The food was excellent, as always, but the service was inept and off-putting. Also, not quite sure how a restaurant runs out of bottled water, but so it did. Highly recommended for the food, and hope the service wrinkles can be ironed out soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Cheryn English
Excellent food, helpful and knowledgeable waiter. People cancelled their reservations because of the horrible weather but a few brave souls and myself enjoyed the cozy romantic and charming atmosphere while the rain poured down.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erika Kato
Great spot for a date or a dinner with a small groups of friends. We ordered the branzino and sole and both were cooked to perfection. Excellent desserts and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Petrale Sole with Capers and Lemon, Branzino
David B
Delicious French cooking . Simple but flavorful with moderate portions sizes. Be sure to ask about the specials and what soups are on offer, and check out the Sunday supper fixed price dining or weekend Ethiopian cuisine if you have the chance for something different. Located in La Arcata, a pedestrian walkway that feels very European , offering al fresco dining and several other food and wine locations in the area.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Petrale Sole with Capers and Lemon, Branzino
Pure Intentions Love life
Excellent from start to finish. ! A must when in Santa Barbara ❤️ We sat out on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Prime Cut Flat Iron Steak Red Wine Sauce, House Salad, Soup
Linda Hill
I came here for lunch. I was here around 11:30am, and was able to get seated pretty quickly. I had the crab cakes. These were delicious. The food pricing was reasonable and the portion sizing was quite adequate. I thought the service was good as well. This place is located in the La Arcada. I sat at a nice outdoor table which is good for people watching.Parking: There is a paid parking lot around the corner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bentley Schoening
The crab cake and veal were exceptional. Service was attentive and everyone was very friendly. The ambiance of the walk street location made us feel like we were dining in a European town. The premium quality of the food is not reflected in the very affordable prices. Highly recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Cake Roast Garlic Sauce
Adam
We ate here two days in a row we loved it so much. First we had the dinner, which totally blew my mind. Excellent service. Beautiful outdoor dining area. Amazing food. We came again for lunch the next day and they were serving Ethiopian food. Best decision we ever made. It absolutely blew our minds how good the Ethiopian lunch was. We loved the French cuisine the night before, but the Ethiopian food was our favorite. It was served on top of this amazing flat bread. Definitely worth eating again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ethiopian Food During Weekend Lunch at Petit Valentien Vegetarian Combo Platter Served Family Style
Duc Nguyen
Small cozy place with great atmosphere ideal for a date night. The French food here is amazing. We got a branzino and a duck breast confit. The fish was perfectly cooked with skin intact and crispy. The duck confit was amazing. Spices and taste were just right. Highly recommended. We are going back tomorrow for Ethiopian lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Confit
Jim S.
Have eaten here for years, rather disappointed last experience - food not close to par, one poor woman serving entire restaurant... Please don't loose your excellence.
We were looking for some Ethiopian food while driving by Santa Barbara, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that Petit Valentien has an Ethiopian food menu on the weekend during lunchtime! The restaurant has both outdoor and indoor seating--the outdoor area in particular has a great atmosphere. For the Ethiopian food, note that some ingredients may run out if you go later in the day. The food was pretty good overall, though some of the dishes felt like they could use a bit more flavor compared with dishes at some other Ethiopian restaurants. We liked the okra and the lentils. Prices are on the higher side for the portions, with $9/veggie and $13/meat a là carte, and $18 for a combination plate which is intended as a one-person serving.
Kristen H.
Delicious food but severely understaffed. We were there on a Friday night, and there was one server. No host/ess, no one bussing tables. One server seating people, bussing tables, and taking orders for the entire restaurant. Needless to say, we spent a long time waiting for menus, water, etc. The food was good, and the overworked waitress was friendly and efficient. Just not the experience we were looking for at $100/person.
Stephanie Swanson
I met a friend here for lunch. The lunch specials were reasonably priced and we had great portions. My crab cake was DELICIOUS and my friend pointed out how "crabby" it looked compared to other crab cakes she's had that contained a lot of filler. I also got a roasted pepper soup that was tasty and the consistency was perfect. The restaurant is in La Arcada, so we enjoyed sitting outside and people watching. We were there on a Tuesday at noon and had no problem getting a table, but in the twelve o'clock hour tables did start to fill up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jeniferc166
My favorite restaurant in SB!! French Food that delights the tastebuds!! Service attentive. Cozy, quaint bistro atmosphere inside or outside in courtyard.
Anna E.
Love their squash wot a little peppery but the spice/berbere was spot on. I always wish they added a bit more injera but they are also always kind and give more if you dine in!
The food was excellent, as always, but the service was inept and off-putting. Also, not quite sure how a restaurant runs out of bottled water, but so it did. Highly recommended for the food, and hope the service wrinkles can be ironed out soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Excellent food, helpful and knowledgeable waiter. People cancelled their reservations because of the horrible weather but a few brave souls and myself enjoyed the cozy romantic and charming atmosphere while the rain poured down.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great spot for a date or a dinner with a small groups of friends. We ordered the branzino and sole and both were cooked to perfection. Excellent desserts and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Petrale Sole with Capers and Lemon, Branzino
Delicious French cooking . Simple but flavorful with moderate portions sizes. Be sure to ask about the specials and what soups are on offer, and check out the Sunday supper fixed price dining or weekend Ethiopian cuisine if you have the chance for something different. Located in La Arcata, a pedestrian walkway that feels very European , offering al fresco dining and several other food and wine locations in the area.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Petrale Sole with Capers and Lemon, Branzino
Excellent from start to finish. ! A must when in Santa Barbara ❤️ We sat out on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Prime Cut Flat Iron Steak Red Wine Sauce, House Salad, Soup
I came here for lunch. I was here around 11:30am, and was able to get seated pretty quickly. I had the crab cakes. These were delicious. The food pricing was reasonable and the portion sizing was quite adequate. I thought the service was good as well. This place is located in the La Arcada. I sat at a nice outdoor table which is good for people watching.Parking: There is a paid parking lot around the corner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The crab cake and veal were exceptional. Service was attentive and everyone was very friendly. The ambiance of the walk street location made us feel like we were dining in a European town. The premium quality of the food is not reflected in the very affordable prices. Highly recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Cake Roast Garlic Sauce
We ate here two days in a row we loved it so much. First we had the dinner, which totally blew my mind. Excellent service. Beautiful outdoor dining area. Amazing food. We came again for lunch the next day and they were serving Ethiopian food. Best decision we ever made. It absolutely blew our minds how good the Ethiopian lunch was. We loved the French cuisine the night before, but the Ethiopian food was our favorite. It was served on top of this amazing flat bread. Definitely worth eating again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ethiopian Food During Weekend Lunch at Petit Valentien Vegetarian Combo Platter Served Family Style
Small cozy place with great atmosphere ideal for a date night. The French food here is amazing. We got a branzino and a duck breast confit. The fish was perfectly cooked with skin intact and crispy. The duck confit was amazing. Spices and taste were just right. Highly recommended. We are going back tomorrow for Ethiopian lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Confit
Have eaten here for years, rather disappointed last experience - food not close to par, one poor woman serving entire restaurant... Please don't loose your excellence.
Restaurantji Recommends
We were looking for some Ethiopian food while driving by Santa Barbara, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that Petit Valentien has an Ethiopian food menu on the weekend during lunchtime! The restaurant has both outdoor and indoor seating--the outdoor area in particular has a great atmosphere. For the Ethiopian food, note that some ingredients may run out if you go later in the day. The food was pretty good overall, though some of the dishes felt like they could use a bit more flavor compared with dishes at some other Ethiopian restaurants. We liked the okra and the lentils. Prices are on the higher side for the portions, with $9/veggie and $13/meat a là carte, and $18 for a combination plate which is intended as a one-person serving.
Delicious food but severely understaffed. We were there on a Friday night, and there was one server. No host/ess, no one bussing tables. One server seating people, bussing tables, and taking orders for the entire restaurant. Needless to say, we spent a long time waiting for menus, water, etc. The food was good, and the overworked waitress was friendly and efficient. Just not the experience we were looking for at $100/person.
I met a friend here for lunch. The lunch specials were reasonably priced and we had great portions. My crab cake was DELICIOUS and my friend pointed out how "crabby" it looked compared to other crab cakes she's had that contained a lot of filler. I also got a roasted pepper soup that was tasty and the consistency was perfect. The restaurant is in La Arcada, so we enjoyed sitting outside and people watching. We were there on a Tuesday at noon and had no problem getting a table, but in the twelve o'clock hour tables did start to fill up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My favorite restaurant in SB!! French Food that delights the tastebuds!! Service attentive. Cozy, quaint bistro atmosphere inside or outside in courtyard.
Love their squash wot a little peppery but the spice/berbere was spot on. I always wish they added a bit more injera but they are also always kind and give more if you dine in!