Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Santa Barbara

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes 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!

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 4 days ago

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

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Popular dish

Crispy Korean Cauliflower

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 6 days ago

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

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Plow & Angel Speakeasy

4.8

4.8 (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 3 days ago

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

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Experience

Plow & Angel Speakeasy

Experience

Afternoon Tea

The Black Sheep SB Brasserie

4.7

4.7 (800)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Now featuring a full bar! Locally owned California-French brasserie in Old Town Santa Barbara, blending classic technique with bold, eclectic flavors. Housed in a historic space, we offer an elevated dining experience with a renowned family-style tasting menu, curated wines, craft beer, and full cocktail service. Open Wed-Sun from 5 PM—check daily for our specials!

Top review

Janice

Dined 4 days ago

I LOVE this place! Customer service was fantastic and food is top notch. Kim, our server, was extremely attentive without being intrusive and the owner was so friendly and present with us, offering us a complimentary champagne drink after we waited for LESS than 5 min at our table while the restaurant finished prepping for the opening... that was 5 min too long for the owners liking. Food is delicious and creative without breaking the bank! I highly recommend this experience.

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Experience

Sunday Supper

Convivo

4.7

4.7 (2213)

$31 to $50

Italian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Convivo is a Santa Barbara restaurant and bar with an Italian soul. Chef-Owner Peter McNee's food is best described as ‘Nomad Italian’. It strays from the standard or traditional Italian, sourcing inspiration from many other cultures’ cooking but its soul is thoroughly Italian. The ever-changing menu includes small plates, housemade pasta, wood-fired pizza, rotisserie chicken, fresh seafood and steaks served family-style. McNee’s all-star supplier network provides the freshest produce and local seafood the region is famous for.

Inspired by the bounty of the sea, the lush farms and abundant vineyards nearby and the cooking methods of Italy, Convivo is a festive gathering place for locals and visitors alike inside the newly-restored Santa Barbara Inn.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and great service, highly recommended.

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Rare Society - Santa Barbara

4.6

4.6 (22)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Sink your teeth into Rare Society - a modern homage to the golden age of the American steakhouse. Chef and owner Brad Wise reimagines vintage upscale dining with a bold, contemporary edge: a wood-fired grill fueled by red oak, an in-house dry-aging program, sustainably sourced seafood, and a progressive cocktail menu that nods to the classics while pushing boundaries. The space hums with energy - smoke curling from the grill, the scent of fire and flavor wafting through the air. It’s easy to picture a Rat Pack-era dinner party in full swing: elegant, indulgent, just a little unruly. Rare Society doesn’t just pay tribute to steakhouse tradition - it revives it, reinvents it, and serves it with just a little bit of swagger.

Top review

LauraVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Superb experience all the way around. The service the quality of food. The bar scene the vibe! 10/10! The hh menu is lovely and the regular menu is great too! When in SB definitely pop in!

LOCAL Montecito

4.6

4.6 (313)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Montecito

About the restaurant

Incredible outdoor seating with two heated patios, firepit, couches, and a 360 degree bar. Featuring local ingredients and exceptional dishes from multiple cuisines paired with an extensive and rare wine collection, LOCAL has it all in the heart of Montecito.

Top review

sharonVIP

Dined on Jun 22, 2025

Very cute! A relaxing experience.! Just off of the Main Street with easy parking. The food and service were very good😊

Gala

4.6

4.6 (362)

$31 to $50

European

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Gala exudes a European meets Santa Barbara charm, where you feel like you’re transported to a beautiful bistro in the Mediterranean. Enjoy shared tapas, farmer's market favorites, pasta and risotto, fresh oysters and the best steak with bone marrow butter & chimichurri. Cozy up for our farm to table craft cocktails, a Pisco sour or martini and a full meal with friends. Curated wine list with local & Spanish wines. Right down the street from the Santa Barbara Courthouse enjoy an evening at Gala.

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, Farm to table, Farmer's market driven, Tapas, Seafood, Steak, Oysters, Happy Hour, Food, Cocktails, Wine, Restaurant, Vegetarian, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Top review

WendyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We celebrated a birthday with dinner at Gala. Besides the consistently good food one of the reasons I love going to Gala is that I always run into someone I know. I knew three tables of guests; a neighbor, a friend of my children and a cycling friend. It is a Santa Barbara gem with a big city bistro feel but in a small town.

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branzino a la plancha

Bibi Ji

4.4

4.4 (386)

$31 to $50

Indian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Modern Indian food featuring local produce and seafood paired with a robust low-intervention wine program curated by Alejandro Medina and James Beard Award winner Rajat Parr. Located directly across the street from the historic Granada Theatre in the heart of Santa Barbara's ARTS District. Join us in our lively, signature pastel pink dining room.

Michelin Guide Central Coast Selection 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Top review

SallyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent food. Gorgeous space. Heavenly cauliflower

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4.4

4.4 (188)

$31 to $50

Californian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Blackbird offers an inventive take on dishes, highlighting hyper-local and hyper-seasonal offerings. Leaning into the locality and freshness of the fare continues to be a focus of the restaurant’s story. In 2025, we will focus on redefining and developing the personality of Blackbird, including highlighting the talent to create the semblance of a relationship for locals looking for somewhere to go. A revamped cocktail menu will aim to drive additional local interest and traffic into the spaces. We continue to strive to position Blackbird as a favorite in town, and to that end are finding new ways to activate the venues each night and draw both locals and hotel guests in.

Complimentary hotel valet parking with validation.

Top review

Justin

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

Connor Fellows is incredible! Great ambiance and even better service.

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