Opal can do no wrong in my eyes!!! I remember the beautiful sunny lunch time that I stumbled upon it while shopping on State years ago, ahhh :) I have been a loyal visitor ever since and always will be! I haven't tasted one thing here that I didn't think was phenomenal, but my highlights are: -The table bread! One is perfectly sweet and the other is perfectly herb-y, I have begged them many times for their in-house recipe with no luck of scoring it :P -Pulled pork sandwich. Lovely sauce and bun...and you can't beat the fat avocado slices thrown in the mix. So big you have to eat it with a knife and fork! -FILET. MINON. PIZZA. -All of their pasta dishes! It is my belief that they make the pasta in-house? The basil linguini with tiger prawns is to DIEEE for! And the risotto is great too! I've also had their pricier steak and seafood dishes, but honestly, you do not need to spend a lot to have a great meal here. I've come here on lunch dates, romantic dinner dates, ladies' nights, casual catch-ups...the ambiance is perfect for every occasion and literally everyone I've brought here has loved it. I may just be smitten, but that doesn't bother me one bit :) read more

Impeccable, amazing service!!! The restaurant and our server were thoughtful in making sure that we were not too bothered by the loud bachelorette party finishing up in the middle of the restaurant. They even moved us to a nice corner, which seemed a bit quieter. Food was solid but didn't blow me away. Seafood salad - Pretty darn good. A bit on the salty side, but still a good dish. Creamy chipotle penne pasta - Pasta was overcooked and, although the flavor of the sauce was kick ass, it was just waaaaaaaaay too much sauce. Filet mignon - Great quality meat but again, way too much mushroom sauce. The sauce was ok. The mashed potatoes were not good. The chile thing was, however, good. Drinks - Pretty good. Not sure we'll be back but we did love the vibe and the people who worked there. Overall, it's a great menu with good service, and a fun vibe. read more

My family decided to stop by Santa Barbara on a whim, and we stopped by Opal for dinner on a friend's recommendation. The restaurant was super packed, but we were about to snag a seat at the bar right next to the kitchen. It was a great spot for observing the organized chaos of the kitchen.\ We ordered a wild mushroom pizza, a couple of different pastas, and a vegetable napoleon. Every thing was delicious! The flavors were super vibrant and tasted super fresh. I especially enjoyed the pizza. The combination of cheese, mushrooms, and truffle salt was heavenly. The crust had a nice char, and the arugula added a really nice pop of spiciness and freshness. Despite being swamped, our server was very nice and brought us an appetizer on the house. We had a wonderful meal here; I'll definitely be recommending this place to others and stopping by again! read more

My fiance (now Wife after this weekend) booked a reservation here for 15 people, for the occasion of our Lunch Reception after our wonderful courthouse ceremony performed by Sarah of Montecito Weddings. They were courteous to give us the back/private room to house our guests. What's even more awesome of them? We had 4 wedding/reception crashers on "business" and with our permission allowed them to join our group of 15 in the backroom to make the reception merrier! Kudos, Opal Restaurant for such amazon hospitality! The food was great! There was plenty to pick from and tasty lunch specials. I had a chance to try their baked bread and butter, their crab cakes and I had myself a prime rib french dip sandwich. Oh so juice and fatty! YUM! I didn't need to dine fancy, I'm a simple man.. and the sandwich did me justice, haha! Being our wedding day, they gave us (bride and groom only) a complimentary bottle of champagne, and were able to cut/plate a cake that we brought in. You guys are ROCK STARS! read more

After searching high and low for the perfect Thanksgiving Eve dining destination, we alighted on this storied landmark of the Santa Barbara food scene and eagerly scooped up a last minute reservation. Notwithstanding the rave reviews and the recommendation of a trusted local guide, we had a surprisingly lackluster experience. Maybe we should have turned back after casting our eyes on the rather dark, dated, somewhat gloomy decor. The colors were dull, tending towards the reddish-brown, with scarlet tablecloths that only added to the 1970s look and feel. One of my dining companions, while having great memories of that by-gone era, would have strongly preferred to not be reminded of it so viscerally on this particular evening. Another red flag was that it was hard to find things on the menu that were truly appealing. Many of the dishes had an odd ingredient or three that threw us off, were almost too-self-consciously creative, with too much going on that added up to too little to rein us in. The service, uninspiring from the get-go, was clearly going to add nothing to the experience. The food wasn't much better. We did enjoy the tasty black pepper crusted ahi salad, perched on a refreshing cucumber salad with undertones of ginger and wasabi. The mixed green salad was unremarkable, a standard mesclun variety with average quality tomatoes, a few untoasted pine nuts, and pedestrian vinaigrette. The paella was only average, owing to the lackluster tomato broth and the hit-or-miss seafood (clams good, scallops okay, mussels below-average). The lemongrass salmon with julienned zucchini and a Thai curry sauce was only fair - the sauce could have come from a bottle, the zucchini was mushy and tasteless, and the salmon was a bit too dry. Thankfully we decided to indulge in dessert, and it was by far the highlight of the evening: a dark chocolate mousse, with chocolate ganache, surrounded by crushed hazelnuts. read more

I had a wonderful 1st visit here and had the popular Thai curry salmon. I gave 4 stars because the plate I received had visible wipe marks that left an off putting experience. Besides that, their complimentary breads were delicious and we had a wonderful waitress who served us. read more

Opal - Thai Salmon and curry -popular dish - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My mom, sister, niece and I came here as we were in town for the weekend, to celebrate my bday. This was our first restaurant stop and we were happy to find out that we were starting our weekend on a very good note. My sister found this restaurant on a list that Chef Cat Corra put together of her fave spots in SB. I have no complaints about this place. Our waiter was great (I hate it that I can't remember his name!)...the drinks were great...the food was fantastic! Everything was wonderful! I will totally come here again whenever I'm back in town!!!! read more

Went to Opal last night. The food was ok and the service was horrible. I wanted to like this place so bad. :/ read more

WHATS WITH THE NO HALF STAR OPTION YELP! Opal is a 3.5, maybe a little higher- the dish i order and always recommend has never been ill received- get the fillet- either the herb or chili crusted- both are pretty much as fantastic as it gets- the reason for a few docked points- i have noticed some inconsistencies with other entrees- bland flavors or not prepared right- i have had some great dining experiences at Opal- this is one of those spots that if you do in fact have a bad first impression i would ask you to give another shot- im not good at doing that myself so i know how hard that can be- but Opal deserves it- friggin awesome wine list - almost a little daunting, but if you can get the manager- he often will recommend something perfect to match what you are ordering- he has even stopped from pouring a bottle he picked for us when after opening he felt it was oxidized- this was $100 bottle that most servers would not have even thought twice about just pouring for the guest because i doubt that they would have even noticed- he felt it was bad and brought out a new one Get the fillet- trust me read more

New to Santa Barbara. Love the food and service at Opal. And the entrée presentations were gorgeous. Super friendly and helpful staff, in terms of recommendations. Eric took fantastic care of us. Eat here ... you won't be disappointed. read more

Overall SB doesn't seem to have many quality restaurants. This one had decent reviews so we decided to try it. The service seemed a bit unprofessional and the atmosphere was casual and nothing special so don't expect anything more. However, the food was not bad. The chicken on penne with chipotle cream was a very good and interesting dish. Not too spicy or creamy. My sister had the chicken scaloppini which she said was alright - a bit dry and not enough pesto. Bottom line: No complaints but nothing to rave about. If you want a good selection of interesting Italian for a cheaper price point I'd recommend this place. read more

This place was amazing. Hear my story if you wish... I had planned to propose to my girlfriend in San Francisco on Christmas eve. We got stuck in Santa Barbara due to sickness. I found no one anywhere that could help us. Someone at the hotel called this place for us. This restaurant was booked full. But they made room for me even on Christmas Eve and helped me make the proposal a special one. They made creme brûlée with a candle and place it on a plate with the words "marry me" in chocolate around it. Also on the plate a strawberry carved like a flower with the ring in the middle. And besides how amazing the people are the food was just as so. We had the stuffed chicken and the duck. Both were phenomenal! In my mind there was a reason we got stuck. It was to find this amazing place. And I can do no more but to ask you all try this place. You will not regret it. read more

I was in SB last weekend for my birthday and I was recommended by a friend to try this place. We walked in with no reservation on Saturday night and while the place was packed they were able to seat us right away. The staff were very friendly. We were greeted instantly by our server who had a smile on her face and looked like she was pleased to be working. We ordered two martini's to start and it didn't take long at all for them to arrive. My boyfriend had the Smoked Chicken Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and a Chipotle Glaze & I got the Vegetable Napoleon with a Gorgonzola Potato Cake and Wild Mushrooms. They were both DELICIOUS. Portions were perfect size, the meal was very well balanced, and very well seasoned. I was expecting it to be good, but this was just excellent. We were both so happy with our dishes we asked if we could compliment the chef. Our server was more than willing to show us the way and let us give our appreciation for this delicious food. We ended our meal with fresh berries soaked in Grand Marnier. This was not on the menu, but they had no problem fulfilling our request. With the great service and food I was expecting the bill to be higher than $100. Our bill was only $70 *without tip*! Extremely reasonably priced. We were very, very happy with our decision to eat at Opal and we will be back next time we visit SB. read more

My new wife and I decided to have our rehearsal dinner at Opal a few weeks ago. I am so glad we did. Everything was absolutely perfect. We had a party of about 35 people and filled up most of the back room, which was all set and ready to go right when we arrived. It seemed like everyone in the restaurant greeted us when we walked in. We started off with phyllo wrapped tiger prawns and prosciutto pizza as an appetizer. Whoa. So good. For the main menu options, we had flat iron steak, chicken marsala and lemongrass salmon. I wish I could have had all three. I'm usually a steak guy, but I went for the salmon this time and it totally blew my hair back. Epic choice. Our servers Eva and Jake were both awesome, making sure everyone had a full glass and a smile on their face all night. They easily handled our entire party; you could tell this wasn't their first rodeo. Owners Tina and Richard both stopped in to say hi and made us feel right at home. The atmosphere at Opal is the perfect mix of casual and fine dining. My parents are literally still talking about how great our dinner experience was that night. I highly recommend Opal to anyone who is planning a special event, having a romantic dinner out or just cruising around town with friends. Oh yeah, don't forget to visit Chris at the bar and have one of his legendary cocktails! He definitely knows his stuff. Try the old fashioned or the jalepeno margarita or maybe the passion fruit bourbon sour (just don't try all three unless you are an animal)! read more

Throughly mediocre. Food is okay, nothing interesting or special. The ambience is fine. The drinks are overpriced. There are better restaurants in Santa Barbara, but if you're just looking for something quick before going to the theater next door, it's fine. read more

Most restaurants nearby don't have parking. So find a parking spot on the side streets or go into a paid lot. After walking around to find a place to enjoy our dinner, we decided to eat at Opal without looking at the menu outside. As we walked in without reservation, we were greeted and seated in less than 5 minutes. The dining area has a very nice high ceiling. The beautiful blooming flowers in a vase made this place kind of romantic. The fake tea lights are on every table. Do expect a pricy meal. What you pay is what you get. I resisted a glass of wine since there is a long drive on the road after dinner. After we ordered, we received warm bread with a scoop of butter. There is a hint of rosemary in my bread. I totally forgot to ask for balsamic vinegar. I had a simple linguini with shrimp. The food tasted good but could be better. I loved the pine nuts. The shrimps were medium large in size, de-vained, except the shrimp tail is missing. For a fancy price, the shrimps should be peeled with shrimp tails attached. Ok, no big deal. Since I was starving 2 hours prior, I almost licked my plate. I just enjoyed watching the staff serving their customers. My tiramisu was delicious. The staff did a fantastic job. The lady's room in the back was very roomy and pleasant. In general, the staff members are very attentive. I love this restaurant. We will definitely return. read more

Opal is fantastic. My friend and I drove down from Carmel, happy but exhausted, hungry but not sure for what, called to check for availability and were pleasantly greeted by a 'yes, we've got just the table for you!' response. Even just over the phone, the gentleman who I spoke with was so friendly and funny- and remained so upon arriving to the restaurant and seating us. The ambience of the restaurant is classy yet relaxed, very pleasant, all the staff are friendly, warm, and the food is delicious. The menu is full of things that I want to go back and try! I ordered 2 appetizers as my dinner- the grilled eggplant and portobello mushroom salad and the bouillabaisse of fresh tiger prawns and scallops (it also says oysters on the menu, but they were not in my soup :P ) My friend had the arborio risotto with sauteed wild mushrooms, asparagus and artichokes. Everything was great! The eggplant salad was done nicely, with grilled slices of eggplant topped with goat cheese pesto on mini bread buns, portobello mushrooms were interspersed among the greens, and the dressing was delicate and complemented the flavors of the eggplant and portobello nicely. The bouillabaisse was soothing, flavorful, and had a wonderfully inviting aroma. The seafood in the broth was cooked perfectly- the shrimp had just that mild pop when I bit into them and were tender in the middle, and the scallops were soft, but not overly done. I am not sure why there were no oysters in the soup, but honestly, I didn't miss them until after I had enjoyed the entirety of the dish and the accompanying seasoned garlic bread. Num. The risotto was delicious, cooked perfectly and infused with the mild flavor of the wild mushrooms, truffle oil and parmigiano reggiano, and the asparagus and walnuts gave it such a nice contrasting texture. Service was top notch from start to finish, and the overall experience was warm and memorable. The dinner menu is available online- http://opalrestaurantandbar.com/opal_menu_dinner.pdf, and there are plenty of options in terms of types of dishes as well as price range to suit just about anyone. I'd love to come back and try oh-so-many other lovely dishes here! read more

The atmosphere was wonderful. It was on the loud side, but not annoyingly so. Just a nice buzz in the crowd. We were seated quickly, which was surprising for a party of 8. I had a perfect cosmo- always a good start to any meal out! The menu was so diverse, I needed a lot of time to pour over it and decide. It's a good problem to have :) I started with the mixed gourmet greens salad (really enjoyed the dressing!). For my entree, I had the homemade tomato linguini. Firworks went off in my mouth when I tasted it!! It had a fresh, ginger broth and loads of flavor. I think there were toasted pinenuts, too. WOW!! Service was great. I will definitely return to this restaurant on my next Santa Barbara visit. read more

This is a lovely restaurant...and reminds me of the Eclectic in Studio City... which is one of my favorite (actually, it probably is my favorite) restaurant...which I thought was amusing when we were leaving and I took a card and it mentioned something about being an "eclectic restaurant" to which I'm thinking.... that's what I was thinking! Well, originally, I had wanted to try Bouchon...which is literally around the corner. However, the wait was a 2 hour wait... on a Tuesday?! Really... well, after also perusing their menu, there was nothing that I really wanted to have anyway. So we start walking and looking at the menus of the different restaurants littering State St. (envision an adorable, quaint and small town historic feel to 3rd street - without all the creeps). Anyway, it's gorgeous there and there's tons of places to eat. I will definitely have to be back...since I never knew it was this interesting... Anyway, I decided on this restaurant...since the food was the most intriguing. I couldn't decide...which is rare for me...since I typically know what I want (pasta!) but I actually ended up not having pasta. Anywhoo... this is what we had: Well, first they bring you some bread. The cheese rosemary bread is amazingly good. Very fresh and I'm sure they make it there on the premises...since it's sooo tasty! Also, they bring a very soft whipped butter... so lovely. It tasted so good with the bread. :) Also, there was a wheat type bread...which I'm sure was good too... but I'm not a wheat person...so I didn't try any. Appetizer: Caesar Salad. Amazingly good. The perfect cheese to salad ratio (yes, I like my cheese) and they will freshly grind black pepper on it if you like...which I very much do. The croutons also seemed to have a bit of spice to them... rosemary perhaps? Suffice to say, they were tasty and the whole salad was delicious. Main Course: I had the wild mushroom stuffed chicken with the herb risotto. Now, I'm typically a pasta girl... but this just sounded so good that I had to try it... and it didn't disappoint! The chicken was perfect and the wild mushroom "stuffing" was a bit tart... but this balanced out this orange sweet type cream sauce on the plate. It definitely "meshed" very well and was absolutely necessary. :) The risotto was amazing! It was creamy and "herbed" and was just very tasty. :) Also, the broccoli (okay, I was the kid growing up that actually liked broccoli) and green beans were good...which for me to want to eat veggies... well, that's amazing. :) hahaha. No, I do eat veggies... but these were seasoned well and very tasty. I tried a bit of my friend's port steak and it was very tasty. My qualm was with the veggie. The veggie that came with the steak was a chile stuffed with cheese. Well, I tasted some of that...and it really burned my mouth. I'm glad my food was pretty rich... because that burned! In all honesty, I don't really like spicy food nor can tolerate some spicy food well.. but this was way, WAY, too spicy for me. Dessert: You know... I always always get Tiramisu... but I didn't. hahaha. The guy next to us ordered the Tiramisu and I thought it looked a little "cake" like for my taste...and the cream was on the side...(and the Mascarpone cream is my favorite part...) so I decided to try something else. I am sure it was probably good too... but I just wasn't feeling it. We ended up getting the "water for chocolate' which was basically a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce. It was very delicious. :) I love raspberries and dark chocolate (and mousse for that matter) so it was perfect! :) Yum! The service was perfect. :) Everything was brought out in a timely manner and we were given plenty of time to talk and eat...and enjoy. I didn't feel that they rushed us at all. The owner was also always around talking to some of the "regulars". The ambiance was lovely. The inside was romantic... dimly lit...but still casual. There is also a blackboard by the bathroom...which you can write on and my friend did! :) Also, the soap in the bathroom was rose soap (ahhh!)...and the bathroom smelled so good. hahaha. I know that's totally random... but I think you can often times tell the cleanliness of a place by the bathroom. :) Also, there are a some vintage style posters adorning the walls...and we were trying to figure out if one of the guys was... this old French actor, I totally forget his name now....ahh... he's in a movie with Alain Delon... where the money falls in the pool... Jean Gabin! Also, this place is big on wine... so if you're into that type of thing.. this place has a huge selection. In the menu, there were a couple pages full of bottles of wine. I don't drink... so I have no idea about any of this stuff.. but I did notice some of the bottles were $300... but there were plenty of cheaper ones too.... but again, I don't know anything about this.. Anyway...the food made for an excellent birthday meal...and I would definitely stop by again! :) read more

Weekday lunch with hubby. Our first time there. Our 22 yr old daughter has raved about her special dinners that she and her ex used to enjoy at Opal. (She doesn't rave so much about the ex, however)! Watery iced tea for me, plain water for him. Some kind of salty, dense little focaccia with butter on the side before our meal. We both chose local favorites: me the Warm Seafood Salad and him, the Salmon in Thai Curry Sauce. Seafood Salad was such a disappointment! Although the seafood was plentiful, it was all woefully overcooked: dry chunks of salmon, UN-succulent medium shrimp, and rubbery little bay scallops on a bed of wilted baby spinach and lettuces with glops of a mayonnaisey sauce. I ate about half and then gave up on the bland little mess that had the potential to be fresh, moist, sparklingly lemony, herbally deliciousness from the sea. Hubby's salmon, on the other hand was cooked perfectly! Crisp and crusty on the outside and moist and pink on the inside. Lovely contrast of meltingly tender and crispy in each bite. The rice tasted like it was cooked in coconut milk. The Thai curry sauce was overly sweet and would've benefited from extra chili, spice, and lemon. Team service was good, casual and unobtrusive. I would have preferred some more warmth and connection to tell you the truth. But, hey it was a fairly quick lunch, and probably the right amount of connection for the casual nature of the meal. About $32 before tip. read more

Had the best time here. Love the ambiance, quiet and relaxing. The food was very tasty. I had the tuna tartar salad, very flavorful with wasabi and ginger. My main course was the king salmon, light and perfectly cooked not dry. Good selection of wines from all over the world. Recommend it! read more

Opal - Delicious dessert - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Opal is my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara. The boy and I love going here when we're in town (which admittedly, isn't often, but we go out of our way to go there for dinner when we're in the area)! The food is always excellent -- the dishes are inventive and well-executed. The steak and filets are always cooked to perfection, and oh my goodness -- I LOVE their risotto. They've got a great wine list, and everyone on the staff is happy to recommend a wine to accompany your entrée. I think what really makes the experience here at Opal is the service and attitude of the staff. Richard, the owner, has been there every time we've visited, and he's always warm and inviting to every guest. His positive and friendly engagement rubs off on you, and it's supremely evident -- everyone in the restaurant, whether they are an employee or guest, always has a smile on their face. We've even struck conversation with neighboring tables, making for an interesting night! ;) Overall... I highly recommend Opal. You need to go and enjoy yourself. read more

I have to say I was pretty disappointed when I dined at Opal. I had expected a lot since it came recommended and has such good Yelp reviews. The restaurant itself is cute, hip and provides a nice atmosphere. The staff was friendly and all but the food was just not up to par. I had trouble deciding what to order since nothing on the menu really jumped out at me. Once we ordered, the food took awhile to come out which resulted in luke warm food that quickly turned cold. I really felt that the food was trying to hard to be "gourmet." No one in my party was that impressed. Another gripe, is that our party wanted to order the special pumpkin desserts featured on their prix fixe menu. We were told we could only get this if we ordered off that menu. A seasonal dish like that should be available on the regular menu especially since our table alone would have ordered at least two of the choices. The prix fixe menu only included one choice as an entree (pork loin), so if you aren't interested in that, then you're out of luck. read more

We had a 8pm reservation on a Saturday. We happened to get there a little early and they were able to seat us right away. The have a pretty big space that works well for any sized group. I started with their soup, which included veggies and couscous. It was a good combination of ingredients and it tasted great.. Then for the main dish, we both had the sauteed chicken on penne pasta with a chipotle cream sauce. It was delicious, a little on the sweeter side, which I didn't mind. The service was great. Our server took our order right away and the food came out quickly. And the price was very reasonable, with main dishes starting at $15. I'd definitely visit again when I'm in town! read more

This place is definitely a local favorite and came recommended from everyone we spoke to. I was able to get last minute reservations, on Easter Sunday no less, for 4 people by calling direct and the woman I spoke with was very helpful. We arrived to a very busy restaurant but our party was quickly seated. The service throughout our meal was a little frazzled but I can overlook that given how busy it was. The food was pretty phenomenal again given how busy it was. It came out freshly made hot and well prepared. There was literally a call of silence at our table while everyone dug in. My fiance had the lamb chops and they were perfectly cooked and nicely braised around the edge. I had the paella and it was the perfect assortment of seafood and rice. I also like that they did not mix everything together. It was more of a deconstructed style layered with sauce, spanish rice and then seafood/chorizo with a drizzle of sauce on top. They made excellent recommendations for wine accompaniments and serve a pretty bad azz spicy margarita! Despite loving the food, the ambiance was too loud for my taste. There were several parties next to us that got very loud and rowdy during their meals. It would had been more enjoyable for everyone if that could be managed better. There's nothing wrong with reminding a party that although you're happy they are enjoying the restaurant that they should be respectful of the patrons that are eating next to them. I personally would not be offended to have someone tell me that. I felt the dishes are priced very well for the quantity and quality of food. read more

It was Valentine's Day 2015. We were walking around as we had not made any reservations. Opal was in my mind and so we went there. First thing, great service. We were provided a seat by the window (which I suggested I would like ) in twenty minutes or so. Before that we were seated at the bar and then bartender was cool! Since it was Valentine's day it was a price fixed menu. 75 dollars each for a three course meal, dessert included. Me and my husband we tasted each dish. First came the phyllo wrapped shrimp which was good. For by first course I got the duck ravoli. It was excellent. My husband got the crab and shrimp cake which was ok. For the second course I got the pork chop. Really good. My husband got the paella. It was not exactly paella. More like jambalaya. Did not taste that good. For dessert I wanted the strawberry shortcake but due to high demand that was over so I opted for the creme brulee. Really good. My husband got the chocolate mousse. Later the owner gave me a rose too. Overall a great experience. Great service and food. read more

Opal - Pork Chop on Valentines day! - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We decided to choose opal for our wedding reception dinner. We had about 30 people. The owner Richard worked closely with me for about 3 months to plan and prepare. He was so involved and so thoughtful. This entire experience was so nice and the service was amazing. Every single guest enjoyed their meal. I am beyond happy with my special day and The Opal staff really helped everything become so perfect. Amazing place!! read more

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It was my friends birthday and we wanted to go somewhere upscale, trendy but relaxed. Paid for Parking in back. They seated us in a window seat in the front. Gorgeous day with life going by, it was perfect! We started off with a a cocktail and we had ordered our main meal at the same time. We were going to a concert at the bowl. Bread and butter came out quick along with our drinks. I had the herb filet with mashed potatoes and a yummy cream mushroom sauce. My friend had the skirt steak with roasted potatoes. Both of our meals were served with green beans. Everything was prepared perfectly! The food was delicious. The servce was quick and the staff very friendly read more

I see why this restaurant has received several years of accolades. The food was simply delicious. Great customer service. Festive ambience. I had a very enjoyable dining experience at this restaurant. read more

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I had the mushroom pasta with duck confit appetizer. It was so delicious. It had 3 pieces of pasta. I wish it was larger. That being said, the dinner portions are huge. I tried the wild mushroom and asparagus risotto. That was very rich and tasted amazing. I also had red wine which was very smooth..sorry I forgot the name. It was very romantic vibe with low lighting. I went with a group though. The bread was also good. If you want to have a nice date or dinner with anyone I would recommend this place. I'm a super picky eater and I absolutely loved it. Can't wait to go to Santa Barbara again to visit this place. read more

Great restaurant. Atmosphere pleasant and staff is excellent. Crab cakes are bomb, unique flavor but not overpowering to the center piece. Ribeye perfectly cooked. Raspberry chocolate cake , great flavor, creamy heavy texture, very good. Would highly recommend. read more

I was in town on business but happened to be here during the film festival. The place was pretty crowded but we managed to find a table for 6. My first impressions were good. The decor was nice and warm. There was a good bit of chatter, but nothing obnoxious. The liquor and wine list was extensive and the food looked seasonal and the choices weren't overwhelming. They provide wine pairings with most of the meals, which was nice to have too, especially since I was tipsy from my cocktail and didn't mind some extra help :) I started off with the opal martini which was quite good (blue cheese stuffed olive = win). It definitely got my buzz going and helped me relax after a long day at work! I had the paella (on special) as an entree and paired it with a glass of pinot noir. What a treat. The seafood was awesome and the portion size was quite large. My colleagues all enjoyed their meals, but their portion sizes weren't nearly as large. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. I'll definitely be back again when I'm in town, since this is probably the best casual place I've been to in SB. Cheers! read more

This place is terrible. We went for dinner last night and had a terrible experience. Zucchini soup had no taste and the crab cakes were soggy and tasted like the bell pepper sauce on top, not crab. The pizza was terrible...reminded me of Boboli. There was WAY too much goat cheese and I could not taste the pesto at all. The husband's pasta was cover in this gooey cream sauce with a really unappealing wad of cheese on the top. Finally, there is a note on the menu indicating that changes to menu items will not be permitted. With so many other excellent restaurants within 100 yards of Opal, I would skip this place and go somewhere that will not give you a stomach ache. read more

We were in Santa Barbara for a couple days for relaxation from San Diego. We stayed at the Simpson House Bnb which I highly recommend! The hostess there, Kerry, recommended Opal so we decided to try it for our big night on the town (a big night for us is a long dinner without the kiddos). I am so happy she suggested this place! In advance, I looked at it on yelp and checked out the photos of the food. I already had in mind what I wanted to try since there were some amazing photos that people posted. When we arrived for our 8pm reservation the place was busy and dim//cozy. We could tell this was a popular spot, but not too loud nor trendy feeling. We got a great table against the booth where we could sit side by side. The phyllo shrimp appetizer and also ahi plate were to die for. We also split a caesar which was wonderful. We got the lemongrass salmon as the entree to split and it was perfect, although I could have had even more of the lemongrass curry sauce on it! We got two delicious cocktails to sip on during the meal. Service was great the whole way through and we enjoyed every minute being there. It would definitely be a place I would recommend to friends and family! Thanks Opal! read more

Lyric was our server and she was quite wonderful! We were visiting from San Diego and were traveling with our two wonderful Labs. As travelers with two great big lovable monsters it is some times hard to find a nice place to dine. At Opal we were able to sit outside and were served a wonderful 5 star meal with our beloved monsters sitting under the table. Lyric and her staff brought a water bowl for our boys and were very accommodating despite having our boys with us. We had the steak for dinner with the Ganoche cake for dessert. Both were outstanding a degree that I think the meal is worth making the trip from San Diego at least a couple times a year. Thank you for such a wonderful meal and dining experience!! read more

I don't normally give 5 stars because there is always room for improvement. But at Opal, there's not much room at all. My wife and I were in Santa Barbara for a few days and decided on Opal for dinner. There was no wait although the restaurant filled up very quickly. I ordered the chile crusted filet mignon and my wife had the salmon Thai style. Both of our selections were amazing. The steak was cooked to perfection and the stuffed poblano pepper with smoked mozzarella was an unbelievably simple yet tasty side. I asked the waitress to suggest a few red wines to pair with my dish and the one she suggested was perfect. We opted to pass on dessert but I wish I would have had the Tiramisu after seeing it on the table next to us. Go to Opal...you won't be disappointed with the food or the service. read more

This is a great restaurant. Wonderful vibe all around. The bartender, Neil, is such awesome and entertaining guy....or should I say "bloke". The food is tremendous. And the service is "spot on". GO, you won't be disappointed. read more

One of the best place in SB for dining experience. Great staff and the dish I had was wonderful. I had the Lemon Grass Crusted Fresh Salmon, I rate 100! read more

Had my first visit to Opal a few months ago after hearing good reviews & seeing it always busy & I was very pleased as was my husband. Very busy even @ 530 & we got seated right away. We found it strange they were out of menu's & the place wasn't full... Food priced moderately & we enjoyed our arborio risotto w artichoke & asparigas & the herb fettuccine w tiger shrimp immensely. Drinks were strong & good too. Gets a little crowded when sitting near kitchen w waiters passing u on Each side of a 2 person table. I will eat here again! read more

Stopped here on our honeymoon on the advice of fellow Yelpers. I had the paella, which was fantastic. The mussels and clams were delicious, the rice was just right, the sausage had a little bit of spice. I had a glass of the Opal Syrah with my meal, and it was a smooth easy red, tasty to my admittedly unsophisticated pallet. Dessert was a berry créme brulée, which was fantastic. My new wife had the halibut, which she said was delicious, and in her words had the best broccoli she had ever tasted. Service was perfect - knowledgeable and attentive. read more