Ballard Inn Bed and Breakfast near Solvang offers great amenities, fine dining- September 2015
The Ballard Inn Bed and Breakfast is nestled in a quiet residential area not far from the heart of Solvang.
This lovely B&B is charming and quaint. Although this property looks like it used to be a large home, it was actually built to be a bed and breakfast in 1984 and has been family owned for 10 years. It has 15 individually decorated rooms, some with fireplaces. Be sure to request one of the fireplace rooms if you are having a romantic getaway in the winter.
The Ballard Inn definitely has a homey family-owned small-town comforting feel to it. You are guaranteed to love your stay here.
There are several sitting areas downstairs where you can play games or just for lack, and there is a tea and coffee station downstairs which appears to be available to guests at all hours.
This is a perfect escape for couples…. especially those who wish switch off. There is wifi, but there are no tvs in the rooms. A television can be found in one of the cozy common seating areas downstairs if you need your TV fix..
The Ballard Inn Restaurant…. where do I start with this divine culinary experience…. Executive Chef Budi Kazali does not disappoint. On the menu the night we were there to start we chose the Ballard Sesame Caesar’s salad & Hamachi sashimi with avocado and soy-yuzu vinaigrette. (we added tomatoes and avocado to the Caesars because that’s how we roll). Both where excellent choices. The Ceasar dressing was quite light yet really flavorful. The Hamachi sashimi was topped with flash fried mushrooms which had a nutty flavor that complimented the sashimi extremely well.
The Entrees…we chose the Ballard Asian Style Bouillabaisse with Fennel Salad and the Blue Nose Sea bass with corn, shishito peppers and tomatillo sauce. The Bouillabaisse was superb, and the sea bass was cooked to perfection crispy on the outside and light on the inside. All of the accompaniments added to these entrees mixed very well with the flavor of the seafood. Given that this not Budi Kazali’s first rodeo, The Ballard Inn Restaurant is a big recommend for Foodies, go out of your way to Dume here even if you are not staying here. It became clear from our first bite this restaurant has earned the reputation it has as one of the best restaurants in Santa Barbara County. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about both the food and wine, and possessed the perfect characteristics of both professionalism and relate-ability.
The Breakfast is also fantastic, with all the usual fare you would find on an American breakfast menu.