Madeline’s Restaurant & Wine Shop

My husband and I had dinner reservations here for Valentine’s Day. We were worried about parking and it being crowded, but there was actually plenty of parking and no wait time at all. The restaurant was fairly quiet, which was nice. Very nice atmosphere and ambiance. They had a special Valentine’s menu, which was a six course dinner. Very pricey, but we enjoyed every part of it! Very delicious! The service was excellent as well. They made sure to keep our drinks filled any time they got low, and they came to check on us several times to see if we were enjoying our food. Great experience, and we’d eat there again.

A really fine place that’s far better than it looks from the outside. Very good food, friendly service and a charming room. We were exceptionally happy.

This is my first review ever and I signed up just so everyone will know how great this restaurant is. The restaurant is a quaint little place with only about 20 tables. Very nice ambiance and the staff were great and very friendly! Now onto the food.
OMG…this was THE best meal that my husband and I have EVER had!
We started with the bruschetta. It wasn’t your normal bruschetta, but it was SO much better! Crispy egg plant on the bottom topped with bell pepper, tomato and creamy goat cheese. Yum! We then had the onion soup which was DELICIOUS!
For the entrée, my husband had the filet mignon, which came with a crab cake, mashed potatoes and vegetables. The filet was huge and incredibly tender. The crab cake was delicious and the mashed potatoes were light and creamy.
I had the chicken breast which was stuffed with spinach, walnuts and brie and topped with the most spectacular brown butter sauce. It was served with vegetables and these scalloped potatoes that were Ah-​mazing!
We were stuffed after all that, but couldn’t leave without trying dessert. They gave us about eight choices and we opted for the bananas foster. We’ve had bananas foster at several places, but there was something about this one! It was so good!
Nevertheless, if you are in Cambria, or passing through Cambria, or even two hours away from Cambria, you HAVE to make your way to Madeline’s! We will definitely go back!

Dinner last night with husband while on vacation to Cambria .paso Robles. Madeleine’s is a darling restaurant in downtown Cambria. Cesar our waiter was attentive and knowledgable of the menu and wines. Food was awesome. Scallops for appetizer. Duck for husband and cod for me. All excellent. Nice selection of wine .½ off coupon on website helps with wine price. We will definitely be back.

I was surprised by the reviews that this place has received. The food was totally disappointing. It seemed like food you could buy frozen from Costco. I ordered the short rib dish, which was basically a really sad version of beef stroganoff. One would think this would be delish in theory but turned out to be a total flavorless fail in execution. My mom had the special fish-​of-​the day, which was dover sole. Not even being smothered in butter, which is how it is served, could redeem this lack luster dish.
The appetizers and dessert were equally disappointing. And to add insult to injury, our meal was $ 100 for crap food. On a positive note, the service was decent.

I thought I was going to love this place but I didn’t really have the best experience. I was doing a birthday road trip and wanted to celebrate along the way in a nice restaurant. The décor is very nice and they offer wine tasting during the day. The chef/​owner greeted me when I arrived and explained some of the vegetarian options including a grilled polenta with vegetables that he said he created for his daughter. It was not really very busy that night except for one group over in the bar area and I was seated at a little table by the front window.
I knew I wanted to try the crêpe as an appetizer and was thinking about the artichoke ravioli but the $ 28 price tag was a little much. I asked my waitress, who was quite lovely, what she thought of the polenta dish and whether it would be too much pesto in one sitting, but she said the dishes had different flavored pesto so it would be fine. I was brought a little basket of bread but it was nothing out of the ordinary. I did order a glass of wine which was quite good. The crêpe was really good and the lemon pesto cream quite delicious. Then the polenta dish arrived and it was quite a large serving but after taking a few bites, I realized I wasn’t enjoying it at all. It was very bland tasting with the exception of huge amounts of pesto on the plate which was way too overpowering for me. It was a rather disappointing dish for my birthday dinner and I was feeling a little nauseated at the thought of paying $ 22 for 2 bites of a dish that was inedible for me. I’m sure his daughter really liked it :-)
My waitress had disappeared completely and all I could hear was the clack, clack, clack of the other waitress’ shoes on the hardwood floor going back and forth from the kitchen to the group table and out the front door by my table. I was there for less than an hour and she must have gone outside 5 times, during which I saw her at least once lighting up a cigarette right out front. I thought that was rather odd behavior since the smell wafts in to the restaurant and I personally would find it distasteful to see my server out there smoking. She seemed friendly enough though :-) But I still had no waitress to explain my lack of desire for this uneaten plate of food to. It seemed like everyone was getting ready for closing time and it all felt a little awkward since it was only 8:45 at this point. A waiter finally came by with a smile plastered on his face and asked if I was finished. I told him I really wasn’t happy with this dish and just couldn’t eat it. With the same smile still on his face, he asked if I wanted to take it to go. I felt like I was talking to a robot or someone that likes to stick to the script. He asked if I wanted to look at a dessert menu but no mention of being offered a complimentary birthday dessert. I was rather put off by all of this so I declined.
I was finishing up my wine and getting ready to go when my waitress suddenly reappeared and asked about dessert. I told her about my meal and how I wasn’t offered a complimentary dessert. I also mentioned that I felt like I was being rushed because they looked like they were trying to close up and I thought she had left for the night. She promptly told me that she would remove the charge from my bill since she wanted me to be completely happy with my meal and said of course they would do a complimentary dessert for me. She offered to box something up but I said I’d rather eat it at the restaurant. She asked if I liked chocolate and said she would surprise me. She brought out the chocolate truffle mousse cake which was very rich and not the most satisfying dessert I’ve ever had but I was very appreciative of her efforts to make things right in the end.
Perhaps this was just an off-​night since it was the slow period between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I’m sure there are lots of other tasty options on the menu but of course I only look at the vegetarian selections :-)

Without going into to much detail, I travel the globe, literally. For 22 years to every cosmopolitan scene, TV to Fashion and David’s restaurant is a gem.
Make sure to call ahead and be amazed with your selection of wines, atmosphere and the locally grown, raised meats.
Unbelievable, no wonder we are buying a residence as well. We love Madelines and you will too.
Other local restaurants are very good, but Madelines is an obvious step above.

Thankfully, there was a place open for dinner on Christmas Day! We made reservations in advance and when we arrived at 7:30, it was busy as expected. Couldn’t believe some people tried to walk in without making a reservation!
The front staff and our server were welcoming and friendly.
Their wine list was reasonably priced, but their corkage fee is $ 15 so you may want to BYO if you have a favorite. We ordered a bottle of the Opolo Mountain Zinfandel.
For starters, we had the Crab and Lobster Cakes to share. It came with 2 pieces that was enough for 4 of us to share a few bites. For dinner, I ordered the Long Island Duck Breast. It came with a cherry reduction, scalloped potatoes and some vegetables. The duck was cooked longer than I preferred and was cut in chunks rather than slices, but it still tasted good that I finished my plate. The rest of my family ordered the Butternut Squash Soup, Lamb Tenderloin, and the Louisiana Seafood Gumbo. Had a bite of each and was pretty tasty as well. I appreciated that all our plates came out really hot.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake. It was decadent and delicious that I couldn’t stop eating it! We hardly eat out on Christmas Day so overall, it was a great meal and a nice treat.

Christmas Eve dinner last night was quite memorable. Crepes, salad, and short ribs were standouts. Staff very busy but the meal was still well-​paced and graciously served. The sole was remarkably fresh and simply and classically prepared but needed some extra lemon to bring out the subtle cilantro sauce.
We will return.

Most fun I’ve EVER had wine tasting – and that’s saying something.
I truly had a wonderful time here. I walked in on a whim and I am so glad I did. This was such a special, personalized experience and I walked away with wines that were not only delectable, but perfectly matched my tastes.
The way they do things is different – instead of a set list they choose wines they think you will enjoy best. There are also yummy little palate cleansers provided, and a relaxing and approachable environment. They are knowledgeable about the selection and take all of your tastes into account.
Kelly helped us out and he was simply a delight! He had a keen sense of humor and his company was so refreshing. In addition, he has the uncanny ability to select wines that precisely match your tastes. You are in for a treat! If you are wine tasting in Cambria and looking for a truly wonderful time with GREAT wine, do not miss out on this place!

Whatever you do whatever you eat make sure you and the evening with bananas Foster, they do tableside and it’s delicious and beautiful and fun and entertaining.

I’ve had some of the best lamb ever – here! Wonderful, big wine list, comfortable, quality service – and, since we take our dog, we always sit on the patio (under the heaters), and have excellent service. The food is outstanding, never disappoints – it’s on our must do list when visiting the coast–

We came here on a Saturday night, Madeline’s cane highly recommend by a few friends. Beautiful atmosphere and amazing service. Excellent wine list, great desert selection too. Unfortunately the dinner menu wasn’t very exciting, the prices were high, and the food fell flat.
I was so pumped to order duck at a French restaurant, but it turned out to be dry and gamey.
My husband ordered a chicken dish, it was also dry and flavorless.

Cozy, tasty and quaint love this place and the food!

My husband and I had an absolutely wonderful time at Madeline’s for our 25^th anniversary. What a relaxing evening sitting at the little table by the window in the wine store part of the restaurant. The service was extremely tentative but not overly intrusive. We were treated like royalty by all.
We started with a bottle of Champagne and the diver scallops. Scallops where cooked to perfection and had a sauce so good we sopped it up with our bread to enjoy every bit of it.
Next we had the spinach salad and garden salad and both were fantastic. The garden salad I could have had as a meal it was that good. The figs complemented the salad and were some the best I have ever had.
Our entries were filet mignon and the duck breast. The filet simply melted in you’re mouth. The duck was tasty too. The veg was green beans and carrots done perfectly crisp and clean the way I love.
We finished with desserts of crème brûlée and a key lime tart with a raspberry coulis. Key lime is THE BOMB. You have got to order it! Just the best desserts ever.
Thank you all at Madeline’s, we had an awsome evening. Everything was just perfect.

My wife and I are chefs and are in Cambria 4 times a year and have eaten at numerous good restaurants in the area. Madeline’s is right up near the top. We shared the mozzarella tomato crepes with an herbed pesto which were wonderful. I enjoyed the butternut squash/​candied pecan ravioli while my wife had the short ribs & pasta. Both were amazing. Service was equally as good as the food. We finished the night with the bananas foster w/​Vanilla ice cream. Again… Amazing. Enjoy.

My wife and I had dinner at Madeline’s to celebrate my birthday. We went based on previous reviews and we were not disappointed. David, the host greeted us with a big smile and handshake and guided us to our table. Our server was smiling and made us feel comfortable. We ordered a very interesting bottle of a red wine blend from Locatelli vineyards and winery from what was called Wild Cellars. It was delightful and went well with everything we ordered.
The house salad was wonderful. My wife ordered the New York steak medium rare. The steak was perfection and delicious. My wife raved about the mashed potatoes. I ordered the local pork that was roasted and wrapped in bacon. Perfection and delicious. As a birthday gift I received a slice of the flourless chocolate cake. Madeline’s is a definite keeper.

After having such a nice dining experience last year, my family returned to Madeline’s again and had just as nice of an experience.
We had a table already reserved for the 5 of us in the quietest part of the restaurant and were promptly seated.
All of the servers were very attentive and provided great service.
I was a little disappointed to see the savory tart i ordered last year was no longer on the menu, because i really enjoyed that, but i ordered the diver scallops and they were outstanding.
i also ordered the filet mignon, and the lime raspberry tart. All of which were excellent.
My father had the duck, which i tried, and we both thought it was excellent.
4 of us had the scallops but my brother had the crab and lobster cake appetizer and he loved it.
My grandmother had the lamb tenderloin dish and said she enjoyed it but thought the filet was better.
3 of us had dessert. We had 2 lime raspberry tarts and 1 ollaliberry cobbler. The lime raspberry tarts were delicious but the cobbler was my favorite and it was large enough to share between all of us. It came with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce drizzled all over.
For the 5 of us, the total came to $ 320. We ordered 5 appetizers at $ 14 each. 2 filet mignons at $ 32 each, 2 lamb tenderloins at $ 32 each, and 1 duck at $ 26. We had two iced teas, which were $ 2 each and i had an arnold palmer which i noticed was $ 3. I made a remark in my previous review about the arnold palmers being $ 4 and finding that really overpriced, so i was glad to see they listened and lowered them to a much more reasonable $ 3. There was an automatic 18% added in for tip because we were a party of 5.
Overall, the food was excellent and the service was as well. I would happily return when we come back next year.

This was the first place we chose as our dining destination on our recent trip to Cambria, Ca. It actually ended up being more of a spontaneous choice rather than pre-​planned. We were in the area looking to purchase some wine and cheese for a beach picnic, but somehow ended up walking in to Madeline’s just as it was opening its doors for dinner service. We still wanted to have our beach picnic so we did not want to overindulge and opted to share several of our courses.
We first opted for their Diver Scallops which were seared and served over a mushroom duxelle with a beurre blanc. They were for me the highlight of the meal and cooked to perfection. For our entrée we went with the evening special of Panko Crusted Salmon and vegetables. The fish was flavorful and fresh while the portion was generous and plenty for two to share. We topped off our meal with a very sweet and very delicious Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake.
Everything was on point and the service was excellent. I enjoyed the décor and the winery hybrid set up. As we were leaving we wanted to get a couple of bottles of wine for the picnic and to just enjoy in our room. The manager/​owner (not sure which) was very knowledgeable and offered great insight into certain wines and was very honest about diverting us away from purchasing bottles that we can find at a super market with a lower mark up. His suggestions were unique and were most certainly enjoyed.

My wife and I spent the night in Cambria for our first anniversary and chose Madeline’s for our dinner spot. Everyone in town says it the best fanciest most expensive place there. Let’s start with the bad’s so we can end on a good note…
Filet mignon with crab cake add on for her
Pheasant for me
Baked brie to start
$ 100 with tip
So the baked brie was alright. It came with crostinis and was drenched in this sauce that was not very good. When I could find the filo dough, it was very pleasant. My wife ordered her filet medium well. It came well done and not very flavorful. Her mashed potatoes were good. The veggies on her plate were the exact same as mine. They were good. Her crab cake though… There was almost no crab in it. Maybe little stringy remnant of what could have been, but for the most part it was bread crumbs. Not good.
My pheasant came with the veggies which were good, and this wild rice which was also pretty good. The bird was cooked and seasoned well, but it was covered in pistachios, which were good, but not all cooked evenly, so more than 4 times I had a surprise, very hard bite which was painful since they were cut kinda small and I was never expecting them. After I got tired enough of them, I just moved them aside and ate them separately as to to avoid any more surprise attacks.
Speaking of attacks… There were several «mosquito eaters» and spiders near the table we were sat at, which was no where near the door. The two tables next to us were also experiencing problems with the unwelcomed dinner guests. When brought to the managers attention, he just told us how they don’t actually eat mosquitos, but dead leaves instead. While sitting here I heard him tell the same story 3 separate times to other tables, indicating that they too were probably having the troubles as we were.
The service was good, 4 stars. The food was ehh. 2 stars. The restaurant and atmosphere were very nice. 4 stars. Considering Cambria is just a cute little beach/​highway town, I guess I would have been a chump to expect a 5 star steak and pheasant, so the restaurant matches it’s surroundings. If you’re in the area, give it a shot, try something new, and wear bug spray instead of cologne! Happy Travels!