This is a review specifically a review for the bar…read more Convivo is lucky to have an unassuming rockstar mixologist in Devin. We sat at Devin's bar for over 2 hours drinking and eating and running up a decent tab after arriving at the Santa Barbara Inn. Espresso Martinis, Old Fashions, and more were expertly crafted and creatively presented. I suspect we will be back at SBI's restaurant and bar again based upon the great experience we had earlier today. Thank you Devin for the great work and service!

After a beautiful day at East Beach, my boyfriend and I finally made it to Convivo. We arrived…read morearound 3:00 PM ready to order specific items I'd seen on Yelp, but I was sadly informed that they change menus daily and the dishes I wanted were only on their '5 o'clock menu.' Thankfully, I realized it was still happy hour, so we got excited and ordered a bunch of drinks and appetizers! The Bucatini, Lamb Meatballs, and Quadrati Rigati were all wonderful. However, the layout is a bit strange. I found it a bit odd they would put the hotel swimming pool right next to the patio dining area. There were a gaggle of overweight half nude guests flaunting their new tan lines which made me a little sick, so I decided to move further away from that area. If you need the restroom, they are a bit of a trek: walk past the bar area, make a right, and follow the long hallway to the very end. It's a great spot for food, just be mindful of the menu timing and where you choose to sit!

Over all these years, I have avoided the Funky Zone for various silly reasons. But for a while now,…read morewhen I visit my friend's auto repair shop downtown, he always gets Turkey Burgers from here. Always looking for places to have solo lunch, I finally ventured to FZ. There's no sign. I drove by several times and parked, determined to find it. It was next to Lama Dog. I ordered at the window from a very friendly and efficient staff member. I found a nice bar-height communal table inside a super cool restored warehouse with awesome indie music jamming, also surrounded by big screens and sporting events. I ordered a bottled Arnold Palmer from the bar, not realizing the bottled drinks are self-serve. Nevertheless, the bartender kindly got it for me along with a glass of ice. Now here's the best part: the very best Turkey Burger I have ever had--way better than any take-out before. It's topped with garlic aioli, avocado, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and crispy skinny onion rings, just perfect. I also ordered the fries with truffle and Parmesan--absolutely delicious, though a bit too flavorful, which overshadowed the turkey burger's flavor. I've tried both sweet and regular potato fries here, and they are excellent too. This place really hits the spot. Can't wait to come back.

We stopped by Lama Dog for a drink and were very happy to find this little "nook" inside serving…read morefood. Perfect for grabbing a bite to go with your beer. Got their Lobster Mac & Cheese. Was enough for us to share between two. Creamy and cheesy, but could've used more lobster. Would've expected a better lobster to macaroni ratio with this one. Prices are a little steeper here. It was $25 for the Lobster mac & cheese, which I would've been more open to with a bit more fish in the dish. Plus, when I go to grab a beer, I'm not necessarily wanting to pay $20+ for a burger without fries. That being said, it's still a good spot to grab some food while drinking a beer at Lama Dog.

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.

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.

came with friends and it was a great burger, I recommend the smash burger, they were really kind,…read moreand it over all is a great mood.

Coffee shop and bites along the beach. Stunning views, decent amount of seating considering…read morelocation and how popular they are. It's a convenient and cute spot to stop at if you're having a hankering for food and enjoy a touristy area. Despite the long line, the staff works quickly to take and driver orders in a timely manner. Also what a CUTE NAME!

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.

I would give more than 5 stars if I could! We hosted our wedding reception at Brass Bear, and I…read morewould go way over the character limit here if I listed everything I loved about working with them. I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the entire experience. We were looking for a laid-back and unique venue, and Brass Bear absolutely delivered. From start to finish, the team (especially Emily!) went above and beyond to make our day perfect. The space itself is welcoming and full of character, while also feeling elevated and thoughtfully designed. We actually saved a lot on decor because the venue was already so beautiful on its own. The top things that really set Brass Bear apart (aside from the space itself) were the staff and the food/drinks. The staff -- Every single person we worked with was kind, responsive, professional, and genuinely invested in making sure everything ran smoothly and that it was truly the party of our dreams. They were incredibly accommodating, handled logistics seamlessly, and anticipated needs before we even had to ask. It honestly felt like they cared about our wedding just as much as we did. Also throughout the evening, on their own, the amazing staff checked in on me and the groom, seeing if we wanted a drink refill or a cup of water. The food-- Hands down the best menu we sampled while choosing a reception venue. We wanted a place that would have a spread guests would talk about long after the event, and for months afterward our friends and family were still bringing up the tri-tip and how good everything tasted. Not only was the main food insanely delicious, the welcome charcuterie table was put together beautifully with so many options. The drinks -- The open bar was fantastic! Brass Bear offered a great variety of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks as part of their open bar, the flow of guests being served at multiple bar stations stayed steady all evening with no bottlenecks, and they even helped me create a custom cocktail to match my purple hair. I also probably emailed (literally) a thousand questions throughout the planning process, and every single one was met with a kind, thoroughly explained answer, or a "let's see if we can make that work!" response, which made the planning feel like a breeze and really fun. If you're considering Brass Bear Brewery for a wedding, celebration, or any special event, do not hesitate. They helped create memories we'll treasure forever, and we are SO grateful we chose them. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

The food tasted old. We had the chicken Caesar wrap, it all fell apart while eating it and the…read morechicken was so dry. The brisket tacos .... The brisket tasted like it had been reheated multiple times prior. Kids grilled cheese for $9 was even a disappointment. Not sure where the local food comes from but we won't be returning. Table next to us had the exact same experience... bummer

Black Sheep has quickly become one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara -- and…read morehonestly, every time I walk in I think, am I really still in Santa Barbara? The level of service is that good. Logan & jess Huge credit to Ruben, the owner, and his wife, who created the beautiful decor. The space is stunning -- high ceilings on the main floor and a cozy, chic European bistro feel upstairs, but still airy and comfortable. It's stylish without being stuffy. The food is consistently excellent -- fresh, seasonal, and often sourced from the farmers market, with many organic ingredients. The chantelle mushrooms and risotto were outstanding. They're also incredibly accommodating with dietary needs (yes, even vegan options -- they had vegan butter ready without hesitation, which I deeply appreciate). And the bar... if you're lucky, you might catch happy hour all night. Even luckier? Jess behind the bar. She is absolutely fantastic -- warm, skilled, and makes the whole experience feel special. An ode to Jess: Hey Jess, the queen of the pour, One drink in and you'll want more. Good vibes, great laughs, service at its best, Every bar needs a Jess -- but this one has the best. The service overall is truly exceptional -- attentive, genuine, and rare to find these days. What does this place need? Honestly... nothing. Just go. If you're visiting Santa Barbara, don't miss it. If you live here, this should become your new favorite spot.

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.

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

My mother, who isn't much of a pizza person, liked her pizza so much that she wanted to come back…read morehere a second time before we departed Santa Barbara. So, we came here for a second visit during our 3-day visit, at around 3pm and it was very empty. We ordered the same thing, Salty Surfer with mushroom, and my kid added pepperoni this time to his kids cheese pizza. It was just as tasty as last time, and everyone even ate the crust lol! Service here is so friendly. The staff are super chill and casual, and were all really nice to my 7 year old kid. Our table was a bit sticky and we put a napkin over the sticky part, and when a staff was clearing our table, he apologized for the sticky part for not cleaning it. Not a big deal at all, but really nice it was acknowledged in such a respectful way. This will now be my go-to when we come back next time!

Long line when we got there for dinner! Didn't realize it stretched all the way to the back of the…read morebuilding where the ambiance is a little more classy. We ordered a Confit Garlic Bread and Salty Surfer based on other recommendations. I honestly wasn't too much of a fan of the Salty Surfer as it don't stand out compared to usual pizzas I would get elsewhere, but I really enjoyed the Garlic Bread. Very cheesy and the basil is a good addition! Would definitely want to try something else on the menu next time!