My boyfriend and I came to First & Oak for our anniversary dinner. Our waitress was very hospitable and offered us the choice of the 3-course or 5-course tasting menu. We were excited to try the 5-course as it included an oyster and dessert. We were advised to do one of each menu option since we'd mostly be splitting each course. After the oyster, we opted for the asparagus and cauliflower. Both came out in a timely manner and looked beautiful. after splitting each vegetable on share plates, my boyfriend took a bite out of the asparagus only to notice a caterpillar crawling out of the middle of the plate. We called over the waitress and calmly mentioned that an unwelcome "friend" had joined our party. We didn't want to cause a scene and freak the rest of the restaurant out of courtesy. The staff seemed to brush this off without much of a resolution other than a fresh plate of asparagus. We weren't able to eat much of it, but it the cauliflower was very tasty. Over the next several minutes, they brought us out 2 pieces of bread with avocado butter. This was delicious, although a very small portion. We noticed the tables next to us (also parties of 2) received orders of bread twice the size of ours. For our entrees, we ordered the lamb and halibut. About a half an hour later, entrees came out, only for a different waiter to realize he gave us the wrong things and they were meant for the table next to us. That table finished their meals before our proper meals touched down on our table. When they finally did, my boyfriend couldn't take more than 3 bites from the salt bomb of a halibut. It was prepared very nicely with crispy skin, but we both could not handle the salt. Our kind waitress noticed something was wrong and kindly brought us a complimentary glass of wine. By this point, the tables next to us whom had started 30+ minutes after us had completely finished and paid their bills. Meanwhile, our waitress thought we had already ate dessert when it hadn't even come out. The dessert came out without an apology for the wait. The passion fruit tart was delicious and the chocolate was very good. When the check came out, we were expecting some kind of apology for all the mistakes of the evening. This did not happen. When we called out the bug situation, our waitress immediately said she'd take care of part of the check without question. When she brought back the check, she said she messed up the original charge and took 25% off the new check. Suspiciously, she threw away all original checks and only left the credit card receipt so we couldn't see what we were charged for. After leaving the restaurant, we ran the calculation of what we ordered and what we saw on the original receipt. We were discounted approximately $20 instead of 25% of the bill. Although the service was friendly and hospitable, I cannot recommend this restaurant with the disorderly chaos of the evening. Extremely unfortunate.
Lisa W.
My husband and I had our anniversary party there last week. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The manager, Matt P was gracious and easy to work with, the servers were friendly and attentive, the chef was amazing. Everyone commented on how delicious the food was. Thank you all!
Arolyn B.
This is my absolute favorite restaurant! Ever! I have been here 4 times and introduced a new friend each time. We All LOVE IT! So this last time not only were my tastebuds tantalized, surprised, titillated and more than satisfied. My man who (like me) has a palate thats hard to please, was electrified with excitement at how DELICIOUS this place is. Michelin stars were well deserved. Absolute YUMMINESS oh and the wine pairing was Spot On!
Sherene H.
One Michelin star restaurant in the little town of solvang! This cute quaint restaurant is hidden in the neighborhood of Slovang. You can get a 3 or 5 course tasting menu. We ordered 5 courses which is only $90! The first course was the beet with Cara Cara and pistachios which was ok honestly. The next course you can pick and I ordered the roasted cauliflower. Get it!!! The cream is actually a cauliflower puree! The truffle vinaigrette is not too strong just perfect. We both ordered the seared scallops and that was perfection with a carrot puree. Next course was the braised lamb shoulder which looks dry but it's so tender you don't need a knife to cut it! Finally the two desserts were excellent. The passion fruit tart was huge! It came with a nice coconut cream and flakes. I didn't like the apple pineapple but the tart and coconut cream paired perfectly. The chocolate mousse and honeycomb crumble was soo delicious. There's also Oreo under which was delicious! Definitely recommend and would come back to Slovang just for this!! Service was friendly and attentive. Great place to go for dinner.
Hector Paz
This place is by far top notch. The service is superb, the atmosphere is amazing, the food is amazingly flavorful and artistic. It’s a must try. This is my second time back. I will be back for more.Kid-friendliness: Our 12 year old loved it as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Potatoes, Kimchi Cracklings, Served with Gourmet Bread Basket, Risotto, Rack of Lamb, Truffle Roasted Cauliflower
Mando P.
Amazing atmosphere. Very hospitable and customer service was beyond 5 star. The food is so delicious and artistic. This is the second time I have been, I have done the 5 course and now the 3 course and I am blown away. I will definitely be back.
Jade W.
First and Oak was simply amazing! They sat us outside as they welcomed our dog and we loved sitting under the bistro lights sipping wine and eating the 5 course menu! The food the chef prepared was absolute PERFECTION along with the quaint ambiance made our dinner at First and Oak the highlight of our entire Solvang trip! If you're planning a trip to Solvang, First and Oak must be on your list!
Caroline Donaldson
Was a bit like stepping into someone's dinning room for dinner. It was a small restaurant with a boutique hotel attached. We had the three course meal with wine tastings and it was divine. I had cauliflower, scallops and chocolate mouse. My husband had cauliflower, ribs and chocolate mouss. The staff were really friendly and helpful offering advice on wines, what to do and just lovely. We booked for 8pm by which time it was only us there. If you go try the cauliflower starter.... It was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our second time at F&O. Despite our visits being years apart, the menu was almost entirely the same. The meal was great but a little redundant. Neither of us appreciated the oyster or the scallop dish, but the rest of the meal was spectacular.
Michael B.
One of the only fine dining restaurants in Solvang. Food was good enough I suppose . We were surprised about a " fee for kitchen staff " (22% included with the bill) that's before tipping our actual server.. we've been to fine dining restaurants all over and this was a first for me. Left feeling a bit bamboozled about that fee.
If you're looking elevated dishes, this is your place. The service is amazing and the setting is romantic. You must try the roasted cauliflower, it will take your palate on a journey. The passion fruit dessert is also a must try. If I have one negative thing to say about our experience it would be that the rice in the risotto was a bit undercooked. If I return to Solvang I will definitely be back to First and Oak.
HollyL
Excellent food. We selected the 5-course menu and wine pairings. Because we both picked the alternative selections for each course, we ended up sharing and thus experienced the ENTIRE menu and all the curated wines. Beautiful and intimate interior. Service started off well and then it felt like they directed their attention elsewhere as the night wore on which was disappointing. Overall, would still highly recommend.
AmyS
This boutique restaurant was a real find. The service was impeccable yet casual, friendly and welcoming. The cuisine for each course was exquisitely prepared and presented. The staff was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic with wine pairing suggestions, and some excellent local wines were featured. The rooms were comfortably appointed and the atmosphere was quiet and intimate. This restaurant is the perfect finale to a day in wine country, and we look forward to many more visits!
John D.
Oak Religion Located on the bottom floor of the charming Mirabelle Inn lies a multiple Michelin recommended restaurant that served us what quite possibly was our favorite meal of 2023. While French fine-dining isn't really in our wheelhouse, we were drawn in by their intriguing, ever-changing menu that purports to take humble ingredients, like a head of Cauliflower, and transforms it into a tastebud tantalizing tap-dance. And that's not to downplay their simple, and yet dazzling presentation that'll leave you awestruck at every turn. From the Sabayon Amuse Bouche that was served inside real egg shells and presented in a "nest," to the mahogany crusted Scallops and Halibut that gives way to a perfectly cooked and flavorful flesh below it. Their desserts are also to be acknowledged, as the Passionfruit Tart was possibly the best use of the ingredient outside of Hawai'i that I've experienced. Tangy, sweet and creamy as it gets, the Passionfruit flavor really shined. Service is another hallmark of these types of establishments, and First & Oak brings it and then some. The staff are neat and thorough as one would expect, but without the slightest bit of hoity toity snobbery which usually comes along with it. In fact, they were all downright pleasant and a joy to speak to about the menu, the restaurant, and whatever else came up in conversation. The one drawback to fine-dining is the cost, but honestly, First & Oak's pricing ($65/three-course $90/five-course) is almost a bargain. Yes, I realize I've lived too long in Cali in order to say $90 is a bargain, but when you compare it to Michelin-starred restaurants, you could certainly do a lot worse. And, despite them not technically having a Michelin Star, the food here was on-par--if not superior!--with Michelin-starred restaurants we've eaten at. Conclusion: Destination dining spot that's surely on its way to an eventual Michelin Star at some point in the near future.
HenryO
Absolutely outstanding food, service and wine! We had the 5-course meal with wine pairing and each dish was fantastic. Small, intimate little restaurant with nice ambiance and everyone who served us did so with a smile and told us all about each dish that we were going to eat and where the wine came from, etc.. They are a Michelin plate award restaurant and I've eaten at a few Michelin one-star restaurants and this felt every bit like one. We will definitely be back again.
My boyfriend and I came to First & Oak for our anniversary dinner. Our waitress was very hospitable and offered us the choice of the 3-course or 5-course tasting menu. We were excited to try the 5-course as it included an oyster and dessert. We were advised to do one of each menu option since we'd mostly be splitting each course. After the oyster, we opted for the asparagus and cauliflower. Both came out in a timely manner and looked beautiful. after splitting each vegetable on share plates, my boyfriend took a bite out of the asparagus only to notice a caterpillar crawling out of the middle of the plate. We called over the waitress and calmly mentioned that an unwelcome "friend" had joined our party. We didn't want to cause a scene and freak the rest of the restaurant out of courtesy. The staff seemed to brush this off without much of a resolution other than a fresh plate of asparagus. We weren't able to eat much of it, but it the cauliflower was very tasty. Over the next several minutes, they brought us out 2 pieces of bread with avocado butter. This was delicious, although a very small portion. We noticed the tables next to us (also parties of 2) received orders of bread twice the size of ours. For our entrees, we ordered the lamb and halibut. About a half an hour later, entrees came out, only for a different waiter to realize he gave us the wrong things and they were meant for the table next to us. That table finished their meals before our proper meals touched down on our table. When they finally did, my boyfriend couldn't take more than 3 bites from the salt bomb of a halibut. It was prepared very nicely with crispy skin, but we both could not handle the salt. Our kind waitress noticed something was wrong and kindly brought us a complimentary glass of wine. By this point, the tables next to us whom had started 30+ minutes after us had completely finished and paid their bills. Meanwhile, our waitress thought we had already ate dessert when it hadn't even come out. The dessert came out without an apology for the wait. The passion fruit tart was delicious and the chocolate was very good. When the check came out, we were expecting some kind of apology for all the mistakes of the evening. This did not happen. When we called out the bug situation, our waitress immediately said she'd take care of part of the check without question. When she brought back the check, she said she messed up the original charge and took 25% off the new check. Suspiciously, she threw away all original checks and only left the credit card receipt so we couldn't see what we were charged for. After leaving the restaurant, we ran the calculation of what we ordered and what we saw on the original receipt. We were discounted approximately $20 instead of 25% of the bill. Although the service was friendly and hospitable, I cannot recommend this restaurant with the disorderly chaos of the evening. Extremely unfortunate.
My husband and I had our anniversary party there last week. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The manager, Matt P was gracious and easy to work with, the servers were friendly and attentive, the chef was amazing. Everyone commented on how delicious the food was. Thank you all!
This is my absolute favorite restaurant! Ever! I have been here 4 times and introduced a new friend each time. We All LOVE IT! So this last time not only were my tastebuds tantalized, surprised, titillated and more than satisfied. My man who (like me) has a palate thats hard to please, was electrified with excitement at how DELICIOUS this place is. Michelin stars were well deserved. Absolute YUMMINESS oh and the wine pairing was Spot On!
One Michelin star restaurant in the little town of solvang! This cute quaint restaurant is hidden in the neighborhood of Slovang. You can get a 3 or 5 course tasting menu. We ordered 5 courses which is only $90! The first course was the beet with Cara Cara and pistachios which was ok honestly. The next course you can pick and I ordered the roasted cauliflower. Get it!!! The cream is actually a cauliflower puree! The truffle vinaigrette is not too strong just perfect. We both ordered the seared scallops and that was perfection with a carrot puree. Next course was the braised lamb shoulder which looks dry but it's so tender you don't need a knife to cut it! Finally the two desserts were excellent. The passion fruit tart was huge! It came with a nice coconut cream and flakes. I didn't like the apple pineapple but the tart and coconut cream paired perfectly. The chocolate mousse and honeycomb crumble was soo delicious. There's also Oreo under which was delicious! Definitely recommend and would come back to Slovang just for this!! Service was friendly and attentive. Great place to go for dinner.
This place is by far top notch. The service is superb, the atmosphere is amazing, the food is amazingly flavorful and artistic. It’s a must try. This is my second time back. I will be back for more.Kid-friendliness: Our 12 year old loved it as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Potatoes, Kimchi Cracklings, Served with Gourmet Bread Basket, Risotto, Rack of Lamb, Truffle Roasted Cauliflower
Amazing atmosphere. Very hospitable and customer service was beyond 5 star. The food is so delicious and artistic. This is the second time I have been, I have done the 5 course and now the 3 course and I am blown away. I will definitely be back.
First and Oak was simply amazing! They sat us outside as they welcomed our dog and we loved sitting under the bistro lights sipping wine and eating the 5 course menu! The food the chef prepared was absolute PERFECTION along with the quaint ambiance made our dinner at First and Oak the highlight of our entire Solvang trip! If you're planning a trip to Solvang, First and Oak must be on your list!
Was a bit like stepping into someone's dinning room for dinner. It was a small restaurant with a boutique hotel attached. We had the three course meal with wine tastings and it was divine. I had cauliflower, scallops and chocolate mouse. My husband had cauliflower, ribs and chocolate mouss. The staff were really friendly and helpful offering advice on wines, what to do and just lovely. We booked for 8pm by which time it was only us there. If you go try the cauliflower starter.... It was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our second time at F&O. Despite our visits being years apart, the menu was almost entirely the same. The meal was great but a little redundant. Neither of us appreciated the oyster or the scallop dish, but the rest of the meal was spectacular.
One of the only fine dining restaurants in Solvang. Food was good enough I suppose . We were surprised about a " fee for kitchen staff " (22% included with the bill) that's before tipping our actual server.. we've been to fine dining restaurants all over and this was a first for me. Left feeling a bit bamboozled about that fee.
Restaurantji Recommends
If you're looking elevated dishes, this is your place. The service is amazing and the setting is romantic. You must try the roasted cauliflower, it will take your palate on a journey. The passion fruit dessert is also a must try. If I have one negative thing to say about our experience it would be that the rice in the risotto was a bit undercooked. If I return to Solvang I will definitely be back to First and Oak.
Excellent food. We selected the 5-course menu and wine pairings. Because we both picked the alternative selections for each course, we ended up sharing and thus experienced the ENTIRE menu and all the curated wines. Beautiful and intimate interior. Service started off well and then it felt like they directed their attention elsewhere as the night wore on which was disappointing. Overall, would still highly recommend.
This boutique restaurant was a real find. The service was impeccable yet casual, friendly and welcoming. The cuisine for each course was exquisitely prepared and presented. The staff was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic with wine pairing suggestions, and some excellent local wines were featured. The rooms were comfortably appointed and the atmosphere was quiet and intimate. This restaurant is the perfect finale to a day in wine country, and we look forward to many more visits!
Oak Religion Located on the bottom floor of the charming Mirabelle Inn lies a multiple Michelin recommended restaurant that served us what quite possibly was our favorite meal of 2023. While French fine-dining isn't really in our wheelhouse, we were drawn in by their intriguing, ever-changing menu that purports to take humble ingredients, like a head of Cauliflower, and transforms it into a tastebud tantalizing tap-dance. And that's not to downplay their simple, and yet dazzling presentation that'll leave you awestruck at every turn. From the Sabayon Amuse Bouche that was served inside real egg shells and presented in a "nest," to the mahogany crusted Scallops and Halibut that gives way to a perfectly cooked and flavorful flesh below it. Their desserts are also to be acknowledged, as the Passionfruit Tart was possibly the best use of the ingredient outside of Hawai'i that I've experienced. Tangy, sweet and creamy as it gets, the Passionfruit flavor really shined. Service is another hallmark of these types of establishments, and First & Oak brings it and then some. The staff are neat and thorough as one would expect, but without the slightest bit of hoity toity snobbery which usually comes along with it. In fact, they were all downright pleasant and a joy to speak to about the menu, the restaurant, and whatever else came up in conversation. The one drawback to fine-dining is the cost, but honestly, First & Oak's pricing ($65/three-course $90/five-course) is almost a bargain. Yes, I realize I've lived too long in Cali in order to say $90 is a bargain, but when you compare it to Michelin-starred restaurants, you could certainly do a lot worse. And, despite them not technically having a Michelin Star, the food here was on-par--if not superior!--with Michelin-starred restaurants we've eaten at. Conclusion: Destination dining spot that's surely on its way to an eventual Michelin Star at some point in the near future.
Absolutely outstanding food, service and wine! We had the 5-course meal with wine pairing and each dish was fantastic. Small, intimate little restaurant with nice ambiance and everyone who served us did so with a smile and told us all about each dish that we were going to eat and where the wine came from, etc.. They are a Michelin plate award restaurant and I've eaten at a few Michelin one-star restaurants and this felt every bit like one. We will definitely be back again.