Oceanview Bistro

I really do solidly recommend Oceanview Bistro for the delicious and creative selections and the terrific service. I enjoy the ambiance and friendliness of the whole staff. I am not from the Montrose area but I love any excuse to stop by. Tasty and inspired appetizers and drinks on the patio is a really great way to spend some time with friends while soaking up the atmosphere of this unique and enjoyable neighborhood. more

We had heard about the change from Oceanview Bar & Grill into OV Bistro, so we were drawn to Montrose to try out what we hoped would be a great experience. We read several reviews and were convinced even more.\r \r The actual experience we had was good and also bad.\r \r On the good side of the page was the food in general. We had drinks, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. The appetizer list, though not extensive or inspired in terms of its range was nonetheless good. We had the combo seafood tartar and some beef scewers. As I said, they were not inspired but very flavorful.\r \r Salads were better, and we felt we on trail of a wonderful food adventure. The service was quite nice and sure-handed.\r \r Entrees were very good as well. We ordered a beautiful steak with blue cheese and meatloaf of all things, both of which were surprisingly good. Nothing on the menu is particularly original or uncommon, but smallish portions were worth the bucks because the quality was up there and delicious.\r \r Then, unfortunately, the wheels came off the evening. The band began to play. It would appear that OV Bistro also serves as a halfway house for extremely loud and equally bad bands. Whe I say loud, I mean so loud that in the restaurant section (the band is in the bar), we could not hear ourselves across the table without shouting.\r \r The hostess, whom we were informed was the owner, sat at a booth alternately drinking, leaping up to try to hush the band and snapping her fingers furiously at waitstaff to indicate that they should take care of customers walking in the door.\r \r We ordered desserts, but probably shouldn't have. These were freezer fare and nothing more. The pounding music in the form of God awful covers of music that rapidly became science fiction in its extreme cheese-i-ness pounded on.\r \r We shouted our thanks to our server who was very good and wandered into the bar to observe the train wreck of bad music, rednecks and booze. The bartender, who we became convinced was a homeless man with zero grooming sloshed drinks around to a crowd which, contrary to the restaurant crowd in the ""bistro"" part of the place, looked like what you's expect at a truck stop.\r \r To recap: Good food. Good service. Horrible, distracted management. Frozen desserts. Atmospere like a boiler factory. Raucous bar crowd like Barstow on a Friday night. Bartender that literally looked like they closed the local homeless shelter.\r \r The food's the thing, but our experience at OV Bistro showed that the only thing worth shouting about happens in the dining room once the bad lets loose! We won't be back. more

For New Year's Eve, my fiance and I were celebrating our recent wedding engagement. We made the reservation through Open Table and mentioned the special event in the comments section. We planned a 5:30pm dinner prior to later events that evening. I received calls over two days from a gentleman at Oceanview confirming the time and offering to buy us a round of drinks for our special meal. At the time, I thought that the people at Oceanview were really on the ball and we would have a wonderful evening.\r \r We were seated right away, as the place was empty. We showed a Restaurantdotcom $50 discount certificate to the waitress and she came back to inform us that her manager said it was not valid because of the holiday. I pointed out that there was no such restriction on the form. Her gruff manager came to our table and said the discount was not valid for prix fixe, which was the only thing offered that night at about $120/couple. We were well aware of the menu beforehand and pointed out that the certificate had nothing on it regarding restrictions for prix fixe. She said that didn't matter, it was a holiday. Once again, I mentioned that restriction was not on the certificate. I asked if she was going to continue to make things up as she went along, just to avoid honoring the certificate. In response, she said that since we made the reservation through Open Table and they had to pay for that, she didn't have to honor the Restaurant certificate. She went on to emphatically state that if I had BOTHERED to read the Open Table website restrictions I would have seen that it is plainly written there. I asked what connection the two independent companies had to do with honoring the certificate. She huffed & puffed and then said ""just this time, but I will take this up with Open Table."" \r \r The evening was ruined by the Jekyl & Hyde behavior between the phone call from the restaurant and the blaming of Open Table for the use of a Restaurantdotcom certificate. I have since read all the fine print from both companies' websites and cannot find where any of this should have caused the conflict that was so apparent to the establishment.\r \r I do not appreciate receiving a condescending, officious rebuke because I used Internet systems that the restaurant subscribes to. If there was a way to rate this event more negative, I would.\r \r Surprise! no free round of drinks! \r \r In the words of the manager, ""...just this one time."" We won't be back.\r more

Ate here with my wife recently. We've had a few meals here in the last year-- above average in many respects, but also a few disappointments. Overall, the new owners are providing one of the more sophisticated dining spots for the Montrose area. There are very few, if any, in this neck of the woods. My steak was very good. And my wife's escolar was delicious. Wine selection was decent. Our dessert last time was well above average. One drawback-- because Montrose is woefully lacking in good eating establishments, Oceanview Bistro may not feel the need to refine itself and improve it's culinary presence. (Basing this on the defensive reviews from patrons who can't tolerate any criticism of this restaurant.) For example, their rolls and salads were heavily salted-- made us wonder if the sous chef is a smoker and losing his/her touch. While our disappointment was not worth complaining about, we may be a bit reluctant to come back as often, when we can travel a little further west for a more refined experience. Hoping OV continues to evolve. The potential here is great, if they take the time to really read their reviews and grow. Pros: certain entrees were sophisiticated Cons: unwanted salt-fest more

I just have to say it's distressing to see the negative comments left as of late. I know all parties involved and dine there at least twice a week. I love this place! The owners are amazing people that have been in business in the area for forever. These ""reviews"" are defamatory and mean spirited and really a shame.\r \r I hope you will not listen and try the wonderful food and staff, I promise you won't be disappointed. Pros: welcoming staff, delicious food, especially the scallops Cons: mean spirited ex-employees posting negative comments more

I am very disapointed to hear that the chef at Oceanview Bistro has changed. Will the menu change too?Did he leave a recipe book? You can definately tell the difference in the food, already. I am hoping it's just the cost you pay when you lose someone. Will I still be able to get my favorite Bread Pudding that I crave no lie in the middle of the night that reminds me of the severe cravings I got when I was pregnant with my first born. My husband will tell you that the craving was bad and he has never forgiven me for it. I hope that this restaurant can keep the same standard that they had before the change. Although service is important the real reason you go to a restaurant is the food. If the food is not good than forget it. I feel bad for the next chef because I have been spoiled. Pros: Location, Location, Location Cons: Change is constant but not always good more

I have been a patron of Ocean View for many years. The best thing that ever happened was the new ownership. I know the original chef is no longer there, but the food is as good as ever! The owners are very hospitable, greeting customers warmly and taking care of their personal concerns beautifully. My personal request for nonalcoholic wine was handled very nicely. They found a wine that was less sweet than their original offering and very nice. Their real wine list is wonderful. We eat there (for lunch) almost daily and today had a most delicious eggplant parmesan with bean salad, followed up by a delicious dessert. Please, do yourself a favor and try Ocean View for either lunch or dinner. You will not be disappointed. more

I am appauled at the negative comment below as well. I have dined several times at O.V Bistro and have never had a problem. The staff couldn't be nicer and the food is 5-star quality. The few times I saw the Chef he acted totally egotistical and a first class j*rk to the staff as well as that nice lady who greets you at the front. If that ""rumor"" is true - well good riddance to him! The food to me hasn't changed one bit - I will definatly be going back there to eat pretty soon. more

I cannot imagine someone writing a bad comment about Oceanview Bistro. Not only is this a classy, fine-dining treasure in Montrose, but it is owned by one of the nicest, well-established families in town. The woman that is usually there to greet the many happily returning patrons, is one of the owners, and is a lovely, hard-working, community-spirited pillar of Montrose. The food is consistently top notch, and never seems to waiver in quality. When my friends and I eat at Oceanview, we receive our food hot from the kitchen, and served with competence by a highly trained and friendly, professional wait staff. We love the ambience, and the quality of the food. I highly recommend this fantastic little jewel of a restaurant in the foothills above Glendale!! Pros: Beautiful decor, friendly waitstaff, great food, immediate seating, wonderful music more

We went in during the holidays we have heard very good things about this place and the Chef. We were greeted by an older woman that had to put down her wine glass to seat us. Our waiter was very quick and pleasant and was the best thing we experienced. As other people were being seated they would ask where the chef was, (we assumed he was in the kitchen) and we heard varying answers such as; he was on vacation, he quit and he had a fight with his family and they fired him. \r You can see the kitchen from the dining room and it seemed very hectic. Plates of food were stacking up to be taken out. My fish was fine, but the vegetables were cold. My friends pasta was cold probably because it sat there, and the sauce was like water.\r Live music was playing in the bar and after dinner we went to have a drink. The bartender was great and very attentive. The older woman was now sitting at the bar drunk and crying talking about how they are going to loose everything.....Needless to say we felt very uncomfortable so we left. \r Obviously, their is some kind of drama going on but they need to leave it at home and keep that lady out of the alcohol.\r We will never go back. more

I had dinner with my Mom on Saturday 7/26. The food and ambience were both great. I was fortunate enough to have a view of the particularly adorable sous chef. \r The tall one with the goatee. Even better than the meal which was really yummy!!!!\r K- more

Had dinner here right after they re-opened with a new chef and ownership a few months ago, and thought the food was really, really good. Came back a few nights ago (heard there was a new, seasonal menu coming this week) and..... MY GOD. Just came to have a quick bite with my girlfriend, ended up staying and having several courses! The menu has totally changed, and all looks fantastic! Me and my girlfriend started with the Seafood Salad and the Wilted Spinach Salad, (both really tasty!), then shared a Gnocchi dish (I thought I'd had good Gnocchi, till I had the one here) ; for the main course I got the Hanger Steak Frites and my girl got the Mahi plate. We were both jealous of each other after they came out! Both were not only perfectly cooked and delicious, but beautiful to look at! (Both me and my girl are artists, so we tend to notice these things.) The server recommended we save some room for dessert, and we were both glad we did! We got the Yuzu lemon cheesecake and the Banana Cream Pie...HOLY MOLY! The Yuzu cheesecake was hands down one of the best I've ever had, (server explained Yuzu is some type of Japanese lemon, whatever it is, it's delicious.) and the Cream Pie was not the stand by, soggy-banana and jello pudding I'd had at other places: it was stacked like some, I don't know delicious tower of beautifully cooked bananas, vanilla custard, whipped cream, graham cracker crust, chocolate, it was reeeeeally good! We had some really excellent wines with each course that went well with the food, servers really paired it up good. They told us they are currently changing the name and the decor, am coming back for sure as soon as they do, I'm sure the place will look just as good as the food tastes! This spot is without a doubt in my top 5 spots in So Cal! (Really reasonable prices too, even with a good tip.) Pros: FOOD, Wine, service more

There is nothing like this place where I live !!!!!!!!! Hollywood has fine dinning , but it's pretentious and over rated . This is the real deal !!!!! The chef must have worked in amazing restaurants to cook food at this level. I heard someone say he worked in Italy and some other hot places. It shows !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will eat here at least once a week !!! The prices are MORE than reasonable ( don't know how they make money at the prices they sell this food for ) !!!! more

I've been to Bouchon and French Laundry, I'm a foody and travel/eat in N.Y. several times a year. While the decor and ambiance is not quite five star, the food and service is !!! Must try's : duck confit over Medd. potato salad , gnocchi ( BEST I'VE E-V-E-R HAD !!! , seafood salad ( the calamari melts in your mouth , and any dessert they have ( some times there are only two or three choices though , I guess they sell out quickly ). Actually, everything is awesome... Haven't tried there lunch or brunch yet , but I'm sure they are tops too !!! more

My boyfriend and I had dinner here on our anniversary for the first time and everything from the food to the service to the ambiance of the entire place was wonderful!! We work in the industry and definitely know good food when we see it. We could not have picked a better spot to celebrate. \r \r First off we were greeted by the General Manager himself who was very gracious and led us to our seats. We started with their version of a shrimp cocktail. The presentation was impressive to say the least. Four shrimp stacked atop a battered and fried yellow heirloom tomato with a spicy mayo sauce. For our entrees, I had the pan-fried artic char which was perfectly seasoned; with a chorizo pancake filled with onions, potatoes, and bell peppers, a roasted red pepper coulis, and some kind of green sauce. My boyfriend had the lamb osso bucco with the mascarpone risotto which was delicious. I was surprised by the risotto the most, seeing as how the mascarpone cheese wasn't too overwhelming in taste, but instead added to the creaminess of the risotto. \r \r We asked our waiter to recommend a wine for each of our entrees and it seemed that he was very knowledgeable about the wine list because the wine we each had went perfectly well with our food. For dessert, there were only 2 options which was a bit disappointing. However, we chose the peach cobbler with the peach gelato. The cobbler was waaay too hot to eat once it arrived at our table, and I found it a bit too sweet, but my boyfriend enjoyed it. \r \r In addition to the great food, there was live music. The service was smooth and quick and aside from the couple bickering behind us, we had a great time. Total bill was $100 which to us was priceless for the great food. Pros: Food, Service, Management, Ambiance, Live Music Cons: Dessert menu was limited more

this place just opened up again, and I was really excited to see the new decour and new menu! went in for lunch with some girlfirneds... food was great!! although, I noticed they didn't have any pasta on the menu... so I settled for a burger which was fantastick! but the most odd thing occured when I asked for katchup for my fries... the waitress whom was very nice said that the salsa was for fries... I tried, it was ok... But I'm a katchup and ranch girl when it comes to fries... She said that the chef wont let katchup leave her kitchen... What's with that!! who doesn't eat fries with katchup!! Bottom Line... food was good, waitstaff was nice and pleasent.. the manager was very polite and charming... very knowledgable about wines... paired a great red wine with my burger!! AWesome!! but I still like katchup with my fries!! Pros: Great ambience, great service Cons: No Katchup!!! more

This place just re-opened under new management a few weeks ago with a new chef and a totally new look. It's AMAZING, seriously. The food was sub-par before, and now it's off the charts. Kind of annoying that they only serve burgers at lunch, and that the restaurant closes between lunch and dinner, but if you can get over those two things, it's awesome. And everyone is really nice, the chef actually came out and introduced himself and asked how the food was (it was yummy!). Great bartenders too, really know their stuff. Pros: Delicious food, friendly and knowledgable staff Cons: a little pricey, no burgers at dinner!! more

My boyfriend and I dine here regularly. The restaurant was just small place when we started but they have since expanded to include a larger bar area and a grand piano for live music. The staff is always friendly and the service is fantastic. If you go on the weekend you will most certainly see the owners chipping in. Last but not least, we have never had a bad meal. The Chicken Bernini is amazing, a definite must try. Or the Filet cooked to perfection....ask for it with the sauteed mushrooms YUM! Pros: Great Food, Easy Parking, Great Service Cons: Music can be loud more