloons, 20 sparkler candles to put in the dessert at the end of the meal.
The evening was perfect! The chef even came out and presented us with the vegan delight, explaining each delicious morsel. Even the meat-eating son-in-law loved his meal. The dessert arrived with an explosion of candles to end a really lovely evening.
All the food was delicious, the servers were young, hip, cool and really enjoyed showering us with special attention.
WE LOVE THIS PLACE !!!
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It made my Birthday wonderful
Reviewer: Jackie
from Santa Barbara, CA
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It made my Birthday wonderful
Reviewer: Jackie
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was fantastic, the service was great and the atmosphere good. Our waiter was able to recommend a very good wine that paired well with our food. I will definitely come back.
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