Bell's
French restaurant · Los Alamos
406 Bell St, Los Alamos, CA 93440
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Highlights
A charming French bistro in a rustic setting, serving exquisite cuisine and delightful wines with attentive service that makes every meal memorable.
A charming French bistro in a rustic setting, serving exquisite cuisine and delightful wines with attentive service that makes every meal memorable.
"There are two ways to experience Bell’s in Los Alamos, the acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant from Daisy and Greg Ryan. For those who are feeling fancy, reserve a table for dinner, where Daisy prepares a seasonally-driven prix fixe menu for $110. (Reservations are released a month in advance.) For those in a more casual state of mind, the bistro-leaning lunchtime menu is solid and also available to-go." - Cathy Chaplin, Eater Staff
"Visitors hang by the pool until dinner at Michelin-starred Bell's from New York fine-dining vets Greg and Daisy Ryan, who turn out excellent French-inspired bistro fare in a simultaneously bustling and breezy setting."
"People have been telling me I need to go to Los Alamos for years. I had been thinking about making the trip last weekend - and when I got a reservation off the waitlist at Bell’s, it was a done deal. During the pandemic, Bell’s switched to a five-course, $65 daily-changing set menu, and I can easily say this dinner was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in the past year. The courses included a crepe topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin, a salad of just local lettuces and shallot dressing that was dumbfoundingly good, a polenta-focused, sauce-mornay-drenched croque madam, and one of their signature dishes, steak au poivre. Between the food, the excellent wine list (featuring great finds from Santa Barbara county and far beyond), the cozy patio covered in heat lamps, and perhaps most importantly, the thoughtful staff focused on providing you with the best experience possible, this restaurant alone should make you consider a trip out to Los Alamos. I would most definitely drive the two hours from LA just for Bell’s. -Katherine Lewin, Editorial Director, Restaurants" - the infatuation los angeles crew
"Los Alamos is a tiny town in Santa Barbara wine country. It’s not as famous as its neighbors Buellton and Los Olivos, which is exactly why we love it so much. It’s quiet, relaxing, and full of exciting restaurants that aren’t overrun by screaming wine tourists. If you only have time for one meal here, go straight to Bell’s. Inside an old post office, this casual French bistro is the kind of place you eat at once and walk out wondering if you should give up your city life and move here. Come dinnertime, their $90 four-course prix-fixe features dishes like a sea urchin mille crepe, halibut tartare, and 5 oz. steak au poivre and is one of the best fine dining deals in California. " - brant cox, garrett snyder
"If you’re planning a weekend in Los Alamos or anywhere close to Los Alamos, there’s a high probability this cute little French bistro is on your must-eat list. And we don’t blame you—Bell’s monthly reservation drops sell out within days. So set an alarm and make it happen, because this place exceeds expectations. They offer a three-course tasting menu for $110, which includes a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert, plus an uni and caviar starter, bread and salad for the table, and a glass of champagne when you sit down (it’s a good deal). Coupled with a dining room that looks like a Provence farmhouse straight out of a 90s rom-com, it’s no wonder half the weekenders eating here are simultaneously scrolling Zillow for nearby open houses. " - brant cox
