47 Best Coffee Shops in Santa Barbara

“The lightest, buttery moist scones. They also had hamburgers and salads that looked were very generous portions. All was freshly made. The silverware was REAL silverware.“

“In search of my morning cappucino on our trip to Santa Barbara, I found Dawn cafe. Of 4 different cafes in the last 2 days, this was the highlight. Not only did the barista make the perfect cappucino, but the beans (they roast their own) were that perfect medium roast that highlighted both the "bean" and the "burn"; a well balanced taste that got me ordering a second cup. Well done, and I went back the next day.“

“Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Great service and delicious food.“

“This place is so cute and quiet in the mornings. I love it so much. The salmon bagel, avocado toast, and breakfast burrito are my go to faves!! The people who work here are kind and the food is always done pretty quickly. Definitely recommend if you are visiting in the Santa Barbara area.“

“We really highly recommend the avocado toast on wheat bread and fresh smoothies.“

“We came to visit here for our early afternoon snacks and ordered:

2x Espresso
1x Cinnamon Roll
Total: $14.16 with tips

Overall, we’re very pleased with the flavor of the coffee and cinnamon roll. The kick of the coffee, the bitterness, and the sourness are just what we've been looking for—the best espresso we've tried so far compared to many others. The cinnamon roll, we thought, was amazing, too—though it can be slightly sweet to our palette, other than that, we love it. However, it took some time to prepare our espresso for both when called; my husband had to wait another 2-3 minutes for the other one to prepare. We thought it was strange to wait that long given that they have many staff within that area, roughly 8 staff.

Other than that, it was a great experience with the coffee and pastry, and the ambiance was great, too.“

“Went here after camping at El Capitan canyon for the weekend. Me and the missus were hankering for a good cup of joe after 2 days of instant.

The store was very clean and had a good vibe. Smaller indoor are but there was adequate indoor and outdoor seating. Only one barista / employee working there and he was apologetic about the wait but was extremely helpful.

I got 2 cups of pour over of their lightest roast. It was a bit too dark for my taste but smooth and not bitter at all. My oldest got the creme brulee latte and loved it.

The bacon avocado toast was the BEST! The toast, avocado, bacon, hard boiled egg and sauce was so delicious. I didn't want to share it with my partner it was so good. The breakfast sandwich with sausage was one of the best my youngest ever had apparently. He said it was better than a McDonald's cheeseburger and that WAS his favorite food of all time. Lol. He even asked when we'd be going back.

In summary. The coffee used was on the darker roast side and would probably have been better as an espresso/milk drink in my opinion. If you like darker roasts then this is the place for you. The food there was excellent and I especially recommend the avocado toast.“

“It was a cute and asthetic coffee shop.
The coffee is really good. I had the black sesame latte and strawberry milk.
We went on a Sunday afternoon, and the line was long. Sadly, they had sold out on all baked goods, but drinks were still available.“

“ordered for my mother in law. excited to gift it to her!“

“If you are from Australia and you are looking for that well crafted flat white in the land of Starbucks...one cup at a time....this is your place. It was an accidental find yesterday, on our drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles....it was fantastic to get my cuppa! The coffee was smooth and the service was excellent�“

“For the best coffee in town that is tasty, doesn't give you acid reflux, smooth, and wakes you up come here. Great quality. I go here every time I am in town. You can sit outside in the beautiful courtyard drinking your strong, yet smooth coffee. I hope they stay here because it's a great place to wake up too.“

“I can't even say I have a favorite. It's all good. When you bring home a warm loaf, all is well with the world.“

“Holy moly wow. We’ve been here 4-5 times and usually get an iced latte, which are excellent. Today they had specials on their board outside we decided to try. My husband got a iced raspberry mocha and I got an iced honey cinnamon latte. We both agreed they were the best flavored coffee drinks we’ve ever had. No syrup flavor, no powder flavor, they were absolutely incredible. We can’t wait for the next time we’re in town so we can try more flavors! P.S. the raspberry mocha tasted exactly like a raspberry truffle, SO good!“

“Love trying out coffee shops everywhere we go. This location is the only one that closes "late". We dig the cafe's aesthetics, and the drinks are good too. We ordered their honey lavender latte (hot) and rose matcha latte (iced).“

“It’s hard to describe perfect. Everything from the extraordinary staff, to the comfortable atmosphere, to the perfectly prepared food was spot on. We are greatly appreciative for the work that goes into an operation like this.“

“Best coffee and atmosphere ❄️“

“Super friendly staff here make wonderful espressos and Sunkist lattes. Despite the down vote and biblical verse quoting of another reviewer, the Mission supports this business and this business supports the Mission. The owner couldn't be more kind. It's so nice to go up and enjoy the Rose garden and get a coffee on a beautiful morning.“

“Starbucks La Combre is a cozy tall seat cafe in Santa Barbara. The baristas are amazing and kind hearted and I had a great discussion with them while my coffee was prepared about the other services I heard about first time, so I am also giving a hint to your events!

This cafe has a lot of beautiful mugs for instance for parties and great coffees for events.

Believe me, people want to have coffee even after the dinner with the dessert. In the events where the event order hasn't contained coffee with dessert after the dinner has been improvising from something out of nothing so it is better to br prepared.

Starbucks coffee beans can be ordered in so called travelers boxes, where fresh brewed beans are delivered to events or even for an office for summer time picnic, get together, brainstorming event, private luxury buses with espresso machines etc., so your event team do not have to brew the coffee onsite.

People do love coffee and high quality coffee is indeed one of the high lights with any event dessert.

The mug prices pays itself back as the coffee when you "bring your own mug" has a discount for the coffee in most of the places.

With Love,

Joanna“

“We were in Santa Barbara for a concert. I looked for a coffee shop before the drive home. The Daily Grind was a good choice. Delicious coffee, a selection of food, friendly staff and a great atmosphere.

From the steady flow of customers it appears to be a local favorite.“

“Open Mic on Tuesdays 7p-11p. The best, hands down, working Open Mic in Santa Barbara. The attending Audience here is phenomenal. The selection of Artists extensive.“

“Very cool vibe and great coffee. I lived in Seattle and am always looking for the 'right' shop to chill and work on my laptop for a bit and this place was great. The behind counter woman taking my order, Nichole, was nice and friendly which goes a long way as was my first time here.“

“Always been a very good place to get together and have great food and beverages ☺️“

“It’s hard to describe perfect. Everything from the extraordinary staff, to the comfortable atmosphere, to the perfectly prepared food was spot on. We are greatly appreciative for the work that goes into an operation like this.“

“Sweet perfection! These colorful lokum are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. 10/10“

“I found my favorite coffee place in Santa Barbara! Coffee is strong, well prepared and served beautifully. Avocado toast is wonderful, they use real bread! There is a parking lot there, I did not have any issues finding parking. I will be back“

“Good lighting, lots of space, comfortable outdoor area. It’s exactly what you would expect from a chain coffee shop. Plenty of people quietly tapping away at laptops. The single stall bathrooms are clean and locked with a code. Years ago when this was a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf the Santa Barbara Go Club met here weekly. They may still do so.“

“Small batch, local roasting at it's finest☕“

“Wonderful French pastries in California with beautiful setting.“

“the savory everything bagel brioche donut and the sweet and savory maple bacon are to die for!“

“Great coffee! However, the barista didn’t wash their hands before making my drink from being on their phone. They just wet their fingers for a second and put their hand on the sippy cup where I would be drinking from and ended up getting sick right after. Please wash hands fully with soap or at least wear gloves. ?“

“Very friendly and open staff here; you'd never guess or feel like you're in Monticeto among the wealthy elites (which you are).The folks at Caffe Luxxe are so down to earth they even make friendly suggestions, since I'm no coffee connoisseur.And their Caffe Nico latte distinguishes them from other coffee shops, in Santa Barbara. This drink doesn't disappoint!“

“The late afternoon called for an iced latte, I found this Cafe on a random search. Pleasantly surprised, I found an entire food court encompassed as part of the space shared by this Cafe. So if not planning to get coffee, their are a number of options of food choices for a guest. I went to the Cafe and saw delicious deserts, but just ordered the iced latte with almond mylk. The drink, within minutes ready, I added a raw sugar packet, which actually seemed unnecessary afterwards. The almond mylk and the naturalness of the espresso on ice had a sweet flavor about it already. I was very happy with my drink for dessert and went about my way, next time planning to try one of the food places in the same building, what a genius concept!“

“Amazing coffee shop open from early hours. I had a hot dirty chai, and it was extremely rich in flavor and one of the top chai’s i’ve had in California. The cafe is so cozy with a charging port, water station, and a clean restroom. Recommended!“

“Best açaí bowls around! My family are local and will be customers forever but please for the love of god turn on the AC or make use of a fan it is so stuffy and humid in here which is very unsettling when the establishment is selling COLD food. Please.“

“The chilaquiles served here have been some of the best I’ve ever had! I had to go back and take my husband to see what all my fuss was about. We also ordered the chorizo tacos, matcha, and horchata coffee with a side of avocado ? which were all amazing! Definitely my favorite brunch spots. Coming back again for more!“

“I talk to strangers. These Starbucks patrons do not. Other than that and exactly zero smiles or anything that could be mistaken as friendly. Seems the just say
"Fish" corporate attitude is gone. Remember the Pikes Place Fish Market attitude of it is great to be alive, is fully missing here. But the tea was hot & they gave me plenty of sugars!“

“What an awesome spot! Elsie's has a great vibe - very chill and eclectic, but energetic if you've got friends there and you want it to be more upbeat. The servers are super cool and the service is excellent. This place is a hidden gem right off Anapamu. Prices are great for the area too.“

“Great place to hang out, get some work done, power at the tables, fast internet. nice people, great coffee and great food.“

“You’re missing the best breakfast in town. The owner is an expert barista. I had an almond latte with cinnamon and the scramble with nopales (opuntia cactus) and California chiles (not spicy). Also try horchata with a shot of espresso for lunch.

The portion was enormous and the flavors were fresh and exciting! The potatoes were so crispy. I used to frequent this restaurant years ago for their healthy soups. I’m so pleased that this is now a woman-owned local restaurant.

This is a must visit for specialty Mexican breakfasts and coffee brews. Also a great spot for gluten-free options.

Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free“

“I can't say its coffee is better than Starbucks. But it has unique taste, I order double shot expresso with steam half and half. It tastes stronger than starbucks, but I pay one dollar more than what I pay for the same drink in starbucks! The store is usually less busy than starbucks. Unique atmosphere!“

“Great stop when travel the coast line in California“

“I recently had the pleasure of celebrating a special lunch at this incredible restaurant, and it exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with a warm and attentive welcome, setting the tone for a memorable experience. The intimate setting made for a perfect, relaxing atmosphere, and the stunning waterfront views were simply breathtaking. The upscale lunch menu offered a variety of delectable options, each dish more flavorful and artfully presented than the last. What truly made the experience exceptional was the peaceful ambiance—the low noise level allowed for easy conversation without any distractions. It was the perfect balance of elegance and tranquility. Whether you're looking for a romantic meal or a refined gathering with close friends, this restaurant is an absolute gem. Highly recommended!“

“?????? ? ?????.

Can I curse on here?
Holy $h*t the El Primo is undoubtedly, one of the greatest sandwiches I’ve ever tasted in my entire entire life. Tender meat, a thick and crunchy French roll with a nice chipotle mayo to round out the flavor – this sandwich hit every spot I needed it to hit. AND on top of that the coffee was really good too – I like the environment had plenty of seating and it was comfortable enough for me to want to spend the afternoon there, but I had things to do.

If one should find themselves in the beautiful city of Santa Barbara I cannot recommend this place enough.

Parking: Some decent space here to park out in the front of the café – if you come when it’s not busy, I’m sure you won’t have any issues finding a spot“

“Lovely place , good coffee indeed. There aren't many more exclusive locations in the world than this one: Montecito, Santa Barbara. Back in 1995 I lived on Hot Springs Rd. in Montecito for a short time, i believe this cafe didn't exist back then...“

“Wonderful eats + treats INCLUDING Where Heat Meets Sweet Ojai Jalapeño Jelly Ojai Habanero Jelly & Ojai Habanero Apricot Jam“

“The best Starbuck in Santa Barbara.Everything went perfectly the several times I went to that shop.The order was taken without spelling my name and served quickly. The staff were very welcoming and so kind, and kept me coming back, with a special mention for Nick, the first member of staff I spoke to.I recommend this Starbuck's“