44 Best Cocktail Bars in Santa Barbara

“Food is fantastic and so delicious!“

“If I could give this place more stars I would!
It was eight of us yesterday and we get to try many different tapas and everything was amazingly delicious.
It’s not our first time to dine there and the experience is always more than satisfying.
All and all the food is delicious, service is excellent, super friendly people and a great location!
Highly recommend ?
One more: don’t forget to try their Sama Sama “The Peacock Chardonnay”.“

“I had my third amazing dinner at the Blackbird. The food was excellent and this restaurant offers different specials on different days at a great price. I ordered the $2 each oysters and they were delicious and large. The order I took to go for the rib eye, never even made it out the door. The meat was tender and cooked to perfection. I am making this one of my favorite restaurants in SB! Thank you Blackbird chef and staff. Awesome experience!“

“We enjoyed an excellent vegan meal at La Paloma. Delicious homemade tacos stuffed with a potato-zucchini mash on a bed of flavorful black beans. Served hot, it really hit the spot. Also ordered marinated portobello mushrooms and lentils infused with honey, ginger, and truffle. Original and satisfying. Thanks for the great service too, Beth.“

“Tonight for delicious dinner, great specials,great service!👍🌈“

“The Pickle Room is a "must visit" to enjoy an old-school Santa Barbara bar. I have no idea how I've lived in SB so many years without visiting the Pickle Room. It enjoys a prominent spot downtown in a well-known historical building. It is surprisingly small. There is a bar and a handful of booths. Upon entry, you are hit by the red color and intimate size of the place. We visited on a slow night and shared the space with locals and tourists. The drinks were all good and the service was friendly enough. I would not call the Pickle Room a dive. Leave those boring fern bars behind and try an SB original. We will return.“

“Ensaladas y mariscos en realidad todo está riquísimo“

“Great spot for low-key locals.“

“Never had tapas like these! Loved it! So sad we live in Europe…would go there everyday! It was soooo jummy!“

“Staff is great, service is wonderful, drinks are fantastic, and you must try the wings and brussel sprouts!

It’s a cute little cozy bar that seems to transport you back in time to the 30s with probation style drinks, and their very unassuming exterior makes it feel a bit like a speak easy.“

“Ashley was an amazing bartender! The pocket full of parrots was absolutely amazing!! Best cocktail I've been had! My sister had the summer spritz and it was delicious as well. Highly recommend this joint!“

“Authentic, and a pleasant surprise.“

“Good cocktails and a nice place to relax especially for Friday Happy Hours.“

“The Cliff Room, located at 1828 Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood, has been a cherished local bar since 1980. 

Under the ownership of Scott Hail, the establishment has garnered praise for its welcoming atmosphere and attentive service. 

Patrons appreciate the bar’s post-COVID makeover, which has enhanced its cleanliness and comfort, making it a place where even families feel at ease. 

The Cliff Room offers a variety of entertainment options, including a jukebox, pool tables, and karaoke nights on Thursdays, contributing to its lively and engaging environment. 

While the bar does not serve food, its reasonable drink prices and friendly staff make it a popular spot for both locals and visitors seeking an authentic Santa Barbara experience. 

Operating hours are Monday through Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM, Thursday and Friday from 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM. “

“Always fun! Great times had by all! Free pool! Happy, friendly, and CLEAN staff.“

“This restaurant offers a huge variety of drinks and food. The drinks are well prepared. The food is delicious and presented in a delicate manner. We had the Peruvian ceviche served with banana chips and the Spanish potatoes. The Peruvian Ceviche was prepared very well!“

“Awesome Tiki bar. Super fun cocktails 🍹 with fantastic presentation.“

“Loved Haley!!! We had great conversations!!“

“What an amazing little gem.
It’s a lobby bar of a hotel but doesn’t feel like it. Bartender is amazingly knowledgeable and super friendly, chef is superb!

Happy hour oysters are out of this world, margaritas are delish. I will come back every time in SB.“

“Friendly staff. Great Happy Hour specials.“

“Wonderfully situated on State and Mason, The Society presents a wonderful street-side environment in which you may enjoy wine (both in flight and bottle) in which varietals from many a region are offered. And whilst the wine selections are fun and interesting, if you're fortunate enough to be served by Connor - a delightful young man who will treat you as one of his own, the experience will be all the better.

Well worth a stop to imbibe for a lovely afternoon.“

“Food was great! We tried the sweet breads- my favorite, lobster gnocchi-daughters fave, ramen-good, scallops-super lite and fresh, and the catch of the day-very tasty. The amazing menu doesn’t necessarily lend itself to picky kid eaters (my son) but he loved the catch of the day with the sauce on the side. The food took a while as they were pretty busy so the manager comp’d 2 desserts which were both spectacular! We will be back!!“

“Wasn't there for the food...mainly the entertainment and the awesome vibes...the drinks are great loved the mixed cocktails. Service was wonderful. It's better to reserve a seat cause if you don't, you will be standing up. The piano man was awesome. Will return again. Highly recommend.“

“Miracle in the funk zone is the reason that I tried Pearl Social but I will be back to enjoy this neat little spot!“

“I hosted my brother’s wedding after party here and it was the BEST experience ever! I worked with Shasta to rent out a private lounge with our own private bar, bathroom, and dedicated DJ. Shasta was EXCELLENT. Throughout the whole planning process, she was informative, responsive, and an overall pleasure to work with. She made everything so easy and was accommodating of everything we wanted. She even threw in a couple surprises for us that just made the whole experience so special and even better than we could have ever imagined! We truly felt like VIPs with special wristbands and our own bouncer. The lounge itself was perfect and easily accommodated our ~60 guests. Our DJ (Curly) was outstanding! He took our music genre preference and small sample playlist and CRUSHED IT! The dance floor was packed the entire time and there wasn’t a dull moment the whole time from 10-2am! Shasta and another gentleman were the bartenders and they were super quick with service and made amazing drinks the whole night! My favorite were the green tea shots! The two seating areas and the private restroom were so convenient. Overall, I know everyone had the most perfect night and I will DEFINITELY be coming back soon! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AT EOS AND ESPECIALLY SHASTA!!!“

“Intermezzo by Wine Cask is a true gem! The restaurant boasts a stunning atmosphere with gorgeous decor and perfectly set lighting, creating a wonderful ambiance. The service we received was truly phenomenal – our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and made the entire experience even better. We tried the pizza, fries, and chicken, and each dish was outstanding. The quality of the food was evident, and everything tasted incredible. This was an amazing experience, and we can't wait to return. Highly recommend!“

“Great ramen and ambiance 🍜 ♥️“

“Had a long and jacked up trip in to the Santa Barbara area. Had an early supper/dinner at Lure. Happy hour Old Fashions for $10! I did a full three course meal figuring I’d have leftovers. I was wrong. Was so happy I took some chowder to go. Everything was delicious, perfectly prepared and the service was dynamite! Can’t wait to go back!“

“Amazing delicious drinks! Marcos was the best bartender, highly recommend the ceviche and signature cocktails!“

“Hi I enjoyed it very much thank“

“Very Noleta-ish locals bar. Two bar-sized pool tables with league play Tuesday nights. Juke box. Full bar. No food but you can get food from plenty of little spots in the same strip mall and eat it in the bar. TVs to show sports events. Lots of regulars. Not fancy - and that's the point. Come in and relax. Cash & credit card payments.

Vegetarian options: Bar, not a restaurant. No food served.

Dietary restrictions: Not the best spot if you have a drinking problem.

Parking: Tons of parking for the strip mall as a whole.

Kid-friendliness: It's a bar.

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes.“

“This is a little slice of heaven. What a nifty joint. A little swanky spot with yummy hand crafted cocktails. Such a great atmosphere. Get here early though. The place tends to fill up. Another great feature is that it connects to the wildcat around back. So you can always start your evening here and then transition to the kitty later. Really enjoy their drinks in this cool retro-like place.

Parking: take an uber or lyft. cops are just waiting to get you here on ortega.“

“This was a beautiful day to sit outside in Santa Barbara, sipping a tasting flight of Vodka, Gin, Whiskey, and Liqueur at Cutler's Artisan Spirits. We ended up buying 2 bottles of Grandma's Tommy's Apple Pie Liqueur. It was like drinking an apple pie out of a glass.“

“Great relaxed environment to eat delicious food. The beer selection has some classics and lots of local central coast breweries on tap. Highly recommend the pizza as the crust is perfectly light and crunchy - ideal for deep dish. Dog friendly patio, kid friendly indoor and outdoor seating. Sunday special tri-tip sandwich is always lick the plate clean good. The service is friendly and efficient. We keep coming back and are always very satisfied no matter the occasion.

Kid-friendliness: We’ve come from lunch, brunch and early dinner and the kids have always been welcomed. Lots of other families usually dining here as well.“

“love this place, great atmosphere and i love how they have games or you can bring your own!“

“Saint Remy is a cute little spot connected to the Marriott on State St, the restaurant area has such a fun and beachy atmosphere I loved it! I had some yummy poolside drinks and food, and the service was great! Definitely one of my new favorite spots.“

“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!!!“

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

“The bar tenders on the third floor are horrible. After waiting 10 minutes they refused to sell me beer and friend wine. Went to second floor and got drink service in less than 30 sec. Place would be better off installing a vending machine on the third floor to replace the bar.“

“Yummy food, quick service, and solid cocktails. We’ve come here a couple of times, and enjoyed everything we’ve had each time! It is part of a hotel lobby, which dings the ambience so slightly, but it’s very nicely re-done and a pretty place to be!“

“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! 🐾“

“We had our civil ceremony lunch here with our close friends and family and we had an amazing time. From the planning process with Anthony, Assistant Director of Food and Beverage, to our waiter Jake, and Manager Sabit, the staff were all attentive and really accommodating. As soon as we got there, the staff came out and introduced themselves which we appreciated. We had one special request for a Vegan dish and the Chef went above and beyond to accommodate. Overall, the food and drinks were amazing. Huge thank you for making our special day that much more memorable. We will definitely come back. Thanks all!“

“absolutely the best chowder . artichokes and fish are awesome. Great service today from Manuela ! highly recommended 👌 💯“