Steph C.
Yelp
We went to Ojai for our wedding anniversary last month and stayed at the new Hotel El Roblar. This was the right choice for a romantic getaway, but I was curious to see the Ojai Valley Inn. We ended up going for lunch at The Oak on our way out of town.
My father-in-law lives in Santa Barbara, and I guess he comes here periodically just to eat lunch. This makes sense to me, as it feels like a place a retired doctor would like, a casually upscale restaurant with an airy patio and a view of a golf course, not unlike eating in a country club. It was quiet and pleasant on a random Monday in September. There was complimentary valet through the hotel, and we walked through the elegant property on our way in. We made a reservation but it hardly seemed necessary. We were seated right away, and received very good service.
We had a glass of wine each, both going for the 2022 Sanguis "Whale Song" Chardonnay. This was lovely, and went well with our al fresco lunch. The food was good, starting with a complimentary bread service of Parker House rolls with rosemary and butter. We then shared the chilled prawn cocktail and the whipped goat cheese and roasted strawberries. The prawn cocktail was great, plump and snappy, served over ice with horseradish, lemon, and cocktail sauce. The goat cheese was almost dessert-like, creamy and sweet, with those roasted strawberries, white balsamic, and mint. I think it would've been better with a little more vinegar, but it was quite tasty, spread onto the neat golden toasts that came on the side.
I got the Thai shrimp bowl for my entrée, and this was solid if not that memorable, with shrimp, brown rice, avocado, red cabbage, cucumber, pickled onion, lime, and fresh herbs. I liked it a lot for the first several bites, but there was a sweet sauce on the shrimp that I got tired of eating after a while.
This was a nice lunch and I'd be happy to go back on another trip to Ojai. I wouldn't drive an hour just to eat at The Oak, but I'd recommend it if you're already in town, whether or not you're staying at the Inn.