Wine Cask - Santa BarbaraA Santa Barbara GemThe Wine Cask is a food and wine lover's delight. A charming bistro with an incredible wine list. I have eaten in many Santa Barbara restaurants and this has some of the best food in town!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing Dinner!The dinner was one of the best I've had in the last year. 5 stars!!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday celebrationMy girlfriend took me for my birthday and they welcomed us by saying Happy Birthday I think a nice to touch would of been a complimentary dessert. They were all very aware it was my birthday as my friend mentioned it when she made the reservations.Would of been a nice final touch to the evening.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter and BetterEach time return to the Wine Cask we are more impressed than the last time. The whole crew has really come together to make this one of Santa Barbara's best dining experiences.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome FoodI am vegetarian, my girlfriend loves fish. Both of us were absolutely satisfied with our starters, main courses and deserts. The food is amazing, the wine menu holds high quality wines. The service is also able to give good recommendations for every taste. We had a very nice evening at the Wine Cask!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely PlaceMy husband and I ate here for our anniversary and had a great dinner. I told the bar manager what I like in a wine and he suggested the perfect chardonnay. We had sweetbreads and duck for starters and both were very good. My main dish of scallops was slightly over salted but not so much to ruin the dish. The bread pudding was to die for. Music was perfect. Lighting was perfect. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly.We were there for 2 hours and enjoyed every minute!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful meal and experienceWe had great service and a delightful meal at the Wine Cask. Every detail was cared for. We would highly recommend it and gladly come again.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDecadent Santa Barbara Experience!The food was exceptional. Usually at high-end restaurants these days you'll get a small portion of food, but in this case the portions were spot on, with a bit to spare. My girlfriend had the seared Ahi tuna and I had the NY steak. The Ahi was perfectly seared, fresh, and accompanied with what my girlfriend said was, "the best asparagus I've ever had." My steak was perfect, medium rare, with a smooth flavorful sauce. The wine list is truly great. Normally, restaurants will push through table wines that are void of flavor for the masses, but my zinfindel was full of flavor as well as the chardonnay. The atmosphere was nicely lit with grandiose mirrors surrounding the interior. I recommend requesting a seat by the larger-than-life fireplace.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMOverall the food was veryOverall the food was very good with friendly helpful staff . The main courses were large and while the meat was prepared perfectly the sides conflicted with the meat and were too complicated. The wine list was deep with well priced CA wines but few French wines to choose from. However, the wine service was excellent.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is always excellentThe food is always excellent seasonal, magnificently prepared and presented. You can't go wrong with the wine, the staff is knowledgeable about the selections and pairings with the menu. The ambiance is great as the restaurant has its own courtyard and beautifully appointed interior if the weather isn't cooperating.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday DinnerWe took another couple to celebrate my wife's birthday. The service was attentive and professional. Not fawning nor condescending like many fine restaurant service is. The food was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly. The ingredients were fresh and toothsome. We look forward to returning. Not necessarily on a special occasion.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMLOVED this restaurant!Our lunch at Wine Cask was probably my favorite meal during our week in Santa Barbara! Our waiter was very knowledgable and made great recommendations on lunch, dessert and wine. We sat in the beautiful courtyard and just had an overall wonderful experience. Highly recommend!!!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ending to a Sunday afternoonGreat ending to a Sunday afternoon at the Lobero (The Romero Concert)4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAn amazing experience. CelebratingAn amazing experience. Celebrating an engagement, they brought over some complimentary champagne, were super friendly and the service was top notch. Food was delicious, cocktails were spectacular. Could not have been a better experience.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding serviceOk what killed this for us as what could have been a perfect night was the food. The selection was weird and very limited. My husbands plate was this small lumpy grey piece of fish on some green lettuce leaves. I actually enjoyed my entree of crispy skin Salmon. The dessert was not so good tart was tough but the cinnamon ice cream was very good. My appetizer was an Andoulle sausage encased in a pastry and then served cold sliced on the plate . If the pastry had been better I can see where the chef was going with this dish. Unfortunately they failed in the taste was not so great. My husband had a mixed green salad - how can you mess one of those up ? So the overall food was a 6 out of 10. Service was a 10 out of 10.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was very good, wouldFood was very good, would like more lower priced wine by the glass.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMOne step above the competitionOne step above the competition in quality, but two steps above in price3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous place for a specialFabulous place for a special evening. Unique, well prepared food. Be sure to be very clear to your server if you have any food allergies.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWedding Anniversary DinnerWe chose to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary by having dinner at the Wine Cask. It is refreshing to know that a restaurant that has been in business for so many years just keeps getting better. It was the perfect romantic, sophisticated spot for our second date, all those years ago. We have come to the Wine Cask each time we've visited Santa Barbara for everything from a casual dinner to a special night out. This place never disappoints and Saturday night was no exception. We were greeted with complimentary champagne and anniversary wishes. We dined on exquisite salads, sausages, sea bass and sweetbreads, complimented perfectly by a lovely pouilly fuisse, and topped off by a decadent chocolate mousse. Everything was perfect.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMHaven't been for years. LovedHaven't been for years. Loved it as much as always.2/17/2013 12:00:00 AMreturn of serveService remained superlative although food slipped half a notch on this visit. Wait staff had a corner table ready as per our request, yet easily accomodated a move to fireside dining. The rabbit sausage pappardelle remains a favorite, although it seems there may have been a salt accident in the kitchen that night. Also be aware that the mushroom risotto is as filling as it is good- plan accordingly. The already expansive wine list seems to have grown some more, too. The index has gone from good idea to must. There is still room for expansion, as the dessert wines are heavy on tawny ports and light on, well, everything else. Wine Cask remains the first place I think of for dining in Santa Barbara.1/6/2013 12:00:00 AM