The Ballard Inn

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1. BA

   BradA

   Central Coast

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on May 1, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The fresh vegetables were excellent. Great, interesting flavors in all dishes.

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2. P

   Ponch

   Los Angeles

   9 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on April 30, 2022

   overall4food4service4ambience5

   Original dishes. Very tasty. Service was pleasant and helpful. Food took far too long to arrive. Great spot.

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3. R

   Richard

   San Diego

   12 reviews

   4.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on April 28, 2022

   overall4food5service5ambience4

   Menu was very limited (only four main courses) but what we ordered was excellent. The recent remodeling looked good. The service was outstanding.

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4. MR

   MonicaR

   Los Angeles

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on April 22, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food is always special here. There is a new chef since our last visit a few years ago but the food was still excellent. They remodeled again and it is beautiful.

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5. NH

   NancyH

   Central Coast

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on April 18, 2022

   overall2food2service2ambience4

   We came for Easter dinner and found the menu to be disappointing. The ambiance was nice and we loved the look and feel of the remodel. The service was decent but there was a delay in being seated as the restaurant was having staffing issues.

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6. NF

   NancyF

   Mexico City

   45 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   45 reviews

   Dined on April 16, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food was unbelievably delicious, the wait staff was perfect. Great evening.

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7. LL

   LindaL

   Washington DC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on April 14, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful experience all the way around. One of the most creative fantastic meals we have had in a long time. Highly recommend!

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on March 25, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Unique menu with excellent service and cozy vibes. We’ll be back!

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9. MP

   MargaritaP

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on March 25, 2022

   overall5food4service5ambience5

   We really like the food , nevertheless they were some dishes that were on the salty side.

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Just an exquisite meal. One we won’t soon forget. And the service and chef were just lovely and very attentive and engaging. Highly recommend.

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11. ES

    ESC1

    Tahoe

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 16, 2022

    overall3food5service5ambience4

    Every dish was a taste delight. We had many dishes all parts of the menu, many dishes I had never heard of. But each dish had a unique delicious flavor.

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12. NF

    N2Fotos

    Phoenix

    66 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    66 reviews

    Dined on March 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Lovely setting, wonderful service and great recommendations from a knowledgeable waitstaff.

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13. JH

    JayH

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The food was absolutely delicious. We sampled numerous dishes, and they were all good. We plan to return for dinner again!

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14. K

    55Kevy

    Central Coast

    13 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience2

    We went to The Gathering Table last night, our first time there since the ownership change. The first thing that struck me was that the Gathering Table was gone. Seating is around the perimeter of the dining room. We were unfortunately seated next to the kitchen entrance so had a lot of traffic back and forth. The menu is quite different, with a Bouchée section, a Tapas section, a Gumbo section, and a Dinner section. We each ordered a Tapas (carpaccio and tuna tartare) and my wife ordered a Gumbo and I a Dinner (Nkatenkwen and Jambalaya). We enjoyed our starters quite a bit. They were flavorful and ample. However the Gumbo and the Jambalaya were not what was expected given their names. We are quite familiar with gumbos and jambalayas and have prepared both. The dishes presented bore little resemblance to their namesakes. If one expected a soup/stew when served a dish called gumbo and was served a chicken cutlet with sauce one might be off-put. And to have a plate of rice, a little chorizo, beans, some okra halves, and a hind quarter of bbq duck presented as jambalaya was similarly odd. That said, the flavors of our meals were good and we enjoyed them. Lastly, we were surprised to see no local wines by the glass, and, actually, very few local wines on the list. Given that our valley has several AVAs and dozens if not hundreds of wineries this seems a significant gap. Will we return – most likely, but not as often as we used to partake of the Gathering Table. Would we recommend - most likely if the friend wanted something different.

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15. CI

    CINDYL

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 10, 2022

    overall4food3service5ambience5

    The restaurant setting is lovely. Small dining room but did not feel crowded. Fireplace and throw pillows on the banquette. George, our server, gave us excellent service. The menu is limited and very eclectic. We shared 4 of the bouchées. The beef curry buns, the uni and caviar on hash browns, the Abalone mushrooms with a pureed like chimichurri sauce and the beef slider. The uni and caviar dish (very small so we ordered one for each of us) and the mushrooms were excellent. The beef curry buns were more bun than beef. Taste was very good but too much bread. Nothing special about the slider. We ordered the smoked halibut with caviar . Very disappointing. Not much flavor for a beautiful piece of fish.

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16. PS

    PatriciaS

    Los Angeles

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on February 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Delicious take on jambalaya with a smoky duck leg on the rice and sausage. Baby lettuces salad had a unique flavor that was not oily. Attentive service from entire staff.

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17. A

    Ashley

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Nick, our chef, was friendly, passionate and his food was amazing! Briana, our server, was attentive, kind and helpful! Overall, The Gathering Table had a very impressive group of people. My husband and I had the best dinner experience in years! We highly recommend The Gathering Table for its delicious food, great people, and warm ambience.

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Anniversary

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19. v

    valleygirl

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience4

    The wine selection is limited and also very expensive for a bottle.

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20. JP

    JoseP

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great Steak!!

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21. S

    Sara

    Los Angeles

    11 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on February 17, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    The new menu is delicious and you cant beat the ambiance. Can't wait to return.

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22. NP

    NicholasP

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 17, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Loved the food, we will be back and will recommend your place to our friends.

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23. FD

    FDDLO

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 13, 2022

    overall4food3service5ambience5

    Attentive staff, explain dishes perfectly and with great enthusiasm. Just that food is a bit "different", so double check menu before going.

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24. J

    Jess

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    fantastic food, very interesting fusion that i’ve never tried anywhere else. def a must try

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25. PH

    PhilipH

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic food and ambiance. Loved sitting near the fire. Service and knowledge of the menu was excellent and very much appreciated a visit from the chef. Combinations of flavors and tastes of the food were exceptional.

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26. EM

    EdithM

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    The gathering table is under new ownership and has a new chef that has created an extremely unique and vibrant menu. Lots of amazing bold flavors and spices. We absolutely loved it. Hadn’t had something different like this in California in quite some time.

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27. c

    ckfilm

    Central Coast

    28 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Under new management and a new chef, The Gathering Table certainly offers a unique and tasty dining experience. The dishes were a fusion of Eastern and African flavors and the sauces did not disappoint. However, some dishes lacked in the area of fulfillment and were a bit thin on the protein, while others, a 20 ounce steak, were over the top. A bit more balance with the portions would help. Overall, an interesting dining experience.

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28. FV

    FayeV

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on February 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had an amazing meal; Corner table (in back) with lazy Susan was great for our large group. We LOVED everything. The cooked carrots were incredible. Who likes cooked carrots? These were top for us all. Bluefin tartare incredible as well. Cannot wait until I come back again

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29. BL

    BradleyL

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 4, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Even though the restaurant was only in its fourth day of operations after an ownership change and closing, the food and service was amazing! All of the staff and management went out of their way to be friendly and gave us a great experience. The servers were extremely knowledgeable about the dishes, and the chef came out to greet us twice. On that note, the chef is creative and on point for a unique dining experience. Bravo!!

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30. F

    Frequentdiner

    Central Coast

    12 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2022

    overall2food2service3ambience4

    The menu is new and it’s very gourmet. It’s also Tapas which makes it difficult not to share.

    Report
31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 29, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    The Gathering Table is reinventing itself under new ownership and a new chef and they appear to be headed in the right direction.

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32. RK

    RKLA

    Los Angeles

    32 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on January 8, 2022

    overall4food5service3ambience4

    Gasification and ambience were fantastic. Limited menu but everything we had was great - except they forgot the main ingredient on my apple salad (apples!). By the time anyone came by the table, I finished the salad. Service was okay - not very warm or personal.

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33. AK

    AmyK

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Beautiful restaurant, attentive friendly service, and delicious food from the warm salted rolls, French onion soup, frisée apple salad and sautéed carrots in a delicious cream sauce. The duck and Wagyu steak were both melt in your mouth and extremely flavorful. Well done, chef! And perfect job, wait staff 😊

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34. SD

    SpencerD

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 7, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food was out of this world good. And the service was top friendly and helpful.

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 3, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent food. Best we’ve had in a long time.

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36. JR

    JohnR

    Hawaii

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 30, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The food was awesome! The wine was a little pricey.

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37. HF

    HollyF

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 29, 2021

    overall4food5service4ambience2

    It’s a small dinning area and we were seated right next to the one speaker for the entire room. Music was so loud for our table that it was hard to talk. Finally got it turned down but the music selection was awful and on some odd loop. Heard “these boots are made for walking” 4 times! No joke. Must have been loud for the servers too since they didn’t come around too often. Great food!!!! Really cool dinning area. Had said we were celebrating a birthday when we booked the reservation but not a single word about it after dinner. Not even a candle.

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38. D

    Dave

    Los Angeles

    27 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on December 24, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our first dinner at the Gathering Table since the Ballard Inn recently changed hands was as enjoyable as those we've experienced there in the past. Sitting outside on the cozy veranda with heaters for added warmth, we tried the Pumpkin Veloute, Beet and Burrata Salad, and Chicken Viennoise. All were artfully prepared and delightful, as was the in-house peanut butter–and–chocolate ice cream—seriously, how could a Reese's fan turn that down? Everyone involved in the dinner was as welcoming and helpful as Ballard Inn visitors have always appreciated. Our compliments to the new owners and crew at the Gathering Table. It remains a charming destination for foodies in the Santa Ynez wine country.

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39. a

    ailee

    Los Angeles

    15 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on December 19, 2021

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    The Gathering Table has been a favorite for several years and we were looking forward to Budi’s delicious creations, since we hadn’t been there since early September. The decor and name are pretty much the same but we noticed immediately an entirely different menu - albeit also constructed of plates to share - so asked our server if what we suspected might be true. Yes, Budi has sold the Inn and restaurant and there is a new chef in town. The transition apparently happened shortly after our last visit. While disappointed, we did see several things that sounded yummy and we were hungry and not about to get up and leave - we love to experience new local restaurants. We ordered the bread, apple salad, gnocchi, fish, pork shoulder and Wagyu beef. The bread was just two small pieces- warm and tasty but nothing special. It is kind of surprising it isn’t just a table item for all guests. The apple salad was large and was really quite good. A nice balance of sweet and salty, and good crunchy textures. Would order again. The gnocchi was soft, delicate and delicious. An interesting flavor profile with a definite citrus bent. It is a very small dish, but plenty enough for two, especially when sharing lots of dishes as we did. The fish had a great crispy skin and was tender and flaky inside. Great flavor. The Wagyu was outstanding. The pork shoulder was a teeny bit disappointing. It was tender and had nice flavor, it was a wee bit overcooked so a bit dry. Overall, we will miss Budi and his delicious fusion menu, but the new chef has talent and it is worth trying it out.

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40. g

    ginab

    Los Angeles

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on December 19, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    One of our favorite restaurants ever. Figured we’d take our grown daughter, son, and his girlfriend so they could finally see what we’re always talking about. We had heard something about a new chef and a menu change and were a little apprehensive but we were very happily surprised at how amazing the food was with the new chef and French influenced menu. We ordered the whipped burrata, Caesar salad, and ahi toast appetizers- and our whole table was blown away- especially the burrata with beets and peanut. Three of us ordered the sustainable sea bass which was superbly prepared and delicious. My son ordered the pork and said it was incredible. My daughter had the chicken and was very happy. Do not miss the maple salted chocolate gelato sorbet if they have it. We figured it had to be made by sorcery. OMG.

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