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Granada Bistro
Categories: Restaurants Tapas/Small Plates Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Restaurants Sandwiches Tapas/Small Plates, Wine Bars, Sandwiches [Edit]
1126 Morro StSan Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 556-4211
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri 5 pm - 12 am
Sat 10 am - 12 am
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
50 reviews for Granada Bistro
Review Highlights
"Also, they serve cupcakes made by Amy Bakes Cupcakes."
(in 6 reviews)
"The goat cheese/veggie panini is incredible."
(in 8 reviews)
"The restaurant was a great find in SLO."
(in 10 reviews)
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50 reviews in English
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Review from Ryan C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
10/15/2011
Really, really cool place.
The atmosphere is great, very relaxed and intimate. Seems like it would be a great place to come just to drink wine and have some small plates or dessert.
The food is very good, too, and surprisingly inexpensive given the decor of the place. My girlfriend and I both got the Pesto Chicken Panini and shared a plate of Dolmas. Both were excellent, especially the paninis. The bread was perfectly crisp, and the goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes really brought the sandwich from good to great.
Afterwards, we shared a pair of desserts - the cheesecake and the "Menage-a-tres" (a platter with toasted bread, nutella, strawberries, oranges, goat cheese, and sea salt). Both were good, the cheesecake especially.
I definitely plan to come back here again, especially once my girlfriend is 21. -
Review from aaron m.
Encinitas, CA
2/5/2012
Great little spot if you are in the mood for a dim-lit romantic interlude. Tasty dishes, great wine and wonderful ambiance.
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Review from Kittie D.
Cayucos, CA
12/31/2011
Their paninis are the best I have ever had. They have exotic wines from all over the world. Top notch food. As for the service, I have seen better. I have seen the waitress act very rude to several customers. There are ways to get your point across so that the customer will understand. And then there are ways to completely drive customers away. Anyway, this didn't affect me, but it is just what I have seen. Other than that, this is one of my favorite places to dine in the county!
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Review from Sabrina H.
San Luis Obispo, CA
11/3/2011
This place is super cute, but their service is super slow. Their dishes are not very unique, but their wine is always good. I like the atmosphere, but it's not enough to out weigh the slow service. The people are nice, but again, I didn't get my dinner for an hour. And wine didn't come for 15 minutes after we ordered it. If you go here, be prepared to just hang out. Don't go hungry.
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Review from Kiyoko W.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Updated - 4/24/2011
I really hope that my experience at Granada tonight was a one time thing, but honestly, I'm really bummed about the sour service we received. As I said in my earlier review, I have always enjoyed coming here and the service has been usually pretty friendly and helpful. And I don't tend to post a negative review unless I feel really strongly about what I've encountered.
From the moment we walked in, it was apparent that these two ladies did not want us in there. I understand that my friends and I are younger than the usual crowd, but that doesn't mean we don't want to enjoy a bottle or two amongst the loungy ambiance that Granada offers. It was clear that they were too busy working the middle aged male customers to give us the time of day. I mean there's subtle-rude and just plain blatant-rude--we found the latter.
This doesn't mean that we won't be back, but let's hope it's not the new tone over there.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/10/2011
Whenever I want a quiet, intimate night with friends, this is a sure thing!
The selection of wines… Read more »
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Review from Darren M.
San Luis Obispo, CA
10/6/2010
Love this place.
Granada makes the best panini I've ever had - the Cubano - in a cozy, intimate atmosphere with friendly servers. Also, they serve cupcakes made by Amy Bakes Cupcakes. Amy's cupcakes are unbelievable, indescribably flavored with perfect texture and delicious frosting. I had one of her honey lavender cupcakes; needless to say it was among the best cupcakes I've tasted.
So why not 5 stars? They continue to jack up the prices to fairly insane levels - $10 for a tiny panini? Come on now, I'd be willing to pay about $6-7.
Still, their food is fantastic and the place is worth a visit. -
Review from Chantal D.
San Luis Obispo, CA
12/1/2010
Love the business idea. Small menu, great imported wine selection, cozy and eclectic decor, great service...
My only issue was that with such a small menu, they should be able to steer clear from some of the canned food items I saw in the back and focus even more intensely on the freshly-prepared!
We were offered a sample of a wine once we were seated, and it was so good and ended up to be my beverage of choice (Garnacha--it's a red). For lunch I had one of the fresh-baked flat breads.. can't recall which one exactly, but it was tasty and just enough of a serving. -
Review from Pomp C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
6/25/2010
What else can I say? This place is completely underwhelming.
The first three bottles of wine my friends and I attempted to order were out of stock, yet still printed on the menu. Two of the four beers listed "on tap" were unavailable. So, we settled on our fourth most desired bottle of wine and each had our third choice of beer.
The menu is not terrible but the $10+ we paid for an unimaginative and rather small pannini was about $5 too much. We also had "house-made" tortilla soup that paled in comparison to the example my mother makes in a crock pot. Also, what wine does tortilla soup pair with, anyway?
The service staff was confused when we asked to have our bottle of red wine slightly chilled to counteract its hot temperature. (They store their wines in the kitchen for crying out loud!)
The bill for 3 beers, a bottle of wine and two less than exciting, shared food items exceeded $80.00. In San Francisco, LA or most respectable markets we could have enjoyed better wine, beer, food and service for the same price. -
Review from CeCe C.
5/28/2010 2 photos
It's nice to come during the evening for an intimate gathering. Super small, cozy place with dimly lit candles and french decor! Lots of red and black colors inside! Their menus are the coolest, vintage hardcover books! Also, they serve a different cupcake flavor everyday and you can have them pair it with a wine! How neat! :D
I ordered:
- ichanka bonarda- la rioja argentina "water of the condor" (complimentary tasting)
- bionade german soft/ drink $3
- panini $10
Tip:
- cash only, or $50 minimum purchase for credit cardsListed in: eat SLOwly
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Review from Mariko F.
6/6/2010
This place is great for what is it, but it is not a restaurant. It's a great lounge -- great decor with low lights, comfy seats, good wine and beer and really nice woman running the place. The food is actually decent too, but it's really not the point of the place. And of that list of things that this place has to offer, the food ranks at the bottom. It also takes forever to come out. If you are hungry and want food, this isn't the place to come. The portions are pretty small too for that matter.
That said, for a lounge and a place to relax, cuddle up, have a nice date, this place is a great place to go. For drinks and atmosphere, I would definitely return. -
Review from Alex M.
San Luis Obispo, CA
7/2/2010
I love this swanky little wine bar in downtown San Luis and find it to be a great spot for lunch, a glass of wine and good conversation. The place is literally the size of a closet. I've mostly been in off-ish hours (after the lunch rush, or sunday mornings etc) and so have never had problem finding a table. Everything about the place is very euro-wine-loungy and it has a great vibe. Grab the window seat if you can! They also had (have?) a great Bloody Mary Bar on sunday mornings that is super fun and delicious - all kinds of fun things to put in your 'Mary. And yummy breakfasty type food too.
Service is fantastic. Usually the same person taking your order and pouring your wine is the same one making your panini. They are for the most part well trained and unobtrusive, and knowledgeable about the winelist, and are happy to make recommendations. One time one even gave me a taste of a wine I wasn't sure about (which was much appreciated!). It's also open pretty late (11pm most nights) which is nice.
*All* the wines here are non-US. I appreciate this - there are plenty of tasting rooms here on the central coast, and plenty of other winebars that are Paso/Edna/Napa/SYV etc oriented, so it's great for that "And now, for something a little different..." factor. I have been here at least four or five times now and never have been steered wrong yet. They also have a couple of decent beers on tap, and shochu cocktails if wine isn't your thing.
They have a nice selection of paninis and small plates, and an absolutely delicious beet & chevre goat salad. And ohmygoodness. The CUPCAKES. They're from Amy Bakes Cupcakes. Lordy they are good...not a bad flavor in the bunch but my favorite is the Bumble Bee (Lavender & Honey) - sublime! I won't lie, I've been in here a couple of times and just gotten a cupcake & a glass of wine.
I have two tiny gripes with this place. I think it is a dollar or two over priced for most of the menu items. I *love* local and organic types of dining in general and like to support that movement. But the prices have gone up a notch or two over time to the point where it's just a bit more than I feel it's worth. I will still go, but it's more of an indulgence, and will go less often. My other is that they are cash only (unless you spend over $40). Honestly, this is 2010. I strongly prefer using plastic these days...these are two really minor things though and I would still recommend this place because of their great wine selections, fantastic service, and atmosphere. -
Review from a b.
San Luis Obispo, CA
8/12/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I personally love this tiny place. It's cute and cozy and the wide open window to the street gives it a nice European feel.
Although the menu is small, the girls do such a good job of making what they offer delicious in that tiny kitchen of theirs.
There's nothing else like this downtown and I'm glad they opened this place...its refreshing to the usual stuff there is downtown. So my 5 stars is also for being something genuinely new for downtown Slo and I love it. -
Review from Johnna B.
5/31/2010
Wow. You know when you walk in a place and you're like, "Shit. I shouldn't have just walked in here because now I can't leave?"
Well, my husband and I felt that way when we were looking for some place to eat in SLO past 10p on a weekday night.
There was one lady putting on the whole show. Seating, making drinks, cooking, cleaning... this lady was doing it all. That considered, you might think Granada Bistro would be pretty below average, with reheated food, poorly mixed drinks, and slow service, right?
Well, we were pleasantly surprised. I mean, this place is a shoebox. It is super teeny tiny. There are five very small tables reserved for couples, it seems. You wouldn't want to come here with a party of eight. There was a table just big enough for us and our baby. There is also bar seating.
We ordered a salad and the carnitas tacos without the shells (diet!) The salad was delicious, with beets and goat cheese. The plate of carnitas was also delicious with housemade salsa. The food took a little while but it was worth waiting for and the service was great.
It's funny that one of the best meals we had was here, where we expected the worst. Figures! -
Review from Krista K.
San Luis Obispo, CA
4/11/2011
I came here for lunch multiple times. Their paninis are really tasty and original. I love the combo of flavors they put in their food. They give you this cute little salad with the sando and it's based off of what is fresh at the market which is pretty neat. Wine selection is amaaazing. Also came here for a girls night out and split a bottle that was a mix of Granache, Syrah, and Sangiovese...can't remember the name of it though. It was delicious. I have tried 3 other red wines here, all very good. The wood floors were imported from italy or something. The girls that work there are informative and kind, and the wine lounge has a great mellow atmosphere. The dj was spinning some mellow beats and I there's nothing to complain about :) I def recommend this place.
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Review from Nikki P.
Los Angeles, CA
7/20/2011
Granada is impossibly even more awesome as each month passes! The menu, the people and vibe has evolved and in December, the swankiest, most creativly designed hotel SLO has ever seen (think Burining Man meets Chateau Marmont in LA) will be taking stage on Morro St. Get ready guys! At that point The Granada will be much larger so thankfully, I won't have to resort to dancing in the street which has happened more than one time ;) This place has S-O-U-L! Cheers to owner Kimberly Walker for haveing the cajhones to open something much needed in SLO-town.
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Review from Heather T.
San Luis Obispo, CA
6/8/2011
A darling place...so cute and a great idea. Great food and wine...
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Review from Carolyn J.
Visalia, CA
5/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
Had late lunch here with 2 friends yesterday. What a lovely, charming place! I couldn't agree more with the previous review that mentioned you feel like your walking into a cozy living room when you enter. Antique furniture, menus in old library books, and warm, inviting environment!
Service was outstanding! My friend asked about a wine & was promptly brought a taste before making her decision. I love that the menu has detailed explanations of the foods and wines.
This is a Tapas & small plate place, so don't think your going to gorge yourself on meat & potatoes. I prefer this light style eating so I was in heaven! I enjoyed the beet & goat cheese salad with a nice glass of monastrell. My friend's chicken pesto panino looked awesome too!
Plus, they serve a cupcake of the day made by a local baker. Lucky for me, my favorite Red Velvet was available! I've never had a more delicious treat!
I don't live in SLO, but do frequent the area and Granada bistro will be on my short list of places to frequent when I'm there. -
Review from Samantha F.
San Luis Obispo, CA
6/5/2011
Granada Bistro is a wonderful place to go for lunch. It is a small restaraunt with an ecclectic style. It can be considered romantic because of the mood lighting or a relaxing place to have lunch with a friend. I went to lunch there with a friend today and, after we arrived, were served a sample of red wine. I appreciated this gesture. The waitress remained very kind and attentive throughout our dining experience. I ordered a chicken pesto panini with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes and it came with a salad made from local fresh greens. Everything was delicious! Everything tasted so fresh and the flavor combinations were perfect. There were other options on the menu I really wanted to try such as the caprese salad. Next time I go to Granada, that will be my next choice! I highly recommend this place for lunch.
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Review from Melody S.
San Luis Obispo, CA
7/17/2010
Granada is quite the charmer. Inside is cozy but it can get noisy.
They have a fantastic wine and beer selection. if you aren't sure what you'd like, ask your waitress (yes, only women work there) they always have good suggestions.
Their brunch is fantastic (make your own bloody mary bar!)
Their cheese plate is wonderful, as well as their fig salad and panini's.
Eating inside is cute, but crowded. If you get a choice between eating inside by the bar or by the window, take the window seat. If the sun is out, you won't regret eating there, fantastic people watching spot.
You can't help but feel like a kitten sitting on a window sill!
What i'm pretty much getting at is... this place is charming!
It's takes alot for me to give a place 5 stars. And in san luis obispo it's never happened. However, this is my favorite place by far in town. -
Review from jillian C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
1/24/2011
This magical spot caught my eye as soon as I moved back to San Luis Obispo about 5 months ago. The twinkle lights outside, the beautiful sign & the fun peek-a-boo window allow a glimpse into something really unique. I really enjoy intimate, creative places & Granada Bistro immediately intrigued me. I lived in Europe for about 20 months & always love discovering cozy places for good conversation, new wines & delicious food. My first visit was with two great friends & we sat at the bar & had amazing drinks. I had a chocolate cocktail that was so tasty! We tried a variety of great wines & had a blast. Plus the environment is cozy, with great lighting & pretty vintage furniture. My second visit was really fun too. Ready for number 3! Hope you'll check it out. Perfect for friends, family or dates.
Listed in: My SLO-town spots!
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Review from April F.
Salinas, CA
6/2/2010
We were looking for a late night dessert spot while on a weekend getaway to SLO. I FaceBooked my friend Laurie and she said, "There's a new Bistro downtown. I haven't been, but I hear they have cupcakes." Well, that's all I needed to hear. I went to Poly, so finding it was easy and parking was ample at the bank around the corner.
Granada is a tiny spot, with seating for about 12 people, We took a corner table and were enchanted by the mood lighting and mis-matched furniture. The menus are pasted in old books, which makes it even more fun.
We opted for a cheese plate, something involving nutella, and some late harvest Zin. We were in heaven and my boyfriend felt that the unplanned trip to Granada made our weekend as romantic as possible. It was like stepping into our own, private world.
I would make a point to return to this spot. -
Review from Amy J.
1/12/2011
A very lovely spot! Love the one of a kind glassware and plates. The furniture is comfortable and really cute. The menu idea is so unique and creative- each menu is inside an old book cover! Loved our server, and loved our lunch, and prosecco!
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Review from James W.
San Luis Obispo, CA
1/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Granada is a breath of fresh air in SLO-town. We all love Bulls and Black Sheep, but there are times when we want an intimate setting to drink a glass of vino and relax. All of Granada's wines are foreign, which is great since we are in the middle of wine country and most local restaurants carry the same local wines. The food is delicious, and the girls who work here are great for chatting up while your enjoying a chardonnay or syrah. The decor is funky and eclectic, which gives the space a very European feel. All in all, a great place to take a date or just enjoy a chill night in San Luis Obispo.
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Review from Spencer M.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/25/2010
The menu is small, the restaurant itself even smaller, so why, you ask, do people love Granada Bistro so much? Simple this place easily has the best paninis (or any sandwiches for that matter) anywhere in San Luis Obispo. The cuban panini in particular is nothing short of amazing. All the food is made right in front of you with an excellent wine selection to complement it. Even the desserts are homemade. Splurge on the cupcakes, trust me, you won't regret it.
Of course the real reason locals come here is for the intimacy and atmosphere. The restaurant seats ten people max so don't expect privacy expect casual social chatter and the host (Kimberley Walker?) is as amazing and down to earth as they come. Expect eye rolls and side comments from the locals if you're a tourist....dining here is considered encroaching on their personal space. Also expect excellent service from the host food may be a little slow, but Kim makes all the food herself right in front of you and she's definitely the friendliest hostess I've met in Slo. Don't let the small atmosphere discourage you! Granada Bistro is a place everyone should dine at least once and guys, this is the perfect place to take a woman on a date. I know I'm taking my girlfriend here when she visits. -
Review from Eric B.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/2/2011
Small quaint room that houses this little bistro is charming but could be bigger. The goat cheese/veggie panini is incredible! Great date bistro.
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Review from Laura G.
Atascadero, CA
2/20/2011
I have to say I was unprepared for the Granada. Being a bit hard to find, and led down a narrow arrow, how could I help by wonder? This is it! I was told and peeked through a narrow doorway into a living room or was it more like a parlor? Maybe there were both?The setting was shadows and opulence layered with artful simplicity. I oozed into my comfy parlor chair, settled over our antique cocktail table.The Old windows fully open over the street, so it really feels your a part of things, while still having an intimate meal. Speaking of... we have not had such a great meal in I don't know how long. The carnitas cubano was over the top. Fresh, flavorful carnitas, sweet caramelized onions, fresh local goat cheese, and some sort of seasonings - grilled to perfection! HANDS DOWN: the best sandwich I've had in years!
The Dolmas were just a delicious. NOT those usual fat, cold suckers; these are thinly rolled into the shape of a thin cigar, stuffed with lamb and cheese, and browned before serving. The yogurt dill sauce adds a nice balance to the contrasting flavors,
Their wines are well chosen and the coffee is spectacular. Had to pass on dessert, but I'll be back.
Great place to take your guy or girl. -
Review from John R.
San Luis Obispo, CA
7/29/2010
A few notes:
1. a nice place to couples (or two people) - it's just too small for even three or four.
2. Cash only, although there is an ATM across the street.
3. Wines are all imports. Nice to see someone trying something different, but it does seem odd in the middle of a great wine region.
4. Tapas are pricey - as much as full entrees at restaurants of its class.
Granada is a unique place and I don't mind stopping by once in a while, but overall not impressed. -
Review from Jenna T.
Washington, DC
11/22/2010
The restaurant was a great find in SLO! It is pretty small (only 13 seats) but has a lot of charm that keeps bringing me back. The service is very consistently amazing. The food is great, especially the soups. I go there at least once a week for lunch.
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Review from Doug T.
Arroyo Grande, CA
7/9/2010
This is the perfect small venue for wine and food. The staff is terrific and the place is private and cozy. Intimate and special - recommended to all my friends.
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Review from Francesca L.
Colorado Springs, CO
7/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
Granada bistro is a chill, loungey kinda wine bar. The service is friendly and attentive. With such great potential, unfortunately the food wasn't that great :( Plus the food menu wasn't big-- just cheese and meat plates, almonds, and olives for the "tapas", panini and flatbread. (FYI--this is NOT a tapas place at all, where's squid? mushrooms? paella?) This seems like a place mainly for drinks.
I was with 2 girlfriends and we weren't too hungry, just wanted a few bites. We started off with the soup of the day--spicy corn chowder, but it tasted more like a peppery, watery creamed corn. Yuck. For the panino we had the chicken pesto, which was good, nothing special. We also had the apple, prosciutto, honey flatbread which was too sticky sweet and the flavors just didn't come together well.
In the end we got a chocolate syrah cupcake which was not a good texture.
If it wasn't for the excellent customer service and patient of the hostess/waitress/food preparer, this place would only have 2 stars. Come in, enjoy the music and the wine, but please eat somewhere else. -
Review from C M.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/4/2011
i wish i could have spent more time here to soak up all they had to offer. the cheese plate was great paired with a little bubbly, and my pal enjoyed her wine. it is small, but the decor is great. service was a bit slow but they were doing a small party next door. i'll certainly be back.
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Review from Truman P.
Morro Bay, CA
4/18/2010
Good atmosphere. Nice selection of international wines. Upscale professional patrons. Downsides: takes cash only, no liquor, meager cheese plate! Panini press fare is pretty good overall. I am tired if the cupcakes. What it lacks is far overshadowed by it's charm. Love the shabby chic, book club, European gastronomical style!
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Review from David S.
Ventura, CA
10/27/2010
Where do I start! What a great evening we had. My wife and I opted to have the pre fixe tapas offering which at $20 a piece makes this a $$$ establishment. With an ambiance reminiscent of a a well off artist's boudoir and seating for perhaps 12 to 15 this place is as intimate as it gets with great music, service, food and wine choices this is the place to go when you just want to be in a cozy place eat, drink and pay attention to someone special in your life.
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Review from Teri B.
Pismo Beach, CA
4/11/2010
Life is an adventure, meant to be lived to the fullest, everyday at 100% full throttle. I learned this lesson young when my best friend was killed two days after her wedding when we were 19 years old. I went on to live my life like there was no tomorrow, taking obscene chances, sometimes winning, and often failing. Either way, I had won. I had learned a lesson and I had grown as a person. Sometimes people need to be reminded that life is the journey, other times it hits us so squarely in the face, and we can't help but grin. Thus was my reaction to a Bistro in San Luis Obispo, a place so full of promise, creativity, and passion that even though their life at this location maybe limited due to earthquake retrofit rules, I had to share. The Granada Bistro on Morro Avenue is a slice of big city charm, small quarters intimacy and all around cool. This tiny nugget of a restaurant has only four tables, two bar stools, and a bench outside for the patient. What it lacks in space, it makes up for in personality and outstanding food.
The brainchild of Kimberly Walker (who also had other successful ventures while at Cal Poly) feels like you have stepped into a San Francisco or Paris neighborhood for a locals delight. The front is an open window with flapping curtains gazing out onto the passersby. The lighting is romantic, focusing on candles and some Christmas lights. The couches and chairs are vintage and comfortable. The menus are copied onto a 3 x 5 paper and glued into the page of poetry and vintage books. The first few pages are the wine list and menu and then you can read the rest of the prose, a very cool touch. The wait staff is as unique as the setting, focusing on the personality of the food, wine and fare and not so much speed. This is a place where you come to relish, your company, the wine, and the provisions.
My first visit was with my best friend at lunch, a decidedly French influenced lady who spent many years abroad and oozes taste. We ordered the Cubano and Mushroom Panini and two glasses of champagne, which was served in vintage stemware. The Cubano boasted 3 day simmered pork, jalapenos, peppercini, and cheese and was perfection. The mushroom was decidedly vegetarian and bursting with flavor. We chatted as we brought each other up to speed on our lives. The Granada Bistro begs you to slow down, enjoy each bite, and have an amazing cupcake after. We shared the merlot chocolate, baked by Amy Bakes Cupcakes and I brought one back for my husband. He insisted we go back for dinner.
Back for a feast, I was afraid this was too much of a girl's leisure lunch atmosphere for Gary, but they wooed him with a pumpkin spice cupcake with a cream cheese frosting. He was also enchanted with our waitress Carrie and their eclectic selection of books.
I started with a cheese plate and a bottle of Spanish Tempornillio that Carrie decanted for us. The cheese plate was served on a vintage cake plate, drizzled in honey and features a Spanish goat cheese; a five year aged Gouda and a French blue. The fresh strawberries and macron almonds accompanied the plate along with Farb's Bakery provincial crustinies.
We ordered the beet and goat cheese salad, and were told that the beets were not up to standards, so pick something else. I love an honest wait staff! We settled for the Caprese with fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar. It was like being in the Tuscan sun. We waited for our next course while Gary read me poetry from the menu book.
We shared a Cubano and then had desert again with the baguette, Nutella, and salt sampler with a glass of sauterne. At the end, I would have sworn that I was back in Paris if we would have not passed the Apple store on the way back to the car. Granada Bistro is pure magic. -
Review from Christi R.
Fresno, CA
10/24/2010
The paninis were AWESOME! The tapas were good. The place is SMALL! And the gal helping our party of 20 remained calm and did an excellent job. I just felt the person who organized our party left us hanging, wasn't completely honest and nearly set her staff up for failure. Pricey. I won't be seeking out this place when I come back to SLO.
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Review from John W.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/1/2010
Totally one of the most amazing places in San Luis. It has an amazing ambiance. In case you didn't know, the place comprises of literally of 5 tables so max 18 people are ever in the restaurant. They have some great panini and tapas, but this is not the place to go if you are like totally starving. Go for the amazing ambiance and drinks. Its so small, charming, and cute that the menu is an old novel- go and you'll find out what I mean!
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Review from Joan W.
Monterey, CA
7/18/2010
The food was very good but the music was too loud and we didn't care for the type of music. When we first arrived they were playing oldies, which was good but then it went to jazz and blues. It was so loud that we couldn't hear what the waitress was saying to us and we couldn't talk across the table in a normal voice. Guess since it is so small of a space we thought it should have been so you could have had a more intimate conversation instead of talking loudly. Service is good and so are the prices.
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Review from Matt F.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/1/2010
Cool little wine bar with delicious beers on tap and tasty paninis. Dana is the best
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Review from Maggie P.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/31/2009
Wow, this place is totally swank and totally tiny! Though they only offer panini, salad, soup, beer and wine, I really like their business idea. Simple. Good value. Good ambiance. I didn't dress up and felt other patrons looking down on me, but that all passed when we were seated and served.
Service was very good and attentive. But we couldn't be ignored, because the servers had to trip over us to get to everybody else.
The food. My pesto chicken panini was amazing. I'm a fan of cupcakes. They buy them from a local business, Amy's Cupcakes, I think (I think it's awesome when local businesses support other local businesses).
The wine and beer. There doesn't appear to be any local wine on the list, but the idea is to expand our horizons right? Gives us an opportunity to compare local with imported. Beer is mostly In Bev (the company that bought Anhueser-Busch) and Firestone products. Well, at least they have Firestone.
The ambiance. I really like the way they decorated; lamps and dark red paint and random piles of books and art on the wall and sweeping draperies and window opening on to the street and nice low cushy chairs. The glasses for wine are all different. Some with etched glass, some with cut glass. It makes it look like they picked them up at an antique store; why buy new glasses when there are still a ton to be got for second hand. Here is where they went wrong. It is WAY too dark in there. Candle light is not enough. It won't be so bad when the sun sets at 9 in the summer, but seriously, I couldn't properly see my chocolate cupcake to eat it! Scented candles are a very bad idea when the idea is to feature wine. Smell is the other half of taste (if not more) and the candles are interfering with the aroma of the wine. They need just one less table, too. I had to invade the personal space of my neighbor so the servers could get around without bumping me or dropping stuff. Our neighbors (Damian and Lizane) were very good natured about it.
I like this concept and it is well mostly very well executed. I would definitely go again, but perhaps not on a Friday and definitely early in the evening. They had people waiting outside, and large groups, too.
Right now it is CASH ONLY. Fantastic that there is a B of A right across the street. -
Review from Nikki C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/9/2010
A hidden treasure. Every time I visit Granada I feel like I am in some city in some other country; its like a warp into another world and a true unique experience every time. One of my favorite SLO spots to enjoy the people I am with in an intimate setting. Food is great, ambiance is wonderful, drink selection just right.
