One of my favorite stops in Santa Barbara. The chocolate was made beautifully and delicious! I…read morebrought home the Jasmine Caramel flower and Jade Oolong buddha. My friends loved it. The staff were also very friendly. They also have drinking chocolate.

This is a special chocolate shop. It's small but brings in the world of chocolate. There's all…read moretypes represented from all over. Dark, milk, truffles, ganache (my gosh good) etc. each piece I tried was full of flavor. They also have chocolate bars and sipping chocolate. And they even featured hand painted greeting cards by a local artist! Lovely. Whenever I was in SB I tried to swing by because Chocolate Maya is a neat place to pick up a chocolate treat!

There isn't much that can be said about this establishment that hasn't already been said, but after…read moreour last visit to the area, I had been anxiously waiting for the chance to return. The chocolate here is absolutely delicious, but the caramel, in my opinion, is on another level altogether. It's the kind of thing that makes you slow down and appreciate every bite. The shop's warm, inviting atmosphere adds to the experience, and the incredible smell that hits you when you walk in is almost impossible to resist. Thanks again for the continued dedication to your craft. It truly shows in every bite, and we're already looking forward to our next visit!

I do love my dark chocolates, whether it's Trader Joe's many varieties or local places that make…read morethe more "exotic" ones with creative flavors. I kind of stumbled in here to be honest (I was looking for coffee, but I'm a little spacey at times and popped in here), but once I saw what it was (fancy dark chocolates), I decided "why not!" and ordered a small box of 4. They're $4/each, which is pricey, but not out of line for this type of thing. But having tasted several really nice examples (Recchiuti, Deux Cranes, Fleur de Cocoa, Alexander's), this didn't really measure up to those. Granted, I only tried 2 flavors myself, but they either barely tasted of the intended flavor or they didn't have the depth of flavor I was used to. It's very possible that I didn't sample enough flavors or just didn't take to the couple I tried, but I was honestly expecting better. Nice friendly lady who helped me though, and it's a nice looking shop.

As someone who has traveled to Europe many times and tried a variety of local chocolatiers there,…read morethe huge stream of 5-star reviews (and finding out the owners were French) had me ecstatic. However, my experience was disappointing. The two girls in the shop were almost asleep. One was barely conscious, the other was trying to make up for her. The chocolates looked very interesting, but they were rather dull-looking and often hard to differentiate because the display case had no lights. Add to this the already dim lighting of the store and that it was an overcast day outside, and it felt like trying to buy chocolates in an old library. As for the chocolates themselves, they did not taste like French/European chocolates at all; they had the very standard American chocolate taste-that is, Hershey-like and with no deep resounding real cacao flavor that is like bass from a speaker on your tongue. That's what real European chocolate tastes like. This was just sugar, sugar, sugar, and cute designs. Maybe they are using cheaper American ingredients rather than importing higher quality ones? No point in having the Eiffel Tower on your logo if you wouldn't be able to keep this store open in France. But the best part: the girl at the counter didn't let me try anything other than the three pre-selected types of bon bons on the sample tray! How cheap can you get? I've never had any chocolatier deny a sample of a simple truffle, especially not one with the gall to charge $3 per chocolate in a tiny town like Carp! $35 for a dozen, just to not even be able to try what you are putting in the box? You must be joking. Anyways, onto trying to find another good chocolatier in the 805...

Some of the finest, highest quality, and most exquisite chocolates in all of Santa Barbara, and…read moreeven California. Jean-Michel is a chocolate virtuoso. My goal is try to every single chocolate, at least one time (if not several times over). I feel as though time stands still when I am in his shop and in particular when I am having my chocolate experience. I savor every bite and feel an unexplanable euphoria of flavors in my mouth and pleasure coursing through my veins. If you love small batch, hand-made, top quality and innovative marriage of flavors of chocolates....this is the place you should make your pilgrimage to. Get the chocolates in a bag to save a few dollars if you are getting them for yourself, otherwise they have different sized boxes to give as a gift.

Menchaca Chocolates is truly a chocolate lover's dream. A hidden gem located at the Mercado on…read moreupper state. From rich dark chocolate to creamy oat milk and white chocolate, Menchaca Chocolates crafts every bite with care. They also offer sampler boxes. On my visit, I picked up the chocolate covered spicy mangos. Who knew dark chocolate covered mangos would be so addictive. Highly recommend! The habanero sea salt is what gives it a little kick, but it's not too spicy where it burns your mouth. I also bought a chocolate bar covered in toffee. They offer chocolate and art workshops; where you can emerse your senses in cacao beans grinding, nibs roasting, fluid chocolate hardening, and create your own chocolate bar! The choices of chocolate are dark, oat milk and white chocolate. With over 40 toppings to choose from and customize your own chocolate bar. I'm looking forward to taking a class here soon!

I think my biggest issue here was just in the way the chocolate workshop is described as a "make…read moreyour own chocolate bar." I've done chocolate workshops where we literally got cacao beans from bods, roasted and dried them, them mixed with other ingredients to make chocolate, this is not that. This is really an arts and crafts project where you just happen to take home some chocolate at the end. That being said, the chocolate base is quite good, from the dark chocolate (which I normally don't like), through the milk chocolate, and the white chocolate. Each of the base is already made, then they give you a ton of toppings to customize your own bar. I will say I wish they would have suggested us to push in the topping a bit more into the mold, as much of the toppings came off when we ate them later. After this 10 min process of customizing your bar, the rest of the time is spent just decorating your box. They do have an extensive collection of art materials, it was just a bit of a let down that it felt like 90% crafts. Beyond that, the service could have been better. It was very stand off-ish. We ended up decorating our box for what felt like an hr cause no one came to tell us our chocolate was ready. And it just really felt like we had no idea what was going on throughout the process. Staff was nice, just not very informative.

I was on the hunt for a classic French omelet when I came across Alessia Patisserie & Cafe, and…read morethis place far exceeded my expectations in every way! As soon as I walked in, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful display of desserts. They have a huge selection of croissants, cookies, tarts, cakes, mini cheesecakes, and so much more--and everything is just as wonderful to look at as it is to eat. Even though I originally came here for the French omelet, there was no way I was leaving without trying some of the pastries. So I ended up getting the salted chocolate chip cookie and the lemon & raspberry tart, and I absolutely loved both! The salted chocolate chip cookie was soft and chewy in the center with just a slight crunch around the edges. The salt sprinkled on top really enhanced the chocolate flavor and gave it that perfect sweet-and-salty balance. But the lemon & raspberry tart was what I would call a nearly perfect dessert. It had just the right amount of tartness from the lemon and raspberry, while the light, fluffy meringue on top balanced everything out beautifully. Now for the savory food! I was so sure I was going to order the French omelet, but for some reason, the Blue Crab Crepe was calling my name. So I decided to go with that along with the Veggie Quiche, and I have absolutely no regrets about either choice. The Blue Crab Crepe came with two crepes generously stuffed with fresh-tasting blue crab and topped with lemon hollandaise and chives. The Veggie Quiche does take a little longer to come out, but it is absolutely worth the wait. Mine came with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and basil, and it was delicious. The breakfast entrées also come with your choice of house potatoes, fruit, or a side salad. One thing to note: you order everything at the counter first before finding yourself a seat, and there is also a self-serve water station. From the beautiful décor and relaxed café vibes to the sweet AND savory food, I loved everything about this place. I originally came in searching for a French omelet and somehow left without even ordering one--which I guess just gives me the perfect excuse to come back!

Wow. Can't say enough about this place. It is a must visit and I will definitely go back…read more The setting is delightful and gives French bakery, with a counter service and table service option. We arrived during a busy Saturday morning and were lucky to be seated right away. Our server Sidney was awesome. Arrived with a smile, patients made great recommendations, and very efficient. Props to Sterling, also her brother, and his excellent basing support as well as keeping our water glasses filled. We also had the opportunity to meet one of the co-owners who was humble and helpful! The food was some of the best I tasted! The pastries were amazing and sauces delectable. Everything was cooked to order and prepared with care. We were so happy with our food that we had to take some pastries to go. We will definitely be back to visit this charming place!

We decided to come back to this fantastic gluten free bakery and cafe. It was only 2 minutes walk…read morefrom the Kimpton hotel we stayed at. This store was packed the entire weekend when we came in. Store is big and spacious with two sections. One is sit down cafe, the other is bakery and take out area. It's all fast casual style though. They have a lot of varieties to choose from and great coffee and tea to go menu. They take reservations for weekend brunch too. I picked quite a few pastries to try. My favorites are lemon tart and lemon bar. Obviously I like lemon flavored pastries. The red velvet vegan cupcake and blueberry muffin were delicious as well. I am so jealous of this gluten free kitchen bakery and cafe. Wish we had something like this near my home! This is our must stop whenever we are in Santa Barbara!

I needed to buy birthday cake, same day and this biz was the most promising. I had no idea it was a…read morededicate gluten-free restaurant/bakery until after we ate the cake! We also ate lunch at the cafe the same day. So the overall rating factors out lunch in. The cake was 5-stars. We ordered a the chocolate decadence cake and it was delicious and not too sweet, which we appreciated. It's a dark chocolate cake filled with layers of dark chocolate mousse, frosted in swirled French buttercream, One downside is the price tag. A 6 inch cake was $80ish dollars. Our lunch was a-ok. We ordered a Ham and Swiss sandwich, a quiche, and lilac salad. The price point here is quite high. The sandwich was 19.50 for a fairly basic item. I short, we went there for the cake and stayed for lunch. The cake was memorable for the recipient. So we'd order from them again. Not sure I need to go back for a meal.

Jeannine's has some good breakfast. We stopped by early morning for some coffee and I ordered…read moreHuevos Rancheros. Everything was delicious from their bakery to their coffee. Service was fast. We ordered our food inside, paid and got a number. Our food came out with matching mugs and plates. Super cute. The place is decorated nicely in pink. It really gives it that relax environment.

DEFINITELY WORTH IT…read more Make the stop if you're in the area. We went for brunch on a weekend while traveling and it was clear this is the spot in town: the line was out the door, but it moved quickly. You order at the counter, they seat you, and the food comes out to your table. We had the lobster Benedict and the challah French toast, and both delivered. The lobster Benedict was generous and rich, and the French toast impressed my wife who has high standards when it comes to French toast. The atmosphere was lively and inviting, and the staff stayed attentive and friendly even with the crowd moving through. If you're in the Santa Barbara area, make time for this one. Next time, I'm going to try the chilaquiles. Almost forgot - best hash browns I've had in a while as well.

Discovered this wonderful Santa Barbara maker of gourmet truffles and other chocolates just in time…read morefor the holiday season--YUM! Oh.My.Word. The gingerbread and coconut-enrobed peppermint truffles were absolutely outstanding, and my cadre of foodie recipients were both delighted and impressed. Even more outstanding was the sample of the white chocolate-chai-turmeric truffles; they are to die for. Unusual and completely wonderful, creamy, with a subtle blend of ingredients I'd never think of (but which worked to perfection). Owner Michelle is herself delightful, boxing up a fairly large special order promptly and quite prettily. Not only is she eager to accommodate her customers, but she even offered to deliver when circumstances put us in a bit of a bind. Highly recommended--Five Stars!

Delicious sandwiches. The bread was soft and freshly made the sandwich was delicious and big…read moreportions. Perfect little spot for brunch with delicious sandwiches. Service was fast and friendly. Food came fast also.

Bree'osh is a cute bakery in Montecito to stop at for some baked goods and drinks!…read more Really friendly staff who gave us bogo on pastries in the last hour of being open for the day! Win for both of us! We gobbled up their remaining goods of the morning and got a great deal. Their grains are all from France, specializing in sourdough and hand making all their pastries. We tried the Almond Croissant and a fruit cookie which were both good. The standout is their Kouign Amann ($5.50) which you can't find everywhere! The owner of this bakery is actually from Brittany, France - the town this little delight was created in. Dominique Ansel made me fall in love with these flaky treats, and Bree'osh does the kouign amann quite well. If you've never had one before, it's similar to a croissant with brown sugar folded into a very buttery and delicious mold. Also had a solid cold brew coffee. With a few seats inside and outside on the cute outdoor sidewalk, Bree'osh is a fabulous place for a morning stop.

Renaud Patisserie and Bistro is so delightful! This was my first time here, and I'm so glad I…read morestopped in. It's in my favorite city in the world, beautiful Montecito! This lovely Bistro is five stars all the way The staff couldn't be nicer. Richard was especially wonderful. He is so knowledgeable and told me that the owner designed this bakery with the idea that you should feel like you're in France without having to take the trip--and that is definitely the vibe! He also shared that they usually have French music playing that the owner grew up with, but unfortunately that wasn't available today. It was so fun talking with Richard about music. He is such a cordial, lovely, and talented young man. I also learned a lot about the food/menu and the pastries. The lamination on the baked goods is surreal. I wanted just a tiny taste so I got the brownie cookie and it is so scrumptious. Thank you for the recommendation Gabrielle. I can't wait to come back and try them all so I can walk them off in the village! LOL I also had the best matcha, and I am SO thrilled that they have soy milk. Hooray! What a sweet first visit. I'll definitely be back. Thank you! Support local:)

Stopped by here for some breakfast. Had always heard about their incredible almond croissants, and…read moreit was finally time to give them a try. Their almond croissants are absolutely delicious! Large almond croissant stuffed with a thick, rich almond filled that is divine. Probably one of the best croissants I have ever had. That being said, I'm giving it a 4/5 for the rest of their food. We had come for breakfast, and their meals seemed a bit more expensive for the taste of the food. Just average, don't think I would order a plate of food here again. However, I would hands down come back for more of their croissants. Great drinks. Their Peach Mint Iced Tea was DELISH, and their fresh squeezed orange juice was perfect. Their coffee menu left a bit to be desired, don't think I would choose one of those again. Overall, this is the place to go to grab yourself one of the best almond croissants. Would return for another one of those.