The Dutchess - Ojai, California

Daniel McAdams

The Duchess in Ojai is a cute spot, but $2.50 for homemade almond milk? I get it, it’s Ojai, but seriously? The pastries were… fine. The hazelnut roll was probably the best, but it wouldn’t start a fan club. We tried a few, and while nothing rocked our world, the vibe is perfect if you want to sit around with a book and maybe get some light work done. We snagged a seat, and of course, the second we sat down, a line formed out the door. If you’re in Ojai, it’s worth a stop..just remember, it’s almond milk, not liquid gold.

Erin Pickel

The Dutchess Restaurant is a culinary gem that stands out for its exceptional service, elegant ambiance, and innovative menu. From the moment you step inside, the restaurant exudes a warm and inviting atmosphere, with its tastefully designed decor creating a perfect backdrop for a memorable dining experience.

The menu at The Dutchess is a delightful fusion of classic and contemporary flavors, showcasing fresh, high-quality ingredients. Each dish is meticulously prepared and presented, reflecting the chef's creativity and commitment to excellence. Whether you're indulging perfectly cooked ingredients or savoring a beautifully crafted dessert, the attention to detail is evident in every bite.

The staff at The Dutchess are attentive and knowledgeable, providing impeccable service that enhances the overall experience. Their recommendations are spot-on, and their genuine enthusiasm adds a personal touch to your meal.

In summary, The Dutchess Restaurant offers a sophisticated yet approachable dining experience that leaves a lasting impression. It's a place where exceptional food, outstanding service, and a refined atmosphere come together seamlessly.

Owen Schwaegerle

Wow, the flavors at this restaurant are unreal! I think it all comes down to the quality of their ingredients. They have a really high-quality ingredients and the food tasted delicious. My breakfast plate had really good bacon, incredible potatoes, great eggs, and the sauce to go with it was just incredible! I don’t even know how they did it.the masala omelette was also extremely delicious. Their coffee latte was yummy as well. We got a handheld pastry sandwich, which was delicious, and they had this amazing lemon, walnut, streusel oat blueberry coffee cake. Seriously just an incredible experience and highly recommend going here!

Noam Baruh

The Dutchess. A chicken stick in a bun

A very local coffee shop with beautiful and tasty pastry's. After visiting 3 or 4 times and enjoying the pastry's I decided to get a chicken sandwich that was recommended. it was a Disappointing experience. The flavor was good but the chicken was stringy not the right texture. And the proportion of the protein to the brioche bun was funny... not worth the $ amount of a chicken stick in a bun

Parking -3/5*
Accessibility -3/5*
Atmosphere - 4/5*
Clean - 4/5*
Restrooms - 3.5/5*
Service - 4/5*
Food visually -3.5/5*
Food taste -4/5*
Food freshness -3/5*
Price - 2/5*

3.5 stars

Link Lo

Went on a day trip to Ojai and started with the Dutchess for pastries. We got to try the danishes with strawberry pistachios and with heirloom tomato. I immediately felt in love with the texture of the Danish and thought they were the best Danish I've ever had. The pastries were layered and crispy, and the heirloom tomatoes added an amazing lightness to it.

So we decided to go back to Dutchess later for dinner because their menu with the Indian/Burmese influences looked promising, but that's where we went wrong.

We had naan, crispy chickpea fritters, tea leave salad, and half chicken masala. Starting with the decent, the naan was not bad, and the garlic herb butter makes it enjoyable.

The fritters were fried nicely, but the chickpea filling was paste-y and did not have a pleasant texture. We were thinking that they would be similar to a falafel, I was way off base.

Then onto the half chicken. While the cook on the half chicken was good with crispy skin and moist chicken breast The masala sauce would make any Indian food lover mad. The flavors are sorely lacking, especially the salt component. I think the level of flavor intensity may be adjusted to the locale, but ultimately, the depth of the sauce is so shallow, it should not be allowed to have any ties to any south east Asian cuisine.

Lastly, I love tea leaf salads, and the one here is bad. Overly sour, and the bitterness of the tea leave is not balanced. It's like Someone read the recipe, got the ingredients, but did not see the proportions.

I would definitely stick to neighborhood Indian and Burmese restaurants instead of spending fine dining dollars at Dutchess. It makes me sad if someone was to come here without knowing much about Southeast Asian food, and think that's what is like.

But, the danishes are definitely a must. So, I would recommend doing the bakery only.

itsallgooddm1 Maldonado

Free easy street parking located in Ojai's quaint downtown. Restaurant decor is simple casual with four areas, the front is airy with a bar and large tables, middle is dark and more subdued, rear is a bar area with wood barbecue table seating and pool table, last area is an outdoor patio. Service is friendly but not attentive. You may wonder who your waiter is and if they're lost somewhere. Food is India inspired but lacks the intense flavors. Overall too bland, not a place I plan to revisit.

Wook Chung

So the Dutchess is a bit of a collage of bakery and restaurant, with various "chambers" and sections throughout the joint. It almost feels like 3 different shops were put together. Either way, we stumbled upon the Dutchess when we were hunting for breakfast in Ojai.

First of all, it is open at 7 am but they do not serve breakfast until 8 am... We were initially confused but for the first hour, they only do pastries and coffee. So for those seeking for breakfast, please be aware.

The pastries however are AMAZING. I am a sucker for fabulous croissants and was blown away by the caliber of the croissant that this "random" place in Ojai provided. My bar for assessing a croissant is high, and it definitely ranks as some of the best.

Before I comment on the specifics, let me be clear. The croissant is perhaps the best in the region. So if you've read up to this point, just go get it.

The outer shell of the croissants are a tad bit too crispy. This is largely because the temperature of the oven is perhaps 10 degrees too high. It's not burnt. But definitely, on this particular day, it was just slightly overdone. The inside was fabulous. Soft and chewy. Pain au chocolat also intermixed appropriate amounts of chocolate evenly spread in the innards. It is very clear that the pastry chef knows what they are doing. Just a little bit more care would be perfection.

The service was quite friendly but also we got this vibe that they were focused on talking amongst themselves rather than focused on the customers.

Originally was thinking about 5 stars but then you have to remember... the prices of these pastries are sky high. Hence taking a star away.

Joe Johnston

We went to The Dutchess for both lunch and dinner. The transformation is quite astounding. At lunch it is counter service with delivery to your table. We really enjoyed the Burmese fried chicken sandwich but found the pastrami in the pastrami sandwich kind of tough. They stop serving at 2pm and convert to a full service Burmese inspired restaurant. We ordered almost the entire menu and found the flavors to be quite complex and utterly delicious. Our favorites were the crispy rice salad, the goat (very much recommended) and the tandoori chicken. Really everything was delicious and the service was quite gracious and on pace. While in Ojai, a visit to The Dutchess is a must.