Cancel

Open app

Search

CAYA Restaurant

3.8 (103 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Services - CAYA Restaurant

Bartending services

Catering services

Venue rental

CAYA Restaurant Photos

CAYA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Classy
Good for groups
Happy hour specials

More like CAYA Restaurant

Recommended Reviews - CAYA Restaurant

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Fried Apple Pie
Alyssa A.

What a hidden gem to be found in Santa Barbara. No idea this restaurant was here until just recently, and now I wish I had known about it for longer! Right when you walk in, the restaurant gives off a chic, laidback vibe - like you can just relax with a drink in your hand and an appetizer in front of you. If the weather is nice, there'll be a breeze, and it just puts you in a good mood. Their dinner menu has so many delicious options. Love their Cali Fish Tacos - large piece of fresh fish complete with a chipotle sauce. Their Bucatini Burrata pasta comes with a hefty portion of burrata which really ties the whole dish together. Notable mention to the Gochujang Wings. However, their dessert was my favorite. The Fried Hand Pie was INCREDIBLE. Crisp with tender chunks of spiced apple inside complete with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Great drinks as well - Take me to the Mule is a must try. Overall, what a great dining experience, and we can't wait to return for another meal here!

Tiffany B.

Once again Seneca and now Chelsea were beyond impressive. The service remains impeccable, the drink are perfection Seneca is a true mixologist and tonight I tried the brussel sprouts with shishito peppers, all just phenomenal. Both Chelsea and Seneca bring the friendly warmth of a small town town charm. Oh! And the open bar restaurant concept is great. Pick between indoor or heated outdoor area. Both have great ambiance.

Outside
Jessie E.

Restaurant is part of The Leta Hotel where we were staying. This was the best thing about our stay. We went for brunch. Sat on the patio near the pool, the weather was fantastic. Our server was friendly and helpful. I had the chilaquiles and my husband ordered the chicken sandwich with fries and a pancake. Everything was fresh and yummy.

Water I was told to fill myself and grab my own cups
Amaya Z.

Extremely bland the food and worst service. I used to come here frequently and celebrate birthdays here. Was waiting at the host stand for someone to take our order or seat us for over 5 minutes. Wanted to get a drink with brunch and was told no because "we're not set up". Made us grab our own water glasses and carafe and fill it up ourselves. For the price at a place having to seat ourselves and fill our own waters at their bus station seems absurd. Then when asking for condiments server walks away and does not even respond to us. The service and quality has gone down. Staff was just sitting down at the tables inside restaurant instead of working.

Bar area
Kim A.

We had a lovely time celebrating my sons graduation. They had plenty of seating in the bar for 9. Drinks, and food were great and quick. Service was fantastic too.

Shrimp tacos
Alex K.

Hit and miss. Tacos were not good. Poke bowl looked good one day when my friend ordered it but when I got it a couple days later it was not the same. Not very busy and cute place for a meal but the food inconsistency won't bring me back.

Cheeseburger with fries and seared tuna salad
Chrys C.

Wonderful experience while staying at the hotel. Our bartender Seneca was warmly welcoming to every guest and an absolute delight as he crafted truly inspired cocktails. The ambiance is casual and comfortable covered outdoor patio seating with a bar that is indoor/outdoor.

eggs, toast, pancake + coffee breakfast
Em B.

i enjoyed a nice breakfast spread here at caya, and chose to sit outside on the beautiful patio overlooking the pool and mountains in the distance. my server was joseph, he was kind and patient. i ordered 2 eggs over medium, toast and a pancake with coffee. fantastic eggs, big fluffy pancake and delicious sourdough. the fruit preserves was plated with the toast, but i put it on the pancake instead and it was the perfect pairing. if you ask, they have real maple syrup available, which i really appreciated! although the menu has decent options, i wanted something relatively on the smaller side so i went for the a la carte. the coffee was decent, i would have liked for there to be flavored creamer options. i don't typically order eggs out but these were worth it! i would have ordered more if this meal wasn't so filling already. great prices. i did have to ask for silverware, salt, pepper and sugar. EGGS 10/10 PANCAKE 10/10 TOAST 9.5/10 this is a beautiful, convenient hotel restaurant that has good quality food (and drinks for later!) i tried the la perla and tommy's margarita, they were both excellent and strong. LA PERLA 7.5/10 TOMMY's MARGARITA 10/10 overall it's a great and convenient option if you're visiting. ambiance: 4.5/5 food: 5/5 drinks: 4.5/5 service: 4.5/5 Caya: 4.6/5

Pork Posole (Soup of the Day) -  YUMMY!
 
 Blackened Ahi Tuna (hit and miss)
Monica W.

We were in Santa Barbara for my son's UCSB orientation, and we stayed at the Leta Santa Barbara Goleta Hilton. On our second night there, we decided to try the Caya restaurant for dinner. We had a nice meal there which I would give 3.5 stars, if possible, but I rounded up because of the service and decor. Ambiance was very nice. The decor was open air, rustic and inviting with cushioned benches and open air patio. Service was top notch. The wait staff were friendly and attentive, but not intrusive. Food was good, but a little heavy handed with the sauces and dressings. - Blackened Ahi Tuna - the blackened ahi tuna was very well done and flavorfully seasoned, but it was buried in the sriracha aoili (which seemed to be just srirachi with mayo). The napa cabbage slaw was also good, but it was drowning in the sesame ginger dressing. - Red Posole (Soup of the Day) was outstanding, with lots of pork and hominy and a nicely spicy broth. - Asian Noodle Salad with Salmon was very nicely seasoned and still moist. The yakisoba noodles were perfectly chewy, but again swimming the sesame ginger dressing. - Grilled Shrimp Salad (Special) was the best entree of the evening. Shrimp was nicely grilled, seasoned and cooked, and the salad was lightly dressed with the a fresh tasting miso dressing.

Tony M.

Hadn't been to this iteration of the restaurant at the Leta Hotel so it thought it only right to go give it a try. I've always loved this space both indoor and out so I was quite pleased that the food really measured up. The Caya Kitchen burger is a very good burger. Wagyu beef and cooked a perfect mid-rare with even a bit of crust or blackening/seasoning on the outside it was quite a delight. The bacon jam didn't really show though so maybe get an extra side of that to be sure you have enough because it's a good flavor. The Faroe Bay Salmon was also a quite solid dish, though we didn't get any of the squash. Still the dish was quite flavorful. Finally the pulled pork Mac and cheese was a wonderful. So many flavors going on at once, I would definitely get it again. We dined on a weeknight and the place was about half full. Service was great and overall the prices were reasonable by today's standards. This place is perfect for a quiet evening, even with a group it was quite easy to converse :-)

Margarita
Jolie F.

Not too long ago I attended an amazing Yelp event at this restaurant. At that time the restaurant showcased their wonderful foods and drinks! My experience was amazing that I chose to come back to experience this with my husband. Unfortunately my experience was not the same on Thursday during happy hour where I had fond memories of yummy ceviche. The ceviche was so good and not fishy was i originally visited. Chef Luis (sp?) even told us how to properly make ceviche-- unfortunately we didn't experience the same level of taste. The ceviche was so fishy that we sent it back. Too bad as there was great chunks of fish. We also got the chips and salsa. The salsa was good: good smoky flavors. To accompany our meal, we got some happy hour refreshments for 10 dollars each. After this experience, I am not sure if I'm keen to come back when there are so many yummy places to eat in Santa Barbara. My stars are for are great temporary bartender filling in from Ohio! Thanks for your good service.

Chocolate cake, vanilla bean and salted caramel gelato
Ali B.

My husband and I accrued some credits during our Leta Goleta stay to use at Caya and we decided to use them on dessert! We looked at the dessert menu online and weren't really excited about anything, but the menu in person was totally different. We got a chocolate fudge cake which is our fave dessert, and salted caramel and vanilla bean gelato to eat with it. Everything was so so rich and delicious. The servers were really nice and the atmosphere is super cool here, very California. Glad we had the chance to check it out!

Pork belly Benedict

See all

4 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 1

8 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 2

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 3
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Nikki O.
205
1043
4038

1 year ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 2
Love this 6
Oh no 1

7 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kim A.
154
6
3

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of Chrys C.
62
72
320

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Karen P.
54
20
13

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tony M.
152
339
1354

2 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Ali B.
800
1785
2633

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Jacob F.
0
53
118

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jack L.
1
222
54

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kris L.
0
51
14

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Lily Z.
694
607
10465

3 years ago

Helpful 26
Thanks 4
Love this 4
Oh no 7

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 2

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 2

1 year ago

this place is def a place to visit while in Santa Barbara. Stop in everytime we visit our daughter at UCSB.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa C.
112
49
72

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 3

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Erin K.
398
2073
14283

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Autumn T.
51
31
36

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 4
Oh no 1
Photo of Bird A.
0
26
61

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - CAYA Restaurant

The Imperial - White negroni and 2 hot toddy's

The Imperial

4.5(204 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

Oh boy the amount of times I have been inebriated here. Birthday parties, coming home celebrations,…read morecheeky post-work cocktails that accidentally turn into two in the mornings; New Years Eves, Potlucks, Aloha Sundays, Halloweens and everything in between. This is a great bar and there's just no way around that. The drinks are tough, the vibes are immaculate, the bartenders have teeth and the regulars are absolutely bananas. I love it here. It's probably the only bar you can roll into by yourself as a woman and feel comfortable. As if things couldn't get any better, there's a treasure of a human in there who spins vinyl on Friday nights (maybe Saturdays also, but don't quote me) and you really shouldn't miss that experience. Thank you Imperial and staff for your phenomenal service. You've truly cultivated something wonderful.

What an amazing hidden gem in Goleta!…read more While visiting the town, we were looking for a lounge walking distance from our hotel. We found this cool spot via yelp. A for atmosphere. You are transformed into a tiki/tropical/ vintage/bohemian not sure what to call it atmosphere. Super mellow and chill. We sat at a corner couch across from the bar. Comfy and relaxing, and dim lighting. Drink menu was diverse. Great selection. From cocktails to all types of alcohol. With an average price range of $15. Bartender knew his craft. All drinks ordered were great! C for service. The service dept needs some help, and I get it, with one person serving 15+ people. It is impossible to provide a5 star service. Initially service was great with a smile when we first arrived @ 6 pm. But soon after the bar became super busy. The wait was 20-30 minutes for an order. It was time to leave. We asked for our check and it came non-itemized. If it was 2 or 4 drinks that would be fine, but we were party of 3 with over 10 drinks. Then we had to wait again after asking for an itemized check. Waiter stated they need to hand write as their "machine" was not working. That took more time than needed. Ahhhhhh.... Ah well.. you can't get it all. Hence the 3.5 stars. I recommend, to sit at the bar and maybe pay cash to avoid hurdles I experienced.

Photos
The Imperial
The Imperial - First Wednesday--yes, it's a thing.

First Wednesday--yes, it's a thing.

The Imperial - Jungle Bird

See all

Jungle Bird

Test Pilot - Juice Box

Test Pilot

4.4(425 reviews)
7.6 mi
•$$

Amazing definitely recommend, great service and food! The environment was amazing as well!read more

Test Pilot lands somewhere in the orbit of tiki without fully crash-landing on a bamboo runway, and…read morehonestly, that works in its favor. In a stretch of Lower State packed with breweries, wine bars, and roaming weekend energy-drink humans in vintage bowling shirts, it threads the needle nicely between cocktail bar and tropical escape pod. The menu leans tiki-adjacent rather than deep-cut exotica, but the drinks are smartly built and avoid the "every problem can be solved with more rum" philosophy. There's a solid spread of spirits across the board, which makes the place feel more welcoming to a broader nightlife crowd instead of strictly rum disciples clutching vintage Trader Vic's mugs. The Oaxacan Dead was the standout for me. Smoky, balanced, endlessly sippable. One of those drinks where every sip quietly talks you into ordering another without turning into a sugar avalanche. The Jungle Bird was also great, though presented more in the direction of a Negroni than the punchier tropical versions you usually see. Bitter, restrained, and easy to settle into. Crowd-wise, things tilted a little frat-floaty as the night rolled on, but the staff handled everything smoothly and kept the vibe from turning into full pirate mutiny. Service stayed friendly and composed even when the volume of the room started climbing like a malfunctioning theremin. Big bonus points for the location and outdoor seating. Being right in the middle of Lower State makes it an easy launch point or final stop depending on your evening trajectory. Grab a drink, people-watch, drift between breweries and wine spots, repeat as necessary.

Photos
Test Pilot - Bananacapa and Oaxacan Dead cocktails

Bananacapa and Oaxacan Dead cocktails

Test Pilot - Inside

Inside

Test Pilot - Seasonal Slushy

See all

Seasonal Slushy

Marisella - Vongole pasta

Marisella

4.2(102 reviews)
5.7 mi
•$$$$

So good and so glad we came here. Service was really top notch…read more We ordered sparkling water, focaccia bread w/ whipped ricotta, the chicken dish, two pastas and an eggplant parmesan. Also a side of the green beans. My boyfriend's birthday was yesterday (on Christmas) so it's hard to make it special sometimes. We came here because we wanted a special experience and that's definitely what we got! My dad is also insanely hard to please and always finds som reason to complain, but he had no complaints here! Cant wait to come back. The hostess was super nice and also our server did a great job (she was a nice woman with dark chin/shoulder length hair) didn't get her name I forgot! Editing this 24hrs later because my dad still won't stop talking about how amazing our dinner here was...I guess we have a new go to place for special occasions!

We visited Marisella for Valentine's Day dinner and were fortunate to secure an 8:45 p.m…read more reservation. From the moment you pull into the circular drive for valet at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, the experience feels elevated. After being directed through the property to the back where the restaurant is located, we were greeted warmly and seated promptly at a table that was ready and waiting for us. For Valentine's Day, they offered a curated four-course menu rather than à la carte ordering. The courses were well executed and thoughtfully paced. I have a fruit allergy, and the staff was very mindful of that, which I appreciated. Accommodations were handled professionally without making it feel like an inconvenience. Service was somewhat mixed. Our primary waitress seemed informal and borderline overwhelmed throughout the evening. In contrast, the support staff--runners, bussers, and cocktail servers--were polished, attentive, and proactive. At times, they felt more engaged than our assigned server. The food itself was excellent. Everything we had was flavorful and well presented. The wine list was strong, which is not surprising given the property's location and reputation. There are plenty of higher-end selections available. The exclusive cocktail menu, however, is fairly small. They can certainly make anything you request, but if you are hoping for a large selection of signature house cocktails, you may find it limited. Overall, it was a very good experience, especially for a major holiday evening. I would absolutely return and look forward to visiting again on a non-holiday night to see how the restaurant performs under more typical conditions.

Photos
Marisella - Ambiance

Ambiance

Marisella - Orecchiette pasta

Orecchiette pasta

Marisella - Signature Tomato martini

See all

Signature Tomato martini

CAYA Restaurant - breakfast_brunch - Updated June 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...