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Diners' Choice: Californian restaurants in California Central Coast

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OpenTable
Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Californian cuisine in California Central Coast? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!


A photo of Olivella - Ojai Valley Inn restaurant
4.8
4.8 (503)
$50 and over
Californian
Ojai
About the restaurant
Ojai Valley Inn’s signature dinner restaurant, Olivella, holds the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star and Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence designations. Chef Andrew Foskey is proud to present a seasonally driven menu with a commitment to valley-grown ingredients and techniques inspired by Italian tradition. As a complement to our cuisine, the award-winning wine program showcases expertly curated discoveries and classic bottlings from notable California and Italian producers.

Guests are invited to enjoy our multi course dining experience starting at $150/ person, plus tax and gratuity. Please note that a la carte dining is not available.

We kindly ask that any updates or cancellation to your reservation be made no less than 24 hours prior. Should you not cancel your reservation within 24 hours, or do not arrive for your reservation, you will be subject to a fee of $75 per person.

In keeping with the atmosphere, Olivella is intended for guests 10 years and older.

Top review
LeslieVIP
Dined 7 days ago
Was able to sit n the lovely patio and enjoy the tasting menu. So many innovative and tasty dishes to choose from! Everything was relaxed and delicious!
A photo of Cella restaurant
4.8
4.8 (304)
$50 and over
Californian
Monterey
About the restaurant
Discover CELLA Restaurant + Bar at Cooper Molera Adobe in Downtown Monterey. Step into a sleek, historic venue with a heated pergola and stunning local woodwork. General Manager Bernabe DeLuna leads an exceptional wine program with a remarkable staff. Savor seasonal cocktails and mocktails crafted by Barkeep Joshua Perry. Chef Ben Spungin & Chef Cal Stamenov create an ever-changing menu inspired by the bountiful central coast. Join us and experience the neighborhood's culinary gem!
Top review
Pete
Dined 5 days ago
Truly thoughtful & inspired! We enjoyed everything about Cella on this first visit for us. Every aspect was appealing. What a comfortable ambiance! Each wine (sparkling, whites, & red) was distinctive & delicious. The innovative & perfectly prepared food was presented creatively. Service struck just the right tone of low-key confidence. We’ll be back!
A photo of Barbareño restaurant
4.8
4.8 (2001)
$31 to $50
Californian
Santa Barbara
About the restaurant
At Barbareño we seek to help further shape and define Central Coast cuisine. We take our inspiration from traditions and specialties of our area, delicacies unique to our region, and the many outstanding purveyors with whom we are so fortunate to work. In all of our efforts, we hope to capture the essence of a particular place or local flavor, embracing the nuances that make our food and drink unique to our home.

Top review
Jmershon
Dined 1 day ago
Absolutely love the food, we had the tri tip platter which was delicious the beet salad and the cauliflower salad. All excellent. Great wine and wonderful server Alvaro! Lovely evening, would highly recommend!
A photo of Grasing's restaurant
4.8
4.8 (3182)
$31 to $50
Californian
Carmel
About the restaurant
DINING UPDATE: Please call restaurant if desired reservation is not available online.
Grasing's is open for indoor dining and limited outdoor dining (weather permitting). Please note if stairs are an issue for any guest. Please continue to visit our website a https://grasings.com for menu updates, holiday offerings and special events.

Grasing’s, located in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, lies along the Pacific Coast in Central California in Monterey County. Celebrity chef partners, Kurt Grasing and Narsai David, truly created a gem. From friendly and professional service, an award winning wine list and seasonally inspired cocktails to the fresh and sustainable local ingredients.

Please contact the restaurant to request dog friendly patio seating.

Top review
GRACEVIP
Dined on Jun 24, 2025
Excellent, we met Kurt, and he and his excellent staff, who took really good care of us in the bar. Wow! 3000 wine cellar!⭐️🍷We will be back!
A photo of First & Oak at the Mirabelle Inn restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1253)
$50 and over
Californian
Solvang
About the restaurant
We are excited to welcome you to First & Oak! We offer outdoor seating on our heated patio & inside our intimate dining rooms. Seating is limited, a credit card is required & will only be charged for cancellations. Please allow us a minimum of 24 hours prior to avoid any cancelation fees.

We offer two dining experiences: Traditional Three Course or a Chef's Five Course Tasting Menu.
Parties of 6 or more please call. When reserving standard (indoor) or outdoor seating (Please be mindful regarding the weather, it tends to get chilly as the night goes on), please choose which experience you would prefer & let us know of any dietary restrictions, Vegan request needs a days advance notice.

First and Oak is located inside the Mirabelle Inn, & was awarded a Michelin Plate designation in 2022. We offer a seasonally-inspired menu that highlights local & organic ingredients prepared in a thoughtful manner. Our dining room operates with the mindset of warm compassionate attentive service.

Top review
LisaVIP
Dined on Jun 17, 2025
Truly a gem. Had a wonderful experience, the food was fabulous and the service was delightful. 100% will go back again.
A photo of Stokes Adobe Restaurant restaurant
4.8
4.8 (871)
$31 to $50
Californian
Monterey
About the restaurant
Stokes Adobe is a new restaurant located in one of Old Monterey’s historic adobe homes. The menu offers chef driven seasonally inspired California cuisine. The bar and cozy outdoor fire pits offer classic cocktails, wines by the glass and local beers.
Top review
alexVIP
Dined 3 days ago
There are no words to describe the food and ambience. Just go!
A photo of Nella Kitchen and Bar restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1180)
$31 to $50
Californian
Santa Ynez Valley
About the restaurant
Opened in August 2020, Nella Kitchen & Bar offers fresh, modern California cuisine and focuses on 'Roman Pinsas'.
Meals are served on the front porch overlooking Grand Ave where guests are warmly welcomed, or in the cozy Dining Room which also has a private Wine Room that can host family seating and private parties.
Cocktails are focused on classics and served in the Lounge with a lot of bar seating.
As much as we love pets, we only allow service animals at Nella, thank you for understanding.

Top review
DavidVIP
Dined on Jun 18, 2025
Delicious food and excellent service. Beautiful dining outside.
A photo of Bouchon - Santa Barbara restaurant
4.8
4.8 (5560)
$31 to $50
Californian
Santa Barbara
About the restaurant
We are delighted to have added additional outdoor seating but Santa Barbara nights are chilly so bring a sweater or light jacket!

Fresh, local ingredients, prepared with care. Excellent wines that reflect the quality and character of our region and work in concert with the cuisine. Warm, inviting ambiance, service at a relaxed, leisurely pace. Santa Barbara ‘Wine Country Cuisine’ means we source our ingredients using an ‘as-fresh-and-as-local-as-possible’ approach, with fish from the Santa Barbara Channel and produce from the surrounding countryside. We then take into account how these flavors can be presented in concert with our local wines. We believe you’ll taste the difference. Bon Appètit!

Top review
michelle
Dined 1 day ago
We were visiting Santa Barbara and located Bouchon on Open table. We were delighted with the attentive service and the food was excellent. We highly recommend this restaurant.
A photo of Intermezzo By Wine Cask restaurant
4.6
4.6 (1865)
$31 to $50
Californian
Santa Barbara
About the restaurant
Intermezzo by Wine Cask
New Menu by Executive Chef Mossin Sugich and Chef de Cuisine, Hector Bonilla
Serving Dinner and Sunday Brunch!

Modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean twist.
A lively atmosphere with an exciting bar, featuring amazing photography of iconic 70's and 80's rock musicians!

Top review
AshlyVIP
Dined 4 days ago
We went to “Puppy Brunch” this past Sunday! So much fun! Intermezzo partners with dog rescue/shelters the last Sunday of every month. They bring adoptable puppies and even have a “puppy menu”. All proceeds of the dog menu go to the shelters and people even adopt dogs during the event!! Oh, the people brunch food is amazing too!! Eggs Benedict and Avo toast were wonderful! And bottomless mimosas!! We recommend you check out Intermezzo brunch and puppy brunch!! Woof Woof!
A photo of Montrio restaurant
4.8
4.8 (4268)
$31 to $50
Californian
Monterey
About the restaurant
Located in the heart of downtown Monterey, Montrio offers a comfortable yet classic dining experience, featuring fine European inspired-American cuisine. For the past 25 years, Montrio has worked to showcase sustainable seafood, fine quality meat, and Monterey County’s best produce in all of its dishes has made this renovated 1910 firehouse a local favorite.


We feature a variety of appetizers, award-winning small bites, enticing entrees, and indulgent seasonal desserts made by our in house pastry chef. Choose from Montrio's extensive wine list, or try one of our signature cocktails. Come see what everyone is talking about!

Top review
Don
Dined 7 days ago
This is a mainstay favorite in Monterey. While the food was excellent, I was a little disappointed with menu options. No salmon. No artichoke. Both are part of Monterey heritage, and have been menu favorites in the past. The options were more limited than previously. The location and ambiance are good. Overall, we had a very good meal, but feel it could have been enhanced with a few more specials and deeper menu.
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