Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe

There are a couple of great dining options in Los Olivos, but this one is more than just a meal, it’s an experience. Lunched here yesterday, first time since last July. Sat at the bar. Even something as simple as grilled vegetables appetizer and turkey burger lunch entrée was prepared creatively, very tasty. We did the «create your own» wine flight and discovered some great new wines. Wine expert Andy helped us find some intriguing selections from the wine store section of the room. Every time we visit here, it’s always a special occasion, and never a disappointment.

We came with a small group with high expectations based on previous visits. However, we sat down after a 45 min wait and initially they told us 15 mins. First negative, a Hostess who poorly misjudged tables leaving. After sitting and waiting another 15 mins our waitress arrived. Another disappointment was discovering because of the late afternoon hour we were limited to the «late lunch» menu. All our favorite pastas were outside of our grasps. We ordered pizza’s and they messed up our order… giving us one extra Alba and one less Corsica. In addition to the baked brie appetizer we had a pepperoni pizza. The pizza’s were not spectacular or memorable. Some lacked seasoning. The atmosphere is nice and we brought our dog so having a restaurant that is dog friendly was a plus. In the end there is little to entice a return here.

One of my favorite places to eat at when I’m visiting Los Olivos. Had their Salmon salad with lentils. Amazingly good!

The owner recently wrote me and was very nice so I have updated my rating.
Came in with my family and it was my sisters birthday. We had reservations for 8 and they tried seating us all the way in back and it was very stuffy. We noticed that there were several seats open (like half the restaurant). We asked to be restated and we got a lot of attitude from the guy with a bald head and a beard. They said they would reseat us and didn’t explain where and how long. We patiently waited at the bar for over 45 minutes and they didn’t check in with us at all or tell us how much longer it would be. It was a little upsetting for us so we decided to leave and go to the restaurant across the street called Sides. The bad review comes from bad customer service and zero attention to detail. plain and simple.

Superb & delicious hanger steak and lamb shank.
Highly recommend an evening spent here for great food and wine.

A great place for lunch after a day of wine tasting. It’s also a good place to just sit down for a great glass of local vinos. And also a good place to leave with more wine, because it doubles as a very nice wine shop.
We stopped by in the afternoon, when they were only serving pizza and salads. No push back there – we had a tasty sausage with pepper pizza and another white pizza with arugula. Both were excellent. So good in fact that I might have to cancel my next afternoon of wine tasting to be here in time for the complete lunch menu.
Ha – just kidding.

We showed up on a Sunday night without a reservation, waited about 5 – 10 min for a table and were able to be seated. Our server (Kyle) was very nice and took really good care of us. The food came out with perfect timing and everything we got was DELICIOUS. The Alba (truffle) pizza was the best pizza I’ve ever had.

We made a reservation for 4 adults and 2 kids. I tried the Greek Salad and Orecchiette.
Food was tasty. The service was good. I lot of wine to chose from and they have a very cozy semi-​private room in the back.

Amazing experience and exactly what we needed. Was referred by someone at the Firestone vineyard and wasn’t disappointed. After an afternoon of wine tasting at a few different wineries, we popped in with no reservation. No problem. Cozy seating. Nicely buzzed. Ate our faces off and they even had options for the vegan. Coffee for me to get my head back in to the driving game but that didn’t limit the fun for the other person at the table. They loved their wine and the food was amazing.
Would’ve been 5 stars if our server would’ve been on point. He even needed an assist or two (okay, maybe 3) from another server on the floor that evening.
Otherwise, fabulous experience. Will definitely be back.

We were here the day before Thanksgiving with our large family from all over the country. We were seated on time in the back room, which was spacious and relatively quiet.
Service: Impeccable and attentive
Quality of food: Top shelf. From the salads to the pizza to the steak and seafood. EVERYTHING was delicious. Ditto for the bread.
The Wine: Huge selection to choose from. All of our choices were wonderful.
It was a fabulous meal that started off our family reunion. Absolutely loved the Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café.

I have been to Los Olivos for years, and never came here for a meal. So odd… but then again, with so many great local restaurants… and usually only one or two meals to choose from… it gets hard to cover everything.
The place is cozy and I love that half is a wine shop and half a restaurant. We sat at a table by the fire feature, which was somewhat romantic… but you’d probably be better off in one of the nooks or banquettes if you want to be private. This was also right by the bar, which was packed.
We had the Beef Sugo — Red wine braised beef with pappardelle, carrots, onions, celery and parmesan. A nice big portion that was hearty and delicious. The perfect Fall dish. And yes, it tasted quite delicious the next day!
Mary’s Natural Chicken… which seems to be the name everyone is using these days… came with duck fat potatoes, roasted parsnip and carrots, Fuji apple and jus. Also a Fall treat and so delicious. Sadly… or not… there were no leftovers of this one!
We shared a glass of a lovely Syrah, the 2010 Bernat «Eloquent»… which was very smooth and fruit forward and went with both entrees nicely.
The service was friendly and outstanding… and the only slight thing that was off was the dessert. The Apple turnover was a little too much deep fried pastry and not enough apple filling… and the cinnamon ice cream needed to be more… well… cinnamon y… It tasted very good but was a bit too heavy for me.
But make no mistake, this is a really lovely place to eat and the food and service were quite excellent.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch here on a recent Sunday, with my Father and Stepmom. The food was fabulous. I had that steak cobb salad and it was to die for. The dressing was so good, I am still thinking about it, and the steak was perfectly medium rare. The hubby had the brisket sandwich and loved it, Dad had the turkey sandwich and raved about it, especially the bread, and my stepmom had the salmon entrée and said it was very good. The service was very good.

My love and I wandered in the other day, and how lucky we were! Fabulous ambience with THAT wine wall made famous in the movie «Sideways»…
We started with the baked brie… Delish is an understatement! Paired with a rich Cab, onward to Caesar salad with incredible croutons. This was one of the best Caesar Salads i have ever had. The restaurant and our server paid great attention to detail. We then had the peperoni pizza… great! More wine and finished off with their dessert s’more served in a glass. Rich, marshmellowy, chocolate goodness… what a way to send us off back to L.A.
Can’t wait to go back!

**SOLID DINNER IN LOS OLIVOS**
We celebrated our belated anniversary dinner here.
Sat outdoors facing the Fess Park Inn with the gorgeous full moon.
PARKING
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Plenty of free parking spaces.
AMBIANCE
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Modern and rustic.
Casual, but most couples dressed up for dinner.
The wisteria-​covered patio seating was romantic.
However, the two best girlfriends chatting about their sex lives next to us wasn’t ideal.
Inside, you’ll find a concrete fireplace and bar connecting the restaurant to the Los Olivos Wine Merchant.
FOOD
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APPETIZER
ARTISAN CHEESE PLATE — $ 16
3 Cheeses: 2 French/​1 Local
Great fig jam, variety of fruits and nuts
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
3-​course menu for $ 39.95 (includes a glass of red or white wine)
SOUP OF THE DAY: CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP
Chilled and fresh soup. Not too tasty, but refreshing. Different, but not my favorite.
RATING: ³⁄₅
SHORT RIBS
Tender and flavorful short ribs with fried polenta, seared heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and red wine jus were very good together.
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
BONUS BITE: RAVIOLI
Took a bite of my husband’s ravioli and I preferred the ravioli over the short rib.
Love house made pasta, especially with mushroom & ricotta, porcini cream, and Parmesan.
RATING: ⁵⁄₅
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Flourless chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, with almond tuile was unfortunately just «OK» for me. Wasn’t amazing.
RATING: ³⁄₅
SERVICE
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Service was overall good, but our waiter mixed up my order and came out with the salmon dish instead of my short ribs. Had to wait an additional 10 minutes.
Other than that, it was fine.
RATING: 3.5÷5
OVERALL
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Friendly and solid American fare restaurant.
I want to try their baked brie and maybe another dessert next time.
RECOMMEND dinner in Los Olivos.

An absolutely dreamy restaurant experience! If I was a local, I would have every single birthday party here. A beautiful and oh so classy restaurant, nestled in the incredibly charming town of Los Olivos. I could go on for days about how much I loved the interior — the extensive wine display, the mirrored walls, the central bar, the playful light fixtures — it was like the restaurant out of my happiest daydreams!
Like many others, I visited the Los Olivos Café thanks to its featured place in the movie Sideways, and it was just as good in person as all those characters raved. Our OpenTable reservation for 6:00 on a Sunday evening was honored no problem, and our server was just incredible — friendly, gracious, welcoming, even at one point apologizing for a wait that I didn’t even notice. Their customer service is top notch!
The movie geek in me was pleased to see their Sideways dinner menu, a 3 course meal with a glass of wine for only $ 39 (a welcome deal as I had just dropped a benjamin at The Hitching Post the night before — damn you Miles and Jack!). Their entire menu changes with the seasons so there will always be a reason to go back. This warm June evening, I opted for their house pinot noir (of course), a cup of their turkey tortilla soup and the short ribs with potatoes. I’m not generally one for soup, but this was very tasty — fresh veggies, juicy turkey, and the playful crunch of crispy tortilla strips. My short ribs entrée was even better — generously plated, so rich and meaty and flavorful, and perfectly fork tender. The Café Scream dessert wasn’t something I would have ordered on my own, but it was an expertly made decadent chocolate cake, with a homemade vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce that were just out of this world.
In retrospect, I wish I had designed my own menu but I was happy to be able to sample the wares in a budget-​friendly way. Upon my return visits, and boy will I return, I will explore with absolute delight. One of the most charming, welcoming and soul-​satisfying restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure to explore! Thank you for a perfect evening, and a wonderful meal!

A popular place to eat in town. Maybe more popular because of the movie, but good food made with fresh, local and seasonal items a lovely atmosphere definitely don’t hurt. A late dinner sitting at the bar meant no wait and no reservations needed. My short ribs were tender. I normally don’t care for cow because it is often tough, chewy, or just heavy, and this was so tender with lovely sauteed mushrooms and olive oil «smashed» potatoes. I really loved the roasted vegetable plate. Maybe sounds boring to some, but these beautiful fresh local veggies were perfectly cooked al dente and were accompanied with smoked mozza and tapanade. Burrata and beets was another great appetizer dish.
There is a wall of wines for sale, so take a moment to browse.

This is our new restaurant of choice when on the wine tasting street in Los Olivos! The complimentary focaccia bread with oil & fresh herbs dipping was tasty. Had to stop myself from indulging to leave room for our actual lunch! Focaccia bread is baked on site, soooooo fluffy and fresh tasting!
We ordered the Corsica Pizza & Curried Chicken salad. Perfect combo to share! Love the crispy & tasty bites of celery & Granny Smith apples in the salad. And curry chicken was just perfect.
Service was friendly. And fast given how packed it was at lunch time. Will have to try the Brie next time.

They’ve cornered a great market — late lunch.
There aren’t a lot of good restaurants in Los Olivos. If you want lunch after 2:30pm, there seemed to be only one — Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café.
It was busy when we arrived at 2:15, and they continued to welcome new diners when we left at 3:30. The menu is extensive, but not overdone. My gnocchi was fresh and tender, with lots of wonderful greens and mushrooms cooked in and a perfect cheese sauce on top. Thick bread and a delicious well-​garnished olive oil preceeded, as did a wonderful glass of Stolpman Roussane.
Service was very attentive, even with lots of tables for our waitress to manage.

The hostess was very accommodating. We did have a reservation and needed to move it because we were unsure of our arrival time.
We were seated right away.
We ordered the «Sideways Special» for $ 39 you get a soup or salad, an entrée, a dessert and a glass of wine. My boyfriend and I both ordered the soup (a fish stew, very tasty and flavorful, light broth and more potatoes than fish but still excellent). For a main, I ordered the Salmon and my boyfriend ordered the Short Ribs. The Short Ribs looked like the better choice (aesthetically) but flavor wise, both were to par. The salmon was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Accompanied by (what tasted like) lightly buttered carrots, peas and chopped asparagus and a side of some kind of potato mash that was filled and fried (at first sight it looked like polenta but the taste was more like potato.
The Short Ribs were also top notch. They were rich and succulent and bathed in delicious thick gravy. Accompanied by mushrooms, asparagus and roasted potatoes.
food is excellent.
The service is good.
The only downside is that the dishes are boring. They are classic interpretations of conventional dishes. Yes they were very well put together, excellently garnished and presented; but there was no element of surprise; it lacked a «Wow» factor. Very safe traditional cooking (but still very good).
For dessert we got a chocolate cake with powdered sugar and vanilla ice cream with caramel and brittle. Also delicious but expected.
Our server was very nice although she didn’t really know, or wasn’t trained in the «fine dining service etiquette»
— it took a while to put our order in
— she brought out a wrong drink order for me
— she didn’t check back with us to see how we were enjoying the food.
— and she rushed to take our plates before my boyfriend was done eating.
She did apologize for the latter though, and she made up for it by giving us a free glass of wine and putting a candle on my boyfriend’s to go box.
Overall it was a great night with great food, but I wouldn’t drive all the way out here just to dine at this restaurant. The food is classical cuisine but the service is not «fine dining», more like a cool chic café, the prices are fair for the quality of the food, but your taste buds won’t be surprised or blown away.

Oh my! Really if there’s one thing I don’t know how to do well, it’s moderation with that being said I told my bf this town and its restaurant staff are probably well accustomed to hosting dining patrons that have been on the trail since 11a. That being said, we had a great time!
I made our 530p rezzie via opentable the night before when trying to figure out a place to eat in a town with so few real culinary treats. It’s not Yountville folks, you can’t toss a stone and hit a Michelin star restaurant and our last few experiences have been only satisfactory.
Of course if you haven’t been living under a rock you know Los Olivos Wine Merchant from Sideways so I thought what the heck it’ll be fun to say we’ve been.
We arrived closer to 5 than 530 and were asked to wait a few minutes which wasn’t an issue once my bf got the club soda and lime flowing for me as he perused their wine selection. Once seated, at a perfect table for 2 beside the fireplace our server quickly greeted us and I asked her to keep the club soda comin’ :) she very kindly took exceptional care of us and my refills.
I ordered the mushroom ravioli knowing I needed some carbs and my boyfriend had the chicken dish. Both of our entrees were satisfying and hit the spot where our picnic just could not :) and a nice, warm dinner was in need.
We ordered a couple desserts which were ok. I had the s’mores and added my boyfriends espresso from his affogato to it since he was going sans on it and only wanted the ice cream and whip cream.
Would I say this is the best food ever? No, but does the charm and good service combined with the food earn them a solid 4 stars? Yes, most definitely.
I’d even return if in the area and that means a lot coming from me. They also serve breakfast.
Thanks Wine Merchant for providing us with a lovely romantic closure to a visit to one of our favorite local regions.