Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Santa Barbara

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants 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!

Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch

4.9

4.9 (2803)

$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

GINOVIP

Dined 2 days ago

To begin with we had drinks down in the SpeakEasy and Sofia was FANTASTIC.. It was our 40th anniversary and she has just a warm friendly persona that makes you feel valued. Trey handed our dinner and assisted in moving us to a quiet table and took excellent care of us.

Discover more

Experience

Champagne Brunch

Experience

Étienne de Montille Wine Dinner

Ca' Dario Cucina Italiana

4.9

4.9 (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!)

Barbareño

4.8

4.8 (2000)

$31 to $50

Californian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

At Barbareño we seek to help further shape and define Central Coast cuisine. We take our inspiration from traditions and specialties of our area, delicacies unique to our region, and the many outstanding purveyors with whom we are so fortunate to work. In all of our efforts, we hope to capture the essence of a particular place or local flavor, embracing the nuances that make our food and drink unique to our home.

Top review

Gitta

Dined 1 day ago

Lovely anniversary dinner on the patio. Barbareno welcomed us w a nice sparkling Austrian rose Pinot noir. Attentive and friendly service and we loved they allow you to do a half platter of the market fish and still be able to get 1 or 2 other choices in.

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (757)

$31 to $50

Asian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Contemporary Asian American Restaurant from Chefs Peter Lee & Felicia Medina.

"Consider the bao. Chinese in origin, it’s most easily described as a steamed bun filled with something savory. Yet, like the American concept of a sandwich, the bao exploded into a flexible format of untold bounds — served at any meal, filled with you-name-it, completely closed or wide open, with endless regional variants from across Asia and far beyond." - Matt Kettmann (SB Independent)

1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Bao, Food, Restaurant, Asian, American, New, Modern, Fried, Chicken, Octopus, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Top review

CharlesVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Awesome food and service all-around. Definitely coming back!

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (2119)

$50 and over

Italian

Montecito

About the restaurant

"Upbeat and comfortable, serving real-deal pastas and pizzas that make you feel like you're in Italy again." - ZAGAT 2010

Fresh fish, veal scaloppini, osso buco, prime steaks, Kobe-beef burgers, organic salads, and house-made desserts.

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner-Cocktails.

Award Winner of Italian wines list.

Please call to make reservations.

Top review

LoriVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We had a wonderful dinner and a most delightful waiter as well!!!

OKU

4.8

4.8 (1860)

$31 to $50

Asian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Tina Takaya, proprietor, welcomes you to our newest two story restaurant on the water. We feel the key to success is our passion for creating the highest quality food and warm friendly service.

We hope you will enjoy your experience as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.
"We want Locals to feel like Family and Visitors to feel like Locals"

Our menu draws from Asian favorites that inspire and excite such as Wagyu Steak, Japanese Sushi, Chinese Dumplings, Garlic Noodles and fresh local seafood.

We are located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Waterfront and Funk Zone Districts. Come enjoy lunch or dinner, soak in the sun by day at our waterfront rooftop bar while sipping on a refreshing cocktail surrounded by our beautiful ocean vista and by night, enjoy lounging by the fireplace after a delicious meal and a great glass of wine.

Our chef uses the freshest ingredients from central coast farmers and local fisherman to create dishes with the best of what California has to offer.

Top review

CarlosVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Great meal and service. We were outside and very pleasant.

Discover more

Popular dish

Crispy Korean Cauliflower

Toma Restaurant & Bar

4.7

4.7 (5662)

$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

Larry

Dined 5 days ago

Out waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and the wines

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (953)

$50 and over

Italian

Montecito

About the restaurant

Ca' 'Dario's newest restaurant on Coast Village Road promises the same authentic and fresh Italian cuisine as our other locations, now easily accessible for residents of Montecito!
Enjoy outdoor dining on our covered patio, or indoor in our elegant dining room.
We feature an adjustable roof that keeps out the rain and allows in the sun.
Dogs are welcome (we ask that you limit the number to one per guest)

Top review

BethVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Fantastic service and outstanding good. Lovely vibe and everyone had a great time.

RH Firehouse Grill at RH Montecito

4.8

4.8 (151)

$50 and over

American

Montecito

About the restaurant

The RH Firehouse Grill is an indoor-outdoor restaurant located at RH Montecito, The Gallery at the Old Firehouse. Enjoy a menu of signature salads and classics from our hearth in our courtyard restaurant, which seamlessly extends into a beautifully landscaped garden. Dine beneath the warm glow of handwoven pendants amid heritage olive trees, birds of paradise, a grand fireplace and cascading limestone fountains.

Top review

celia

Dined 2 days ago

Had a lovely dinner on the beautiful patio. Highly recommend the caviar starter, the Gem salad and the Branzino, it was all so delicious!

Olio e Limone Ristorante

4.7

4.7 (2625)

$50 and over

Italian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Olio e Limone Ristorante, located in downtown Santa Barbara's ARTS District, serves artisanal Italian cuisine. Meaning “oil and lemon” in Italian, their restaurant’s name reflects husband-wife team Alberto and Elaine Morello’s philosophy: rely on the integrity of the ingredients and quality of the preparation to provide Santa Barbara diners “simply sophisticated” Italian cuisine served in an inviting atmosphere with European hospitality. Start with eggplant souffle, then tuck into a plate of house made duck ravioli or Sicilian spaghetti with bottarga. And be sure to take home a bottle of their own olio, an organic extra-virgin olive oil made from Sicilian olive varieties.
Bonus: their contemporary Italian breakfast, lunch & retail spot Olio Bottega, and authentic pizzeria next door at Olio Pizzeria. Private dining in the Cucina Room for up to 40 guests.

Top review

ElaineVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Our first time to try it. Pasta is delicious. Very authentic. Wait staff is friendly and attentive. Definitely will return as the ingredients are fresh, flavorful and portions plentiful. Will go back to visit the store with all of the lovely Italian products.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Santa Barbara

Explore more Diners' Choice lists