Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro

This restaurant has closed its doors

A Montecito local’s favorite, this is a relaxing, private café with a sweet outdoor patio and nice selection of healthy (some organic) food and treats. The coffee is nice too — they brew Peet’s. Enjoy!

This is a fun place for cheese and wine. They have Wine samples and a fan static cheese plate appetizer that includes blue cheese, Brie, and boscottis. Sit outside of you can to enjoy the nightlife as it happens.
Sitting outside watching people walk by is so entertaining

You must try their steamed mussels in the white wine /​garlic sauce — just too good for words. I had the beet and faro salad which was beautifully displayed and tasted so fresh like they literally had just plucked the beets out of the ground. My friend had the Mediterranean salad which she loved. Looking forward to coming back. It was a nice, laid back Saturday afternoon on State Street. Definitely worth a day trip from Long Beach.

Food alone would have been a 1 or 2 star rating, but the atmosphere and the 2009 EOS zin brought it up to 3. We had the vegan risotto, which was very bland, and the veggie burger, which was a spruced up Costco patty. Neither were good, but the fries that came with the burger were yummy.
The redeeming quality of this place is the ability to sit out front and people-​watch on State Street. Great location!

Came here for a work lunch around 1230. No wait. Ordered the beet salad w the chicken. Amazing. The chicken has amazing flavor. I really like the salad combination. Service was good. Washed down lunch w Arnold Palmer.

Charming place! Love to sit outside and people watch with a coffee or glass of wine. It feels sooo beautiful to sit out on a gorgeous day and people watch on State st. They have «Happy Hour» that starts at 4:30. Happy Hour at Pierre Lafond is very quiet, calm and low key (love that), they have heaters to keep you warm, the wine pours are generous and the food it fantastic (my favorite are the flat breads). It would be really fun to come to Happy Hour during State st Farmers Market… now that would be some FUN people watching! Don (the manager) took time to make sure I found the perfect wine for my unique taste… I appreciate such a warm and friendly manager on hand who genuinely cares about his customers having the best experience possible. Thank you Don.

Reservation 615. Promptly seated near the back by the restroom. Plenty of open tables. We requested a different table prior to taking a seat and were told they were all reserved basically at the same time. Fine we say. Waited 10 minutes at our table for a server finally got up asked someone.
Once we found a server service was good. Mussels were very good and easy to share. My husband had the special flat iron pork and said it was superb. Caesar salad was very good as was the vegetarian chili that I took to go.
Finished and paid bill by 7:40 and guess what? Of the 7 open tables when we arrived 3 were filled. Hmmm somehow I think there needs to be some management of reservations/​tables especially when you have people waiting outside.

Had a decent time tonight at Pierre Lafond. For a Thursday night, it was not very busy and we were seated right away.
If you go inside, meander towards the left side, then head towards the back… the last table there is just a piece of particle board on a stand. It is incredibly wobbly. Adjacent is a beautiful tempered glass 6-​top table that would have been so much better.
Service is too be desired. Perfectly nice people, but clumsy, forgetful and probably understaffed.
The kitchen in the back is HUGE compared to the seating area available. I’m not sure what the deal is, but they could definitely use some reorganization and décor to help bring more people in. No joke, the kitchen is probably more square feet than the seating areas.
I had the French onion soup, which is $ 9 and very small. Smaller than a cup of soup at a stingy place. The flavors are good, but I can and have done better at home.
Next, the cheese plate. The cheeses were a little on the cold side for me. If you are servicing blue cheese and Brie you should keep it closer to room temperature. The crostini was superb and seasoned… bonus. The grapes on the vine, sliced pear and fruit paste were ample accoutrements.
Finally, the gluten free veggie burger. Nicely toasted gluten free bun, little gem lettuces, spicy sauce and a moist and delicious patty. The flavors were wonderful. I would definitely order this again. The only problem I have is the functionality. It falls apart too easily and is difficult to eat like a regular burger. Stick to fork and made in China knock off Laguiole knife.
The «housemade» ketchup is suspiciously like Heinz. They must know all 57 secret ingredients.

So this is the year where I don’t just purchase an Axxess card, I actually plan on using it! One of our first Axxess restauarant deals was to go to the Wine Bistro, we went on my wife’s birthday for brunch.
We like the place we really do, the server was very pleasant and the food was quite good but I was kind of glad we had the 2 for 1 deal. Otherwise I think that the price was a little on the high side for the quality of the breakfast.
It was good enough though that I plan on giving them another shot and going for a lunch or a dinner!

We had lunch here recently, and really enjoyed it. I had the salmon bacon club sandwich and it was so delicious. The whole grain bread was almost like cake it was so good. Hubby had the Cobb Salad. Their version comes with green olives and there were way too many on this serving, but other than that, the salad was delicious. We sat outside and the people watching was fun and the view of State Street was nice. I would like to come back soon and sample some of their wines as well as some of the other menu offerings. Service was really good, too!

What a disappointment. Solely due to the embarrassing service received.
I have been wanting to check this place out for quite some time as it appears to have an intimate yet fun atmosphere. So a few weeks ago my friend LM and I went for dinner and wine while we caught up with one another.
We were sat inside near the window, great for people watching those on State Street. Our server came by promptly to take our orders. To start, we each ordered the Around the World flights of wine and the Farmer’s Market Tomato and Arugula Pesto Flatbread to share. The wine was great. The flatbread seemed a bit burnt and tasted blah. We also each ordered a cup of the French Onion Soup which was delicious.
The thing that ruined the experience was the service. Shortly after ordering our soups, the soft Jazz-​y music stopped and Lil’ Wayne started blasting from the speakers. My friend and I were shocked, as this did not seem as such an establishment, especially to play the unedited version of some songs. We were confused but tried to ignore it and resume our meal. Few songs later, the regular music was back on. Our server also disappeared for a while during our time at the restaurant, and once he reappeared he seemed stoned and was behaving unprofessionally; hiccuping and laughing randomly… in general just being awkward. We quickly finished our food and hunted him down to pay the bill and get out of there.
I had high hopes for this restaurant but this strange experience has turned me off completely.

We had a lovely, leisurely Saturday lunch at Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro 2 weeks ago. We were lucky enough to get the last outdoor table available. People watching on State Street is always entertaining!
The two of us each enjoyed a white wine flight and we shared a shrimp and pestro (special of the day) flatbread and a caprese panini. The food was excellent and our server, Tim, was not only friendly — he was VERY knowledgeable about the different wines we sampled. I don’t like cucumber in general but I must’ve had 6 glasses of water with cucumber slices. It was a nice touch.
This was our first visit to Pierre Lafond and it won’t be our last.

Firstly, it is very hard to get a bad meal in Santa Barbara… especially if you Unilocal and ask around. We did that and only other criteria was to be walking distance from the water where our hotel was. State Street is FULL of amazing eateries, bars, shopping and galleries and we found the short jaunt to Pierre La Fond to be *just right.
The atmosphere is crisp and hip. We were greeted and seated next to the window which was awesome for people watching (it was during FESTIVAL so extra interesting subjects ;)
They have a fantastic wine menu and we love that they offered FLIGHTS and you could substitute within the flight. How fun is that?
Food choices were amazing. We had a very nice waiter but the service was a little slow. The place was not very full, but it took quite a while for our order.
We split the grilled Apricot & Arugula salad with manchego, hazelnuts, and prosciutto. It was divine. Who knew grilled apricots would be so tasty!
Hubby ordered Seared Scallops and they were one of the best scallop dishes he’s ever had. GIANT scallops, perfectly seared and the sweet pea sauce and risotto were and excellent accompaniment. The dish was pure genius.
I enjoyed the fish special with a brussel sprout hash and the hash was so good, I brought it back to the hotel and ate it the next morning :)
They have a happy hour with tapas… will definitley go back when in SB.

Kudos to being pet friendly.
But cheers to having a Groupon that offers 6 ours of wine (2 flights) and a flat bread artisan pizza for $ 26.
Great service, great spot to people watch on State Street. I will be back.

We got the groupon $ 26 for 2 wine flights and a flat bread. Definitely worth it but there should be a fine print that wine flight = choose 3 for 6 available wines from Santa Barbara Winery. The wine flights listed on the menu were not included. However, the variety of wines was good and the wines were delicious (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah).
There are 6 flatbread choices, we had the Soppressata and white bean pure, YUM. The flatbread was a generous portion, as were the wine flights. We sat outside on a Friday night and people-​watched under heat lamps. I’d definitely go back even without a groupon.
The wait staff was nice, the hostess was nice, no one was pushy about ordering more items and no one made us feel bad about using a groupon.

The «new Piatti» (but don’t call it that because this place blows Piatti out of the proverbial water) is a joy.
Piatti was the first place in SB I ate after I took the graduate fellowship at UCSB. It remained the prettiest fine dining Italian in SB but I never thought it held a candle (apparently Sandy has deluged my language or consciousness with water imagery) to Ca Dario, Tre Lune/​Bucatini (same owners) or Via Vai.
The big draw of Piatti: the rustic beauty of the large, expansive space in the Upper Village of Montecito. I loved the bread and the spicy balsamic/​chili flake dipping sauce with a bit of oil. And the 7/​glass Piatti house cab was great. Lasagna good. But I had mediocre meal after mediocre meal there and gave up on it except for wine and bread at the bar.
The Wine Bistro is even more beautiful than Piatti with an impressive open kitchen where the wood fired pizzas are lovingly made by the great kitchen staff. I went for the first time to brunch last weekend and it was quite possibly the best brunch, aside from Four Seasons (expensive and buffet-​style so inherently unhealthy), I’ve eaten in SB.
The choices were plentiful but I went with the autumn squash, goat cheese, truffle oil, mushroom and sage pizza and I ate twice as much as I intended. I drank the cheapest white by the glass, a perfectly respectable Pinot Grigio (or Gris maybe) at 8/​glass.
There were half a dozen things which tempted me including the chicken cacciatore and the avocado/​beet/​peppers/​goat cheese sandwich on focaccia
I’ve been there for dinner and the summer succotash and gazpacho are wonderful. The paintings are a perfect complement to the slightly less Italian but still rustic space with the Mexican tile from Piatti preserved (terra cotta).
Each room is slightly different and I thought the service was great. Some people remain from the old Piatti which was a real hangout for the 50 to 60 Montecito divorced/​married male set (they alternated between Lucky and Piatti and Montecito is so small it was very easy to identify a core group of regulars shuttling back and forth).
Lucky is so expensive and good but the young people (30s) who go there tend to be the most annoying SB 30-​somethings, trying to prove they have vastly more money than they do. Then they post pictures on Facebook: «I’m at Lucky!» Not to be mean but it’s always the most annoying, pretentious youngish people on SB Facebook who «check-​in» at Lucky, passing themselves off as 50-​somethings who have made it and can really afford to eat there (those people of course don’t «check in» to say they’re dropping X dollars on dinner that night) :)
Don’t get me wrong: Lucky is great (when someone else is paying) and the brunch is not that bad, depending upon how you drink (Mimosa or Bloody Mary). The best brunch in SB, hands down, for value and quality is Blush SB.
This is not a prix fixe with bottomless kind of place. But Wine Bistro is a wonderful addition to the stable of farm-​to-​table restaurants in SB and I will be back for sure.
(P.S. Happy Hour is reportedly great. I have seen (and smelled) the sea bass and it looks scrumptious. The nice thing about WB is you can moderate spending. Pizzas are the bargain, fish the splurgy dishes. Pastas are moderate and the sides are tremendous and make a nice light, healthy meal.)

The roasted flatbread with summer squash, goat ricotta, flowering herbs, and roasted heirloom tomatoes with a hint of truffle oil. This was a tasty «pizza» with a chewy crust and superb toppings for $ 13 isa great choice for someone who wants something light and filling.
I chose a spinach salad with roasted red pepper, red onion, blue cheese, spiced pepitas, toasted sunflower seeds and a sherry vinaigrette with a grilled bistro steak for $ 22. I devoured this plate, savoring every bite of both the freshly dressed salad and the delectable grass fed steak done «bleu» as I requested!
I can’t wait to go back for more!

After spending the day on the beautiful sun-​warmed beach, head to Pierre Lafond’s to feast on some great California bistro cuisine, local and obscure wines and artisan desserts. Pierre Lafond’s atmosphere strikes a nice balance between laid back and classy elegance.
If you’re an avid gastronomer and economer, then you gotta take part in their great happy hour, which is on offer from 4:30 — 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We enjoyed the Formage Platter with creamy brie, blue cheese, chutney, sliced pears and grapes ($ 9) and a couple flatbread pizzas (Chicken & Broccoli Flatbread and Tomato & Arugula Flatbread, $ 8 and $ 6) paired with some pinot noir ($ 5) and sangrias ($ 5). The Tomato & Arugula was our favorite among the flatbreads; full-​flavored with a cadre of flavors and fine ingredients. The Formage Cheese Plate served up a generous selection of artisan cheeses and fresh fruit.
This airy restaurant is perfect for enjoying hearty bistro dishes, fine wines and lively conversation. Great service to boot. We certainly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to coming back soon.

Santa Barbara is a paradise; Disneyland is a paradise; the U.S. is a paradise. Paradise is just paradise. Mournful, monotonous, and superficial though it may be, it is paradise. There is no other — Jean Baudrillard quotes
Is Santa Barbara a paradise? Depends on your perspective of course. Certainly both the best and worst of the West… gorgeous scenery and weather mixed with obscene wealth counterbalanced by an increasing homeless population. Meanwhile the middle and upper middle classes who do the real work struggle to afford to live here.
And yet this is still a favorite day trip… the hiking is solid, the wineries are to notch although the restaurants are just now catching up. And the people watching on a beautiful Spring day sitting on the patio of a joint like Pierre Lafond is priceless. Gorgeous women and men… not so gorgeous women and men who think they are gorgeous :) The homeless of course both talkative and benign and mean and threatening. Low riders with sun glass wearing dogs in passenger seats. European and Asian tourists with filled shopping bags. Teenagers and tweens acting cool. Southern California does not have a great urban environment but the people watching diaspora can be just as fun at a place like SB (if a little less diverse).
As for the Bistro itself, the wine selection here is ample and consists of more than just wines from Lafond’s Santa Barbara Winery. They also have closeout pricing on wines and we sat on the patio with a $ 19.00 Brassfield Sauvignon Blanc with flatbread & hummus (both very good). The interior bar is clean, modern and hip but why sit inside on a day like today?
Service was good, no rushing us away from table… they also have Happy Hour on weekends. Recommended.