31 Best Seafood Restaurants in Santa Barbara

“Food is fantastic and so delicious!“

“Great food and helpings -- 5/5. The kitchen was a bit busy and four of us were served our lunch about 15 minutes before the fifth one. Oddly, only one person got utensils and a napkin; another got utensils and no napkin and the other three were not give any until we asked twice for forks, knives, and napkins. I am not sure why that happened. This was a Tuesday afternoon, at 2:15pm. The service was pleasant and attentive but the odd utensil situation and food delivery lowered the service ro a 3.5 or 4/5. Atmosphere was good, fine, 4/5.“

“Good Food - especially the Paella“

“Great food and service. Beautiful location.“

“Dropped in for happy hour and sat at the bar—highly recommend! The tuna ponzu and the oysters were both absolutely fantastic and incredibly fresh. But the real star was the Fresh Squeezed Lure Martini. I’m not a martini drinker, and I’ve been totally into grapefruit lately, and this hit the spot perfectly. It wasn't too strong and tasted amazing.
​To top it off, our waitress was over-the-top attentive. Even though the bar area was quite busy, she never missed a beat, which really showed her professionalism. Great food, great drinks, and wonderful service!“

“Spot is awesome and lobster is 100% best I’ve ever had! 💯 recommend! 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️“

“The pan-seared peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with potatoes au gratin and sautéed asparagus were as good as I've had anywhere. Thick, small and perfectly cooked medium-rare. And the thinly-sliced tomato salad was the perfect starter. We brought our own wine, but their in-house selection is outstanding. The staff were all extremely courteous and helpful. Our waiter, Dominic, was professional and attentive, and we never felt rushed. We enjoyed a two and a half hour anniversary dinner in a lovely outdoor setting and will definitely revisit when we're back in Santa Barbara! Thanks to everyone at Bouchon for a very special evening.“

“If you're looking to make a lasting impression on your special someone, this restaurant is an absolute must-visit. With its refined ambiance, exquisite cuisine, and impressive wine selection, it offers a truly exceptional dining experience. Having had the pleasure of dining at numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, I can confidently attest that this one stands out from the rest. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by beautiful gardens and breathtaking views, leading to private bungalows. The staff's warm hospitality and welcoming smiles further enhance the experience. For a truly unforgettable high-end dining experience, this venue is an absolute must.“

“Recommend PH all the time. Haven’t had anything that wasn’t delicious. One request is to allow multiple side sauces on the delivery menu. Example - on the three roll combo you can only request one of any type of sauce and they are too small to share.“

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

“Great afternoon spent sat outside, drinking superb local beers and nibbling on fantastic local seafood. The service was impeccable from Eva our waitress. Cant recommend this place enough.“

“Had the Lobster Mac & Cheese this time around! So good! The Mango Margie was amazing as well! ❤️🦞🍹🥰👍🏻“

“By far the best seafood around. Everything I have ordered is top notch.“

“Ca'Dario was a delightful experience. High quality Italian cuisine marked by every dish excellently flavored. Antonio, our server, was very accommodating and pleasant. Reasonable pricing“

“Increíble vista, buena comida“

“A great place for celebrating! You always have a great experience at The Palace“

“What a treat! This restaurant was conveniently located near our hotel, and we’re so glad we stopped by. The pistachio-crusted salmon was absolutely amazing—cooked to perfection and now my favorite type of crusted fish!

My husband had the smashburger and really enjoyed it. Just a heads-up: the burger doesn’t come with a side, so be sure to order one.

Their happy hour drinks were fantastic—strong margaritas and great deals! Our waiter was awesome, and the service overall was excellent. Bonus points for being super dog-friendly—they even have a dog menu! Highly recommend this spot for a great meal and atmosphere!“

“We really enjoyed our visits, I hope you get to open to full capacity real soon“

“We have been here on two separate occasions. Once for breakfast and then lunch just the other day. Both were fresh and very good. If you like food with a hometown diner feel, you will like Joe's a lot. Service was excellent on both occasions. Sitting outside is always nice on a Santa Barbara afternoon.“

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

“Great food great service will be back soon need to taste some more tacos 🌮“

“I love this place one of the best restaurant my wife and I. The servises is nice and the food so good“

“Overall ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Environment ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Casual, self-service setup.

Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆
• Lobster Roll + Uni ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent. The bread was buttered and toasted perfectly, and both the lobster and uni were very fresh.
Honestly, this combination is hard to mess up
• Fries ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Too oily and too dry at the same time. Not enjoyable

Will I come back?
Yes—for the lobster roll, not the fries.“

“Great service, great food. And it’s in Santa Barbara!“

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

“Pretty good first experience here. The food from the short menu was tasty. The service staff were super friendly if a little absent at times. First impression is that the menu is good value , especially entrees priced $20-25, but the portions are small so you are going to go for that starter and dessert so then you are back up at $40-45. They charged us 20% automatic gratuity for parties over 6 people even though there were 5 of us. They charge 3% for using a card. Taking a star off for that alone - I don’t want to be punished for using a card in this age. Please, just roll the costs into the meal prices.“

“Hay mucha variedad de comida 🥘 y muy deliciosa“

“The recently remodeled and totally reimagined Harbor Restaurant is excellent. The clam chowder is delicious, the crispy Harbor rice melts in your mouth and the local halibut and filet mignon were amazing. The dining room and new bar are beautiful and the ocean views from every table are breathtaking. We’ve enjoyed private events and special dinners here. This place is definitely back better than ever!“

“We love Chuck’s of Hawaii. Service is perfect, everyone is so pleasant. Last night, on my 88th birthday, our son Chuck and son fChris, not here, took us there for dinner. We all raved about the ribeye steaks, cooked perfectly with a superb flavor, delicious hot baked potato and a surprise cheesecake for my birthday. That was very nice. Thank you so much. Janice Haines“

“Good food and friendly wait staff.“

“We got Rainbow rolls, It so delicious! My friends recommended me here. she recently had wonderful service that she kept talking about her and the food yes! Yummy! taking care of us. She totally so sweet and makes us feel welcome. We will come back and bring more friends and family here for sure. :)“