Lion's Tale is a great place to check out if you want a cozy atmosphere with great cocktails. Whether you come solo or with a group it's always a great time! The drinks here are perfectly made. I've had the margaritas, Paloma and espresso martini. They also offer light bites and food. I've only tried the frites so far, and they are addictive! So perfectly seasoned and served with a garlic aioli dip. Hard to share lol. I'm definitely trying the steak frites next time. This location is perfect for people watching and enjoying the nightlife in Montecito. Prices are very reasonable for the quality served. Customer service is always friendly and attentive. Overall, a great spot if you want to check out something different and get away from downtown Santa Barbara. read more

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Lion's Tale is an absolute gem. The atmosphere is classy but relaxed, perfect for date nights or just grabbing a solid cocktail. Shoutout to Andrea behind the bar -- easily one of the best bartenders I've come across. Super friendly, knows his craft, and actually takes the time to make drinks properly instead of rushing through them. Every cocktail he made was balanced, smooth, and clearly well thought out. You can tell Andrea cares about what he does, and it really shows. Great service, great drinks, and an overall top-tier experience. This spot just feels elevated in the best way. Highly recommend stopping by and sitting at the bar if Andrea's working. read more

So thoughtfully done without overdoing it, from the menu to lighting and the seating. Their drinks will compete with any of the top bars in LA, and are in a league of their own in Santa Barbara. Classic drinks are enhanced with a twist, and their signature drinks have ingredient lists that tempt you to try them. Their fries are crispy and seasoned for bar service. Their lamb burger, although a thinner-than-usual patty, has enough fat to make it not a problem. The only suggestion is for them to try using arugula instead of the lettuce they currently use. The mustard, arugula, and Gruyère will elevate it to something beyond truly exceptional. One would hope that a 5/5 experience can happen with any of their bartenders, but Mikey will do what it takes to make sure it happens. Regardless of how busy they may be, his attention to detail is something to admire. read more

Lion's Tale - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We went to Lion's Tale for after-dinner cocktails last month and had the loveliest time, thanks in large part to a baby bartender named Sandro. The bar is relatively new, opened almost a year ago in the former Coast & Olive space. It's from the team behind The Good Lion, a place I've never quite loved, and it seems to be a much better bar. Lion's Tale is in the Montecito Inn, and it's an attractive spot, a lavishly designed hotel lobby bar with plush furniture, expensive wallpaper, and a relaxed but upscale atmosphere. Matt B. and I walked in at 8:45 on a Saturday night and were told right off the bat that there was a wedding rent-out starting at 9:15. We sat down anyway, agreeing to the terms, and ordered a round from our bartender. Sandro was a friendly host. He engaged us in polite conversation, and we learned right away that he and my husband both went to Santa Barbara High School. He seemed genuinely curious when he asked Matt when he graduated. Matt said he was older than Sandro and had graduated in 2001, which is how we learned that Sandro was not yet alive at that time. I am not sure, then, when he was able to become such a natural, skillful bartender. It seemed like he spent most of the next half hour chatting with us while also making drinks and dispensing them with apparent ease. I don't think he was idle for a single second, and yet he seemed totally relaxed. He's in school, of course, for something that isn't bartending, but he could have a long career slinging elaborate cocktails to millennials who developed their drinking habits in the PDT/Varnish/vest-wearing mixologist era. We ordered three, a round plus one extra before the wedding party was due. They were all delicious, but I particularly loved the signature Lion's Tale, a richly flavorful drink made with Scotch whisky, chai, mango, aged rum, lemon, allspice, Averna, pineapple, and curry, which added a warm, savory note. The Manhattan was stellar, with rye whiskey, apple brandy, Bonal Gentiane-Quina, bitter orange, and Angostura. Likewise the Boulevardier, a nice variation on the classic with bourbon, house bitter blend, banana, macadamia, cacao, Italian vermouths, and Demerara rum. This one--and possibly the Manhattan, too--was available on draft. We spend a lot of time in Montecito and are happy to have a bar that isn't the Manor Bar or Lucky's (perfectly fine places, but so Montecito that we, a middle-aged wigwag couple from Los Angeles, feel like the young, diverse customers in both joints). Lion's Tale is a welcome addition to Coast Village Road, and we hope to go back for more of those excellent craft cocktails. read more

A wonderful place with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The prices are very reasonable for the quality offered, and the service was outstanding from start to finish. The bartender was exceptionally kind, attentive, and professional, making the experience even more enjoyable. Great ambiance, excellent hospitality, and a relaxing setting. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Lion's Tale - Good atmosphere and perfect service - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Lion's Tale is an easy place to enjoy a great night out. The drinks are consistently delicious, balanced, and thoughtfully made, and the staff treat you with genuine warmth from the moment you walk in. The atmosphere feels relaxed but polished, making it just as good for a casual stop‑in as it is for a longer evening with friends or family. TL;DR Tasty food, delicious cocktails, love this place. Invite your friends and fam!! read more

Lion's Tale - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Lion's Tale located in the Montecito Inn is a must visit. Sleek, dark, black and gold tones with a cool ass vibe to match. Think upscale cigar bar, minus the smoke because Montecito is a non-smoking city. Had we not been staying in town for the week we might have missed it. There are several seating options if you arrive early enough but this place seems to bustling and get packed in the evenings. The service and cocktail quality were exceptional. We loved it so much that we made 3 visits during our 4 day stay. Drinks we tried: - Whiskey Sour (of course with the egg.. yum) - French 75 (sensing a theme? we love our whiskey) - Old Fashioned (a no fail go to) We only ate at Lion's Tale once but our shared meal truly went over big with us. Our first time having a Lamb Burger (medium well). Quite the tasty. Juicy and oh so flavorful. Did I mention the heaping pile of shoestring fries? Cooked to the perfect crunchiness. We could not stop eating them. Lion's Tale is the perfect happy hour or end of the night spot. If they had any live music I could even see us spending an entire night there. read more

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*dont drink their non alcoholic beverages here if you're pregnant because they WILL put alcohol in it and blame you

The service was awful. The food was not good at all. They brought our food out at drastically different times and they actually took the chair from my son without asking if they could. Would not recommend at all. The seats were so close together that they couldn't even serve the food to us and we had to pass the plates down. Awful experience. read more

The food, the drinks and the service was perfect! They have amazing twist on classic cocktails and our server Iris was amazing.!! definitely will be back. The lamb burger is a must get!! read more

Great food and a lovely ambiance. Our pretty waitress Iris was friendly, attentive, and really made the whole experience for us. Will definitely be back! read more

Great service, drinks and food! Definitely put this one on your list! We had bread and butter, oysters and potato pave', delicious! read more

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I got old, pre frozen blinis, with eggs that were spoiled. The chives were older than 10 days. Caviar was also expired from the initial smell and then the rancid taste afterwards. Nice place, but poor quality food by spoilage. Too much focus on what the people did not want, not what is fun in French and Japanese cuisine. read more

Lion's Tale - Buckwheag blinis, sieved eggs, chives, crème fraiche. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Loved our experience at Lion's tale. We were visiting the Santa Barbara area from out of state and were looking for a fun and unique food and drink experience. So glad we chose Lion's Tale! The bartenders are fantastic, the food delicious, and the our server Iris was beyond excellent in making our time there special. Great team there. Kudos to the owners for putting together such a great thing for patrons. read more

service sucked! i was served my meal after 10 minutes or so, BUT the rest of my group waited an additional 25 minutes more and were then told they needed to reorder. We left. Awful service...no explanation, no offer to do anything to apologize for the poor service read more

This location is fabulous! My 3 friends and I just stayed at the Montecito Inn (wonderful and so perfect for a Montecito get away) and this was recommended--we four agree it was exceptional on every level: ambiance (cool upscale bar lounge vibe, music and decor); service was excellent and so delightful (knowledgeable especially with the unique delicious cocktails and food offerings, just what we were looking for as opposed to a heavy meal), staff were all warm, welcoming friendly, with great humor making our evening really so enjoyable on every level - highly recommend and we will definitely return! read more

We stopped there for cocktails before dinner. On a Friday, I thought it would be crowded, but it was surprisingly not. Parking was easy . The staff was friendly and attentive. The cocktails, delicious. A nice relaxing vibe inside. read more

Lion's Tale is soooooo good! My bf and I always have a great time there. Great drinks and our server Iris was the best!

Love this spot. Stays true to the rest of the rest of the hospitality group's offerings (Good Lion, Test Pilot, etc). Excellent drinks and atmosphere. But the true highlight is their server, Iris. Super knowledgeable, friendly and the best at what she does. Will definitely be back! read more

Excellent food and service. Iris Graham is very friendly and professional which made it a lovely evening.

We recently did an overnight at The Montecito Inn and decided to close out our evening with a drink and some small bites at Lion's Tale. I opted for their "frozen" martini. The "frozen" aspect of the drink stemmed from the vodka being stored in a freezer making it very cold which I enjoyed. The food we ordered included their potato pave and toasted sourdough. Both were delicious. read more

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Run don't walk to Lion's Tail! High notes are specialty crafted cocktails using an eclectic and curated set of offerings of European liqueurs. The service is exceptional with an engaging bar scene and highly skilled bartenders . The vibe classy and understated, social, but with a volume that allows for easy to hear conversation. The locals are friendly and helpful . Don't miss the steak Frites n the menu, cooked to perfection!. read more

Lion's Tale is a must for cocktail lovers. Come here for the elevated classics (their French 75 is the best I've ever had ) and stay for the swanky, buzzy vibes. Our waitress, Havla, was attentive, fun, and gave us helpful recommendations so everyone could explore what they would like most on the menu. Perfect for a group catch up or date night. They also had creative non alcoholic options for those in our group who don't drink. Can't wait to return! read more

Definitely a vibe! I came for cocktails and small bites with a girlfriend, and we had such a great time. It wasn't too busy when we visited, so we really got to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. We ordered martinis, fries, and a salad, and everything was delicious. read more

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This place is fantastic! The drinks were delicious, and Andrea, the bartender, is incredibly attentive. Each customer receives a thorough explanation of the drink's ingredients and the menu. read more

Drinks are delicious and service is very friendly . It's a very pretty bar I would recommend visiting read more

Lion's Tale - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Love this spot!! They have the best Martini EVER and the potato thing with caviar is out of the world. I went with my wife before Christmas and we had an amazing server, Iris, she was fantastic, friendly and made us feel like family. read more

This place is a vibe. Cozy, Live music, and great cocktails. Our waitress Iris treated us like family. Shes the best and gave my wife some excellent cocktail recommendations. Will be back soon. read more

I recently got back into town and went to Lion's Tale. The ambiance is upscale and comfortable. Both times we were lucky enough to have Iris as our server. Her bright personality, friendly smile and complete knowledge of the extensive drink and food menus was impressive and helpful. The creative cocktails and food options were all not only very tasty and well balanced, but also unique! Highly recommend!! read more

My husband and I had a lovely anniversary outing there with Iris as our server. The food and drinks were top notch as was her service. She was busy but we always felt like her priority. Will definitely be back soon! read more

Great spot to gather with friends. Wonderful drinks & tasty food selections. The excellent service Iris provides adds a special touch to the whole experience. Enjoy! read more

This place is AWESOME. Quality, simple, delicious bites. Amazing service. Chill atmosphere, but still lively and fun. Iris always takes great care of us and makes our visit fun and special. Highly recommend. read more

Excellent ambiance! We loved the cocktails and the food. We have never experienced anything like it. Very comfortable atmosphere and we were not rushed. We will definitely be going back. Loved the Bartender! read more

We had a great time at this beautiful bar. They have a thoughtful and interesting cocktail menu. The bartender was fabulous, the drinks were excellent, the bar bites were delicious and the service was very friendly and attentive. Added bonus: it was happy hour and the prices were quite reasonable for the high quality of the experience! I highly recommend this place & will definitely come here again when I am in the area. read more

So enjoyed grabbing cocktails with the girls at Lion's Tale last weekend! Loved the ambiance -- cozy, moody, private. Service was stellar. Our server knew just when to check on us without interrupting our catching up, and was very enthusiastic when I asked for water refills 4 or 5 times (thanks for bearing with me!) The bartender also came out to check on us and offer another round. Our frites and drinks were excellent, and priced just right. Highly recommend! read more

Lion's Tale - Boulevardier, Manhattan, and frites - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Some of the staff lack attentiveness and enthusiasm. If the owners want to know why they aren't making money, they should now know. Some of the staff are lazy and are not attentive. Why would you hire a staff that sucks? There is a reason why the other bars and restaurants are successful in town. The staff at Lion's tale don't want to make money. A few people entered the bar one evening as myself and about 5 others were sitting at the bar. The bar closes at 11pm. The female bartender who looked like she had priorities other than working, told the few people that "the bar is closed. It was about 10:40pm - 10:45pm. Another patron at the bar convinced the bartender to serve them. The bartender inhaled and exhaled, and then asked would they like a drink menu. That's not the first time I experienced them do that at this bar. I would say a couple or few of the workers are racists, sexists, homophobic, jerks, and entitled, etc. I'm sure the owners are feeling it in the pockets. Hire people with a better mindset and people who are enthusiastic. It's such a small town, so it sucks that the experience wasn't good. The staff should embrace everyone. read more

Service was horrible. Made me wait to place order for forever. They charged me full price during happy hour.

Nice relaxing atmosphere ! Reasonable drink prices and a great vibe. Highly recommend if your in Montecito

Atmosphere is nice and clubby, drink prices are reasonable. They have many signature cocktails but don't mess with the classics. A cosmopolitan is made with cranberry not grenadine - period. If they don't mess with the classics I'd say they can do well. read more