Hotel El Roblar’s architecture and history inform its restaurants and bars

How vividly the past is still present at the Spanish Colonial Revival style property inspired Boudet’s menus. “With the overall concept, the building is early California hacienda,” Ebbink explains. “We wanted to do a modern take on Mexican food. It really just fits when you’re here and sitting in this place and feel the history.” Anyone who’s a fan of Little Dom’s appreciates age and patina — components that are in hefty supply here, too. “Nothing feels worse to me than a new restaurant,” Ebbink states, adding that he intentionally gives spaces a little advance wear and tear before opening.

The eyes feast before any menus are presented. An extensive mural by artist Stefano Castronovo depicting historic vignettes fills the walls above the warm wood wainscoting in the El Roblar lobby. Down a corridor and inside La Cocina, an open kitchen feels appropriately casual in the room clad with perfectly imperfect scored terra cotta tiles, tactile wrought iron and stained glass details, and a covered back patio that opens onto a lawn ideal for gazing at the mighty Topatopa Mountains and tapping into those vortex vibes. 

Condor Bar leans into its avian theme, with easter eggs like a DVD of director Sydney Pollack’s 1975 spy thriller Three Days of the Condor, alongside vintage illustrations and other thematic decor. The bright patio outfitted with a fireplace contrasts with the darker dining room. Meanwhile, the lavishly decorated Snug Bar, adjacent to the lobby, again proves the undeniable pull of a jewel box-like nook. (Plus don’t miss the El Roblar memorabilia on view near the hotel check-in desk.) 

Chef Brandon Boudet turned to Mexican cuisine and the California coast for inspiration

Boudet makes broader connections from his hometown base of Ojai, a tight community with a strong sense of pride associated with its astonishing natural beauty, spiritual seekers, and iconoclasts like artist Beatrice Wood. “Anything along the coast of California is fair game in my mind,” he says about the process of creating a Californian-Mexican culinary program for La Cocina and Condor Bar, which sit 15 miles inland from the Pacific. 

Given the regional history, plus the fact that he spends a considerable amount of time in Todos Santos, Mexico, the direction “naturally veered towards Mexican,” Boudet says. A Santa Maria grill and the in-house nixtamalized corn program (Boudet traveled to Oaxaca for hands-on lessons) bridge Central California and Mexico. Fire-cooked proteins like a chicken asado topped with celery avocado salsa, and fall-off-the-bone pork ribs al pastor with bright green papaya pineapple slaw, come with stacks of house-made tortillas. The latter pairs particularly well with a pour of Lomita Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Valle de Guadalupe, while Spanish and Central Coast bottles are well-represented on the list.

Land and sea are equally represented 

Lunch and dinner menus reflect how Ojai is surrounded by an enviable bounty of  farm-, ranch-, ocean-, and you-name-it-to-table purveyors. “We’re spoiled. We have all these fisherman who deliver to L.A. and they want to stop in Ojai,” Boudet says, ticking off a list of sources such as expert uni diver Stephanie Mutz of Sea Stephanie Fish and Ventura beachfront shucking spot, Jolly Oyster. 

Starting dinner off at Condor Bar with silky kampachi ceviche served with tostadas and a trio of cabbage-topped, pasilla chile-marinated beef cheek suadero vampiros makes for a slam dunk surf and turf. King oyster mushrooms, spiny lobster, and center-cut prime New York steak all touch the aforementioned Santa Maria grill. Salad options, including the Tijuana Little Gem Caesar and Beylik Family Farms tomatoes with local Asian pears and chicatana ants from Oaxaca, reinforce how excellent produce is in ample supply. 

Multiple venues hit different around the clock  

Those lucky enough to spend the night have much to look forward to when they make their way downstairs or through the sprawling grounds to La Cocina during daytime hours. Following blue corn pancakes and breakfast burritos in the morning, the lunch menu transitions to more Alta Californian-Mexican dishes like bluefin tuna tostadas, a chopped salad loaded with nopales, pepitas, and queso fresco, and a solid burger. But you can linger at the hotel even if you don’t have a room key. After wandering around town, slide into the Snug Bar for a pre-dinner Negroni made with La Tierra de Acre Cenizo mezcal.

El Roblar might be a hotel, but locals want to hang here, too

Ojai’s civic ethos can take on a fiercely protective quality, and rightfully so. Maintaining the charm of this idiosyncratic town is a delicate balance, and overt, flashy swagger feels out of place here, despite the presence of some boldfaced name residents. This homegrown ownership crew understands how to tread carefully. So, yes, the hotel staffers are occupied helping overnight visitors check into their beautifully appointed rooms and directing travelers to the best hikes and Pixie tangerines. But expect to see 93023 residents catching up over a fireside chat in the lobby, or popping into La Cocina or Condor Bar for a low-key, soulful meal as well. 

When spaces feel this rooted to the setting, even visitors just passing through feel a sense of connection — no matter how long they stay.