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    San Setto

    4.4 (13 reviews)

    San Setto Photos

    SAN SETTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Lychee martini
    Christopher D.

    My wife and I stayed the weekend at the Ritz Carlton Bacara as our first small trip since our son was born in November. We were seeking a restaurant for Saturday night that would allow us to feel like it was a date night but also be baby-friendly. The pool bistro didn't meet our first criteria and the steakhouse didn't meet our second. As such, we decided tenuously to try San Setto. I say "tenuous" because finding honest, thorough reviews for San Setto is difficult (at least at the time of writing this). We arrived before our reservation and were quite surprised to be sat quickly, despite the bookings appearing full online (they said a system issue caused this). We were given a perfect spot for our little family--in a warm cozy corner. I'll note the location of the restaurant is quite bizarre and you actually have to walk through the steakhouse (Angel Oak) to arrive at it. With that said, the ambiance feels markedly different. With regard to service, our waiter and the entire waitstaff were fantastic, attentive, and remembered all our requests. Starting with drinks, my wife and I ordered a few mixed drinks (a lychee martini and a play on a whisky sour). Both were very good, but perhaps a bit light on alcohol. We then moved to a Junmai sake, served cold. The sake was delightful and so-slightly floral, as it is everywhere I have had it. Moving to food, the headline is this is not your absolute top quality sushi, but... it is good and the other positive aspects of San Setto that I note above offset it. My wife and I ordered a variety of items: wagyu steak, yellowtail sashimi, steamed rice, a blue crab hand roll, spicy tuna roll, and tuna/salmon nigiri. The fish quality was generally okay. The fish tasted fresh-ish, but the yellowtail was particularly dry before the pour-over and the tuna nigiri tasted a bit stale. The rolls, were delicious however, mainly due to the fixins. The wagyu was very good and the veggies under it really tied the dish together. I would generally say the food was good, but not next level. And that brings me to the conclusion: considering the price, location, service, drinks, and ambiance, I give San Setto a four. The restaurant should ensure it's sushi quality gets upgraded to the next level, but the variety, drinks, and service offset the sushi to create a desirable experience overall.

    Ana T.

    Amazing experience! Stayed at the Bacara and decided to have dinner here what a great choice. Service was top tier, the view was so relaxing and awesome. We watched the sunset eating outside with a clear shot of the ocean. The food was SO GOOD lobster roll made the mistake of only getting one . Our server Grant was the BEST we tried everything he suggested and he was spot on! We will be back

    Spicy tuna on crispy rice
    K B.

    Excellent Sushi and Sashimi. Our waiter was Grant, he was excellent, knowledgeable and friendly . We took his suggestions on what first courses, rolls and Nigiri we should get. Everything was so tasty and fresh. It was my first time having the spicy tuna on crispy rice which was outstanding. I also asked him his opinion on which Chardonnay I should get and he was spot on. My kids got the burgers and pasta they both were very good. For dessert my son had the chocolate ice cream which had pieces of chocolate in the ice cream and the cake with chocolate and hazelnuts was also very good .

    Environment

    This restaurant is in Angle Oak of the Ritz-Carlton. Every dish here is delicious! The tuna is very fresh, and you can choose Nigiri (with rice) or Sashimi. Roll is also delicious!

    Beautiful Pacific Ocean sunset views
    Richie D.

    Few people are aware that a new sushi spot by Sushi Chef Mitsutoshi Masuda has opened up in town. And I must admit, it is quite hidden being at the far reaches of Goleta, within the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort, down the corridor and through the doors of Angel Oak, then down a separate hallway to this destination. My partner and I came here to celebrate an early Valentine's Day with reservations easily made via OpenTable. We were greeted by the hostess named Erica who was extremely friendly. She set aside a table with the perfect view of the blue Pacific and sunset hues. After all, the meaning of 'San Setto' translates into English as 'sunset.' And that you will be given. The remainder of the evening was a breeze with waitresses Sofia and Justice. They took turns checking in on us with impeccable service. Given the high-end location and prices, we were impressed with the decent portion sizes. We ended up taking advantage of a pre-fixe dinner, with two additional sushi rolls and drinks. We kicked off our celebratory dinner with a sparkling sake which was a first for us both. Extremely refreshing yet provided a pleasant hint of rice flavor. We continued with chilled edamame (though I prefer steamed warm with less togarashi spice) and miso soup (average but a perfect palate cleanser). Next was the Yellow Tail Tradito which I believe every table in the house ordered. It was a large portion that could be shared, yet featured extremely fresh amberjack that melted in our mouths. The base of charred avocado really complimented the fish and lemongrass ponzu. The rolls then just continued to roll out one after another. Our absolute favorite roll was the Santa Barbara Roll with salmon and tempura shrimp. It was surprisingly and elegantly complex with a nice kick of spice from the jalapeño and sriracha. We also fought over the Crab Roll because it was noticeably not imitation crab and so smooth. While we did enjoy the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice, the rice could have been more thoroughly crisped. It was more like a basic Nigiri due to this, though the tuna tasted extremely fresh and the spice level was ideal. Our least favorite roll was the most expensive baller: Wagyu Roll with Japanese A5 beef tartare, togarashi seared A5 tataki, toasted nori oil, caviar, miso aioli and 24k gold flakes. While the hint of smoke was delicious, it had almost too much going on. Some of the pieces were almost chewy and too rich for the palate. For $55, I would pass. Oku in downtown Santa Barbara has the Crazy Rich Asian roll which is more enjoyable in our eyes. We ended our dinner with an assortment of mochi ice cream. While two of the mochi were tasty (chocolate and strawberry), the other two tasted old and had a hard, dry exterior. In the end, we had a wonderful dinner at San Setto given the romantic ambiance, fabulous service and detailed meal. Side note: I do wish they would waive or provide a discount for the mandatory valet parking when dining since it was an additional $15 with plenty of available parking given its remote location.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    We loved San Setto! Its now relegated to the sun bar every weekend 5-730, no more restaurant. We love the spicy tuna on crispy rice.

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    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    A beautiful ambiance although a bit disappointing as an overall dining experience. Highly recommend their Uni and yellowtail sashimi.

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    2 years ago

    Simple elegant sushi. Everything we had was good. The cheesecake was a hidden gem recommended by the server and loved it.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Ask the Community - San Setto

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    4.3(20 reviews)
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    Enjoyed a sunset dinner here during our stay at the Ritz Carlton Bacara. Service and staff were…read moreincredible. Our server Lexie was super attentive and kind. Food and drinks were delicious. Unbeatable view. Would dine here again!

    Service was great. People were great. Food, ESPECIALLY for the price, was mediocre at best…read more Used to eat here when it was The Bistro. Really enjoyed that spot. Had some of my favorite avocado toast of all time. We're locals and wanted to go to a place to celebrate. Thought we'd try this new spot to do just that. My margarita was $25 per glass. It was good. Smaller drink for the price. But fine. We ordered the zucchini fritters, which were absolutely amazing. Everything else that came after it was a huge letdown. The $36 wagyu burger was super dry. Heard someone else who also ordered it asking for at least an aioli sauce for it bc they seemed to also believe it was also dry and bland. Got the focaccia sandwich that was also dry, bland, and pretty salty. Fries it came with were good. For desert got the olive oil cake with a scoop of ice cream. The scoop of ice cream was delicious, but almost the same price as the cake? Weird. And the cake was also super dry and bland. Went to use the bathroom and none of the stalls were clean. Looked similar to a gas station bathroom. Spent over $250 and left feeling pretty disappointed. Definitely will take our business elsewhere. Won't be coming back.

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    4.1(123 reviews)
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    The waiter asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion, but for us, it was simply another…read morefun dinner night out. LOL. Little did we know that our first visit to Marisella would take us into such a lovely restaurant with a beautiful ocean view! We came for the STEAKS...yummy yum, and we certainly weren't disappointed. This was our fifth steak restaurant of the week, and so far, Marisella had the best steak dinner we'd experienced. My date is a true steak professional and strict carnivore--he knows his meat because, after all, that's pretty much all he eats! Ha! He said it was the best ribeye he'd had all week. The previous one he tried was TOUGH! Eeew! It was actually my first time trying a ribeye because I usually order filet mignon. My filet was, as expected, wonderfully tender, but the ribeye surprised me in the best way. It was incredibly flavorful and beautifully balanced, with just the right amount of rich, delicious fat--which we both absolutely love! The service was excellent as well. Every staff member was so polite, respectful, and attentive. I especially appreciated their gentle, pleasant communication, which made the entire experience feel even more special. Thank you, Marisella, for such a fun and delicious dinner! We had a wonderful time and will definitely be back again soon! Yay!

    Marisella was easily one of my favorite dining experiences in Santa Barbara. The restaurant is…read moreinside the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, and the entire atmosphere is elegant, sophisticated, and beautiful without feeling stuffy. Our server was absolutely fantastic. She was so professional, quick, polite, and genuinely friendly that I honestly wondered if she was the manager. She had that fresh, confident energy where you can tell someone really knows what they're doing and actually enjoys taking care of their guests. And the FOOD... wow. The whipped ricotta with honey and black pepper was probably my favorite thing I tasted all night. Creamy, slightly sweet, perfectly balanced -- I could have eaten the entire plate. The black truffle Wagyu carpaccio was incredible. The steak practically melted in my mouth, and the truffle flavor made it feel so decadent without being overwhelming. The spicy rigatoni alla vodka was also SO good fresh, rich, full of flavor, and exactly the kind of pasta you keep going back And I have to mention my virgin "Gossip Girl" drink because it was delightful! fresh, refreshing, and honestly such a fun drink. Everything from the food to the service to the beautiful setting felt elevated. This is definitely the kind of place I would come back to for a special dinner. Marisella really delivered. Thank you

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    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.

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