Top 9 Restaurants In Santa Barbara, CA: Consume World-Class Cuisine!

santa barbara best restaurants
John
John 
Updated
| 6 min read

When it comes to the culinary options that are afforded to you in Santa Barbara, you’re not going to find many losers. Each and every food and beverage location has a distinct new flavor to offer you, and when you adhere to our recommended list of the top-tier places to eat in Santa Barbara, California, we promise that you’re in for the restaurant experience well worth your while.

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1. Bouchon


Begin your Santa Barbara culinary experience at Bouchon, where you’re sure to receive the privileges of an eatery of a lifetime. Welcome to California dining at its finest, where each and every privileged guest who walks through the front doors of Bouchon is treated to a world-class experience. At Bouchon, its time to amaze your palate with sensational French cuisine! This location;uses only the finest in organic, locally harvested ingredients, and ensures that every dish that comes from the kitchen into the dining area is filled with five-star worthy menu options. Better yet, Bouchon pairs their dishes with the finest wines that can be found in the area, making for a comprehensive food endeavor you can always write home about.

Bouchon

Address: 9 W Victoria St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Website: Bouchon

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2. Barbareño

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Take advantage of the finest in American foods, found anywhere in the Immediate or the extended Santa Barbara area, at Barbareño! Each and every dish is actually inspired by California ingredients, food items taken directly from the Golden State. The venue also offers sensational desserts, all made from scratch. Barbareño also pairs each of its dishes with a tantalizing wine selection, meaning that the best can only get better whenever you’re seated at Barbareño. Local craft beers are also on tap and available at Barbareño, making this location a certifiable go-to whenever you’re in the region!

Barbareño

Address: 205 W Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Website: Barbareño

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3. The Dining Room and Terrace

King Crab in an amazing spicy red sauce!

Posted by LA Rocker on Wednesday, 30 August 2017

One of the finest restaurant opportunities in all of Santa Barbara, The Dining Room and Terrace is one of the top-rated culinary locations in all of California! The Dining Room and Terrace capitalizes on the local love for all things seafood, and regularly delivers fresh fish to satisfied guests, as well as a diversified selection of steaks and healthy options. The Dining Room and Terrace is also well-known for its desserts menu, sugary options that satisfy the palate as much as they satisfy the wallet. From their fabulous rack of lamb to their fresh Caesar salads, there are wonderful food and beverage options galore to enjoy at The Dining Room and Terrace! Whether you decide to fall in love with the oysters or the granola, or simply the great views of the ocean from the restaurant itself, there’s always a reason to stop by The Dining Room and Terrace!

The Dining Room and Terrace

Address: 800 Alvarado Pl, El Encanto, Santa Barbara, CA 93103-2176

Website: The Dining Room and Terrace

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4. Toma Restaurant and Bar

Waterfront restaurants in santa barbara
Source: Toma Restaurant

Italian cuisine and a massive wine selection champion this fabulous example of high-class Santa Barbara cuisine! Welcome to the Toma Restaurant and Bar, where before you are even served a dish you are granted the esteemed privilege of enjoying bright, California sunshine. It is also one of the top vegan restaurants in Santa Barbara. This venue is absolutely perfect for any romantic event, or for any special occasion of any kind, given its organic feel as one of the lofty restaurant options in the area itself. As with most other waterfront restaurants in the area, Toma Restaurant and Bar offers restaurant-goers a rare taste of the top seafood options in the area, from the oysters to the fish. Award-winning and well deserving of each bit of attention, Toma Restaurant and Bar needs to remain at the top of your list so far as winning restaurants are concerned!

Toma Restaurant and Bar

Address: 324 W Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Website: Toma Restaurant and Bar

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5. The Shop

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

NEW BRUNCH TO-GO DEAL Our delicious Rollex and a cup of fresh brewed @cajecoffee for $10? Available any day of the...

Posted by The Shop Kitchen on Monday, December 21, 2020

Don’t underestimate this restaurant winner in Santa Barbara; despite the plain name, this venue can serve up some big-time food! Perhaps one of the finest window-serve venues in all of Santa’s Barbara, baked goods worth dying for are a regular export of The Shop. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara itself, The Shop also allows its guests to sample and to select from a diversified variety of specialty coffees, as part of a breakfast or an early lunch selection. Renowned by locals as the best breakfast in Santa Barbara, The Shop has effectively made an art out of a refined science; they make breakfast enjoyable! Those who wish to taste for themselves the culinary feats of The Shop are encouraged to get an early start to their day, before the line forms in front of the venue!

The Shop

Address: 730 N Milpas St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

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6. Helena Avenue Bakery

Happy 4th of July! Come join us as we celebrate the 4th all day! . . . #happybirthdayamerica #happy4th #USA #donut...

Posted by Helena Avenue Bakery on Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Speaking of winning bakeries, no discussion of the absolute best eateries in all of Santa Barbara, or in all of California for that matter, would be complete without the due mention of the Helena Avenue Bakery! Long before most bakery-lovers will line avenue streets, in eager anticipation of their goods, the Helena Avenue Bakery begins adding sensational items to their displays, in preparation for the day. It should come as no surprise, then, that this sort of hard work goes well regarded, both in local love for the venue, and in its award-winning reputation. The venue itself also offers a wide variety of homemade breads, for those intent on perfecting dishes of their own with the ingredients of the Helena Avenue Bakery. From its artisan-style products to its thoroughly friendly approach to service, you’d be wise to make the Helena Avenue Bakery a staple during your California visit!

Helena Avenue Bakery

Address: 131 Anacapa St c, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Website: Helena Avenue Bakery

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7. Tydes


When it’s time for a hip joint that doubles as a verifiable social hangout, you’re looking for Tydes in Santa Barbara! First and foremost, you’re going to find that it’s incredibly easy to fall in love with the sweeping views of the ocean that are all around you. It’s certainly one of the best restaurants with a view. The location itself also features a porch that wraps around the interior and exterior portions of restaurants, allowing each and every restaurant guest to chance a glance at the beautiful Pacific. Seafood is of course the focus of the location, where dishes regularly leave the kitchen sporting all of the best seafood options that can be found along the California coastline. From its oysters to its fish to its shrimp, you aren’t going to find yourself disappointed by the appearance or the result of any dish you select. Tydes is well established as the must-visit restaurant of the Santa Barbara coastline; come find out how great a seafood endeavor can be, at Tydes!

Tydes

Address: 1281 Channel Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Website: Tydes

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8. Brophy Bros.

- TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION ~ GRILLED SWORDFISH - served with guacamole, salsa and cole slaw. Your choice of tossed green...

Posted by Brophy Bros. on Wednesday, 9 August 2017

This half-restaurant, half clam bar boasts a thoroughly infectious vibe, and is seemingly full of life at any time of day. From its choice windows, you can take advantage of pristine views of the surrounding natural life and sights, from the nearby harbor to the distance California mountains. If you can, it is recommended that you grab a seat at the full-length bar that is available onsite at Brophy Bros., where you’ll find yourself the privileged recipient not only of the full food menu available at this coastal staple, but also a fabulous selection of choice cocktails and beverages. All of the harbor’s many ships are waiting outside for your visual enjoyment, the perfect backdrop while you sample some of the typically world-class food that is so characteristic of the area. Make Brophy Bros. your next culinary memory of beautiful Santa Barbara!

Brophy Bros.

Address: 119 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Website: Brophy Bros.

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9. Olio e Limone

santa barbara best restaurants | olio e limone
Source: instagram

At Olio e Limone, known by locals by its full name, Olio e Limone Ristorante & Olio Pizzeria, is simply an offering of the absolute best Italian food you’re going to find in the area. An Italian staple if you’re in the mood for the European Eatery experience of a lifetime, this restaurant remains characterized by its roots: a white tablecloth location that regularly allows its top-tier service quality and unspeakably amazing grade of foods and beverages to do the speaking. Especially if you’re looking to impress your romantic interest, Olio e Limone Ristorante & Olio Pizzeria is the place to be. Your palate thanks you in advance for the blessing of a restaurant that is Olio e Limone Ristorante & Olio Pizzeria.

Olio e Limone

Address: 11 W Victoria St #21, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Website: Olio e Limone

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Give yourself the gift of California culinary quality

From Italian favorites to seafood staples, there’s a culinary grade for everyone to fall in love with when it comes to the very best food and beverage options that are available in Santa Barbara! Welcome to the very best that the coastline of California has to offer, where you know from the moment you are gifted the scent of wafting culinary quality, that you’re in for the restaurant attendance experience of a lifetime. Don’t settle for anything less than premium foods, when you allow yourself to frequent one of the go-to restaurant locations recommended by our list of the absolute best in Santa Barbara eateries!

While you’re here, check out the top Indian restaurants and dog-friendly restaurants for more dining options.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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John Gallagher is a digital marketing consultant and writer from San Diego, California. When he isn't thoroughly enjoying the writing process or pretending he thoroughly enjoys the revision...Read more

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