Absolutely stunning dinner at The Lark last night on our only night in Santa Barbara and I feel…read moreglad to say we picked the right restaurant! The place was full, including indoor and outdoor seating, great ambience and light level, and lovely string lights above the seating outdoors. To start they bring over a delectable dill popcorn which was a rich, salty, dill and butter creation. Totally set a fun tone for the meal. Then we had the crispy Brussels sprouts (ORDER THESE!!!) they were divine, the sesame and lime combination was reminiscent of a great pad Thai, with the perfect amount of sauce and tiny bites of figs which all worked together in a way I wouldn't have expected. For the mains we had the shrimp toast and the pork ribs, both fantastic both well portioned and both 10/10s. Pork ribs fell off the bone easily and were spicy and tangy without overdoing flavor and the shrimp toast tasted like a great gumbo sauce and the shrimps were big! This is a meal I'll be thinking about and recommending to others for a long time, thank you Lark!

We are at the Lark tonight and had a good experience. It's a fairly casual and comfortable…read morerestaurant. We were greeted and seated immediately. I was glad we made reservations. The restaurant was busy. Our server was great. She introduced herself (Giana I believe she said) and helped us understand that the intent of the menu and dining approach is a sharing format. The plates and portion sizes vary depending upon the item. Cocktails: The Lark has a very interesting (in a good way) cocktail menu. Our party tried 5 different cocktails. Everyone loved their drink and commented on how well made they were. Food: The restaurant provides complimentary dill pickle popcorn (10/5) as a snack to get your appetite moving. This unique popcorn flavor was one of the best things I had all night. Everyone in our party agreed. We ordered 40% of the menu. The standouts were the fried chicken (5/5), the duck confit (5/5), and the pork ribs (4/5). Dessert: The chocolate pot-a-crème with banana cream (5/5) and donut holes (5/5) were both very tasty. We had a real good experience at the Lark. My only comment as a first timer was gauging how much food to order. We found the menu items in the Farm and Ranch sections were entree sized plates, while the Ocean section plates varied in size considerably. We consequently over ordered and wasted some food. Although our server Giana was helpful, we could have asked more specific questions to assess the quantity of food better. We enjoyed the restaurant vibe, cocktail program and many of the plates. If I lived in SB, I would have dinner here every other month and enjoy the dill pickle popcorn and the fried chicken with their signature Paloma to wash it all down.

Always delicious food, good service and a beautiful environment . I have many favorite dishes…read moremainly from the red meat choices. I'm a woman of few words so I leave you with this happy review

Nice brunch at Reunion. We managed to snag the fire pit table that had a nice boardwalk and ocean…read moreview. Our server was very attentive and friendly. I personally had the honey Brie chicken sandwich. The flavors all matched so well and the bread was delicious. Great sandwich. Rest of group enjoyed their respective plates. Would come back for atmosphere and food alone. Nice spot

Came in for dinner with my wife. The food was amazing, the portions are huge and definitely…read moreshareable. me and my wife ordered The wings, chicken pappardelle, and Steak and frites. Everything was really good. The reason I am leaving 5 stars is for our server Christina! she greeted us right away and got us drinks. she made amazing suggestions and we felt like we were at home. amazing service! anyways, this was our first time here. we will definitely be back.

I tried this with a friend on a Friday evening in beautiful Santa Barbara. It was wonderful to sit…read moreat the bar. There were two bartenders who provided excellent service and served us with our drinks and different food options with drink recommendations. I highly recommend the deviled eggs and sharing the gochugang wings. It's fun just to sit at the bar and talk to people around you, including the people watching which can't be beat in Montecito.

One of the BEST service experience I've ever had. All the staff were so friendly, knowledgeable,…read moreand attentive. Outdoor patio seating is also a very nice and you can hear the other person talking vs other restaurants where it's super loud. The menu has a lot of local items & everything was delicious. I think out of the few items we ordered, we liked the smoked tri tip and the mussels the most. The mussel soup was SO good and we needed more bread to eat it all up. The tri tip was also cooked perfectly and I loved the sauce that came with it. This is certainly a great date night spot and also bit pricier than I usually go for. The food might not have been what I crave but it was a great experience.

We had dinner here at Barbareno tonight. The wait staff and support were on point. However, we…read moreweren't impressed with the food nor its presentation/plating. Food: we started with the bread service (4/5) and the Scotch eggs (4/5). Both were good. We then had the mussels (4/5). Although I'm not a fan, my buddy powered through the entire bowl...so obviously he liked them. The sauce was spicy and flavorful, which I appreciated. I used the bread to soak up that flavorful sauce. Then we had the Santa Maria grill (3/5) and the pork rib plate(4/5). The presentation and seasoning for the Santa Maria plate was just boring and lacking. We chose not to finish that plate as it was not real flavorful, nor interesting. The pork ribs (3/5) on the 2nd plate had really good seasoning and flavor, but should have been cooked longer. This was a pretty significant miss, as the ribs needed to cook at least another hour. The meat was pink??? This is an oversight for cooking ribs. Dessert: we ordered all 3 desserts and they were all just okay. Nothing craveable or exciting. The service team was a strong 4 stars all night. The kitchen was maybe 3.5 stars. I was surprised that our party of 6 didn't enjoy the meal more based upon the reviews and previous restaurant recognition. Maybe the kitchen had an off night and we need to give it another try. There are so many great restaurants in SB, we may or may not make our way back to Barbareno.

Visited Finch & Fork with my girlfriend. We had a lovely breakfast. Service was attentive and…read morefriendly. Our food was delicious. I'm normally not a yogurt person, but I really enjoyed theirs. I'm pretty sure the granola was homemade or at the very least sourced from a whole food brand. The baked pears added the perfect amount of sweetness. Pancakes and Avocado toast were also delicious. The cocktail is dangerous; I could have sipped on it all day. The restaurant is located inside The Kimpton. It's a beautiful property. Shoutout to Robert who was a pleasure to meet. Oh, and PARKING is COMPLIMENTARY if you dine at the restaurant, how awesome is that! (don't forget to tip the valet)

Took my mom here for Mother's Day brunch after seeing generally positive reviews online…read more Unfortunately, the experience did not live up to the price point at all. First, Finch & Fork is essentially just the restaurant inside the Kimpton Canary Hotel. What I mean is that it's not a restaurant that happens to be inside of hotel property (think Caruso's). It's just where you eat as a hotel guest that is hungry for brunch. We had an 11:00 AM reservation, which I believe was the earliest brunch seating. The hotel lobby was packed and chaotic when we arrived. We checked in and sat down to wait, but while we were waiting, multiple other parties of two who checked in after us were seated first. Not a huge issue on its own, but not a great start. The Mother's Day brunch itself consisted of a buffet plus an entrée selection. The buffet had three main sections: seafood (oysters, shrimp, tuna poke), salads, and miscellaneous bites and desserts like deviled eggs, Italian wedding soup, and macarons. Honestly, the buffet felt more like cocktail hour appetizers at a wedding than a true luxury brunch spread. The entrées were fine. The service was fine. Nothing was bad, but nothing felt memorable or special either. The atmosphere was also extremely loud...noticeably so. What really dropped the rating for me was the value. For two people with no alcohol (just iced tea), the total came out to $264.60. That price was honestly shocking for what was offered. Nothing about the food, service, or atmosphere justified that kind of cost. As we were leaving, we noticed a Photo Booth setup and a bouquet-making station across the lobby. No one had mentioned either of these to us, and the bouquet station appeared unattended, so we weren't even sure whether it was included or an extra charge. Overall, I left feeling disappointed, especially because this was meant to be a special Mother's Day outing for my mom. If you're just looking for a casual hotel brunch/lunch/dinner, it's perfectly fine. But for a holiday brunch at this price point, I expected something much more polished, elevated, and memorable.

My partner and I came to celebrate our one year anniversary and we had an amazing time!! We chose…read moreto do the 4 course tasting menu which was out of this world and incredibly worth the price. Each dish was so flavorful and made with so much care. My favorite dish was the pumpkin style gnocchi we had and the branzino fish, he loved the bone marrow. The soup I forgot to take a picture of was potato and leek with truffle was amazing as well. The restaurant is also very cozy with great ambience and we had fantastic service.

Great vibe and solid food…read more The Black Sheep Restaurant + Bar is a fantastic spot for drinks and catching up with friends. The atmosphere is lively and visually appealing -- I love how the space is set up. Ruben, the owner, was our server, and he was personable and attentive even though the restaurant was slammed. It was clear he cares about the experience and makes sure guests are taken care of -- thanks, Ruben! The food was good, with generous portions. It's not "over the top" or heavily specialized, but everything was well-cooked and executed by a chef who knows his craft. Perfect for a relaxed night out with friends. Overall, if you want a fun bar vibe, solid food, and attentive owner-led service, this is a great choice in Santa Barbara.

Last night was the first time in many years that I've eaten here…read more I cannot believe I waited so long to come back. Our food was phenomenal. Each dish had its own unique flavor. No dish seemed to have any crossed ingredients. Fortunately for us as well was that we were there at one of two times during the day when they have an entire restaurant participation sing along. Most Outstanding Dinner outing !!

It's been a while since I've been here. I used to really love this place. The food isn't bad by…read moreany means, it's just not as tasty as it used to be or as I remember it. It's like they threw out the old pots that used to give flavor beyond any seasoning they shook in. The menu is much smaller. The food presentation is better, the plates are definitely more cleaned up and picture ready. Previously, the food used to all run together. We ordered my all time favorite all, the Cajun popcorn. The recipe is definitely different, the breading is fluffier and softer. Personally, not a fan, I prefer it a little crunchier to my liking. The redfish special was good, make sure to get it with the Pontchartrain sauce, it MAKES the dish. The lamb was good, prepared medium rare perfectly! The bread pudding soufflé was excellent. I'd come back, the food is good, just not as great as I remember it. Street parking is your best bet, but you can drive around the corner and find a public parking lot nearby.

Super cute breakfast and lunch spot which is located close to one of my favorite Mexican…read morerestaurants, "Los Agaves". My friends and I sat outside as the weather was beautiful over the weekend. Staff was friendly and when we got there, it was already busy. You can tell it's popular as the line in the entry was pretty long. The food was so fresh! I had a sweet hibiscus tea with an egg, bacon & avocado wrap. Everything was tasty and they also have their own hot sauce which was a nice touch.

Overpriced for an average brunch spot…read more Street parking is hard but we finally found something. They have some gluten free options but can't make some things gluten free (such as french toast, even though they did in the past). We spent $5 on a can of Diet Coke with a cup of ice and we were told there are no refills. That is crazy. The salmon toast was okay, very salty and the toast is super thin. It would be better if there was more toast to balance the saltiness. I also got the omelette and thought it was good, but not super special. The potatoes were done well, very crispy! Strawberry matcha is light and pretty sweet. You get a small glass for $9!! A bit disappointing for the price but the outdoor patio is nice for a sunny day.

We went to Bouchon Bistro to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and the experience was outstanding…read morefrom start to finish. We did the Foodie Stroll & Dinner experience, which included a trip to the farmers market with the chef, Vick. Vick was a pleasure to spend time with--personable, knowledgeable, and genuinely engaging. We had a great time at the market with him and then enjoyed exploring it on our own afterward. When we arrived at the restaurant, our table was ready and beautifully set with rose petals to mark the occasion. The staff was attentive, helpful, and professional--always aware of when we needed something, but never intrusive. My wife ordered the Salade Lyonnaise, Juniper & Rosemary Venison, and Lemon-Berry Upside Down Cake. I had the Forest Mushroom Ragout, Braised Kurobuta Pork Flank, and finished with the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake. Every bite was excellent. My wife raved about the venison, and my pork flank was incredibly tender in a rich, flavorful sauce--the meat practically fell apart. Portions were generous; we couldn't finish everything, though we tried. Each course was paired with a different wine, and every pairing was spot-on. One especially thoughtful touch was that they presented us with custom 25th anniversary menus that we created with the chef. The menus highlighted our anniversary and listed the exact dishes we ordered--it was a really nice keepsake and made the evening feel even more special. All of this was done during a packed service, with only four people in the kitchen, which made the experience even more impressive. Thank you to Vick and the entire team for making our anniversary truly memorable.

We were in Santa Barbara for the Film Festival when we happened upon Bouchon and were able to snag…read morea last minute reservation. Located just off the main downtown street on Victoria St., this French-Cali restaurant feels tucked away with either an indoor seating or cozy outdoor patio option. From start to finish, it's a phenomenal full dining experience. Our waiter passionately walked us each dish, explaining in-depth not only the food preparation process but also when ingredients were locally sourced if applicable. We begun with the escargot and tuna tartare for our firsts. Both with beautiful presentation. Our mains were the duck breast & confit, venison loin. Both perfectly cooked, rich in flavor and again lovely presentation. While it's French in style, it's certainly not in portions.

Always a great experience here. Quick service. Friendly smiles. Food is consistent…read more I would say I miss the Athletic Brewing Copper. Now they serve a citric focused Kolsch from Best Day brewing. Oh well. I like the salads here. Salmon. Prime rib sandwich. And recently we discovered the trout dip. Make sure you use the green sauce. Fries always good to start and those Deviled eggs baby.

Love this place. It scratches the 'Hillstone itch' because…read moreduh, it's the same menu and same vibes. Service is always top notch and the menu never fails to make me happy. Honestly, anything and everything on there is good imho. Wine list selection is one of my favs. Always a good time.