The Dutchess - Ojai, California

Andrew F.

We went for brunch. Good vibes and friendly server. Food took 40 minutes so they gave us 2 pastries for free. I spent $85 for 2 people (would’ve been $100 if we paid for the pastries) and I’m still hungry. Nothing about the food impressed me. Ceviche was the most interesting / authentic dish. Brunch menu was fairly limited. I don’t get the hype, maybe dinner is better?

Sonya W.

This coffee shop is quite expansive. Offering lineup and order self-seating or waitress served dine-in. Their baked goods are excellent in flavor and quality. We selected the chocolate hazelnut espresso knot and strawberry rhubarb pie bar. Fantastic! Also enjoyed flavorful cappuccinos. They make their own whipped topping and almond milk! We drove about 45 minutes just for coffee here. It's worth it!

Alex A.

Delicious pastries, but bring patience (and a thick wallet) 🥐☕
The Dutchess has two sides—a bakery and a sit-down café. This review is for the bakery, which we’ve visited a few times.
It’s a trendy spot, so expect long lines on weekends. The service is slow, with just one person handling both orders and prep. A little teamwork could speed things up.
That said, the pastries do not disappoint. We tried the mandarin danish, bagel, morning bun, croissant, lemon cake, and more—all fantastic.
What does disappoint? The prices. A $6.50 matcha gets even pricier with almond milk, and between that and the long waits, I always hesitate before coming back. Great treats—just be ready to splurge.

Oana G.

I only tried their breakfast pastries and they were pretty good. The samosas were especially tasty. Great vibe and atmosphere overall, and helpful staff. One miss though - the baristas don’t have oat milk available for non-dairy cappuccinos.

Molly E.

Staff is so kind! I got a great coffee recommendation from the hostess! Wait for food was a little long during lunch rush hour, but we munched on the pastries while waiting! We got the breakfast plate: the dish was okay, but the bread and bacon it came with was fire!

Just V.

The Duchess, Ojai, CA
The Duchess is the place for breakfast in Ojai. They have a fantastic variety of homemade pastries in
addition to waffles and breakfast sandwiches. Was visiting family in the area and went to breakfast
every morning and got to try such a variety. My favorite was the spiced orange and pistachio scones, or
was it the rhubarb Danish or maybe the blood orange olive oil cake. They were all fantastic. I’m not a
coffee/tea drinker but my family was impressed with the options and the taste of each that was tried.
The best part was all items were large enough to share so we each got something different and passed it
around the table.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and fun. Service was fantastic even tho they were so busy. There were
several tables inside and out. But get there early on a weekend to get a table. Several tables are long
and seat 8-10 so you’re likely to be sharing a table and meeting new interesting people. They have lots
of traffic from LA on weekends. Everyone was so nice.
The building is older and had a small step at the front door so could be a bit challenging for handicapped
accessibility. Once inside there’s room to maneuver if the crowds aren’t too big.
There are plates, glassware and silverware in the open for any customer to grab as needed. They offer
open bottles of water to take to your table to share.
BUT they have more than breakfast so don’t stop there. That’s my one regret that we didn’t go back for
lunch or dinner. We did take some cupcakes home for later and they were AMAZING.

Binh H.

My partner and I stopped here for brunch on our way home to LA from Big Sur. Brunch was very delicious and reasonably priced. We also had the best server in the world named Taylor who loved getting to know us, and when she found out that we had just celebrated my partner's birthday the day before and that we were on the tail end of our 8-year anniversary trip, she helped us get a little to-go box of pastries from the bakery. Could not have asked for a better brunch experience in Ojai. Will definitely come back.

Tim B.

Good for the vibes but not worth the hype for the food quality and price. Noting that there is a required 4% health surcharge, which brings down the rating from a 3 to 2, as many consumers protest against such charges even as the menu prices have seen notable increases since 2022 into 2025.

The fried chicken sando ($22) and red lentil and rice bowl ($17) were just OK at best. (The chicken sando was about $17 only a year or two ago.)

The inside is very aesthetic, and the outside is very nice too, so it’s a nice place to try but just that.