Santa Barbara’s best restaurants

If you venture northbound from Los Angeles for about 90 minutes, you’ll reach Santa Barbara – ‘the American Riviera’ – and just like the Mediterranean locale, you’ll find long stretches of beach, harbours dotted with boats, Spanish-style homes draped in Bougainvillea, Michelin-starred restaurants, and award-winning local wineries.  

From royal watching in Montecito (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still call this home) to wine tasting in the Funk Zone, this is our guide to the best dining in the region. And, if you plan to visit later this summer, you can look forward to restaurants by none other than Nobu Matsuhisa and Thomas Keller (to name a few) at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore. 

Stonehouse Restaurant 

Best for: a romantic, fireside night out 

For a dining experience that ticks all the romance boxes, head to the signature restaurant at the historic San Ysidro Ranch. Linger by a wood-burning fireplace in a 19-century stone building draped in twinkling lights, amid a lush garden setting, overlooking the ocean. The menu includes fresh ingredients foraged on-site, including Meyer lemons for the must-order dessert tarts. If you want to take the romantic gesture a bit further, book a private wine cellar dinner or head to the new speakeasy at Plow & Angel for a nightcap. 

stonehouserestaurant.com 

900 San Ysidro Ln, Santa Barbara 

Bar Lou 

Best for: a French vibe by way of New Orleans 

New on the well-heeled Coast Village Road in Montecito, from the owner of Little Dom’s seafood in Carpinteria, this French Riviera-inspired, indoor-outdoor bungalow space offers local sea urchin spaghetti, steak au poivre, and halibut almondine. During Friday lunch, try dishes with a Creole spin – from Gumbo Ya Ya to fried oyster salad – with sounds from ‘the big easy’ and festive cocktails. The bar is also perfect for a glass of bubbly and California Caviar with house-made russet potato chips and herbs crème fraiche or fried zucchini blossoms with anchoïade (anchovy) sauce. 

barloumontecito.com 

1198 Coast Village Rd, Santa Barbara 

Caruso’s 

Best for: sustainable semi-private dining with ocean views 

Named after developer and proprietor Rick Caruso, Rosewood Miramar Beach holds a MICHELIN One Star and Green Star. Here, you can snuggle in a booth and feast on upscale steak and seafood menus over-looking the crashing shore. The team has recently added a new outdoor semi-private dining area called FronteMare – a family-style communal table for a sustainability-focused celebration. Expect garden-to-table cocktails that incorporate seasonal produce from Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market mixed with fresh herbs from the on-site chef’s garden (all alongside a curated list of Central Coast wines, of course). 

rosewoodhotels.com 

1759 S Jameson Ln, Santa Barbara 

Bibi Ji 

Best for: contemporary Indian cuisine paired with orange wine 

Acclaimed Indian restaurant Bibi Ji (from Alejandro Medina and James Beard award-winning sommelier Rajat Parr) has moved to the buzzy ARTS District downtown into a fun pink-hued space with a natural wine bar. Dive into creamy curries, from butter chicken tikka masala to tandoori eggplant. Add a kick of spice with a house-made onion chili kulcha and dip it into cucumber raita or end with a refreshing rosewater and green cardamom ice cream. It also carries an expansive orange wine selection that pairs well with the complex food flavours. 

bibijisb.com 

1213 State St B, Santa Barbara

The Lark 

Best for: alfresco oysters on the patio 

Named for the sleek overnight Pullman train of the Southern Pacific Railroad that serviced Santa Barbara 1910–1968, this ample patio restaurant is located in the heart of the Funk Zone – a wine tasting arts and entertainment haven near the Waterfront that was put on the map by Acme hospitality with this very venue. Handmade furniture and a 24-seat live-edge communal table stacked on vintage radiators add to the allure of the patio, where you can slurp oysters and small local wine producers before an order of BBQ ribs or fried chicken. 

thelarksb.com 

131 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara 

Loquita 

Best for: a true taste of Spain 

When you find yourself hankering for a true taste of Spanish cuisine, the bar at Loquita is a great first step for cold and hot tapas – the jamon croquetas are a must with a glass of farmers market Sangria – and they also use that libation to poach pears for whipped Spanish goat cheese with a pistachio salsa verde. Chances are you will want to continue on to a table for seasonal wood-fired paella, paired with something from the Spanish heavy wine list, vermouth selection, or one of their strong gin and tonics. 

loquitasb.com 

202 State St, Santa Barbara 

Silvers Omakase 

Best for: an intimate omakase experience 

New to the Funk Zone, this intimate 10-seat Japanese omakase hotspot is already Michelin-recognised almost right out of the gate. Chef Lennon Silvers Lee worked with his brother Phillip Frankland Lee at Michelin-rated Sushi by Scratch nearby, so the ‘trust me’ family legacy continues. The tasting menu ranges from 13 to 20 dishes, with a focus on nigiri sushi, with rice as the shining star. Silvers claims to be the first outside of Japan to serve Doyuuno farm’s Tanada Isehikari rice, a flavour-rich, mountain-grown variety with vast health benefits – and who doesn’t want that? 

silversomakase.com 

Caption: 224 Helena Ave, Santa Barbara 

Blackbird 

Best for: wine pairing dinners and monthly events.

Celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard put his signature modern Moroccan touches on Hotel Californian, which features wine pairing diners in the Blackbird restaurant. Executive Chef Travis Watson’s seasonal rotation menu might include English pea bisque with Black Forrest ham, roasted beet risotto, or Wild Isle salmon with clams, pork belly, and chicharron. The monthly ‘uncorked’ or ‘on the rocks’ events are where you can mingle with winemakers from Foley to Margerum. The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience with the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts is holding events here in May as well. 

hotelcalifornian.com 

The Ellwood 

Best for: an oceanfront setting and Coastal California cuisine.

Drive a bit further north up the glistening coast to Goleta Beach for a meal at Ellwood. The superclub atmosphere with whimsical art and a piano bar also showcases Coastal California cuisine and oceanfront dining with an outdoor patio bar. Top orders include the char sui pork chop, calamari Parmesan, and Ora King salmon poke. For cocktails, try the cheeky Bad Bunny with fresh carrot juice and mezcal or Coastal Caviar with passion fruit foam and yuzu pearls. The Break concert and events venue and The Coop casual outdoor eatery are both opening on-site soon. 

theellwood.com 

bouchon 

Best for: wine country cuisine and foodie crawls.

Not so fast… this decades old Santa Barbara staple for French fare has no relation to Chef Thomas Keller’s acclaimed bouchon in Napa Valley, but you’ll still love the food, wine, and décor nonetheless. It specialises in wine country cuisine such as herbed burrata and carrot salad. And if you’re lucky, you can join the crew on Tuesday afternoon or Saturday morning for a foodie crawl to the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market, followed by a three-course wine pairing dinner that might include a maple glazed duck breast. 

bouchonsantabarbara.com 

Intermezzo by Wine Cask

Best for: a good old-fashioned burger and fries.

You’ve not really experienced the local Santa Barbara scene until you dine on the patio at Intermezzo (tucked away inside the historic El Paseo Plaza). This spot is an institution with a stellar local wine list. But proprietor John O’Neill has revamped this iconic sister restaurant of the Wine Cask, which is now a private event space. Expect modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean twist. Nightly specials offer seasonal farm-fresh picks for salads or pizza, but an Angus burger here with fries and a dirty martini will always be the top move.

intermezzosb.com