41 Best Bars in Santa Barbara

“Great spot for low-key locals.“

“Dusk Bar at the Drift Hotel is hands-down one of the best spots in Santa Barbara to grab a drink and soak in the atmosphere. The space itself is beautiful—open, modern, and airy during the day, then intimate and moody at night. It manages to feel both elevated and approachable, making it perfect whether you’re stopping in for a quick happy hour or settling in for the evening.

We tried - The Picante Amante, Dapper Dave, La Adelita, and Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em were all phenomenal—balanced, bold, and beautifully crafted.

Goose and Shiloh, behind the bar, were absolute masters. Their artistry transformed each cocktail into a sensory experience. Their craftsmanship made every sip feel intentional and the evening memorable. Goose and Shiloh are not only skilled mixologists but also genuinely personable and welcoming. They take the time to connect with guests and make you feel like a regular even on your first visit.

We will be back soon!“

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“Beautiful place, amazing staff and delicious food and drinks! I definitly recommend.“

“Food is fantastic and so delicious!“

“Love this spot! We come as often as we can when we’re in town. Such a welcoming and chill atmosphere. Tanya and her staff are all wonderful people. They take care of you and are all so friendly and make you feel like you’re family. Highly recommend going by for a quick one or two!“

“Authentic, and a pleasant surprise.“

“Looking forward to some more live music and a nice selection of whiskey. The bartenders here are super cool ! also , the location is great !“

“We stayed at the Agave Inn down the street and walked to find something to eat. Uptown Lounge came up with great reviews, including “best”” fries”, so we checked it out. Awesome bartender, recommended a nice tap beer and the fries were the “best”. My husband loved his crispy wings. Check it out you won’t be disappointed.“

“Swanky place that will be very quiet. Suddenly crowds will arrive and before long, there will be a long line of people just waiting to get inside. Good to arrive early.

Great bartenders who are very good about noticing abandoned phones, securing them, and then returning them to distracted customers.“

“Truly excellent people and wine“

“First of all, being an out of towner & putting down roots for the next 2 years….Alice made us feel like we were home!!! Right out the gate! Popcorn, watermelon & the best pours!!! I’m telling you, the Ambiance is you & what you do with the time you’re there❤️🦋🍸🍹🍺🥃“

“I literally cant say enough about this place..... The bartenders were super nice, the atmosphere has a great vibe and the karaoke was awesome fun! The DJ was organized, he interacted with the crowd and was super friendly. Not to mention the patrons were all so nice... everybody claps and cheers for you, if I lived there I would be there every week, for sure! Cant wait to go back!“

“I love the Crocodile Restaurant!! I found this place last year when I was asked to perform for a birthday there. I knew it would be the right atmosphere for my vocal entertainment. I'm there every THURSDAY & FRIDAY night! (5:30-7:30) I sing mostly romantic songs but change it up for the kids to enjoy the fun of live music. I love taking requests to make the evening what the guests want it to be. The extensive food menu as well as the variety on the song menu make this restaurant a really cool place.“

“Friendly, inviting, relaxed atmosphere. The best wings around by far. We love Mel and her staff! 🍻“

“My husband and I got married here after our ceremony in the Mural Room of the courthouse, it was right across the street in a prime location.

They offered amazing service throughout our entire experience, at such a fair price!!! Andrew and his team went above and beyond to give you a beautiful set up, amazing drinks, and food that our guests raved about!! We loved the family style option of the chicken parmesan, pasta bolognese, and the Farfalla with pink sauce.

If we could get married again and again we would do it here. I highly recommend booking your wedding or event here!! The staff is so tight knit and really care about the service they’re offering. They were a big part of the reason we had such a great night!“

“Great service, delicious food and nice atmosphere. The guys who was playing guitar on a street was fantastic 🤗!“

“Took our youngest for her 16th and the staff was exceptional, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was delicious! Thank you!“

“We desperately needed an Irish Coffee, and not only did James Joyce deliver, we've already gone back for seconds and plan to make this a frequent stop!Would highly recommend! Friendly bartender, security, and easily one of the best Irish Coffees in Santa Barbara.“

“Amazing service and good. The decor was great. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and chicken Sharma platter. Both were great. I let our server know we would be driving back home thst might and it ws about a 3 hour drive so he checked in with us multiple times and made sure we had a great experience. Pricing is very reasonable for santa barbara. Highly recommend!!!“

“Stopped by after a local recommended this place and it was well with the stop for drinks and a great snack! We had frose, burgers and tacos and everything was so delish! We especially liked that it was dog friendly and had a puppy menu! 🐾“

“ambience and stuff are very friendly. food tastes amazing 😋👌 good non alcoholic beverages 🍹🧋“

“We have we our company holiday lunch the attention was excellent as the service all the staff is super friendly el señor the Manager Marciano is awesome 👏 Felipe as well I highly recommended this place and the food and drinks just awesome 👏👏👏👏was a great time“

“I’ll be honest. I could have eaten anything in Santa Barbara. I hadn’t eaten anything since 9am and it was 5pm when I arrived in Santa Barbara. I walked one mile away because of the great things I heard about Jill’s Place. And you know what? I was not disappointed! I was stoked and impressed greatly 🥰😁 I had two wonderful, dazzling, and sweet waitresses (lucky me!). I was served a yummy chicken breast sandwich and it was the best one I had ever! No seriously! It wasn’t too salty and the bread was golden brown and ready to be munched on. The tator tots had the perfect texture. It’s almost as I had food from some amazing restaurant, which, hello, I did 😅 The place was packed, since it was Fiesta, but I imagine it always is. It sucks I live 45 minutes from this great establishment. The atmosphere was fun and a little country, but I love that. It’s casual, and not some elegant place like Lucky’s is. I’d still show up in a suit, if I could and would. Definitely check this place out and ask for the two blonde sisters who work there. They’ll dazzle you with their charm and diction 😉 Hope to be back again one day!“

“Long life to this place ! What a discovery! 🤩
I had already been to Gulfstream and loved it, and this place is just as amazing. Food, quality, and service are a solid 10/10. Everything was served in just 5 minutes, and although the salad came out at the same time as the main dishes, when we asked for the check they told us they wouldn’t charge us for it because it had been “late.” Honestly, we hadn’t even noticed! Such a thoughtful gesture we even asked them to please include it because we enjoyed it.

It’s the little details like this that make a restaurant stand out from the rest. Definitely coming back!“

“Lucky Penny in Santa Barbara is absolutely worth a visit! The food is delicious, fresh and prepared with a lot of love. The relaxed atmosphere in the garden is particularly beautiful – ideal for sitting outside and enjoying the Californian flair. Friendly Service and a great overall package!“

“Just to inform you that the name Dutch is the English name for the language and the inhabitants of the Netherlands. They are called the Dutch, and the language spoken is Dutch. There is nothing Dutch about the food. It’s more traditional German food, so maybe rename the restaurant Deutsch.
And the language and culture are not the same.“

“The only place chess is played over days or weeks. Credit cards, no thank you. Roots mixed in with structural elements in the patio, yes please. Conversations about anything and everything are possible. Vapes are forbidden and camel cigarettes required. You’re not sure if the pool players have been keeping score but they’ve been there all night. Weird, cool, hip, rare these days. Stay awesome Elsies.“

“I gotta say it was my first time trying the food I order yaters meal it was a grilled chicken sammich with the toppings and the Caesar salad with shaved parmesan cheese with croutons and fries with ranch. It was soo delishhhhhh!!! I highly recommend you give it a whirl. Follow Your Taste Buds!!!!“

“some good shows and supports local punk rock“

“sumptuous food. great beers and wine. a favorite place to meet old neighborhood friends every time I visit!“

“Great location, good food, but do NOT order limoncello. It is their own production they say. But tastes like bad wodka. For the rest we will be back. Piet & Annette“

“Alex is the best! Food is great, and the service is amazing.“

“I have had a tradition of coming to the Tee Off for my Birthday celebration. It's been a while so I checked reviews in Santa Barbara for best Prime Rib and found a few with good ratings. Since they were all similar I went with what I knew and made a reservation at the Tee Off. It couldn't have been better. We had a two top reserved and had prompt drink service. Our waiter asked if we needed more time to look a the menu to which we replied we came for the Prime Rib and ordered right away. Drinks and salads came right away and the dinner followed right on time when we finished our first course.
The Prime Rib was perfect. Cooked perfectly, medium rare. tender, juicy, and flavorful. The creamed horseradish was perfect too. The waiter checked back with us several times and was friendly, efficient, and professional. It was so nice to see that some things never change.“

“Great food, drinks, and desserts.“

“Great place, was hoping it would be a bit more lively for a bubbles & brunch meal, but it was fairly quiet and mainly hotel guests. It was fine, but not what we were hoping for as far as the environment. Food was great, service was outstanding, but again, it was not busy. Would definitely give it another try.“

“Craving some pizza but hubby wanted Mexican. The public market was the best choice. The pizza was delish. I got the four seasons. The dough was very good. Not dry. Not too thick or thin. Just right. We are the whole thing even though we asked for a to go box.“

“We brought our wedding party here after the reception and had a great time! The place was PACKED but Bob, the owner, still made sure we were accommodated and ensured a smooth entrance process for our large party. It was easy working with him ahead of the event to lock in the evening and it was the perfect cherry on the top of our wedding day!“

“The weekday sampler menu was fabulous! It gave just enough of everything to serve two people and everything was delicious! Dessert was scoops of vanilla and chocolate gelato. The waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and the staff was accommodating and friendly.“

“Love this restaurant, great service and their menu keeps getting better.“

“Good food and friendly wait staff.“