Barbareño

What a cute spot! We used to live in Santa Barbara but had never been here. Funny enough, we were actually recommended this place by our bartender in Miami! Back for a visit, we made a reservation for a group of 5. The atmosphere was so cozy, especially during the holidays. It kind of felt like being in someone’s cabin, with chefs bringing out the best meals. The service was amazing! We ordered food to share, and each dish just got better and better. The wine recommendation was spot on and paired perfectly with our meal. Excellent flavors, great portion sizes to share with our group, and just an overall incredible experience. Definitely a special place during the holiday season—amazing food, great service, and such a lovely spot to dine. Would absolutely go back; still thinking about how juicy the lamb was and the flavor of the dessert!!!

What a great neighborhood restaurant. We were seated outside underneath their patio. You could hear the cars off the street which wasn’t bad, only a motorcycle when passing by was obnoxious. Dogs are allowed on the patio as well, so feel free to bring your cute furry friends. The staff were kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the choices that they helped select for us. The appetizer which is their version of an egg McMuffin was delicious and I loved their beet salad. The mussels had a delicious soup/gravy to dunk their sourdough bread in. A glance inside of the restaurant seating area looked cozy and inviting. Definitely a place to go back to in the future.

Great cozy spot with really good wine selection, service is fantastic & the appetizers / food had tons of flavor.

We had an amazing evening here. Loved the food - especially the eggamuffins, crispy pork, and baked California! Service was impeccable

This was our first time in Santa Barbara, and we chose to celebrate our anniversary dinner at Barbareño—and it was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious, with generous portions that left us completely satisfied. The Santa Maria BBQ was hands down our favorite—perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The service was exceptional, making our special evening even more memorable. We’ll definitely be coming back next time we’re in town!

Dan Sherman

This is not Mexican or south American food. The service is excellent and the atmosphere on the balcony is great but the food isn't traditional in anyway. My wife liked it but had a challenge because it was so different from her culture food. The lamb is gamey but good, the avocado is a bit odd, and the mcgriddle thing is way off. I don't recommend the mcgriddle thing, it's a pancake with whip cream (yes ricotta and something else but taste like whipped cream). We liked the risotto but thought it was squash. Our server and the service was very good and we enjoyed the patio with the heaters. It was just unusual overall but fun.

Kress F

Exquisite culinary experience, amazing flavors and creative preparation. The Chipotle eggs were wonderful, highly recommended. The fried chicken is very, very good - wonderful quality ingredients throughout, and the sauces are outstanding. The steak is stellar, like somebody massaged those baby cows just for us to consume. The service was outstanding, and the atmosphere cozy and unique. The Baked California is an experience all it's own. Homage to cannabis and Baked Alaska all at once... It was not what we expected, and it was very tasty. Delicious all around, we will definitely return. Loved this place.

Gorland G.

We had a great time here. The service was superb, and the food was excellent. We liked the sourdough with cultured butter/local olive oil/bacon-date jam. The crispy potato skin chips that came with the burger were delicious and creative — absolutely one of a kind! I also enjoyed the mussels; this was the only place I’ve been to where they removed the beards (the hairy part) from the mussels before cooking. The only thing I would point out is that the portions for the mussels dish and the pasta dish were really small — more like appetizer size instead of entrée size. Keep that in mind when you order. Overall, it was a great experience for us!

mike AP

Excellent restaurant with authentic and great service and delicious food with amazing flavors. We got the pork belly, sweet corn tagliatelle and the Mcmuffins. I had no idea they were invented in Santa Barbara but thanks to our waitress who explained their take on the McMuffin. For dinner we had the ranch chicken which was delicious and filling and of course I had to get that baked California as it was so striking in the pictures. It was delicious and full of so many different flavors, loved it. It was a lovely day trip to Santa Barbara for food, wine and cocktails!

Eliza Priluzki

What an amazing experience! We had a fantastic time at Barbareno. Everything we ordered was delicious. My daughter has celiac disease, and Cole was able to accommodate our dishes to make them gluten-free. He was attentive and went above and beyond. When my son mentioned that he felt sore and needed magnesium, Cole suggested to bring pickles, as they can also be helpful. Additionally, when my daughter accidentally ate a chili pepper, he immediately brought her milk to relieve the burning sensation. We had such an amazing time and truly enjoyed the service and conversations with Cole. Thank you!

Sara A.

We had an amazing experience at Barbareño. The tasting menu was so delicious and the service was attentive, friendly, and relaxed. We loved the Wagyu tri tip the best but honestly every course was delightful. 10/10 recommend on your next trip to SB.

Pat Sarsgard

Great cozy spot with really good wine selection, service is fantastic & the appetizers / food had tons of flavor.

Gabe

The food is really good. Apparently the dishes change with the season, can’t confirm or deny. I’m a tourist. But it’s the thinking that makes the food delicious. I don’t drink alcohol but apparently the wine paired well with the meals. We had multiple small plates as we weren’t too hungry. But the servers were phenomenal. The place smelled like the ingredients, in a fresh and clean sorta way.

Mike Jones

This was my favorite dinner place in Santa Barbara. Small plates easy to share so you can try a few of their awesome dishes

Emily Rowe

We had an amazing evening here. Loved the food - especially the eggamuffins, crispy pork, and baked California! Service was impeccable

Sydney Goldrick

What a cute spot! We used to live in Santa Barbara but had never been here. Funny enough, we were actually recommended this place by our bartender in Miami! Back for a visit, we made a reservation for a group of 5. The atmosphere was so cozy, especially during the holidays. It kind of felt like being in someone’s cabin, with chefs bringing out the best meals. The service was amazing! We ordered food to share, and each dish just got better and better. The wine recommendation was spot on and paired perfectly with our meal. Excellent flavors, great portion sizes to share with our group, and just an overall incredible experience. Definitely a special place during the holiday season—amazing food, great service, and such a lovely spot to dine. Would absolutely go back; still thinking about how juicy the lamb was and the flavor of the dessert!!!

Lori

What a great neighborhood restaurant. We were seated outside underneath their patio. You could hear the cars off the street which wasn’t bad, only a motorcycle when passing by was obnoxious. Dogs are allowed on the patio as well, so feel free to bring your cute furry friends. The staff were kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the choices that they helped select for us. The appetizer which is their version of an egg McMuffin was delicious and I loved their beet salad. The mussels had a delicious soup/gravy to dunk their sourdough bread in. A glance inside of the restaurant seating area looked cozy and inviting. Definitely a place to go back to in the future.

Andrea Estoque

This was our first time in Santa Barbara, and we chose to celebrate our anniversary dinner at Barbareño—and it was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious, with generous portions that left us completely satisfied. The Santa Maria BBQ was hands down our favorite—perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The service was exceptional, making our special evening even more memorable. We’ll definitely be coming back next time we’re in town!

Alexis Williams

It was a perfect dinner, The staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was amazing and flavorful and had a great presentation. I ended up getting the pork belly and brownie loved it!

Janine Wong

Highly recommend the chamango. It has house made tajin and house made chamoy! Some of the other dishes were on the salty side but the flavor combinations were well thought out. Our server was super attentive and made sure we had everything we needed

I didn't know anything about this place - other than the twinkle lights over the patio looked nice - when we chose it for our anniversary dinner. Imagine my surprise when we got there and realized we had discovered the finest food in SB! Each dish was amazing, the service friendly, and the atmosphere inviting. You could easily spend over twice as much in "fancier" or more trendy places and still not get a meal as tasty and creative as what we had. The Black Cod (melt-in-your-mouth great!) and Baked California in particular... but also the Citrus & Burrata and Grilled Avocado... it all was amazing! We'll definitely be back.

We visited the area for 5 nights and Barbareno was a hidden gem!! The hospitality was so gracious and welcoming, the whole team is so proud of the food they serve and the vibes were perfect. The tritip and fried chicken were exceptional. The fresh flavors were so appreciated. We’ll be back next time we’re in town and while this restaurant may not be AS well known as some of the other spots in town, it was a favorite of ours and should be on every “best” list in the area. Highly recommend!

Excellent from start to finish. Fresh local ingredients combined with approachable creativity and pizzazz. Truly a culinary delight worthy of acclaim. We absolutely loved the Ranchero Scotch Eggs, Ricotta Dumplings, Especial Lamb al Pastor, & Santa Maria BBQ Tri-tip.

The Barbareno experience.. from the moment you are seated until the time you walk out, you will be treated to an absolutely memorable experience. Much like the smell and breeze of the Pacific Ocean brings a calming peace, the atmosphere, decor and vibe of Barbareno sets its patrons in a relaxed mood preparing them to enjoy an evening of exquisitely prepared foods with an extremely artful presentation pleasing to the eye and palate. It’s often difficult for restaurant chefs to master taste with presentation, but not at Barbareno. Every item on the menu is absolutely delicious and beautifully set before you. The entire staff are so kind, patient, and knowledgeable with regards to menu items, as well as the extensive wine list. One Barbareno experience and you will be a regular, treating yourself time and again.

Andrew

Excellent from start to finish. Fresh local ingredients combined with approachable creativity and pizzazz. Truly a culinary delight worthy of acclaim. We absolutely loved the Ranchero Scotch Eggs, Ricotta Dumplings, Especial Lamb al Pastor, & Santa Maria BBQ Tri-tip.

Sheri Danos

The Barbareno experience.. from the moment you are seated until the time you walk out, you will be treated to an absolutely memorable experience. Much like the smell and breeze of the Pacific Ocean brings a calming peace, the atmosphere, decor and vibe of Barbareno sets its patrons in a relaxed mood preparing them to enjoy an evening of exquisitely prepared foods with an extremely artful presentation pleasing to the eye and palate. It’s often difficult for restaurant chefs to master taste with presentation, but not at Barbareno. Every item on the menu is absolutely delicious and beautifully set before you. The entire staff are so kind, patient, and knowledgeable with regards to menu items, as well as the extensive wine list. One Barbareno experience and you will be a regular, treating yourself time and again.

Jackie Stauffer

We visited the area for 5 nights and Barbareno was a hidden gem!! The hospitality was so gracious and welcoming, the whole team is so proud of the food they serve and the vibes were perfect. The tritip and fried chicken were exceptional. The fresh flavors were so appreciated. We’ll be back next time we’re in town and while this restaurant may not be AS well known as some of the other spots in town, it was a favorite of ours and should be on every “best” list in the area. Highly recommend!

Overall, great place that I would come back to and bring friends. The outdoor patio is lovely and it is dog friendly. The service was excellent and the best I've experienced in recent memory. Our waitress Sarah was friendly, attentive, proactive, and very knowledgeable of the menu. Even with a full restaurant, everything felt seamless so we were very impressed. The food was nicely presented, but tasted just okay. -Ricotta dumplings were a beautiful golden brown, but the strawberry masala was a miss. -Black olive raviolo is always fun because it's a huge ravioli with an egg inside and it takes skill to make. The flavor profile I tasted was more black licorice than black olive, and I felt that the dough needed to be rolled thinner. Fennel puree was great. -Santa Maria BBQ was good, maybe a little one note and the price is a bit steep given the amount you get. -Baked California was a beautiful dessert. There were so many incredible sounding desserts so I don't think we could go wrong with any of them.

Darlo

Overall, great place that I would come back to and bring friends. The outdoor patio is lovely and it is dog friendly. The service was excellent and the best I've experienced in recent memory. Our waitress Sarah was friendly, attentive, proactive, and very knowledgeable of the menu. Even with a full restaurant, everything felt seamless so we were very impressed. The food was nicely presented, but tasted just okay. -Ricotta dumplings were a beautiful golden brown, but the strawberry masala was a miss. -Black olive raviolo is always fun because it's a huge ravioli with an egg inside and it takes skill to make. The flavor profile I tasted was more black licorice than black olive, and I felt that the dough needed to be rolled thinner. Fennel puree was great. -Santa Maria BBQ was good, maybe a little one note and the price is a bit steep given the amount you get. -Baked California was a beautiful dessert. There were so many incredible sounding desserts so I don't think we could go wrong with any of them.

Donovan Riley

$120 dinner + $85 wine pairing — what a waste. Let’s start with the seven-course tasting: #1 Eggamuffins: Lacking flavor, dry, and completely insignificant. It might as well have been a watered-down crouton. The ranchero Scotch egg started the experience by shredding the roof of my mouth. It was overly deep-fried, encased in flavorless breading, and best compared to a bowl of Cap’n Crunch — notorious for its sharp crust and ability to leave your gums bleeding. It also tasted like it had been reheated after sitting for five days. #2 Ranch salad: Well done. This was actually a balanced combination of smoke and ranch. #3 Halibut with overly thick slices of jalapeño and basil seeds: The fish was not fresh — extremely fishy. The jalapeño completely overpowered the dish, seemingly intended to burn your taste buds enough to mask the fishiness. The basil seeds were like eating sand, getting stuck between your teeth, adding zero flavor and an unpleasant texture that belongs in a sandbox, not on a plate. #4: So unremarkable that I genuinely forgot what it was. #5 Especial with lamb: Lacking both flavor and texture. Bland and forgettable — reminded me of a plain bagel. #6 Santa Maria BBQ tri-tip: Learn to cook. Advertised as medium-rare, it was raw. On top of that, it was wildly over-salted and completely ruined. Also, learn how to cut against the grain — it’s tri-tip, after all. #7 Baked California: Took two bites. Disgusting. Overly sweet, terrible texture — like eating a frozen pancake slathered with Miracle Whip. Now the wine pairing: Great pairings… until you repeated the same wine for a second course. Come on — it’s a wine pairing. That’s like serving the same dish twice and pretending it’s different the second time around. For a $400 dinner for my partner and me, I was disgusted. I will never return. This restaurant has clearly taken its eye off the ball, and the quality has dropped significantly.