No. of Visits : 2 $/2Per : $100+ / w drinks Bibi Ji was a cozy spot in a prime area in SB. While the ambiance is inviting, - we sat in the patio, the dishes can be hit-or-miss. The chicken we ordered was large in quantity, but the taste was quite average, and so was the vegetarian dal and other items. Service is generally friendly, but the restaurant doesn't consistently wow across visits, keeping the price in mind! Spices are very accommodating to north Indian - American palettes. Looks like they are closed now! *For reference, my palette is native South Indian, used to spice levels of about 9/10 in most Thai Restaurants.
smyore
Cauliflower, potato-pea fritters & lamb chops were delicious. Our other dishes were pretty good, but unfortunately overly salty. The kitchen would do well to significantly decrease the salt content.
Stephanie Kutcher
I understand this restaurant is in the heart of Santa Barbara, but I still can't believe how overcharged this place is. It is way too expensive for the amount of food you get, which is supposed to be "family portions." Although the flavors of the food and drinks were decent, not worth the price you pay.
LuisMQ
In my opinion you get a better value if your come for lunch rather than dinner. Not only you get less food and less attention from your server at dinner time on a Friday night, but because there are more people it is so noisy it is hard to have a conversation with your companion. On the other hand, the past 3 or 4 times we came for lunch (with our 3 and 6 year olds) we had full attention from the server, food was plenty (for example, an entry included rice as opposed to the same food at dinner time) and it was quiet, few customers at that time.
Julie
We have eaten here for lunch a couple times and this was our first time having dinner here. It was fabulous as always. The crispy cauliflower is great, the naan is perfect, and the daal is amazing! It was a perfect dinner.
Lucy R.
Very over priced for the portion size. The food didn't have much flavor and it was definitely not good authentic Indian food. Don't waste your money and just go to apna.
DavidC
Overall seasoning and spices were excellent. Very elavated Indian Cuisine. However, the lamb chops were overcooked and the Panak Paneer portion was extremely small. Borh at 33 and 25 dollars. So I thought value was very low.
Camilla Trenerry
Swift service and the food was tailored to our dietary requirements, we loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower, Thali, Dal Makhani
LCJC
Outstanding Indian cuisine. The creamiest, richest dal makhni I've ever had. The coconut curry with shrimp - again, the best I've ever tasted. Very attentive and friendly service. So good!
Max A.
Wow. Absolutely all time meal. Huge fan of Indian food, but I've never experienced such an artisanal spin on the genre. Every dish was exceptional. All the curries, all the kabob's, and the garlic naan is out of this world. Don't sleep on the lentil dish. 12/10
It was kinda a slow night being the first week after the holidays. Our server was very friendly and tried to be helpful. That said they were out of several food items and I believe I had to ask for several different bottles of wine as they were out of stock. The ambiance is nothing to write home about. All of the food we ordered was tasty and overall we had a pleasant evening. I don't want to judge too hard as I don't think they are trying to be anything fancy. I do wish that they could up their game a little to create a more well rounded dining experience as I believe the potential is there. I would go back on occasion for that specific type of food but there are so many other options in town that offer a better overall experience. Sending positive encouragement with their upcoming move to create a better overall restaurant
Laura Casanova
One of the best restaurants in California and definitely the best in SB. Go here for the food, the vibe, and the people - an experience in SB unlike any other.Food 10/10Beer fridge 100/10Space 9/10 (only because I wish it were bigger but I hear they are getting a bigger spot so 10/10!!)
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower, Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Okra Raita, Uni Biryani, Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani
U-nik DIY
The food sucks, and owner is not accepting the customer feedback.Experience starts once you enter the restaurant, receptionist is rude. I ordered a curry and wanted little more spicy then normal, as Indian recepies are meant to be customized based on the taste. I asked the person who was serving the table, he straight said no for adding spice, instead he got the chopped Chili ?️. Such an idiot.Highly overpriced and Over Hyped restaurant.Go to the other restaurant like Apna Indian Kitchen which is 1 block away.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mital Panchal
Not worthy enough,,
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Elliot S.
Bibi is always a vibe. The music they have and the fun feel around the restaurant keeps me coming back. But the number one thing is the food. You can tell there's care and knowledge in what they make in that kitchen. The wine selection is amazing also. Natural wines from all over and the world and the servers can explain each one. It's even more of a treat when Alejandro is there to go more in depth of each wines history. Great wine and food I'll always be coming back to Bibi!
No. of Visits : 2 $/2Per : $100+ / w drinks Bibi Ji was a cozy spot in a prime area in SB. While the ambiance is inviting, - we sat in the patio, the dishes can be hit-or-miss. The chicken we ordered was large in quantity, but the taste was quite average, and so was the vegetarian dal and other items. Service is generally friendly, but the restaurant doesn't consistently wow across visits, keeping the price in mind! Spices are very accommodating to north Indian - American palettes. Looks like they are closed now! *For reference, my palette is native South Indian, used to spice levels of about 9/10 in most Thai Restaurants.
Cauliflower, potato-pea fritters & lamb chops were delicious. Our other dishes were pretty good, but unfortunately overly salty. The kitchen would do well to significantly decrease the salt content.
I understand this restaurant is in the heart of Santa Barbara, but I still can't believe how overcharged this place is. It is way too expensive for the amount of food you get, which is supposed to be "family portions." Although the flavors of the food and drinks were decent, not worth the price you pay.
In my opinion you get a better value if your come for lunch rather than dinner. Not only you get less food and less attention from your server at dinner time on a Friday night, but because there are more people it is so noisy it is hard to have a conversation with your companion. On the other hand, the past 3 or 4 times we came for lunch (with our 3 and 6 year olds) we had full attention from the server, food was plenty (for example, an entry included rice as opposed to the same food at dinner time) and it was quiet, few customers at that time.
We have eaten here for lunch a couple times and this was our first time having dinner here. It was fabulous as always. The crispy cauliflower is great, the naan is perfect, and the daal is amazing! It was a perfect dinner.
Very over priced for the portion size. The food didn't have much flavor and it was definitely not good authentic Indian food. Don't waste your money and just go to apna.
Overall seasoning and spices were excellent. Very elavated Indian Cuisine. However, the lamb chops were overcooked and the Panak Paneer portion was extremely small. Borh at 33 and 25 dollars. So I thought value was very low.
Swift service and the food was tailored to our dietary requirements, we loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower, Thali, Dal Makhani
Outstanding Indian cuisine. The creamiest, richest dal makhni I've ever had. The coconut curry with shrimp - again, the best I've ever tasted. Very attentive and friendly service. So good!
Wow. Absolutely all time meal. Huge fan of Indian food, but I've never experienced such an artisanal spin on the genre. Every dish was exceptional. All the curries, all the kabob's, and the garlic naan is out of this world. Don't sleep on the lentil dish. 12/10
Restaurantji Recommends
It was kinda a slow night being the first week after the holidays. Our server was very friendly and tried to be helpful. That said they were out of several food items and I believe I had to ask for several different bottles of wine as they were out of stock. The ambiance is nothing to write home about. All of the food we ordered was tasty and overall we had a pleasant evening. I don't want to judge too hard as I don't think they are trying to be anything fancy. I do wish that they could up their game a little to create a more well rounded dining experience as I believe the potential is there. I would go back on occasion for that specific type of food but there are so many other options in town that offer a better overall experience. Sending positive encouragement with their upcoming move to create a better overall restaurant
One of the best restaurants in California and definitely the best in SB. Go here for the food, the vibe, and the people - an experience in SB unlike any other.Food 10/10Beer fridge 100/10Space 9/10 (only because I wish it were bigger but I hear they are getting a bigger spot so 10/10!!)
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower, Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Okra Raita, Uni Biryani, Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani
The food sucks, and owner is not accepting the customer feedback.Experience starts once you enter the restaurant, receptionist is rude. I ordered a curry and wanted little more spicy then normal, as Indian recepies are meant to be customized based on the taste. I asked the person who was serving the table, he straight said no for adding spice, instead he got the chopped Chili ?️. Such an idiot.Highly overpriced and Over Hyped restaurant.Go to the other restaurant like Apna Indian Kitchen which is 1 block away.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Not worthy enough,,
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Bibi is always a vibe. The music they have and the fun feel around the restaurant keeps me coming back. But the number one thing is the food. You can tell there's care and knowledge in what they make in that kitchen. The wine selection is amazing also. Natural wines from all over and the world and the servers can explain each one. It's even more of a treat when Alejandro is there to go more in depth of each wines history. Great wine and food I'll always be coming back to Bibi!