Montecito Wine Bistro

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Montecito Wine Bistro
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Montecito Wine Bistro

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Address:
516 San Ysidro Road
Montecito, CA 93108

Neighborhood:
Montecito

Getting there ›
Cuisine:
Contemporary American

Price: $30 and under

More Details ›

Montecito Wine Bistro Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.pierrelafond.com
Email: mwb@pierrelafond.com
Phone: (805) 969-7520
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Contemporary American, Californian
Executive Chef: Chef Nathan Heil
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Fireplace, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine Bar
Private Party Facilities: Montecito Wine Bistro offers serveral areas to host your event from private dinners, wedding receptions, anniversaries, birthdays and holiday celebrations, as well as corporate luncheons and dinners. Our staff will assist you every step of the way through the planning process providing advice and options to create a memorable event. Personalized menus, vegetarian requests are welcome. Our extensive wine list features the wines of Santa Barbara Winery, Lafond Winery, as well as wines from around the world. Full Bar. We offer indoor and outdoor seating, including two cozy fireplaces. We offer warm attentive service. A credit card hold is required for groups of ten or more.
Private Party Contact: Don Hull (805) 969-7520
Special Events & Promotions: Private rooms available.

Getting there

Cross Street: East Valley Road
Parking: Private Lot

A word from Montecito Wine Bistro

With its casual setting the Montecito Wine Bistro offers a relaxed, yet elegant atmosphere. A neighborhood favorite the restaurant features 2 cozy fireplaces as well as outdoor patio seating. Friendly attentive service. Serving California Bistro cuisine the seasonal menu offers dishes prepared with… the freshest ingredients. The menu is split between appetizers, salads and entrees, including vegetarian dishes and fresh fish.Wood-burning oven. Share one of the flatbreads Sausage Piperade or Rosted Potato & Marinated Anchovy. Entree high-lights include Grilled Duck Breast & Confit Duck, Seared Scallops w Lobster Sauce and Dry Aged New York Steak Frites. Desserts are a must - Salted Caramel Bittersweet Tart. The wine list offers selections from SB Winery & Lafond Winery and around the world. Wines by the glass/create your own wine flight. An intimate bar serves classic & speciality cocktails. Menu available in the bar. Continued

Montecito Wine Bistro

3.8

24 $30 and under restaurant

Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerNeighborhood Gem

Featured Reviews

More Reviews ›

Reviews from OpenTable Diners Learn More

29 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Food

(Very Good) 3.5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

29 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Food

(Very Good) 3.5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

Filter Reviews By:

Diners classify this restaurant as:

neighborhood gem(16)
fit for foodies(11)
notable wine list(9)

special occasion(7)
great for outdoor dining(6)
romantic(6)

Current OpenTable.com Diner Reviews (29)

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

What can I say... what started

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 12/28/2011

2009

Dined on 12/28/2011

2009

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"What can I say... what started as a quick lunch turned into a 2-hour al fresco culinary experience. Great food, great service, cute outdoor seating... simply lovely."

Dined on 12/28/2011

2009

Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch

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Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Food was very disappointing

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/13/2012

2004

Dined on 04/13/2012

2004

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Food was very disappointing (loved Piatti's) - we will not be going back."

Dined on 04/13/2012

2004

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Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

Might have ordered the wrong

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

Food

(Poor) 1 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Might have ordered the wrong thing but Seafood pot-pie was bland, brown gravy and pretty bad."

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Don't give up!

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/04/2012

2006

Dined on 03/04/2012

2006

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"In its previous life as Piatti, this was a favorite Montecito spot. The new owners apparently opened with significantly higher prices, since revised we are told, but in a small town like Montecito, the reputation seems to have stuck. Hope the owners can stick it out, as the menu and service are worth repeat visits."

Dined on 03/04/2012

2006

Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Food here is consistently

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/03/2012

2008

Dined on 03/03/2012

2008

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Food here is consistently good and we like the environment. Although we were the loudest group there and I think some people would have preferred for us to be a bit more subdued - we were not rude, but we were sharing funny stories and enjoying some wine."

Dined on 03/03/2012

2008

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Poor) 1 / 5

Don't waste your time or money!

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/14/2012

2010

Dined on 02/14/2012

2010

Food

(Poor) 1 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Poor) 1 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Wish Piatti had never left us. This makeover by Pierre LaFond, need a better chef, better lighting, nicer art on the walls and a friendlier front desk staff. The food was just awful! The waiter tried his best, but this restaurant has a very limited menu, terrible food and the ambience is gone. Entrees were over priced given the quality!"

Dined on 02/14/2012

2010

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

In the former Piatti's location,

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 01/25/2012

2008

Dined on 01/25/2012

2008

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"In the former Piatti's location, this is a great place. Good food and a large wine selection."

Dined on 01/25/2012

2008

Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

The appetizer menu alone is

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 01/14/2012

2008

Dined on 01/14/2012

2008

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

"The appetizer menu alone is reason to visit. The skirt skewers with chichurri and the crispy calamari were very good. There's a very nice cocktail menu and a wonderful wine list (of course). While everything was very good and the service was wonderful, I feel the prices are too high. For a casual neighborhood bistro, the prices are on par with more formal fine dining. I guess when the neighborhood is Montecito, the owners must feel the prices are warranted. Overall, food and service is very good but I won't be dining here on a regular basis when the pricing feels like a splurge."

Dined on 01/14/2012

2008

Special Features: neighborhood gem, notable wine list

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Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

Skip it

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 12/27/2011

2005

Dined on 12/27/2011

2005

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"The food was just ok. It would probably have tasted better if we didn't find a plastic wrapper in the bottom of our bowl of our soup! When we brought it to our servers attention, she apologized and said the manager would be right over. The manager never showed up but they did remove the soup from our bill. For a small restaurant that is trying to come up, you would think the owner and management would be more concerned about their guest's dining experience. A little apology would have gone a long way for us. It seemed like he couldn't be bothered."

Dined on 12/27/2011

2005

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Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Their State Street Bistro

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 12/22/2011

2011

Dined on 12/22/2011

2011

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Good) 3 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"Their State Street Bistro outshines the new Montecito restaurant. The restaurant was about 1/3 full, we were seated by the kitchen and it was a little too noisy for me. Three of us ordered the scallops and they were average. We love the scallops at Sly's a bistro about 5 miles down the road, so that was our local point of reference. one of us had the mussels and they were exactly as expected - very good. We usually have them at the State Street location. Love their website! All in all, it is okay in a pinch and it is in the neighborhood so the convenience is great."