The Black Cat - Cambria

4.5

701 Reviews

$30 and under

Californian

Make a booking

2 people

16 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 15 times today

Charming
Neighbourhood gem
Romantic

Open since July 4th, 2002, Black Cat Bistro is known for serving Innovative Farm Fresh Fare. The menu changes often as Black Cat Bistro consistently strives to present fare that is reflective of seasonal, local produce and organically raised or sustainable product.The food is especially cognizant of wine pairings to electrify the palate. The Black Cat has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for nine years in a row.

Black Cat Bistro is small with 45 seats and this is part of what makes it such an intimate dining experience. The service is attentive, unpretentious and refined. The dining rooms are decorated in soothing colors and fabrics. Down pillowed benches frame the edges of two of the three rooms. Candle light adorns the tables covered with white linen. Food is served on white china and wine in crystal Riedel stemware.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary American, Contemporary French / American
Hours of Operation
Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(805) 927-1600
Website
http://www.blackcatbistro.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Mauricio Lopez & Joel Magana
Catering
From an office party to an at-home celebration, we can help with your next event. Please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon ! https://www.blackcatbistro.com/catering/
Private party facilities
For all inquiries, please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon. https://www.blackcatbistro.com/private-events/

Location
1602 Main St, Cambria, CA 93428
Area
Cambria
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Fried Green OlivesUS$8.00
stuffed with gorgonzola
Crispy Brussel SproutsUS$12.00
blue cheese, roasted beet vinaigrette, spiced walnuts
Cheese PlateUS$12.00
please ask your server
GnocchiUS$13.00
Shiitake, cremini, martini cream, radicchio, asiago, sage. Wine suggestion: Pinot Noir
Morro Bay Rock Crab LollipopsUS$16.00
Corn pudding, tomatillo cream, micro cilantro. Wine suggestion: Chardonnay
Paso Robles Pork BellyUS$13.00
Gigandes beans, date apple mustard glaze, thyme. Wine suggestion: Garnacha
Local QuailUS$14.00
Radicchio, apple, pomegranate molasses. Wine suggestion: Red Blend
Cayucos AbaloneUS$18.00
Potato, hazelnut, grapefruit vanilla beurre, sea salt. Wine suggestion: Brut Champagne

Salads

ArugulaUS$12.00
strawberries, green apple, candied walnuts, goat cheese, shallot & beet vinaigrette, balsamic reduction
Lightly Seared RomaineUS$10.00
lemon Caesar, asiago, bacon jam toast

Soup

Soup du JourUS$10.00
New England Clam ChowderUS$11.00
Award winning.

Vegetarian

Baked PolentaUS$23.00
Eggplant, red chard, chevre, asiago, mozzarella, tomato coulis, pinenut, shiitake, sage. Wine suggestion: Rosé
Strozzapreti PastaUS$22.00
Arugula, cauliflower, broccoli currants, garlic cream, asiago, pinenuts, mint. Wine suggestion: Chardonnay
- Add Shrimp or ScallopsUS$32.00

Fish & Seafood

Wild Catch SalmonUS$31.00
Grilled, mashed potatoes, heirloom cauliflower, sake-miso beurre blanc. Wine suggestion: Sauvignon Blanc
Sea ScallopsUS$30.00
Corn pudding, tomatillo cream, mushrooms, cilantro, brown butter. Wine suggestion: White Blend
Shrimp ScampiUS$28.00
Jumbo shrimp, roasted bell pepper, tomato, scallions, capers, jasmine rice, sautéed vegetables. Wine suggestion: Chardonnay
Rare Seared Albacore TunaUS$29.00
Jasmine rice, Vietnamese cucumber slaw, shiitakes, ginger wasabi cream, shallots, peanuts, cilantro. Wine suggestion: Rosé
Chipotle Shrimp LinguiniUS$29.00
Wood fisheries shrimp, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, asiago, chipotle corn cream. wine suggestion: Pinot Grigio

Meat & Fowl

Maple Leaf Duck BreastUS$32.00
Mushroom red wine barley risotto, baby bok choy, cherry duck jus, thyme. Wine suggestion: Pinot Noir
Rack of LambUS$36.00
Chevre carrot puree, heirloom cauliflower succotash, pomegranate reduction. Wine suggestion: Cabernet Sauvignon
Braised Lamb ShankUS$35.00
Pearl couscous, currants, cinnamon, kale. Wine suggestion: Red Blend
12 Ounce Rib-EyeUS$42.00
Quinoa, corn, cilantro, green onion, black bean sambal butter. Fat is an integral part of the flavor of this cut. Wine suggestion: Syrah
Flat Iron SteakUS$30.00
Rice croquettes, agave mango salad, mango sauce. Wine suggestion: Zinfandel
Fontina PancettaUS$32.00
Sage stuffed pork chop, celery root puree, Brussels sprout, coffee ancho glaze. Wine suggestion: Cabernet Sauvignon
Chicken PiccataUS$28.00
Roasted red bell peppers, capers, scallions, with a meyer lemon cream sauce, jasmine rice, crispy kale. Wine suggestion: Red Blend

What 701 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.7Service
4.4Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

California Central Coast
Romantic
San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles
Healthy
San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles
Neighbourhood gem
San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles
Great for fine wines
San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles
Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Black Cat - Cambria offers a cozy and intimate dining experience in a charming historic house. Guests rave about the "excellent food and service," with dishes that are "thoughtfully prepared" and "delectable." The ambiance is warm and inviting, perfect for special occasions. Highly recommended for a delightful culinary journey.

701 Reviews

M
Michelle
San Francisco
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was great. Our steaks were overcooked by a bit less of medium rare and pretty much medium well. Other than that everything was great and they made accommodations to seat our group of 5 without a reservation. The scallops were delicious. So tender and buttery. Cooked to perfection.
Is this helpful?
M
Marie
San Francisco
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on 29 January 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We’ve eaten at Black Cat several times with friends and family and it’s always been good. Up until this last time. We were really disappointed with the food. Not sure what happened this past week but it was sub par. I ordered the rainbow trout and it was so overcooked and dry and had way way too much olive tempanade. Trout is so mild to begin with and the tempanade just overpowered it. A little bit would have been ok but there was a good 1/4 cup of it on my plate. My husband ordered the seared ahi which is also fairly mild and with this the chef decided to smother it in a peanut sauce and then toss handfuls of peanuts on the plate as a garnish? I’m not sure why you would do that to such a beautiful fish. Neither fish seemed fresh. It was just a disappointment. On the other hand our server was really great. Just the right amount of attention and care. Maybe it’s because January is a bit of an off season in Cambria but I’m honestly going to think twice about going back. Bummed.
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K
Kathy
San Diego
15 reviews
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on 28 January 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Very hard to find due to lack of signage from road at night. There was a Mexican Italian restaurant sign and we finally saw a picture of Black Cat. The entrance is extremely dangerous and a lawsuit waiting to happen due to no lighting and old wooden winding stairs. Staff friendly and attentive but very difficult to read menu due to lack of lighting. Tables super close together making private conversations hard. Food was very good although at the higher price end in Cambria with all the great fish restaurants.
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B
Beth
Washington DC
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 27 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing service, dishes diverse and thoughtfully prepared. Look forward to returning soon
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j
james
Palm Springs
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 24 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent everything..............................
Is this helpful?
B
Brad
Palm Springs
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 20 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent meal and service. We will definitely be back!
Is this helpful?
E
Elaine
VIP
San Francisco
27 reviews
4.0
27 reviews
Dined on 17 January 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We had two starters, a salad & brussel sprouts, and three entrees. The starters were good and two of the entrees well done. The sea scallop entree was a little overdone and the corn pudding in the middle was not hot. The Black Cat usually prepares very good meals. This night, they were off their game, likely because there were few customers. It was an expensive dinner.
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A
Arleen
VIP
Los Angeles
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 13 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
For many years, always our favorite go to for a wonderful dinner in Cambria. The food preparation is gourmet at its best. Wonderful ambiance and service too.
Is this helpful?
R
Raquel
San Joaquin
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on 11 January 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is one of our fav dinner spots. We love the historical house it’s in. The food is always good and upscale and at the same time comforting. The wine is great too. Great place for date night
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M
Michael
Las Vegas
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, great location. Great ambiance, the service was outstanding! Highly recommended.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Black Cat - Cambria is rated 4.5 stars by 701 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

16 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 15 times today

1602 Main St, Cambria, CA 93428

Additional information

Area
Cambria
Hours of Operation
Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary American, Contemporary French / American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Mauricio Lopez & Joel Magana
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Website
http://www.blackcatbistro.com/
Phone number
(805) 927-1600
Catering
From an office party to an at-home celebration, we can help with your next event. Please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon ! https://www.blackcatbistro.com/catering/
Private party facilities
For all inquiries, please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon. https://www.blackcatbistro.com/private-events/

The Black Cat - Cambria

Make a booking

Additional information

Appetizers

Fried Green OlivesUS$8.00

Crispy Brussel SproutsUS$12.00

Cheese PlateUS$12.00

GnocchiUS$13.00

Morro Bay Rock Crab LollipopsUS$16.00

Paso Robles Pork BellyUS$13.00

Local QuailUS$14.00

Cayucos AbaloneUS$18.00

Salads

ArugulaUS$12.00

Lightly Seared RomaineUS$10.00

Soup

Soup du JourUS$10.00

New England Clam ChowderUS$11.00

Vegetarian

Baked PolentaUS$23.00

Strozzapreti PastaUS$22.00

Fish & Seafood

Wild Catch SalmonUS$31.00

Sea ScallopsUS$30.00

Shrimp ScampiUS$28.00

Rare Seared Albacore TunaUS$29.00

Chipotle Shrimp LinguiniUS$29.00

Meat & Fowl

Maple Leaf Duck BreastUS$32.00

Rack of LambUS$36.00

Braised Lamb ShankUS$35.00

12 Ounce Rib-EyeUS$42.00

Flat Iron SteakUS$30.00

Fontina PancettaUS$32.00

Chicken PiccataUS$28.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Black Cat - Cambria restaurant rated?

Is The Black Cat - Cambria currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information