Stella Mares

A lovely restaurant! They were not too busy on a Friday night. My friend was having a wedding nearby and found this restaurant by searching for open reservations for a group of 17, and this was a great choice. We had our own separate dining room so it was great for this rehearsal dinner.
The restaurant is decorated like a lovely house, and there’s also a large dining room that would have been the greenhouse, giving diners a view of the surrounding greenery.
If you’re looking forward to a view of the lake from the restaurant, unfortunately it’s a bit hard to see! There was also some construction material at the edge of the lake blocking our view.
The service was very prompt and professional.
4 stars:
* Petits Plats — Escargots Persillade ($ 9.25)
* Plats Principaux — Saumon Oscar (salmon roulade, $ 33.75)
* Desserts — Warm Rustic Apple Galette ($ 10.95)
3.5 stars:
* Petits Plats — Artichault Grille (grilled artichoke, $ 10.50)
3 stars:
* Petits Plats — Tuna Tartare
* Plats Principaux — Coq au Vin ($ 24.95). No photo. This was packed with flavor, almost a little too much! It was a bit on the sweet side. But the meat was crazy tender & soft.
3 stars:
* Desserts — Flourless Chocolate Cake ($ 9.95)
2.5 stars:
* Desserts — Crème Brulee (passion fruit. $ 8.75). No photo. Turns out this was passion fruit-​flavored crème brûlée, so it was very tarte. Everyone who ordered this was a bit disappointed and couldn’t finish this.
See my photos for additional review details!

Simply put, a wonderful dining experience. We were a party of 6 celebrating a birthday, and from appetizers to desserts, all enjoyed every bite!

My chicken fell off the bone, enough said. I FEEL LIKE I’M IN ITALY. absolutely perfect, from the service to the lemon cake this place can’t get much better. If I could give 6 stars I would. Bravo.

First impressions: beautiful quaint French cottage feel.
Customer service: friendly, not too overbearing.
Food: how do you make that Homer Simpson sound when he loves food??? That’s what I felt…
I would recommend this place for a dinner date.

It’s a very pleasant finer dining experience. I called to make a reservation on Saturday but they didn’t have a table around 7pm so I made it for the next day, Sunday. Requested a window table or patio.
When I got there, looked pretty empty… Still a reservation was needed, said the host, to score a window table in the green room. He said that’s the best room in the house. Patio might not be a good idea cuz the restaurant is right across the Bird Refuge, a stagnant pond, which means mosquitos at nightfall!!! Only if you have delicious blood. Otherwise, don’t worry.
Anyway. Service was very good, sweet girl. We were between the frog legs n escargots for appetizer n ended up trying the frog legs. As expected, they’re not kickin fresh (thank goodness) but they’re still quite good n meaty and that sauce was slightly tangy n amazing. I ordered the mussels with fries n my BF got the burger.
Loved my mussels. Another amazing sauce together with mussel broth. They’re not too big, cooked perfectly so there’s no shrinkage. Topped with garlic fries.
My Bf’s burger looked simple but the flavors were outta this world. Cooked medium and the bleu cheese n bacon zinged me out.
I was pretty messy, ate mostly with my hands. Had a great time though, awesome place. Easy parking in their small lot.

Lovely little gem over looking the bird refuge. Great attentive service, beautiful décor, and delicious French bistro food.
My fiancé visited last year for a conference and raced so much that this week on our weekend get away I begged him to take me for brunch.
To start I got the escargot, which was rich and buttery in the best way. Then I ordered the benedict du jour, a scallop eggs benedict with the richest hollandaise sauce. Very delicious.
Great atmosphere. Perfect for an intimate meal with a loved one.

This is not the best place for vegans or even vegetarians, but the chef was able to specially prepare a pasta dish for us.
It had tomatoes, goat cheese, walnuts, a pink sauce?, and fresh pasta. The dish was amazing and my friend and I couldn’t stop raving over the quality of our dish.
The chocolate dessert was the perfect cherry on top. Although it may be considered «small» for American standards, the chocolate piece was wonderful.
I only have great things to say about this place! The interior makes you feel like you are in the French countryside and their sunroom eating terrace is just gorgeous!
If I’m back in SB, I will definitely come back here!

Anita, our server, was knowledgeable, attentive and delightful. I was adventurous and had the duck burger… very nice. All nice… except skip the chocolate chip muffins to start.

Wow!!! What great ambience, service and food! If you are ever in Santa Barbara… this place is a must. I had blue crab stuffed salmon (Salmon Oscar??) and it was A-​M-​A-​Z-​I-​N-​G!!! If you love escargot and Kermit legs, you will enjoy. If I could give this place 10 stars I would!!! Great job!!!

My beautiful wife Julie and I love to come here and celebrate when I close an escrow. We always get the same things. Julie gets the Cheeseburger and I get the Duck burger. They are both awesome and we always bring a great bottle of Pinot Noir. The setting and the atmosphere are both great, the food superb, and the service is first rate (ask for Carole, she is delightful!).

Celebrated my birthday last night here because it is that kind of place — special. The service was simply outstanding. My friend didn’t care for her choice of sauces for her steak and the staff bent over backwards to make her happy. She got exactly what she wanted and it was done to perfection. This restaurant couldn’t have been more delightful and wonderful in every way. I had the filet mignon which was huge — I was surprised with the generous portions — especially for the price. I will be going back more often — it was so worth it on every level. Oh, and the flourless chocolate cake surprise they brought was so decadent and delicious — it would be worth going back for that alone. So glad to have revisited this place again. Will be frequenting more often!

Agree with others on the cute and quaint. Nice location-​away from the hustle and bustle, across the street from a coastal wildlife lagoon. They’ve got a great patio in the front. They also have a big, airy, enclosed sun room for chillier days. The staff are effusive and accommodating.
For lighter fare I’d definitely recommend the asparagus bisque; a dish true to Bistro style without being pretentious. It’s hearty for a bisque, and quite flavorful. Goes well with a side of their sourdough baguette.
While I happen to be here solo, it would be a very romantic place for a date, or a semi-​large group. If you have a ‘large’ group (i.e. More than 6) I’d recommend calling ahead for best service.
If you have time on either end, take a short walk around the coastal lagoon. The wildlife is amazing.

The ambiance can’t be beat, the food is good and the service isn’t bad. The greenhouse setting is adorable. The view of the lake across the street is stunning, and the fireplace ties it all together and makes it warm and cozy. I had the ahi salad, which was good. Their crème brûlée was different than most, it had a lemon flavor to it, which I didn’t love, but it wasn’t bad. If you’re looking for a really cute place with a nice view and decent food this place is for you.

What an excellent place to have brunch. My girlfriend and I both love really good food and my girlfriend is very passionate about restaurants that are aesthetically pleasing. This place perfectly encompasses both. It is a gorgeous restaurant with a fantastic interior. The service was also exceptional.
Food:
Escargot (appetizer) — Absolutely excellent. Fully recommend. Don’t be scared.
Bacon-​wrapped filet mignon eggs benedict — THE BEST EGGS BENEDICT I HAVE EVER HAD! ORDER THIS! The steak was perfectly tender.
Maple french toast — Sweet and delicious
Mimosas — Also fantastic
The first thing I did after I left this place was make dinner reservations for the next time I am in town. Excellent restaurant.

customers service: when I went in to ask about getting a table, they just asked a lady in front of me and then skipped over to another person who obviously came after me. But then luckily the lady who came in after asked if I been help which was nice on her part…
AND THEN, I do know u can make a reservation but the host asked if I had one and I said no and he says «well we have a lot of reservation coming in at one let’s see if there’s any space» when only two table was occupied outside and at least five were open! he initially told us to sit near the side of the house where it was an awful placement and I asked for a different table. We ended up to be there for over 40 mins at least and all five tables at least were never occupied. SO RUDE. after reflecting with my boyfriend. Com on stella mare’s get your act together. almost felt discriminatory. le sigh.
as for the waiters and waitress. and host. eh could be better seems like they’re trying hard to be nice and mean/​rude at the same time… like they don’t want to be nice but have to.
side note: only one waiter was nice who mention the goat appetizers which I wish he helped us the whole time. the other three were horrible.
they actually could have gotten 5 star!!!
because food was impeccable
goat cheese was the best I ever had!!! best combo w pesto
cob salad was delicious! there’s a Lot of blue cheese I don’t like but this dressing was to die for and I absolutely love it
taste buds are extremely happy!

Dinner here with a group of 14 for a Birthday. The ambiance of this place is quaint, French Country. Old house feel with a garden room that is beautiful but noisy. Also, other private room areas make Stella Mares a good place for a group celebrations of any kind. Our «room» even had doors that closed us out from the rest of the diners.
The table ordered a variety of mains and firsts. Steak, Pork, Trout, Salmon, Duck. The entrees are served with a combination of starches and veggies depending on the dish. The pork tenderloin for example was served on a bed of goat cheese mashed potatoes, steamed chard with apricot and cherry. Delicious! One side that the entire table appreciated were the «pommes frites with truffle oil». So flavorful!
The mains were all over 25.00 and the salads between 6 and 13. A special occasion dinner in the sense of price and presentation.
The service was a bit slow but they were very attentive and good with details. I would recommend for a celebration or romantic evening.

Un mot… délicieux!
Translation (One word… delicious!)
Ok, I shouldn’t stop at one word… The Quiche was light and fluffy. The salads were fresh and crisp with dressings that added flavor but did not overwhelm. We loved the ratatouille both in the omelette and as a side and we were so happy to be able to take some home. It’s clear there is a great chef in the kitchen trained in the delicate techniques of fine French cuisine. Merci beaucoup!

I had a team dinner at this restaurant in Montecito. It is supposed to be one of the top French restaurants in the area. The restaurant is located in some back area obscure place off of the freeway. It’s a little old house converted into a restaurant. The restaurant has an open-​air concept, which means that if CA is having a heat wave, the restaurant is BAKING inside. Our team of ten had one of the private dining rooms and we were hot the entire meal.
Our experience started off with a bit of a twist. The team arrived and the hostess was busy taking reservations on the phone. We politely waited in the lobby check in area for several minutes and we weren’t helped. After about 5 minutes, we knew that we had a private dining room and we escorted ourselves to our seats and found our own menus.
Saving grace showed up when waiter Christopher (I think that is your name) showed up. He provided some excellent customer service. He knew the menu, he knew food pairings, he was very friendly, helpful, and made it a great experience!
Three appetizers were shared: The first appetizer was the bone marrow. I’m a huge fan of bone marrow and this dish was well prepared. It was one bone marrow split into two main pieces. Served with toasted crostinis. Broiled to perfection, the bone marrow was soft and sweet. It lacked flavor, but you got the flavor from the toasted bread. Grade: B
Second appetizer was the escargot. Hands down, DELICIOUS. Prepared with a French style herb butter and served with toasted crostinis. Fabulous dish. Grade: A–
Third appetizer was the cured meats and cheese plate. Very nice selection of salamis, cheeses, and dried fruits. The selection of meats and cheese were typical and unevenful. I was looking for a more unique ingredient to this dish. Safe choice. Grade: B
For my main meal, I ordered the rib eye. Instead of ordering it with the typical sauces, I asked that they serve it with the house herb butter that was served with the escargot. WINNER! The steak was tender and well done. Enjoyable. Grade: A–
By the end of the meal, we were hot and exhausted from the heat. It made enjoying the meal a bit difficult. We enjoy the open air cocept, but it was a bit too much during this heat wave.
Food Grade: B
Service Grade: A!
Worth the Money Grade: B
Overall Impression Grade: B /​B+

Yum! I came here with coworkers and we had the best time. The wine was lovely. Drinks wonderful. And the food delicious.
Warm bread and delicious butter. Heavenly even.
We all got an assortment of food and enjoyed it all.

Go here for the décor and atmosphere. Its beautiful and unique. The food, however, has never really impressed me. I have only brunched there, and it just wan’t worth the expense. Maybe it is better for dinner, but I’m not sure I would want to see the price tag.
The biscuits with jam are the highlight to me.