Diners' Choice: Romantic restaurants in Santa Barbara

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the most romantic in Santa Barbara? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Plow & Angel Speakeasy

5.0

5 (13)

$50 and over

American

Montecito

About the restaurant

For over a century, San Ysidro Ranch has been a haven for those seeking tranquility amidst the captivating landscapes of Santa Barbara. This historic hideaway effortlessly weaves together natural beauty, romantic heritage, and classic luxury, welcoming discerning travelers to experience a retreat like no other. In the heart of this timeless escape, experience indulgence through Afternoon Tea, where an enticing array of tea sandwiches, seasonal scones, and house-made pastries promise to elevate your senses. As the day transitions to night, immerse yourself in a clandestine world within our speakeasy, where crafted cocktails and an intimate ambiance transport you to a bygone era. San Ysidro Ranch invites you to become part of its storied history, where the past meets the present in an atmosphere of natural beauty, culinary delights, and timeless moments.

Top review

Bella

Dined on Jun 29, 2025

Fabulous setting. Tea and treats were delicious and beautifully presented. Impeccable service. A memorable experience.

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Experience

Afternoon Tea

Experience

Plow & Angel Speakeasy

Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch

4.9

4.9 (2814)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

The Stonehouse, located in a beautiful 19th-century citrus packing house, offers an unparalleled dining experience. Guests can unwind in a relaxing lounge with full bar service or enjoy the ambiance of the separate dining room, complete with a crackling fireplace and world-class views. Chef Matthew Johnson creates evocative regional cuisine, utilizing fresh herbs and vegetables from the Ranch’s organic chef’s garden. The Stonehouse boasts the only Grand Award-winning wine program in Central California, ensuring an unparalleled selection of wines to complement your meal. For a unique twist, visit the restaurant's speakeasy for before or after dinner drinks, where you can enjoy expertly crafted cocktails in an intimate, nostalgic setting.

Top review

Ken

Dined 1 day ago

Leon was amazing! The steak Diane was cooked right at our table and it was wonderful. We ended this amazing meal with the Cherry Jubilee. Incredible!!!!

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Experience

Champagne Brunch

Experience

Étienne de Montille Wine Dinner

Bouchon - Santa Barbara

4.8

4.8 (5563)

$31 to $50

Californian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

We are delighted to have added additional outdoor seating but Santa Barbara nights are chilly so bring a sweater or light jacket!

Fresh, local ingredients, prepared with care. Excellent wines that reflect the quality and character of our region and work in concert with the cuisine. Warm, inviting ambiance, service at a relaxed, leisurely pace. Santa Barbara ‘Wine Country Cuisine’ means we source our ingredients using an ‘as-fresh-and-as-local-as-possible’ approach, with fish from the Santa Barbara Channel and produce from the surrounding countryside. We then take into account how these flavors can be presented in concert with our local wines. We believe you’ll taste the difference. Bon Appètit!

Top review

michelle

Dined on Jul 2, 2025

We were visiting Santa Barbara and located Bouchon on Open table. We were delighted with the attentive service and the food was excellent. We highly recommend this restaurant.

Ca' Dario Cucina Italiana

4.8

4.8 (634)

$31 to $50

Italian

Goleta

About the restaurant

Anything grilled is "divine" and the rest of the menu is "delectable" at the "charming" Italian in Santa Barbara known for its "excellent" execution of "simple" pasta, meats and other classics plus a "fantastic" wine list with many available by the glass; it's a local "favorite", so reservations are a must.

Top review

Amy

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

Our family had a wonderful celebratory dinner here to honor my daughter's UCSB graduation! We took her here the night we moved her in to her dorm and so it was fitting to end her time at UCSB back in the same place! Thank you for being a memory we will never forget! (Food and service were outstanding!)

Toma Restaurant & Bar

4.7

4.7 (5670)

$31 to $50

Italian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Toma Restaurant and Bar a waterfront bistro, located along Santa Barbara's picturesque Cabrillo Blvd. Experience Santa Barbara waterfront's most romantic restaurant. Savor exquisite Italian and Mediterranean inspired dishes from Santa Barbara's seasonal bounty, supporting our local fisherman, farmers, foragers and food artisans. Pour over local and Italian wines along with a full bar of handcrafted cocktails and spirits. Enjoy warm and attentive service while dining window side with a view of the enchanting Santa Barbara harbor.

Top review

BobVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent food and service in a nice environment. Cioppino was very good as was the pasta. Would definitely recommend and go back again. Parking is painful.

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Intermezzo By Wine Cask

4.6

4.6 (1868)

$31 to $50

Californian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Intermezzo by Wine Cask
New Menu by Executive Chef Mossin Sugich and Chef de Cuisine, Hector Bonilla
Serving Dinner and Sunday Brunch!

Modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean twist.
A lively atmosphere with an exciting bar, featuring amazing photography of iconic 70's and 80's rock musicians!

Top review

Wayne

Dined 7 days ago

Highly Recommend. Great bar service and terrific food!

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Popular dish

Classic French Onion Soup

The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

4.6

4.6 (548)

$50 and over

American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Named “Top 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America” by OpenTable, The Bistro offers a casual and relaxed atmosphere to dine and enjoy sweeping views of the coastline. Local produce and sustainable seafood highlight an acclaimed menu of traditional bistro favorites, including brick oven flatbreads, seasonal salads and the signature Santa Barbara burger.

Please note that holiday reservations are only available for in-house guests. Room confirmation number is required to officially confirm your dining reservation during these times.

Marriott Bonvoy Members can earn points when staying with us. Please enroll here: https://www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com/uscanqr/s/EN/ch/sbarz

For parties with 6 guests or more a 26% service charge fee will be added to your final bill. For all guests there will be an 8.75% California State tax added to the final bill.

Top review

Laura

Dined on May 27, 2025

We were celebrating our anniversary and wanted to stay on property so chose The Bistro. From start to finish, everything about our experience was absolutely incredible. The service was warm and attentive, the ambiance was just right, and every dish was beautifully prepared and full of flavor. We had the seabass and beet salad, both of which were perfectly executed. The chef and team ensure you have a wonderful experience with delicious food and impeccable service. Whether a special occasion or a just looking for a great meal, go to The Bistro, you won't be disappointed.

Ospi Montecito

4.6

4.6 (10)

$31 to $50

Italian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Cal-Italian coastal elegance never tasted so good. Ospi Montecito at The Post is Chef Jackson Kalb’s newest destination for your favorite dinner party.

Building on the success of Ospi Venice, Brentwood, and Costa Mesa, we’re serving up our must-try house-made pastas and crispy Romana-tonda pizzas, plus our first-ever breakfast offering, and an exclusive wood-grilled selection featuring locally sourced meat, seafood, and seasonal vegetables from our top-quality vendors. Thoughtfully curated wines and inventive craft cocktails make it the perfect place for a dining destination any time of day.

Ospi Montecito reimagines Italian cuisine with modern sophistication, delivering a dining experience as effortlessly refined as the community it calls home.

Top review

ChristyVIP

Dined on Jul 1, 2025

Great bar and vibe. Food was very good! Service was also very good!

The Harbor Restaurant

4.3

4.3 (78)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Stunning ocean views and exceptional food abound in this newly renovated and completely reimagined over the water restaurant serving international coastal cuisine with fresh Local ingredients. You will love this menu with award winning clam chowder, Santa Barbara’s best filet mignon, delicious fish & chips, tender steamed mussels, mouth watering duck confit, fun and tasty Harbor crispy rice, luscious lobster risotto, and so much more! Desserts are exceptional including a creamy Tarta Vasqua cheesecake and a Crepe Suzette that would make Paris jealous. Located on Santa Barbara's famous Stearns Wharf, the Harbor Restaurant can seat 500 guests. The restaurant features upstairs casual dining at Longboard’s Grill with an outdoor ocean view patio while downstairs boasts a vibrant bar with craft cocktails, a gorgeous dining room, and two private event spaces including an 80+ person oceanfront venue and a private dining room for 20 guests. Truly excellent!

Top review

Chris

Dined 3 days ago

Food was good staff was friendly view was amazing. After lunch we went on a long walk on the beach.

Anchor Rose

4.1

4.1 (109)

$31 to $50

American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Life is better when you're on the water.
Located directly overlooking the historic harbor with 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and downtown Santa Barbara, Anchor Rose is the perfect place to share a cocktail, enjoy a fresh seafood dinner, and people watch or catch one of the American Riviera’s signature sunsets.
Come for the drinks. Stay for the tapas.
Drawn from the seafaring roots that have shaped the Santa Barbara area for hundreds of years, our craft cocktails and scratch-made plates are inspired by the sea, the surf, and the laid-back atmosphere for which this area is famous. Flip-flops welcome.
Anchor Rose is Santa Barbara’s best restaurant, with a view of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Barbara Harbor. Whether you’re looking for the best fresh seafood or a restaurant with a view, Anchor Rose has quickly become the favorite Santa Barbara restaurant for locals and tourists alike.

Top review

Tom

Dined 7 days ago

Had dinner at 7:00 on a Wednesday. Not a lot of customers around so quiet. We enjoyed our meals. Service was fine. Thanks

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