Where to Eat in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara California, with its beautiful beaches, Spanish style architecture and excellent wineries, is an outstanding city to vacation in. Of course, when one is on vacation, one of the most important decisions to be made each day is this: “Where shall we eat?” Fortunately, Santa Barbara has an abundant number and variety of restaurants to choose from. As someone who grew up there, I recommend The following restaurants, roughly listed in descending order of price.
For fine French/Californian food, the best place to go is Bouchon, which serves what they have dubbed “wine country cuisine.” The Bouchon website explains that:
“Only the freshest, high quality local ingredients find their way into the Bouchon Santa Barbara kitchen. Working closely with local produce growers, fishermen and game ranchers we have created a menu we believe captures the essence of California’s Central Coast.”
Bouchon’s signature dish is duck breast, and they also offer rack of lamb, venison, and seafood, with an extensive selection of Santa Barbara County wines.
Another dining spot of deservedly good repute is Louie’s California Bistro. It is located on the first floor of the the beautiful Upham Hotel, which is housed in an old Victorian built in 1871. At Louie’s, you can enjoy sumptuous California cuisine–paired with Santa Barbara County, Napa, or Sonoma Valley wines–on its attractive porch or in the cozy wood-floored dining room, served up with friendly elegance.
The Seagrass Restaurant is owned by Mitchell Sjerven, who is also the proprietor of Bouchon. Seagrass serves fresh seafood and the evening specials all conveniently have suggested wine pairings of, for the most part, local wines. Here is a description from the website:
“The ambience at Seagrass was designed to be incredibly easy on the eyes and ears. Beautiful Seagrass wall covering, plantation shutters and white wainscoting are enjoyed in luxurious chairs, while high vaulted ceilings and carpet underneath keep the noise level to a comfortable hum.”
The moderately priced Italian restaurant Ca Dario was chosen by locals as the best restaurant overall in Santa Barbara in 2010. It has delicious Italian food and a great wine list offering both Californian and Italian wines.
For ambiance at an affordable price, it’s hard to beat The Breakwater Restaurant. Located in the harbor, their food is good (I recommend ordering the Catch of the Day) and the view of the marina from their patio is gorgeous. This is a popular breakfast spot, but it’s also a good place to go for lunch or dinner. After a satisfying meal, you can enjoy a stroll along the breakwater and take in views of the marina and the Pacific Ocean.
If your in the mood for Mexican food, La Playa Azul Cafe is a moderately priced restaurant with an attractive patio and a varied menu of Mexican standards and more unusual fare such as “callo de acha con cebolla y jalapenos,” which is scallops sauteed with onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, and jalapenos. They also make great margaritas.
Another place popular with locals is a funky little taco stand called La Super Rica Taqueria. It is famous for being a favorite of Julia Child’s. She even mentioned it in an article she wrote about Santa Barbara for National Geographic’s Traveler, in which she called La Super Rica, “one of the most authentic Mexican home-cooking restaurants around.”
If you visit Santa Barbara, one place you should not miss is Stearns Wharf. The best place to eat on the wharf is the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, a crab and shellfish shop were you can get steamed crab or lobster with a pint of draft beer to enjoy on a picnic table at the end of the wharf. If you just want to grab a burger, the best place to go is Char West, also located on Stearns Wharf. They have tasty grilled burgers and a much better ocean view than a burger joint has a right to.
The best place to go for a good cup of coffee is The French Press, conveniently located on State Street, Santa Barbara’s main drag. The French Press simply makes the best cup of coffee in town.
One local treat you should not miss is a McConnell’s ice cream cone. If you’re in the mood for something cold, sweet and delicious, McConnell’s in the place: they make the best ice cream I have ever tasted anywhere.
As far as nightspots go, I recommend Joe’s Cafe. Joe’s has been a Santa Barbara institution since 1928. It is a massive place with great tasting, down to earth food, a raucous atmosphere, and the stiffest drinks in town.
Well, I think that is at least a good outline of a very important subject for visitors to Santa Barbara, or any other town for that matter: whare the best places to eat are. If you’d like more free information about this idyllic city located just 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara California, just click on the link.