"Ojai's most exciting table - chef Saw Naing's Californian-Burmese cooking, from a sell-out lamb biryani to local produce, a bakery by day and dining room by night."
About The Dutchess
The Dutchess revived a historic space at 457 East Ojai Avenue in 2022 as an all-day bakery and cafe that turns into a buzzing bar and Burmese dining room by night. A joint venture between Los Angeles restaurateurs Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb (Rustic Canyon), bakers Kate Pepper and Kelsey Brito, and chef Saw Naing, it has quickly become the headline address in our Ojai guide and a Michelin Guide listing.
The cooking weds Burmese tradition to the Ojai Valley's produce, with the majority of ingredients sourced within 50 miles - seafood from the Channel Islands, beef from Ojai's Watkins Cattle Company and flour from the Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project.
The Kitchen
Chef Saw Naing, who is Burmese-Indian, cooks the food he grew up with through a Californian lens. The signature is a lamb biryani (danbauk) - flaky golden pastry over delicately spiced basmati rice and yogurt-marinated Ojai lamb, at $30 - which sells out most nights. Around it sit fermented tea-leaf salad, wok-fired tamarind beef with chili crisp, and line-caught Channel Islands rockfish.
By day the bakery turns out pastries built on local heritage flour and Cuyama Orchards apples. It is precise, produce-led cooking that takes Burmese flavours somewhere genuinely new.
The Room
The room shifts character with the clock: a relaxed bakery and cafe in daylight, all pastries and coffee, then a lively, candlelit bar and dining room after dark. It is convivial and design-led without being stuffy, a fitting centrepiece for a weekend in Ojai.
Dinner is the hot ticket and the biryani runs out, so book ahead and order it early.
Not for
Not for diners after classic Italian or steakhouse fare, or anyone who needs a guaranteed quiet table - it is a buzzy, of-the-moment Burmese room that books out.
Frequently Asked
What is The Dutchess known for?
Californian-Burmese cooking from chef Saw Naing in downtown Ojai. The signature is a flaky lamb biryani (danbauk) at $30 that sells out nightly, alongside fermented tea-leaf salad and Channel Islands rockfish, with a bakery and cafe by day.
Where is The Dutchess in Ojai?
At 457 East Ojai Avenue in downtown Ojai, in a revived historic space on the main drag.
How much does it cost?
It sits in the $$$ band, with starters and sides $11-19 and dinner dishes $20-45; the famous lamb biryani is $30.
Do I need a reservation?
Reservations are recommended for dinner, when the room is busiest. The bakery and cafe by day are more walk-in friendly.
What should I order?
Chef Saw Naing's lamb biryani is the dish to book for - it sells out most nights - along with the fermented tea-leaf salad and wok-fired tamarind beef.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at The Dutchess
Reservations are recommended for dinner, and the lamb biryani sells out, so order it early. Phone +1 805 640 1808. Find it at 457 East Ojai Avenue in downtown Ojai.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address457 E Ojai Ave, downtown Ojai
NeighbourhoodDowntown Ojai, East Ojai Avenue
CuisineCalifornian-Burmese
PriceStarters $11-19, dinner dishes $20-45; the lamb biryani is $30
Dress CodeCasual
SeatingAll-day bakery and cafe by day, a buzzing bar and Burmese dining room by night
ReservationReservations recommended for dinner
