Sushi by Scratch Restaurants

Had the most amazing omakase experience @sushibyscratchrestaurants in Montecito! This Michelin star 17 course experience was truly magical! From the moment you arrive you are greeted by the host and served a delicious complimentary cocktail (non-alcoholic version was also available and equally delicious!), then given time to mingle with the other guests at this 10 seat restaurant. Each dish served was meticulously prepared and outshined the next, although ALL were uniquely amazing! The intimate setting made for great conversation with the other guests…we all may have arrived as strangers, but were soon sharing stories and making plans to meet again! This was part of the magic of the evening! Highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience authentic Omakase with a modern twist! Also, recommend splurging for the chefs sake pairing to go with your sushi. #sushi #sushilovers #sushibyscratchrestaurants #michelinguide

First time eating omakase, and it was delicious! the attention to detail was surperb! 2 of us had dietary restrictions and they easily accommodated. We did the pairing with sake, some of the best sake I've ever had. I wish there was more time to talk with the chef's and the other 2 that worked there but you are limited to 2 hours. Which seems like a long time but they are so knowledgeable and interesting that I could easily spend 2 more hours talking to them 😃 the sushi selection is some of the best I've ever had!

Amazing sushi. 17 courses has a Michelin star now and with the house pairing of drinks ($65) except to pay around $200/person. No chopsticks, they give you a warm towel to use to wash your hands between courses. Highly recommend it!

Fabulous omakase 17 course dinner in Montecito. Super service. Creative Japanese inspired cuisine. Options for saki pairings but also broad wine, cocktail and Japanese whiskey options. A fun experience rather than something that is too serious. Can’t wait to go back. Kudos Chef & your team!

This was probably the best meal I have ever had. It surpassed all the positive things I heard before dining for myself. I highly recommend this to anyone including most of the chefs here in Santa Barbara. The flavor profiles were unique and well thought out. The depth of each bite was truly remarkable.

Wow! This is a must-go-to spot for sushi. The dishes were perfect, the team was amazing, and the house pairing of cocktails and sake was incredible! My absolute favorite was the fatty tuna - it literally melts in your mouth. Enjoy!

Phenomenal! My husband and i went for our anniversary and had the best sushi meal of our life. The staff is wonderful, knowledgeable and welcoming. Each bite got better and better. We were just in awe. This is a must if your a sushi lover.

Worth every dollar. This is not a quick, or cost-conscious, dinner. But if you are looking for the best sushi in the area, as well as an intimate, engaging, and attentive dinner experience, this is the place. The staff was talented, skilled, and knowledgeable. Our seating was full (10 guests), and that still meant only 2 guests for each staff member. I did not once ask for anything, because I never needed to. We added on the house drink pairing to our order, which was very well thought out, and well crafted. All said, including drinks, tax, tip, etc, we walked out the door for about $375 per person. We were offered additional add-ons but there was no pressure to select them. Whether you can afford to make this a regular thing or you need to save up, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Jonah Morales

Amazing experience! My husband and I went here for our anniversary and had the best experience! Each course was fresh and inventive, drinks were EXCELLENT, and the chefs was entertaining and skilled (: Can’t wait to come back!!

Christina Lee

I thoroughly enjoyed this Michelin level omakase experience here. The food, service, and ambiance were unmatched. Valet service was complementary at the Montecito Inn. I went for my birthday and was given an extreme level of attentiveness throughout the service and they even placed a candle in my desert. The sushi was extremely fresh and the flavors exploded in my mouth. The sake pairing provided a matching sake pairing for every 3 courses and was excellent for the price that was paid. Kudos to the entire team from the host, chefs and the bartender. I will definitely be back!

Michael Mcphilomy

Sushi by Scratch offers an intimate, omakase-style dining experience with expertly crafted sushi. Each bite showcases fresh ingredients, creative pairings, and attention to detail. A true culinary treat! Truly amazing Chef. Everyone there is amazing. I've been twice already and will go again soon!

Thaitea

We were so lucky to walk in at the last minute. (I’m always the one who makes decisions at the last second.) If I could rate the atmosphere, I would give it a 10! I traveled back to Santa Barbara all the way from the East Coast. I miss everything here! This place brings back memories of my college days. 🥲🥲 Thank you for hosting the omakase experience for us to celebrate my friend’s belated graduation.

Yana T

The best omakase sushi experience. The sushi chefs are so fun and interactive and make the most delicious sushi. Everything is so fresh and the highest of quality. We have been twice and can’t wait to be back soon.

Saxon Cummins

This was our first time at the Sushi Bar and it didn't disappoint. The sushi was sure of the best we have ever had, and the staff was very friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed 17 servings 16 of sushi and 1 as dessert. At the end they let us revisit any dishes and also explained some off the menu dishes. I would highly recommend this for anyone who is a connoisseur of sushi and would like to experience it in an intimate setting with 10 other people.

Erin Hwang

One of the best sushi I had this year! Very creative but also aligned with highly quality edomae sushi. It has very limited seats, better book ahead.

Sunil Gopal

I was definitely skeptical that the sushi here could be Michelin starred, and boy was I wrong! This was one of the best omakases I have had in a long time and the chefs are very fun to chat with and the place is small enough that the seating seems like a family. The drink pairings are extremely fun in that it mixes beer and wine and cocktails so the meal is exciting from beginning to end. Everyone must come here and try and sushi and drinks!

Logan Ibarra

Review Edit March 2023: My partner and I visited Sushi Bar Montecito for the third time. I want to preface my comments by saying the experience and food is amazing and the staff is fantastic. Drinks are top notch and we are still talking about the Butterfly. With that said, the change in ownership or management is obvious and there has been almost a complete staff turnover. Whoever in management made a rule that I can't purchase the staff a round seems like they don't want their customers or employees to have a good time and want less money from me. I've always known the staff to be nothing short of professional and exceptional at what they do. 100% still worth a visit and the price. -- This was a fantastic experience and an amazing meal. The flavors from start to finish are phenomenal, the rice is perfectly seasoned, and the ingredients are top notch. If you are wondering if it's worth it, the answer is yes. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Sam Miles

Absolutely MIND BLOWING experience. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a feast for kings. Not only was it the best sushi I have ever had in my life (and I make it a priority to try any and all sushi restaurants that I can) but the entire dining experience was top-notch. I will absolutely be back.

Amy “FabulousFoodie”

Had the most amazing omakase experience @sushibyscratchrestaurants in Montecito! This Michelin star 17 course experience was truly magical! From the moment you arrive you are greeted by the host and served a delicious complimentary cocktail (non-alcoholic version was also available and equally delicious!), then given time to mingle with the other guests at this 10 seat restaurant. Each dish served was meticulously prepared and outshined the next, although ALL were uniquely amazing! The intimate setting made for great conversation with the other guests…we all may have arrived as strangers, but were soon sharing stories and making plans to meet again! This was part of the magic of the evening! Highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience authentic Omakase with a modern twist! Also, recommend splurging for the chefs sake pairing to go with your sushi. #sushi #sushilovers #sushibyscratchrestaurants #michelinguide

Erik Lundin

Worth every dollar. This is not a quick, or cost-conscious, dinner. But if you are looking for the best sushi in the area, as well as an intimate, engaging, and attentive dinner experience, this is the place. The staff was talented, skilled, and knowledgeable. Our seating was full (10 guests), and that still meant only 2 guests for each staff member. I did not once ask for anything, because I never needed to. We added on the house drink pairing to our order, which was very well thought out, and well crafted. All said, including drinks, tax, tip, etc, we walked out the door for about $375 per person. We were offered additional add-ons but there was no pressure to select them. Whether you can afford to make this a regular thing or you need to save up, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Chrissy Brown

First time eating omakase, and it was delicious! the attention to detail was surperb! 2 of us had dietary restrictions and they easily accommodated. We did the pairing with sake, some of the best sake I've ever had. I wish there was more time to talk with the chef's and the other 2 that worked there but you are limited to 2 hours. Which seems like a long time but they are so knowledgeable and interesting that I could easily spend 2 more hours talking to them 😃 the sushi selection is some of the best I've ever had!

Alan Pottkotter

Amazing sushi. 17 courses has a Michelin star now and with the house pairing of drinks ($65) except to pay around $200/person. No chopsticks, they give you a warm towel to use to wash your hands between courses. Highly recommend it!

Neal Gemassmer

Fabulous omakase 17 course dinner in Montecito. Super service. Creative Japanese inspired cuisine. Options for saki pairings but also broad wine, cocktail and Japanese whiskey options. A fun experience rather than something that is too serious. Can’t wait to go back. Kudos Chef & your team!

Chris Burns

This was probably the best meal I have ever had. It surpassed all the positive things I heard before dining for myself. I highly recommend this to anyone including most of the chefs here in Santa Barbara. The flavor profiles were unique and well thought out. The depth of each bite was truly remarkable.

Diego Torres-Palma

Wow! This is a must-go-to spot for sushi. The dishes were perfect, the team was amazing, and the house pairing of cocktails and sake was incredible! My absolute favorite was the fatty tuna - it literally melts in your mouth. Enjoy!

My wife and I had dinner here for our anniversary. The staff was excellent in their service from start to finish. All 17 servings we delicious and left us extremely satisfied. One of our highlights from this establishment was our conversations and interactions with the staff. Definitely come if you want to have a memorable experience with both your partner and the staff!

Melrick Ibanez

My wife and I had dinner here for our anniversary. The staff was excellent in their service from start to finish. All 17 servings we delicious and left us extremely satisfied. One of our highlights from this establishment was our conversations and interactions with the staff. Definitely come if you want to have a memorable experience with both your partner and the staff!

Julie H.

We had one night in Santa Barbara and my mom and I were able to get the last reservation here. I love omakase and this one was Michelin rated so I was very excited to dine here. 10/10 experience. All of the nigiri were unique, unexpected and DELICIOUS! The bone marrow unagi was incredible. Highly recommend a visit!

You get there early and start with a cocktail (or a mocktail) in the lobby. You're then welcomed into the restaurant, and you find your name written in chalk (I used a magic eraser to erase mine for privacy). Chefs were welcoming and very professional. Every sushi was good, though I prefer less seasoning. You can check out the photos to see what kind of sushi you get, but I think they change their menus every now and then. The entire setlist was well organized, and some sushi combos were impressive. We went there to celebrate a special day, and we had a great time. But with previous omakase experiences I've had, there were a couple of eyebrow-raising moments. 1) Preparation. Sushi pieces for each course are prepared altogether, and other chefs start their prep perhaps to provide sushi in a streamlined fashion. I would've preferred if each party was catered to separately. There are many chefs working on sushi already, and I would've loved if each chef handled 2-4 customers at a time to pace differently. We were seated right in front of the prep board and got the best view of the performance (sushi-torching and final prep), but some seats seemed a bit too far from the show. 2) Peer pressure. 1) It felt as if getting a drink wasn't optional, because the head chef introduced a drink specialist whose job was to make you cocktails. I personally prefer drinking water when I'm in for a big culinary experience, but everybody was getting a drink, and we didn't want to say no and make the drink specialist not have a job for us. 2) When the course ends, the head chef asks us whether we'd like to try two more sushi courses made by other chefs to give them a chance to shine, with additional charge. Of course you partake in the ritual because you don't wanna not give them a chance and you don't wanna ruin your special day. We were already very full, but nobody was saying no thanks, so we ended up signing up for two additional courses, feeling short-changed. If you're not brave enough to say no to "a chance for other chefs to shine," then expect to pay a lot more than the menu price. We still liked the experience there, and we had a great time. But given that it was once a Michellin 1-star restaurant, I must say I expected a bit more from them. Probably won't revisit.

Will Heo

You get there early and start with a cocktail (or a mocktail) in the lobby. You're then welcomed into the restaurant, and you find your name written in chalk (I used a magic eraser to erase mine for privacy). Chefs were welcoming and very professional. Every sushi was good, though I prefer less seasoning. You can check out the photos to see what kind of sushi you get, but I think they change their menus every now and then. The entire setlist was well organized, and some sushi combos were impressive. We went there to celebrate a special day, and we had a great time. But with previous omakase experiences I've had, there were a couple of eyebrow-raising moments. 1) Preparation. Sushi pieces for each course are prepared altogether, and other chefs start their prep perhaps to provide sushi in a streamlined fashion. I would've preferred if each party was catered to separately. There are many chefs working on sushi already, and I would've loved if each chef handled 2-4 customers at a time to pace differently. We were seated right in front of the prep board and got the best view of the performance (sushi-torching and final prep), but some seats seemed a bit too far from the show. 2) Peer pressure. 1) It felt as if getting a drink wasn't optional, because the head chef introduced a drink specialist whose job was to make you cocktails. I personally prefer drinking water when I'm in for a big culinary experience, but everybody was getting a drink, and we didn't want to say no and make the drink specialist not have a job for us. 2) When the course ends, the head chef asks us whether we'd like to try two more sushi courses made by other chefs to give them a chance to shine, with additional charge. Of course you partake in the ritual because you don't wanna not give them a chance and you don't wanna ruin your special day. We were already very full, but nobody was saying no thanks, so we ended up signing up for two additional courses, feeling short-changed. If you're not brave enough to say no to "a chance for other chefs to shine," then expect to pay a lot more than the menu price. We still liked the experience there, and we had a great time. But given that it was once a Michellin 1-star restaurant, I must say I expected a bit more from them. Probably won't revisit.