For our second night in Pismo Beach, I chose to eat at Gardens of Avila, an upscale restaurant located at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. I’d picked this restaurant simply because there weren’t many options when searching for fine dining in the area. I didn’t have the highest expectations, but I hoped it would at least be a decent meal. As it turns out, the food and service were fantastic – one of my top dining experiences of the year.
Gardens of Avila Food
For anyone who’s interested, here is the menu as of December 2021 (it doesn’t appear to change that frequently). I wouldn’t trust the menu on their website, as I found it to be inaccurate. Note how small the menu is, which is always a good sign.
To start with, we ordered the Brussel Sprouts, Grilled Ratatouille, and 2 of the Maiz Tostado appetizers.
I don’t like goat cheese, but the brussel sprouts were delicious. The crunch of the almonds and the creaminess of the cheese worked together perfectly, and the balsamic glaze gave it an extra touch. Even if you’re not generally a fan of brussel sprouts, I would recommend trying these.
The ratatouille was equally good, and I loved the addition of the fried polenta cakes. Both the brussel sprouts and ratatouille included fried components, but neither had that unhealthy taste fried food usually does. I was very impressed.
The definite highlight of the appetizers was the Maiz Tostado – it’s basically roasted corn topped with cheese, spicy aioli, and lime slices. I don’t even know how to describe the flavour of this dish, it was just fantastic. I could happily eat it everyday.
I didn’t think I could become even more impressed, but then the main courses arrived.
My sister had the New York Strip Steak, and my dad ordered the Seared Diver Scallops. I obviously didn’t sample either of these, as I’m vegetarian, but they both really enjoyed their mains.
There were no vegetarian mains listed on the menu, but yet again I was pleasantly surprised. When taking our order, our waitress Dana proactively offered one. It consisted of mushrooms, zucchini, and various other vegetables with a chimichurri sauce. My grandparents chose to order that, and found it to be really high-quality and fresh.
I opted for the Roasted Corn and Bell Pepper Salad, which was just as delicious as everything else. Like all the other vegetables, the salad tasted fresh. You could tell it wasn’t just thrown on a plate, it had actually been individually prepared. The highlight was the chickpeas, which added a nice crunch.
Gardens of Avila Dessert
As if it couldn’t get any better, it was then time to order dessert. My grandparents and I each ordered a New York Style Cheesecake, and my dad picked the Chocolate Mousse Cake. One dessert per person sounded a little crazy, but they were so good that it wasn’t difficult to finish at all.
The cheesecake wasn’t just good, it was amazing. All 4 of the people who tried it said it was one of the best cheesecakes they’ve ever had. It really was that tasty. The chocolate mousse cake was equally good, topped with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.
Gardens of Avila Ambience
The layout of Gardens of Avila is slightly confusing, as there are two separate dining rooms, plus an outdoor patio. Regardless of where you’re seated, you’ll find it to be spacious yet cozy, with lots of (fake) plants and fireplaces. My only suggestion to them would be to use real plants, however that’s not the most practical idea if they’re going to be hanging from the ceiling.
Gardens of Avila Service
While the food was already spectacular, it was the great service that made the meal perfect. I must compliment our waitress Dana for being friendly and helpful towards my older grandparents. She happily answered any questions and never appeared to get frustrated. She also proactively offered a vegetarian main without us having to ask, and made sure to accommodate dietary restrictions. Additionally, she was always smiling and joked around with us. Dana seemed like the kind of person who truly loved her job – if you dine at Gardens of Avila and she’s serving your table, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good experience.
Everyone else in the restaurant (and hotel) was also especially friendly and helpful – I can imagine that Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort would be a great place to spend a few days due to the kindness of the staff.
Final Thoughts
After our disappointing meal the day prior, I had been worried that we’d have another bad dinner. However, I had no need to worry, as Gardens of Avila made it into my top meals of 2021. It’s not often I leave a restaurant completely satisfied with every single dish – in fact, this might be the first time ever. And I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten as much food as I did that night.
Especially since the restaurant has very reasonable pricing for what you get, I would encourage anyone in the area to reserve a dinner here. The lunch menu is nearly the exact same, and prices are a little lower. While I haven’t eaten at nearly enough places in SLO County to be 100% sure, Gardens of Avila has to be in the top 10 restaurants.
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