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bouchon
9 W. Victoria St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 730-1160
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Reviews by the General Public
Wonderful Family Dining Experience!, 9/5/2009
Reviewer: Robert Smith
from Valencia, CA
We try to visit either Bouchon or Seagrass every time we come to Santa Barbara. I consider these to be among the 2 best restaurants in town. Last night we dined at Bouchon and sat on the patio. The ambience was very cozy. We all had the same starter- the Heirloom Napolean salad, which was terrific. For the main course my wife had the duck, my mom had the white seabass, my daughter had the salmon, and I had the Ahi tuna. Everything was excellent. We coulnd't decide which wine to order, so we trusted our waiter, Tony, to pair the wines for us. He did a fantastic job and made the whole dining experience most enjoyable. Our daughter studied in France this past year. Bouchon's owner, Mitchell, came by a couple of times and chatted with our daughter in French. Our family had a very memorable dining experience last night thanks to the attentiveness of Mitchell and his well-trained staff.
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Not Very Good, 7/2/2009
Reviewer: Peter
from Santa Barbara, CA
We had never been to Bouchon before, but we had heard good things about it. We were very disappointed in the food, especially for the price. We tried most things on the menu. The lamb was tough, the seasonings were boring, and the dishes in general didn't hold together. The overall quality of the food was not much better than cafeteria food. And it was very expensive!
The service was very friendly and attentive ... maybe a little too much, but I know people like that.
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Great Food ruined by a noisy group, 6/26/2009
Reviewer: Brent
from Santa Barbara, CA
First time to Bouchon, great food, great service, until a party of 8-10 loud people showed up during our main course. The staff did little to quiet them, the group had obviously been drinking before their arrival. Again, great food, good service, I have no idea on how you handle a bunch of obnoxious loud folks who are oblivious to their surroundings. I would like to re-visit on a quieter night! Excellent food...and wine!
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Disappointing Birthday Dinner, 6/12/2009
Reviewer: Taryn O.
from Santa Barbara, CA
I've been dying to go to Bouchon since we moved back to Santa Barbara - both of our starters and main dishes were bland, under-seasoned and frankly boring. I had the sea bass, it was charred on the outside and my husbands duck was tough and 'blah'. On a positive note, the wait staff was attentive, yet a bit cocky. We won't be back to Bouchon...we should have stuck to our guns and went with one of our favorite SB spots like Elements or the Hungry Cat, whose dishes (and cocktails) are always fresh and perfectly seasoned.
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Lovely Dinner for Four , 4/14/2009
Reviewer: Lyman Orton
from Steamboat Springs, CO
First time at Bouchon for four friends from Steamboat Springs and the staff immediately pulled us into the warm ambiance of this French-country place. Even convinced Rob to go for a $55 bottle of wine - Mr. Ripple had to dig deep on this one - and we could not tell if it was the wine that made the food better or food the wine. Do not miss the braised short ribs. Look forward to returning.
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Inspired and well-rounded!, 4/11/2009
Reviewer: Erica
from Santa Barbara, CA
We went to Bouchon on a Tuesday, typically not a great day for fine dining, but it was awesome! The chef's creations were soundly inspired by local ingredients and the flavors were very well-rounded. Not too trendy or presumptuous, just classic rustic ambiance and the best steak I've had in Santa Barbara.
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Nice experience, 3/29/2009
Reviewer: Jim
from Santa Barbara, CA
Salads were great, my filet mignon special (surf and turf with shrimp) was fantastic, service was excellent, overall tone and experience were solid (casual upscale, would be my description), but my wife's seabass was uninspired. We had better seafood at Seagrass (sister establishment), but I liked the experience overall a bit more here at Bouchon.
Great desserts, good wine list. Staff were all pleasant, informal yet still professional and respectful.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!, 3/22/2009
Reviewer: leah khan
from Santa Barbara, CA
i live in sb. i go to bouchon about once a month and i have never been disappointed. i ate there last week and the service was amazing as usual, their help with the wine parings always completes the dining experience. although i am occasionally sad to see my favorite dishes go with the seasonal menu changes, i am always pleasantly surprised by the new additions. it's refreshing because there is always something new and exciting on the menu along with the classics. thank you bouchon!
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Outstanding, 2/20/2009
Reviewer: Jonathan N.
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food here is simply amazing. A friend and I went here after work one day because the online menu sounded delicious. It defintely did not disappoint. I started the meal with Crispy Sweetbreads, it was the first time I had had sweetbreads, and they were very good. The risotto was perfectly cooked with delicious fresh peas and the sweetbreads were crispy on the outside and flavorful and succulent on the inside. For an entree I had the House Smoked Sonoma Rack of Lamb. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was complimented very well by the Syrah Demiglace. The Honey Mustard Glazed Carrots were sweet and savory and the perfect mix of tenderness with a little bite to them. The only thing that seemed out of place was the Turnip-Potato Gratin which was good, but just a notch below the rest of the meal. Dessert was a Vanilla Creme Brulee which had a great texture and taste, but the real star of dessert was my friends Blue Berry Upside Down Cake with the Lemon Zest Ice Cream. The ice cream was lemony and refreshing... a great way to end a meal. My only real complaint is that it took us way too long to get bread, people who had come in after us had gotten bread long before we did.
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Outstanding service, fabulous food!, 2/17/2009
Reviewer: Leslie Thomas
from Santa Barbara, CA
Selected Bouchon to treat a friend & his girlfriend to dinner because they don't get out much. Talk about a treat! We were treated like royalty, from the welcome champagne through the trio of desserts with a birthday candle. From the manager/sommelier John, to our waiter Todd, to the owner Mitchell, everyone made us feel special. The appetizers (wild mushrooms, buffalo carpaccio) were delicate and delicious, the entrees (duck, scallops, ahi) were perfectly cooked with interesting accompaniments, & the desserts heavenly. Great wine list too, & the servers are extremely knowledgeable about food/wine pairings. Will definitely return, & not just for special occasions as in the past.
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Very good food and excellent servce , 1/31/2009
Reviewer: Len
from Santa Barbara, CA
Hadn't been to Bouchon for over 9 yrs. (As an aside, after it was open for only a few months (the restaurant is now 10 yrs old), I went there then, and the food was just okay and service not very good.....so I never went back.) Returned last night with 3 others. The food was very good. Braised short rib was VERY tender...melt in your mouth. Everyone enjoyed their food! I must add that our server...Eric...was absolutely wonderful...gracious and attentive and a great smile. A very, very pleasant dinner overall. Great wine list and prices to match! If I had to mention a couple of minor negatives, it would be: the friendly (and very pretty) hostess shouldn't be chewing gum and the dessert was a bit small (tasty though) and a bit overpriced.
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Wonderful, 1/18/2009
Reviewer: Kathy
from Malibu, CA
I drove down from San Francisco and stopped at Bouchon. I ordered a dish with pasta and salmon. The pasta was home made, and I could tell by the wonderful texture--yummy! The salmon was cooked perfectly, so delicious! I love this restaurant. I've eaten there three times and have never been disappointed.
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A rare treat, 1/10/2009
Reviewer: R. Williams
from Santa Barbara, CA
Because of the economy we have not gone out to a nice dinner in a long time. We forgot how much we love Bouchon, the food, the staff and most of all Mitchell. Everything was superb and we had a special evening.
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VEGANS TAKE HEART !!!
Reviewer: Kristin
from Santa Barbara, CA
When my daughter had a special celebration in September, I wanted to take the family to a really nice restaurant--not hard in SB unless you are a vegan. A friend suggested Bouchon and I called ahead and spoke with the most gracious young woman (sorry I forgot her name) who assured me a vegan meal was no problem. I arrived early at the restaurant, gave the hostess a vase of flowers with balloons, 20 sparkler candles to put in the dessert at the end of the meal.
The evening was perfect! The chef even came out and presented us with the vegan delight, explaining each delicious morsel. Even the meat-eating son-in-law loved his meal. The dessert arrived with an explosion of candles to end a really lovely evening.
All the food was delicious, the servers were young, hip, cool and really enjoyed showering us with special attention.
WE LOVE THIS PLACE !!!
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It made my Birthday wonderful
Reviewer: Jackie
from Santa Barbara, CA
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It made my Birthday wonderful
Reviewer: Jackie
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was fantastic, the service was great and the atmosphere good. Our waiter was able to recommend a very good wine that paired well with our food. I will definitely come back.
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Disappointing food; exceptional service
Reviewer: Patrice Johnson
from Ridgecrest CA
Beautiful ambiance and great service. The waite read the menu to us though for the first five minutes. Every detail he stated was written on the inside page of the menu.
The vegan cream of corn soup is unbelievable-do not miss it.
Rack of Lamb was served burned on the outside and raw in the middle. Waiter did not return to ask us how it was.
The lemon zest mashed potatoes were very salty.
For the price of the meal, we were disappointed.
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most romantic ever
Reviewer: sarah sullivan
from ridgefield, CT
We are from CT. MY fiancee had gotten a recommendation from the front desk at
our hotel while visiting SB, and I will always remember this restaurant. The candlelight and the food were unbelievable, the wine extraordinary and the moment unforgettable.
It will stay in both of our minds as the most beautiful and romantic memory ever.
Thank you to Bouchon.
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Fantastic dinner+ great service= a wonderful night
Reviewer: Marthine Satris
from Santa Barbara
The highlights: great waiter, very attentive service overall. He brought a glass of the wrong wine for my boyfriend, but when it was brought to his attention, he poured out the correct glass and left both for us to enjoy and compare, "since they'd have to throw the first one out anyways." Nice touch!
The filet mignon -- a special for Valentine's Day: fantastic!! Beyond delicious. Served perfectly rare and every mouthful was awesome.
The bread and butter: the baguette was perfectly French: fresh, warm, crusty, and the butter was noticeably delicious too.
I had a great salad of baby beets and carrots that was different from what I've ever had before and really tasty. All the wine suggestions were right on, and the pours were quite generous.
I did feel my lobster tail was a bit overcooked -- it was just a bit chewy, but it was still very tasty.
A warning: Bouchon does not have any kind of lounge, so when we had to wait 10 minutes we went to Epiphany down the block and had some great cocktails.... just be aware that Bouchon doesn't have any kind of waiting area.
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Excellent!!
Reviewer: Joanne
from Montreal, Canada
We had a wonderful evening; Our waiter was extremely attentive without being obtrusive. The food was cooked to perfection for both of us - I highly recommend the scallops; they were divine! Wine list is extensive and provided an excellent choice of both local and international wines. Overall, a memorable dining experience... I can't wait to go back!
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very disappointing experience
Reviewer: carol robinson
from santa barbara ca.
This was the first and last time we will dine at Bouchon. Took guests there, had heard a lot about it and it was terrible. Condescending service, spoke to you like you were dummies, the food was awful, one dish was raw, sent it back and it was totally burned, the other dish was over seasoned, and the wrong seasonings for the dish, the other dishes were below average. For the price, we can do better in Santa Barbara.
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What happened? Salt! Salt! Salt! and they don't care.
Reviewer: Andrea
from Santa Barbara, CA
I had dinner here in mid-December with two friends (not my first dinner at Bouchon). I have to say the food was abysmal. Every single entree was heavily salted and when we informed our waiter, he wandered away with my plate and did nothing to remedy any of our dinners. We also ordered a bottle of wine which never appeared. After speaking with the owner at the end of our meal, he displayed little interest in listening to our feedback or even making eye contact. Obviously the owner is too busy to take an interest in hearing customer experience first-hand. Buyer beware: do not eat there if you have high-blood pressure or are looking for a nice dining experience - they just aren't that into YOU.
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Good Duck, bad salmon
Reviewer: Amy
from Santa Barbara,CA
Great list of wines and wines by the glass. Nice service. However, my salmon was overcooked and dry and the sides with it were way too salty. The upside was that my husband's duck dish was very good. I'd recommend the wine's by the glass and the duck. I can't say I'd recommend the salmon. I was very dissapointed. We had heard so many good things. I'd go back to Sage and Onion for fish.
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Don from Santa Barbara
Reviewer: Don
from Santa Barbara, CA
Food: Devine!
Wine List: Extraordinary!!
Service: Impeccable!!!
Overall Experience: Delightful!!!!
This is my favorite Santa Barbara restaurant.
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Bouchon -- A Total Disappointment
Reviewer: Bradley
from Los Angeles, CA
An ordinary retail space with budget framed poster-art and hard wooden chairs. Not what I'd call "upscale" decor.
Entrees took over an hour to arrive at our table. Even though it was a quiet Tuesday night.
My NY steak was actually hard to cut. My sister's salmon had to be returned to the kitchen twice -- first time it was too dry, then served seared/raw. She refused to eat there.
Completely disappointing experience.
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