Marisella

Name: Marisella
Address: 8301 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, California, 93117, US
Telephone: (805) 505-8888
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.1

$$$$ • Italian, Wine Bars, Cocktail Bar

Hours:
8301 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara
(805) 505-8888

Menu Reserve

About Marisella

Marisella is located at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, with an elevated experience beginning from the valet circular drive. The ambience is very romantic, clean, and elegant with dim lights. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant offered a curated four-course menu or a pre-selected menu with appetizers, entrées, and desserts rather than à la carte ordering. The food and drinks were amazing, excellent, flavorful, well presented, and delicious. Specific meals like the filet mignon were especially tasty. The courses were well executed and thoughtfully paced.

Service was somewhat mixed but overall very good. Guests are greeted warmly and seated promptly. The support staff—runners, bussers, and cocktail servers—were polished, attentive, proactive, friendly, and great. However, on a holiday, the primary waitress could seem informal and borderline overwhelmed. The staff is very mindful of allergies, handling accommodations professionally. The bar offers full service, with bartenders making excellent cocktails like the old fashioned, though the exclusive cocktail menu itself is fairly small. The wine list is strong with plenty of higher-end selections.

The overall experience is truly one of the best dining experiences, especially for a major holiday evening, and many would absolutely return. On a typical night, the bar is open if reservations are full. However, some policies, like paying a deposit for specific window tables, can disappoint guests who request them ahead of time without pre-payment, potentially detracting from a celebration.