Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Barley & Boar

4.9

4.9 (241)

$31 to $50

Distillery

Atascadero

About the restaurant

Barley & Boar is a cozy boutique pub located in downtown Atascadero. We distill our own liquor, brew our own beer, and craft our own delicious fare from fresh and local ingredients. Dinner is full service, and our bar is open until midnight.

Join us monthly as we change our menu to showcase what’s in season.

Top review

lesley

Dined 2 days ago

Great night! Great burger and wonderful service at the counter.

Il Cortile Ristorante

4.8

4.8 (4170)

$50 and over

Italian

Paso Robles

About the restaurant

Welcome to Il Cortile Ristorante, Downtown Paso Robles' newest fine dining Italian restaurant. We invite you to join us to enjoy our seasonal menus created with the freshest ingredients available sourced by our surrounding local and regional landscapes by Executive Chef Santos MacDonal, providing a melody of exceptional homemade pastas, fresh seafood, top quality meats and antipasti. A top destination for exquisite wines, picturesque landscapes and beautiful weather, Paso Robles provides the perfect pairing for Il Cortile's rustic Italian fine dining.

Top review

John

Dined 1 day ago

Our server, Nikki, was very knowledgeable, engaging and professional (a complex balance which is quite rare). The menu and wine list are both sufficiently comprehensive to offer excellent options. Plate presentation, flavors and textures were excellent and pacing absolutely perfect for a relaxed dining experience. This is a worthy favorite in Paso Robles and highly recommended.

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4.8

4.8 (1128)

$30 and under

Italian

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

There are many Italian Restaurants in San Luis Obispo, but if you're looking for a truly authentic Italian dining experience, then you should consider Mama's Meatball Restaurant. Rated among the best San Luis Obispo restaurants, Mama's Meatball uses the freshest, quality ingredients grown locally to create some of the most outstanding dishes you could find in San Luis Obispo eateries. For your convenience, Mama's Meatball offers dine-in, takeout and delivery service. Mama's Meatball is one of the few restaurants near Mission San Luis Obispo, and a block away from hotels in downtown San Luis Obispo to offer private dining options and banquet accommodations for corporate parties and family celebrations. Click here to request a quote for your next private event. Check Out Charity Water! https://www.charitywater.org/mamas-meatball

Top review

DonVIP

Dined on Nov 24, 2024

Always one of my favorites. Staff and food are great!!

Mistura

4.8

4.8 (1638)

$31 to $50

Peruvian

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

The word Mistura brings together the essence of Peru, a vision of its people and cuisine, a wondrous blend of cultures of priceless heritage. Our Mistura is a modern Peruvian restaurant that is as lively as the country and biodiversity it celebrates. Mistura captures the multicultural spirit of Peru, combining its native Incan and Pre-Columbian culinary heritage with the Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese influences that embody the country's flavorful cuisine. Mistura is an authentic tribute to the diversity of Peruvian food, proposing familiar yet unexpected and adventurous flavors.

Top review

MikeVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Excellent food by people who were very proud to share the culture and culinary experience with guests. I tried food I’ve never had before, and loved every bit of it.

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Experience

Chef's Table

Alex Madonna’s Gold Rush Steak House, at Madonna Inn

4.7

4.7 (4517)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

Enjoy an award winning dining experience in our world-famous pink and gold Steak House - offering a comfortable and opulent dining atmosphere. Indulge in a delicious oak-pit-barbecued steak, fresh seafood, chicken, or vegetarian entrees. Featuring a superb wine list, decadent world-famous desserts and a whimsical, European atmosphere. Boutique shopping makes for a fun experience before or after you dine with us.

Top review

Steven

Dined 1 day ago

Madonna Inn delivered another terrific dining experience. We've been coming for a birthday dinner every year for 28 years now. The place is always decorated cleverly for the season and the atmosphere is very festive. The wait staff was excellent and very attentive especially since it was a very busy night. We'll be back!

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4.7

4.7 (139)

$31 to $50

Pizzeria

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

A kindly-crafted wood fired eatery combining modern style with an aged finish. Located at The Creamery Marketplace, tucked behind the intersection of Higuera and Nipomo Streets, we offer an experience unlike any other. Our open-concept kitchen boasts an impressive wood fired oven were we craft hand-made Neapolitan style pizzas to order. Soft lighting, low music, and a relaxed atmosphere can be found throughout our indoor dining space. Garage style doors roll up to reveal outdoor dining on our bricked patio where heaters warm up the cooler months and an upbeat, lively feeling resonates throughout the spring and summer seasons. Full service is available at the bar, seating is first come, first serve. We welcome you to join us for dinner, Tuesday-Saturday from 4-10pm.

Please Note: Our seating is a mix of tall tables with barstool style seating, as well as standard height tables with traditional chairs. Our outdoor patio also includes two large tables with bench style seating.

Top review

Janelle

Dined 7 days ago

Our experience was great! Food and service was excellent!

Junction

4.6

4.6 (230)

$31 to $50

Spanish

Paso Robles

About the restaurant

Junction's Dinner, Brunch & Happy Hour menus are unique to our combined Spanish, Cuban & Mexican family heritage, blending childhood favorites with the flavors & ingredients discovered while travelling the Spanish-speaking world. Junction is a place for friends, old & new, to spend time & enjoy our Spanish-inspired menu, all lovingly infused with Mediterranean flavors & Latin-American flare.

Join us for Happy Hour Thursday - Saturday 3:00 - 6:00 PM
Stay for Dinner Thursday - Monday 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Come for Brunch Friday - Sunday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

¡Gracias! Thank You!
Nick & Ingrid Holguin, Owners
Executive Chef & General Manager

Top review

Liz

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

WOW. So unexpected but so happy to have finally tried this place. The food was absolutely amazing and our server was top notch! Don’t skip on the Paella, Empanadas or the Papas Bravas - you won’t be disappointed! Will absolutely be dining here again!

Cielo

4.5

4.5 (545)

$31 to $50

Italian

Atascadero

About the restaurant

Cielo Ristorante is an Italian-inspired concept located in the heart if Atascadero. We have curated a distinct menu showcasing Italian dishes with a modern twist. We are the perfect place to come and enjoy with your loved ones.

Top review

Jodi

Dined 3 days ago

We had a simple dinner of a bowl of French Onion soup with bread. All delicious! And treated ourselves to Tiramisu - fabulous! Highly recommend!

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Lure Fish House - San Luis Obispo

4.5

4.5 (53)

$30 and under

Seafood

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

Welcome to Lure Fish House, if your preferred reservation time is not available about half of our overall seating is unreserved for walk-ins. Our bar and oyster bar areas offer our full service menu and are open seating in order of arrival. Lure Fish House is a Ventura California based family-owned restaurant featuring the freshest sustainable seafood from trusted sources. Our Arizona Lure has its seafood order prepared in our own Ventura California seafood cutting facility and is directly driven to Arizona about 15 hours after it is ordered from the chef in Scottsdale. We feature organically grown local produce and wines from local vineyards whenever possible. We also feature a full bar with specialty cocktails made with freshly squeezed fruit juices and a raw bar serving a variety of fresh chilled seafood and oysters.

Top review

GayleVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Cioppino was excellent, generous portions of fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels. Appetizers were amazing: calamari, fish skewers, shrimp. Service was great. Great suggestions. My first time here. Will return!

Ciao Papi

4.4

4.4 (45)

$30 and under

American

Paso Robles

About the restaurant

Drenched in sunshine and style, Ciao Papi is a poolside restaurant + cocktail bar at the swankified River Lodge hotel in Paso Robles wine country. The California-Italian kitchen serves up all-day eats + drinks designed by the culinary team behind the beloved Bistro + Nightcap at Granada Hotel in San Luis Obispo.

Always al-fresco. Open to the public.

Top review

Nilda

Dined 5 days ago

Delicious food- especially the shrimp scampi dish! Drinks were also excellent! Beautiful setting and our server was great. Will definitely return!

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Experience

Apéro

Explore Diners' Choice best of San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles