bouchon santa barbara

We tried this spot a year ago and it was ok. We decided to give it another try. The service was so bad we actually decided to leave and go next door to Olio y Lemon where as usual we were treated to a first class meal by professional staff who treated us like family. I will never go back to Bouchon nor would I ever recommend it. There are so many far better places at this (or any) price point where they actually care about their customers. more

we were with a group of 14. we were the first to arrive about 20 minutes early and were literally shoo'd out of the restaurant by the arrogant hostess who seemed to have a congenital inability to smile.She ordered us to a bar down the street in ANOTHER RESTAURANT and said she would come and get us. The said bar was noisy and overcrowded so we took a pass and just strolled around the block. We returned close to our appointed reservation time , and acting like they were doing us a favor, let us sit in empty table until our group arrived but made it clear that we would have to get up as the table was ""taken"". It turned out that it was our own group who were at that table , but they nevertheless made a big show of asking us to get up as the arriving party needed the table . The food was ok. i liked the wild mushroom appetizer but the steak was unremarkable for the price and the waiter was quite unctious in describing each dish ,making it sound that it was the greatest food in the world. EVERYTHING ON THE MENU ?????? more

We enjoyed our evening there, the terrace is quite romantic, the food is good and the service more

Bouchon is one of the few restaurants that I have visited that is consistently excellent on each and every visit. The ambience of the restaurant is well thought out; interior design is not a ""decor of the moment"" atmospheric choice, but rather a well designed space with fine dining in mind - simple and elegant. The view of the kitchen, when seated inside, is quite nice and the patio area is also a wonderful place to be seated when the weather permits. The food and wine we have enjoyed at Bouchon has always been exceptional. We have ordered the duck and the ahi tuna entrees more than once because we have found them to be such satisfying choices. The wine list, consisting of local varietals, is impressive and the house syrah was found to be a pleasant surprise. Service has always been quite good. We always plan to visit Bouchon when in the Santa Barbara area. Pros: Food, Ambience and Service Cons: That we don't live closer to Santa Barbara more

Positive online reviews persuaded me to select Santa Barbara's Bouchon to celebrate my 50th birthday recently. What a disappointment! There is nothing special about the architecture, decor, service, or food. In fact, I'd judge Bouchon to be sub-par in every category. It's an ordinary retail space with budget framed poster art, a standard 8' ceiling that feels even lower, and hard wooden chairs as the only seating option. Dim lighting appears to be their only attempt at creating ""atmosphere"". The so-called ""garden patio"" is six small tables crammed into the space between the front door and the sidewalk. The view across the street is the side of a Vons supermarket. Service was exceptionally slow. Our entrees took well over an hour, even on a quiet Tuesday night. One dish had to be returned to the kitchen, and that took an additional 30 min. The rest of us had completed our meals before the redone dish arrived at our table. The NY steak was tough and hard to cut, even with a steak knife. The salmon had to be returned to the kitchen twice -- first it was overcooked and dry, then served (30 min. later) seared outside/raw inside. Inedible. Their most popular dessert, the chocolate lava cake, is tiny -- about the size of a small cupcake. Definitely not a shareable size. Our party of five is a pretty easy going group. But, we all left Bouchon saying it was about the worst dining experience we've ever had. If I knew then what I know now, I would have selected Wine Cask or San Ysidro Ranch instead. Cons: Uninspired space. Slow service. Incompetently prepared food. Overpriced. more

We were duped into dining at Bouchon by rave reviews we read on other websites. What a disappointment!... more

We were duped into dining at Bouchon by rave reviews we read on other websites. What a disappointment! There is nothing special about Bouchon's lo... more

At its best, the food is top-notch, but some of the dishes are prosaic for the price. The bouillabaise is excellent, as are the salads. The wine list, service, and atmosphere are outstanding. However, the chicken with mashed potatoes, which is $24, is nothing special. Moreover, the blueberry upside-down cake, which was recommended by the waiter, was mediocre. For these prices, they should deliver more consistently than they do. Still, if you're lucky enough to order the right dish, it's one of the best restaurants in Santa Barbara (much better than Ca' Dario, for example). more

bouchon has a great atmosphere and great food. Service was exceptional and the timing of dinner was relaxed yet paced to our needs. Wine list is very extensive with California wines although at the high end of the price spectrum. We will go back here again and again. Pros: Food Quality, Friendly Service, Cork Room Cons: Little Noisy more

I love food, and I love restaurants. We went in expecting a very nice, expensive dinner celebration. We left very, very disappointed. The wines were extremely overpriced. The sea scallops ($29 for four scallops) were good quality to start, but were ruined by the chefs due to overspicing. There was a chunk of charcoal in the mushroom risotto. The short ribs that my husband had were unimpressive for $29. The sweet potato puree tasted like our child's babyfood jars. I do not recommend this restaurant at all. Pros: waitstaff Cons: taste of the food, extremely overpriced, limited menu variety more