Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Santa Barbara

OpenTable

Updated 05 January 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Santa Barbara? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Tre Lune

4.8

4.8 (2011)

$31 to $50

Italian

Montecito

About the restaurant

"Upbeat and comfortable, serving real-deal pastas and pizzas that make you feel like you're in Italy again." - ZAGAT 2010

Fresh fish, veal scaloppini, osso buco, prime steaks, Kobe-beef burgers, organic salads, and house-made desserts.

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner-Cocktails.

Award Winner of Italian wines list.

Please call to make reservations.

Top review

Mary Ann

Dined 6 days ago

Lovely…a little loud. Gave us plenty of time for conversation. Didn’t feel hurried.

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (2895)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Montecito

About the restaurant

LUCKY'S is widely known for its exclusive selection of USDA Prime steaks, fresh seafood, farmer's market vegetables, no-nonsense cocktails and world class wine cellar.
For take-out, please call the restaurant.
We do not accept bar table reservations online, please call the restaurant.
For larger parties, please call or email the restaurant directly.

Top review

GeneVIP

Dined 1 day ago

We have been going to Lucky's for about 7 years and have found everything to be great until last night. We took out of town friends who had been there before and also really liked the restaurant.. This time not so much. The martini was great as was the calamari (best around) but the main courses were a real disappointment. Myself and my friend had the New York 14oz steaks which we both agreed did not have a lot of flavor although they looked great. The women each had sanddabs. My friend's wife showed me all the oil or butter pooled on the plate and my wife only ate half of hers because they were somewhat oily or greasy (She has had them at least 3 times in the past and always liked them). Also, it seems every time I go there the prices are up again. $84 for the steaks and $55 for the sanddabs. Still, I don't mind paying for excellent food but last night was not that.

Discover more

Popular dish

Monday - Chicken Pot Pie with Morels

The Black Sheep SB Brasserie

4.8

4.8 (724)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

A locally owned and operated, modern-classic California-French Pub. We serve elevated, eclectic, locally sourced Cuisine paired with incredible wines and craft beer. We are NOW OPEN for SUNDAY BRUNCH 10am-1:30pm. Located in Old Town Santa Barbara on 18 East Cota Street, the building boasts a rich history of French restaurants and saloons dating back over a century.

We are open for Dinner Wed-Sun from 5PM. We are known for our incredible family style tasting menu’s where multiple dishes are presented to your table for each course.

Top review

NoreenVIP

Dined 3 days ago

wonderful experience. Jesse took amazing care of us and the food was outstanding. Can't recommend it any more highly. You have to try them.

Discover more

Experience

"Sunday Supper" Chef's Choice 4 courses

Experience

“Apero” Early Dinner Prix Fix

Experience

Endless Moules Frites every Wednesday

OKU

4.8

4.8 (1771)

$31 to $50

Asian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Tina Takaya, proprietor, welcomes you to our newest two story restaurant on the water. We feel the key to success is our passion for creating the highest quality food and warm friendly service.

We hope you will enjoy your experience as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.
"We want Locals to feel like Family and Visitors to feel like Locals"

Our menu draws from Asian favorites that inspire and excite such as Wagyu Steak, Japanese Sushi, Chinese Dumplings, Garlic Noodles and fresh local seafood.

We are located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Waterfront and Funk Zone Districts. Come enjoy lunch or dinner, soak in the sun by day at our waterfront rooftop bar while sipping on a refreshing cocktail surrounded by our beautiful ocean vista and by night, enjoy lounging by the fireplace after a delicious meal and a great glass of wine.

Our chef uses the freshest ingredients from central coast farmers and local fisherman to create dishes with the best of what California has to offer.

Top review

Shawn

Dined 2 days ago

Food and service was excellent, with the exception of the food runner who kept bringing other people orders to Our table.

Secret Bao

4.8

4.8 (678)

$31 to $50

Asian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Modern Asian American Restaurant from Chefs Peter Lee & Felicia Medina.

"Consider the bao. Chinese in origin, it’s most easily described as a steamed bun filled with something savory. Yet, like the American concept of a sandwich, the bao exploded into a flexible format of untold bounds — served at any meal, filled with you-name-it, completely closed or wide open, with endless regional variants from across Asia and far beyond." - Matt Kettmann (SB Independent)

1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Bao, Food, Restaurant, Asian, American, New, Modern, Fried, Chicken, Octopus, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paelo, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Top review

ErynVIP

Dined on 29 Dec 2024

Incredibly delicious food, beautiful presentation and excellent service. Highly recommended!

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (303)

$31 to $50

European

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Gala exudes a European meets Santa Barbara charm, where you feel like you’re transported to a beautiful bistro in the Mediterranean. Enjoy shared tapas, farmer's market favorites, pasta and risotto, fresh oysters and the best steak with bone marrow butter & chimichurri. Cozy up for our farm to table craft cocktails, a Pisco sour or martini and a full meal with friends. Curated wine list with local & Spanish wines. Right down the street from the Santa Barbara Courthouse enjoy an evening at Gala.

1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Farm to table, Farmer's market driven, Tapas, Seafood, Steak, Oysters, Happy Hour, Food, Cocktails, Wine, Restaurant, Vegetarian, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Top review

MolllyVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Love Gala. Always treated well. Bronzino always a winner. A tad pricy… but it’s SB…. Fun & tasty cocktails. Service is A+ A tad loud.

Discover more

branzino a la plancha

RH Firehouse Grill at RH Montecito

4.4

4.4 (38)

$50 and over

American

Montecito

About the restaurant

The RH Firehouse Grill is an indoor-outdoor restaurant located at RH Montecito, The Gallery at the Old Firehouse. Enjoy a menu of signature salads and classics from our hearth in our courtyard restaurant, which seamlessly extends into a beautifully landscaped garden. Dine beneath the warm glow of handwoven pendants amid heritage olive trees, birds of paradise, a grand fireplace and cascading limestone fountains.

Top review

Craig

Dined 3 days ago

For being open only 3 weeks this was fantastic. If I had to do it again I would have shared entrees with apps and cavier. Very sharable and fun!

Moby Dick Restaurant

4.3

4.3 (273)

$30 and under

Seafood

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

At Moby Dick Restaurant, in Santa Barbara, you'll get not only fresh seafood and excellent service, but an amazing view along with your meal. Situated on the pier itself in Santa Barbara, Moby Dick Restaurant is a fantastic place with a fantastic atmosphere to get something to eat.

Whether you're after breakfast, lunch or dinner there�s sure to be something on the menu to please. Fried favorites at Moby Dick Restaurant include clam strips and chips, chicken wings and chips and many others. You can also order burgers, sandwiches and vegetarian fare. Fresh seafood specialties include grilled Cajun swordfish, bacon wrapped shrimp and grilled fresh salmon.

Top review

IRENE

Dined 6 days ago

Delicious food. Great service. Wonderful start of our New Year here

Bibi Ji

4.1

4.1 (326)

$31 to $50

Indian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Modern Indian food featuring local produce and seafood paired with a robust low-intervention wine program curated by Alejandro Medina and James Beard Award winner Rajat Parr. Located directly across the street from the historic Granada Theatre in the heart of Santa Barbara's ARTS District. Join us in our lively, signature pastel pink dining room.

Michelin Guide Central Coast Selection 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Top review

BrandonVIP

Dined 5 days ago

The food is always excellent and the staff is consistently friendly.

Discover more

Popular dish

Crispy Cauliflower

Roy

3.3

3.3 (435)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

In business for more than 30 years, Roy is a bistro-style, Americana restaurant with a frequently changing, handwritten menu. We strive to serve unpretentious cuisine of the highest quality. We use mostly certified organic produce from the local Santa Barbara Farmers Market, free range chicken and Harris Ranch hormone free beef. We bake our own bread, hand roll our pastas and make all of our desserts in house. Our ambiance is retro moderne California casual, and we have rotating art shows that run for a month and a half at a time. Live music once in a while. Full bar all the time.

Top review

Rick

Dined on 29 Dec 2024

Noise level was high which affected conversation but the music was excellent.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Santa Barbara

Explore more Diners' Choice lists