Harbor Restaurant

Whether you're a local or just visiting, this waterfront restaurant is a must-visit destination. The food was absolutely incredidble. From start (Oysters Rockefeller!) to finish (The Berry Cheesecake), this restaurant delivered a remarkable meal that left us thoroughly impressed. My main course - the Risotto Milanese was rich and creamy, with the perfect balance of texture. I will forever be left dreaming of their Mussels and its sauce. As the sun set over the water, the restaurant’s large windows and cozy lighting created an intimate atmosphere, making it the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a celebratory meal with loved ones. The food, the views, and the ambiance come together to make this a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

The food was fantastic and the ambience was beautiful overlooking the ocean. My swordfish was delicious and my husband had the prime rib that was also fantastic.

Located on the Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, we chose to dine on the outside upper deck just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful and relaxing! The food is very delicious as well. We both ordered fish and chips and shared a shrimp cocktail. Everything was superb! Waitress was very friendly! Would definitely recommend!

Food was great, view was awesome. Friends and I stopped by Santa Barbara wharf to find a place for dinner to celebrate our brother's birthday. We happened by this place and we liked the menu so we tried it. The staff were great and the food was delicious! Definitely a keeper.

The harbor restaurant is a good seafood restaurant on the wooden trestle of Stearns Wharf. The door opened at 10: 00 in the morning, and the health and safety protection measures were well done. Every dish we ordered tasted good! It's a wise choice to enjoy the sea view while sitting outdoors!

Most restaurants in a wharf cannot be accessed by car. This is one that you can park beside it. Love the ocean view. Expect to wait in line since they only have outdoor dining at the moment. Love their menu especially their lobster roll and clam chowder.

Love this place, went for our anniversary. The food is so good and the service was incredible! I had the lamb and my wife ordered the salmon. Everything was cooked to perfection. They even gave us a complementary dessert because it was our anniversary. The waiter was so full of energy and was super friendly. We always are seated at a table next to the window. We have eaten here two times now and will definitely be back.

Great location on pier. Amazing views. Food is delicious and comes in generous portions. Yes they have beer and delicious cocktails too. Don't forget to save some room for desert. Yumm!

Eric is the best!! He was really knowledgeable about all of the food offered during COVID! What a perfect execution of outdoor dining other than the social distancing between tables and the fact you can feel the rumble of the wood as cars roll by. The fish and chips I had were amazing especially the chips! Wished they serve coke...

We were big fans of Kip our server! He was a delightful young man. Very positive, speedy and on it Other staff came by also to serve us. The bar had a ton of orders but they did their best to serve us quickly

Great fish and chips. The smashed peas made it very English authentic.... Halibut was cooked perfectly and beautiful. Helped that it was 75 degrees and gorgeous in SB in January. Got to try this place if you are in the area

The Harbor Restaurant received more than a paint job to elevate your dining experience. Tuesday night brought our party in for the newly launched “Locals' Live Maine Lobster Specials”. For $59.95 you get a 1½Ib freshly cooked , live Maine lobster with béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes, and broccoli; or Surf and Turf with half of the lobster and a 4oz NY strip. The entire table ordered the special in one for or another and I opted for the béarnaise on the side. I’d prefer drawn butter but did try it. The lobster was perfect and come on, mashed potatoes!?! Yum! A great presentation and delicious food. But wait. There’s more. Before the lobsters swam in we feasted on the Oyster Rockefeller $18, Shrimp Cocktail $18, Harbor Crispy Rice with 1/2 Salmon and 1/2 Hamachi $27, and bread with rosemary butter, dried tomato tapenade, chimichurri $9. All paired nicely with the Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay. I did start off with a glass of the Pascal Jolivet Sancerre which I highly recommend. The space is beautifully redone in a way that fits Santa Barbara’s refined yet beachy attitude. There is now a lounge area near the bar to relax hat high tops, sofas and low back chairs to snack on Happy Hour treats or listen to live music on Wednesdays The service was great and the food delicious. We used to come for the view now we’ll enjoy the food too. A special thank you to Kyle behind the bar and Roth running the floor. We had a great night.

We had a celebration dinner fall through due to negligence at Loquita and needed another restaurant ASAP. The Harbor pulled THROUGH for my party of 18 people. Big props to Yoko for her assistance and willingness to host my party. Her professionalism and the staff at the Harbor made our celebration especially wonderful.

Our group had a fantastic brunch at The Harbor. We had a group of 15 and they were able to accommodate us in a beautiful private room overlooking the harbor. The GM and staff went way above and beyond to accommodate our group, even helping us set up our table decorations and take pictures of our group. Our server, Francisco was amazing! Top notch service. Would go back just for him. Food was great. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

I am a local and I love that they started serving brunch on weekends!! Wish it was longer than until 11, but great prices on the delicious food and cocktails- Bloody Marys looked amazing and I hear can be made extra spicy! Good vegetarian options and eggs Benedict varieties too. Great views and a stunning interior. Great renovation and a local staple that’s only gotten better!

Great place for lunch on the pier. The service was attentive and polite. The food was delicious. I had the seafood pasta but my friends enjoyed the fish and chips as well as the burgers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I love the new look and menu offerings! Under new ownership and completely reimagined, The Harbor View Restaurant on Stearns Wharf is a treasure with unparalleled views of the ocean and harbor. The newly renovated interior is fresh and inviting, and the atmosphere is both romantic and comfortable. It’s been years since I’ve been here (used to live in SB and even got married on the wharf at the Sea Center). If you haven’t been here in a few years you MUST try it out. Our meal was modern, delicious, and beautifully prepared. We had the whole lobster 🦞 it was phenomenal. The staff were friendly and professional. Nice wine selection with local wine offerings. And there’s nothing like enjoying seafood over the sea — all of the best parts of dining on a boat with none of the swaying. And the views! Stroll along the wharf before or after dinner. Then soak in the sunset while enjoying the excellent libations they offer and then reflections of the harbor lights on the water with desert (which btw was another highlight ✨ loved the Basque Cheesecake ✨ It’s a perfect place for a romantic date, but also great for family gatherings or work events. Highly recommend—we had a truly memorable experience here!

What a wonderful restaurant. The food was delicious! Literally for the steak, I didn't even need a knife, it was so tender. The service was excellent. Nelson waited on our (large) table and was funny, gave the right amount of space between checking on us and letting us chat and eat, anticipated needs, and remembered everything throughout the meal that was requested or asked for whether during or after the meal. Highly recommend this spot!

We weren’t expecting to eat here, but my wife was in the mood for a specialized cocktail and it was happy hour so I also got a reasonably-priced beer. I ordered the cheeseburger and it was welldone even though I ordered a medium. But it was so tasty, i didn’t want to take it back. My wife had a grilled cheese which was disappointing. Two grilled texas toast slices with hardly any cheese on it. I tried it, we should have sent it back, it was really dry! The location was perfect as the sun was setting and prior to sunset, you could lower the shades as well. The bartender was attentive and knowledgeable.

We had brunch at the Harbor Restaurant on the Santa Barbara Pier for Mother's Day. There's paid parking on the pier. The surface of the pier is wood planking. The wood is old and weathered. The surface is very uneven. That keeps the cars from going fast, but it's difficult for frail elders like myself to walk. It would be very bumpy for someone in a wheelchair. Having said that, the Harbor Restaurant itself is wheelchair accessible once you get the wheelchair inside the door. The restaurant is clean and neat. Our reservation was ready when we arrived. Service was prompt and efficient. I had the smoked salmon appetizer. It was delicious, but there wasn't much smoked salmon in the plate. I chose the lobster eggs Benedict for the main course. There was more lobster meat on the plate than I expected. Unfortunately, it didn't taste very good. It was all claw meat, but that wasn't the issue. I know what lobster claw meat is supposed to taste like. I eat whole Maine lobster including the claws. It's usually quite delicious. This lobster meat was just disappointing. The rest of the eggs Benedict tasted ok. If you plan to eat at this restaurant, don't order the lobster.

The Harbor Restaurant is the perfect place to stop for a drink before a cruise, provided you’ve brought your earplugs. The bar lounge has a certain... vibrancy... that can be best described as a full-throated celebration of noise. It's a special place for those who enjoy their conversations in a call-and-response format, or who just want to practice their shouting. On the bright side, the drinks are decent, and the views are spectacular. You can stare out at the water, contemplating the peaceful, silent existence of the boats, and wonder why that serenity couldn’t translate to the bar. It’s a truly a zen-like, meditative experience, assuming you can tune out the cacophony.

The view of the harbor is amazing. Try to get a window table. The food was great. Drinks were tasty. Make reservations. Your unable to reserve a window table but get there early and have a drink and tell them you want a window table when you check in.

Good service! We got our food so fast. Nice view of the beach and the food was yummyyy!

I had a fun dining experience here. I had the steamers with a house salad and the SB Sauvignon Blanc. The table was right at the window at sunset with beautiful views or the boats. There is parking on the wharf and is free for 90 minutes. The server Juan was great. They have some beautiful mosaic floors with a sea theme. The place is a bit dated, but the food and service was enjoyable

This place has a nice view and atmosphere. The service is good and workers are friendly, too. Parking is free for 90 minutes. However, the food didn’t really wow me. The fish and chips was a bit disappointing. I may come back to try other dishes because I had a pleasant experience.

Come here for the vibes not the food or service. Service was incredibly slow and inattentive. Food was okay but for the prices we expected better. And don’t order the ginger ale it’s the worst ginger ale I’ve ever had. Lobster was good but quite expensive. Oysters were fresh. The atmosphere is really beautiful on the pier overlooking the water but that’s all it has going for them. Wouldn’t recommend unless you want the vibes.

We left feeling a bit disappointed, especially given the steep prices. The food was okay, but didn’t justify the cost. The Oysters Rockefeller were served cold. The Brussels sprouts were overly sweet and didn’t have the crisp texture we were expecting. At that price, the portion felt small and underwhelming. The $9 bread offering was just a reheated baguette—not fresh or worth the cost. The Papas Trotas were 10 tiny oven-roasted potatoes for $14, which felt hard to justify. The Crab Louie Salad had a generous amount of crab, which we appreciated, but it was smothered in way too much mayo, which overpowered the dish. My husband’s meat dish was well-prepared and flavorful. Unfortunately, the Key Lime dessert didn’t end the evening on a high note. Overall, for the price, we expected more. There are better spots in Santa Barbara where you’ll get more value and better flavor.

The restaurant had a friendly service and the staff was very welcoming. The steak was a bit tough, but the lobster mashed potatoes were delicious. The clams were a bit chewy, but they were flavorful and the sauce was amazing. The clam chowder was also very good. The restaurant is a bit dated inside and out, and it is a large restaurant. There is no view because we went after sunset.

We loved the atmosphere, service was great and friendly. I was a bit disappointed with how they served my N.Y Steak - "A1' or steak sauce should NEVER be served ON the steak but on the side and good steak usually never requires steak sauce unless you're covering up freshness. There Filet Mignon was the tenderest steak I've ever tasted, made my N.Y steak feel like rock. The Jumbo shrimp are huge and delicious. Market price for Surf and Turf was $99.00 not bad. The Lobster mashed potatoes was bland, you could barely taste the lobster. Our Asparagus was burnt. The Oysters were small. Beers and drinks were good. Will definitely be back.

The views and atmosphere at Harbor Restaurant were fantastic — definitely a beautiful spot to enjoy a meal. However, the food didn’t quite live up to the setting. The lobster risotto was unfortunately very bland, and overall, the prices felt a bit steep for the quality we received. The standout dish was the crispy rice, which was delicious, but the portion was very small (only two pieces). Would come back for the ambiance, but I’d set my expectations lower for the food next time.

The food we got was good but management understaffs and my main order was lost. You have to pay for bread. It's overpriced for the quality.

We had dinner here tonight. The location is perfect and where we are seated you can see the views however the food wasn't great at all. We ordered clam chowder and a steak. It was only me and my partner for this dinner, our food came out after approximately 20 minutes. The chowder was cold and so as the meat. We're in US for holiday and this is the first time we've received our meal this long. I was watching the table behind us with pax of about 5 people and their food is piping hot and was wondering why the hell ours came out cold. The clam chowder also tasted like it was straight out of can. I have tried the same from another restaurant and had a very pleasant experience hence the reason why I ordered but I don't recommend it from this restaurant. The steak my partner was served was medium rare but just okay. I will not come back in this restaurant again and I don't recommend it.

Food had good flavor, they could have left out the hair, that did nothing for the flavor. I notified the server, but no discount was added or an apology from the manager. They should probably put a net to prevent the pigeons from attacking the customers. Then there was the $11 bottle of water.

We dined here with a larger group of 12, and unfortunately the experience was very disappointing. Service was extremely slow. It took about one hour just to receive our food after sitting down. The food itself was okay at best—nothing terrible, but nothing memorable either. My meal arrived cold, and my wife’s dish was not very good. To make matters worse, we were never even offered bread. At the one hour and 50 minute mark, I had to get up and find our waiter to let him know we were in a rush because we needed to catch a train. About five minutes later, I had to track him down again just to get the check. By that point, we had been there nearly two hours. When I mentioned this, the waiter said that was “normal” and shrugged his shoulders. He also gave noticeable attitude when I explained—again—that we were in a hurry. Two hours for a meal, with slow service, cold food, and dismissive responses from the waiter, is not acceptable. The entire experience was frustrating and irritating from start to finish. I’m not interested in returning.

If I could give zero stars on any of this I would - DO NOT COME HERE. Review is long - but worth a read if you're considering paying high dollar for a night out. We had my sisters wedding rehearsal dinner here, were reassured multiple times beforehand that we would have top notch service due to paying thousands to rent out the "private dining area". Upon arrival, we were sat at the table with no menus, no water, and no utensils. The server finally came around about 45 minutes after being seated (by the way no one walked us to the table they just opened the room for us). The server started to request drink orders, but wasn't familiar with the drink menu (mind you, we didn't have menus so we were all trying to order drinks completely blind here), and he left the room, didn't come back for another 15 minutes or so. By that time we now had menus (yay). Half the drinks never showed up, we had to ask numerous times for them, some guests ordered lemonade, we found out from one of the owners that they "made it wrong" which is why it tasted like extremely sour lemon juice. Now - we are waiting for server to come back to take our order.... Amidst refilling our own water glasses, refilling our glasses of wine that they were supplying due to the "inconvenience"....Two hours later, he finally comes, takes 4 people's orders, disappears. Comes back about 15 minutes later, finishes but then looses the first 4 orders, causing someone else to have to come back and try to figure out what was ordered. FINALLY about 9pm our food starts to arrive (I had already gone to the manager at this time TWICE being that we had been there already 3 hours). Half our food order was missing, sides not there, food not cooked to order, etc. All in all, beautiful view but go somewhere else. So many choice restaurants in Santa Barbara with gorgeous views where you can get good service and food that you ordered. Very disappointing experience overall, on such a special night.

Allows tremendous room for improvement. Disappointing, seemingly understaffed for a half-full restaurant during our dinner service over two hours, with a seafood tower delivered missing the tower and condiments, entree orders begrudgingly taken an hour in, and entrees delivered lukewarm - including a steak ordered rare and delivered well-done. Even though under renovation, does the bathroom floor need to be wet?

TLDR: POOR SERVICE SO WE LEFT. Our table stayed over 15 minutes here without a waiter even so much as walk towards us (just giving us awkward glances as they serve the other tables). For context, we seemed to be the only fully asian party there and we were led to sit in the very furthest table. The view would have been nice but the ambiance is a little sterile and unfriendly. Can't say anything about the food as we never even got to order—but the prices seem to be enthusiastically high. We tried to call any waiter's attention for the longest time but no one showed up even as the hostess was just standing about 10 meters from us chatting with other guests.

The Santa Barbara Harbor offers a beautiful view and pleasant ambiance; however, the dining experience leaves much to be desired. This was my second consecutive year dining here, and unfortunately, the food quality has not improved. I ordered the filet, and without clarification, was served the large $85 portion. It arrived covered in a thick, yellow sauce resembling coagulated paste. The meat itself was chewy, overly salty, and disappointing overall. When I voiced my concern to the server, the response was, “It must be the cut.” My husband’s swordfish was a better cut of fish, yet it too was far too salty, and the accompanying snow peas were overcooked and unappealing in both taste and appearance. In summary, while the setting is undeniably attractive, the cuisine does not live up to the view. This is a place to enjoy the harbor scenery, not the food.

NOT FINE DINING!!! Great decor but a total tourist trap. Service was bad because they were understaffed but friendly enough. The food was awful. The risotto had huge uncooked pieces of celery and onion. I ordered the no protein option as a side but just the broth had shell bits in it making the dish inedible. The clam chowder they claim is award winning was bland and watery. You can tell they only care about appearance once you are inside but it looks nice to get you in the door. The bathrooms did not receive the renovation and are like a truck stop. No stall separators and urinals way too close, filthy and reek of urine.

We sat at our table for around 15 minutes before my husband got up and asked for a server. No one even came to see if we’d like something to drink. After another 5-10 minutes without a waiter in sight we decided to leave. We passed a server on the way out and told him we were leaving when he snidely told one of his coworkers that we had just arrived at the restaurant and had only been there two minutes or so. Not true. Wish we had an option lower than one star.