For food lovers
The county's most characterful rooms, paired with farmers-market mornings and the cool-climate terroir of the Sta. Rita Hills.
Design This TripThis is a journey told in tasting menus and farm provenance. Anchor downtown at Hotel Californian for walkability, then work through the canon: shared seasonal plates at The Lark, native-ingredient cooking at Barbareño, and a romantic farm-to-table evening at The Stonehouse.
Spend a morning at the farmers market and an afternoon along the Sta. Rita Hills wine route, pairing Pinot at Melville and Sanford with the cool-climate terroir that defines the region.
Close the trip with Spanish tapas and wood-fired paella at Loquita, the Funk Zone room that carries the city's Spanish heritage onto the plate.
What’s inside
A sample rhythm
Downtown anchor
A walkable base at Hotel Californian and shared plates at The Lark.
Native ingredients
Barbareño one night, a farm-to-table evening at The Stonehouse the next.
Market and vines
The farmers market, then Sta. Rita Hills Pinot at Melville and Sanford.
Fire and finish
Spanish tapas and wood-fired paella at Loquita.
The Santa Barbarawe’d build in
Where to eat
The county's farms and fishing boats set the menus here, from a fireside dinner in a century-old citrus house to inventive shared plates near the beach.
Montecito
Set in a century-old granite citrus-packing house, this celebrated restaurant pairs estate-garden ingredients with a fireside terrace for one of the region's most romantic dinners.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
An intimate downtown bistro devoted to local farms and Santa Barbara County wines, with a romantic patio and a deep, regionally focused list.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
A lively Funk Zone destination for authentic Spanish tapas, wood-fired paella and gin tonics, capturing the city's Spanish heritage in a festive setting.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
The anchor of the Funk Zone dining scene, set in a former fish market and serving inventive, shareable seasonal plates sourced from the Central Coast.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
A chef-driven restaurant celebrating the foods native to the Santa Barbara region, with a creative tasting-menu sensibility and hyper-local sourcing.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Waterfront)
A longtime waterfront seafood favorite across from East Beach, serving fresh local catch, sushi and a patio steps from the sand near Stearns Wharf.
Visit official siteIn the vines
Cool-climate Pinot and structured Syrah define the valleys an hour inland, while a walkable trail of tasting rooms keeps the wine country steps from the beach.
Sta. Rita Hills (Lompoc)
A benchmark Sta. Rita Hills estate known for cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah, with a Mediterranean-style tasting patio amid the vines.
Visit official siteSta. Rita Hills
One of the founding estates of the Sta. Rita Hills, farming the historic Sanford and Benedict vineyard and pouring elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Visit official siteLos Olivos
A family-owned Santa Ynez Valley landmark with a sweeping vineyard terrace, well known for Syrah, Rhône blends and a relaxed wine-country welcome.
Visit official siteBallard Canyon
A leading Ballard Canyon estate celebrated for structured, age-worthy Syrah and Roussanne, with both a vineyard and a Los Olivos tasting room.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
A flagship of the walkable Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail, pouring approachable, characterful wines with a casual, design-forward vibe steps from the beach.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
The city's oldest winery and an Urban Wine Trail cornerstone, offering tastings of estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a working downtown facility.
Visit official siteWhere to stay
Santa Barbara keeps its great hotels close to the sand and the hills, from cottage ranches in Montecito to terraced estates above the city.
Montecito
A storied 1893 hillside ranch of private cottages with fireplaces and outdoor showers, long beloved by honeymooners for its rustic seclusion and impeccable service.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Riviera)
A meticulously restored 1918 estate of bungalows terraced into the Santa Barbara hills, with sweeping ocean views, a lily pond and a refined Riviera atmosphere.
Visit official siteMontecito
An opulent oceanfront resort on a private stretch of Montecito sand, with two pools, the Manor Bar and a polished residential elegance.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Goleta)
A sprawling 78-acre oceanfront resort with three zero-edge pools, a destination spa and direct beach access along the Gaviota coast just north of the city.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
A stylish Spanish-Moorish hotel at the gateway to the Funk Zone, with a rooftop pool, Majorelle-inspired interiors and walkable access to State Street.
Visit official siteMontecito
A landmark 1927 Spanish-Colonial estate on Butterfly Beach in Montecito, with lush gardens, a celebrated oceanfront setting and a storied Coral Casino beach club across the road.
Visit official siteThe landmarks
Red-tile architecture, a historic pier over the Pacific and oak-dotted vineyard back roads give Santa Barbara its unmistakable Spanish-Riviera sense of place.
Santa Barbara (Riviera)
The 1786 Franciscan mission known as the Queen of the Missions, with twin bell towers, a rose garden and a museum chronicling California's early history.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
The city's palm-lined main thoroughfare of red-tile architecture, boutiques, galleries and sidewalk cafes, anchored by the landmark county courthouse.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Waterfront)
California's oldest working wooden wharf, offering harbor and mountain views, seafood, an aquarium and a scenic walk over the Pacific.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Waterfront)
A walkable warehouse district near the beach packed with urban tasting rooms, murals, galleries, breweries and casual eateries.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara Harbor
A harborside museum celebrating the region's maritime history with interactive exhibits, a working periscope and Channel Islands lore.
Visit official siteSanta Ynez Valley
The rolling oak-dotted countryside around Los Olivos, Solvang and Santa Ynez, laced with vineyard back roads ideal for a slow scenic drive.
Visit official site
Food & Chef Experience
Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.
