Few cities in the country boast as many restaurants per capita as Santa Barbara. In fact we beat out Los Angeles and San Francisco in percentages. There are more than 500 in the greater Santa Barbara area, and during the busy summer months and holiday seasons, nearly all are filled to capacity with diners from around the world. Our restaurants represent all colors of the culinary spectrum. The mind-boggling array of international cuisine means you can always find the type of meal you’re looking for, whether you’re hankering for tacos or the latest California farm cuisine.
The burgeoning local wine industry has contributed to this restaurant renaissance, and many dining establishments offer pairings of acclaimed local wines with seasonal meals.
Don’t worry if you’re not an epicurean—you’ll find plenty of restaurants to please your palate as well as your pocketbook. Wholesome fare reigns supreme in health-conscious Santa Barbara, and most menus include vegetarian and low-fat entrees. California cuisine—which features artistic presentations of seafood, grilled meats, seasonal vegetables, and salads made with fresh, locally grown produce—dominates the current restaurant scene. Chefs create their own versions of California cuisine, often adding local avocados, citrus fruits, and salsas to their concoctions.
Pacific Rim seafood, spices, and sauces are currently in vogue. Ahi tuna, for example, appears in creative variations on many local menus. You can order it as sashimi or a sushi roll, seared, pan-broiled, grilled, or coated with peppercorns or sesame seeds. If your palate seeks adventure, take a culinary safari to our many international restaurants, from Mexican and Moroccan to Thai. Restaurants serving traditional American fare—burgers, french fries, pizza, steak, and potatoes—will never go out of style here. Several local restaurants have been serving the same hearty American meals for more than 50 years.
Overview
In this chapter we focus on the dining experience. Several restaurants offer music, dancing, and/or other entertainment in addition to meals, and we’ve highlighted these in the Nightlife chapter. You can also find more information on hotel restaurants in the Accommodations chapter. Nearly all the restaurants listed here accept reservations as well as credit cards. If not, we’ve noted it in the description. We recommend that you always call ahead to reserve a table on weekends and holidays and at any time during the busy summer months. The most popular restaurants fill up quickly, and if you don’t have a reservation, you might have to wait for an hour or two before you’re seated.
California law prohibits smoking in any restaurant or bar. Some restaurants have cigar terraces reserved for smokers. We’ve mentioned these in the individual write-ups.
Dogs are allowed on some outdoor patios, at the discretion of the restaurant or cafe owners. To help you out, we’ve mentioned in the individual write-up if the restaurant offers an alfresco eating area. At least that way, you can sit where you can see your little buddy.
Children’s menus are available at many restaurants, and unless we’ve mentioned otherwise, the eateries listed here are wheelchair accessible. Casual dress is fine at most, and we know only a few that require a coat. If you’re going to an expensive restaurant for dinner, however, you probably want to change from your shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops into somewhat dressier attire. Bon appétit!