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Best Casual Restaurants in Montecito

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22 restaurants available nearby

A photo of Lilac Montecito restaurant
4.7
Exceptional(144)
Price: Expensive
• Contemporary European • Montecito
Booked 8 times today
Welcome to Lilac Montecito. We offer an elevated bistro dining experience featuring some of our favorite foods that nourish the body and soul in a full-service dining ambiance. Our menu is inspired by European and Californian cuisine as well as locally-sourced ingredients for a fresh, delicious take on some classic entrees. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
A photo of Tre Lune restaurant
4.8
Exceptional(1993)
Price: Expensive
• Italian • Montecito
Booked 37 times today
"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.
A photo of Convivo restaurant
4.7
Exceptional(2132)
Price: Expensive
• Italian • Santa Barbara
Booked 40 times today
Convivo is a Santa Barbara restaurant and bar with an Italian soul. Chef-Owner Peter McNee's food is best described as ‘Nomad Italian’. It strays from the standard or traditional Italian, sourcing inspiration from many other cultures’ cooking but its soul is thoroughly Italian. The ever-changing menu includes small plates, housemade pasta, wood-fired pizza, rotisserie chicken, fresh seafood and steaks served family-style. McNee’s all-star supplier network provides the freshest produce and local seafood the region is famous for. Inspired by the bounty of the sea, the lush farms and abundant vineyards nearby and the cooking methods of Italy, Convivo is a festive gathering place for locals and visitors alike inside the newly-restored Santa Barbara Inn.
A photo of Holdren's Santa Barbara restaurant
4.5
Awesome(985)
Price: Expensive
• Steakhouse • Santa Barbara
Booked 23 times today
Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood, located on State Street, serves up a delicious and diverse menu of seafood and steaks, where the portions are always generous and the prices always reasonable. Our surf and turf menu, including our favorite bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp or our USDA prime steaks that are charbroiled over a mesquite grill, is complimented by an extensive wine list, a healthy assortment of premium spirits, and a selection of signature drinks. Daily meals can be enjoyed in our cozy, and dark saloon-inspired dining room, or on our outdoor patio. The indoor dining room is adorned with brown leather booths, dark wood paneling, and funky artwork lining the exposed brick walls. Holdren’s has been voted as the best steakhouse multiple times by the Santa Barbara Independent’s Reader’s Poll and by the Santa Barbara News Press’ Reader’s Choice Awards.
A photo of Barbareño restaurant
4.8
Exceptional(1880)
Price: Expensive
• Californian • Santa Barbara
Booked 24 times today
At Barbareño we seek to help further shape and define Central Coast cuisine. We take our inspiration from traditions and specialties of our area, delicacies unique to our region, and the many outstanding purveyors with whom we are so fortunate to work. In all of our efforts, we hope to capture the essence of a particular place or local flavor, embracing the nuances that make our food and drink unique to our home.
A photo of Secret Bao restaurant
4.8
Exceptional(675)
Price: Expensive
• Asian • Santa Barbara
Booked 22 times today
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
A photo of The Harbor Restaurant restaurant
3.6
Very Good(29)
Price: Expensive
• Seafood • Santa Barbara
Booked 6 times today
International Coastal Cuisine with Local Ingredients. Located on Santa Barbara's famous Stearns Wharf, the Harbor Restaurant is a 12,850-square-foot establishment on two floors that can seat 500 guests. Valet parking is available during dinner service. The restaurant features upstairs casual dining with an outdoor ocean view patio while the downstairs features a proper bar with craft cocktails, an exceptional dining room with international dishes featuring local ingredients, and two private event spaces including an 80+ person room and a private dining room for 20 guests.
A photo of Blackbird restaurant
4.1
Excellent(166)
Price: Expensive
• Californian • Santa Barbara
Booked 11 times today
A mainstay of the Funk Zone, Blackbird offers a beverage-forward atmosphere featuring inventive cocktails by legendary mixologist Devon Espinosa alongside a thoughtfully curated menu that pays homage to the culinary bounty of the Central Coast. Enjoy an extensive list of local wine and craft beer that highlights the terroir of the region and pairs seamlessly with our iconoclastic take on local, sustainable cuisine. With its striking brass fixtures and black box-like aesthetic, Blackbird upends the conventional upscale dining experience in Santa Barbara and offers a subtle nod to Alfred Hitchcock’s haunting, yet timeless thrillers. Here guests are offered a pulse on contemporary Santa Barbara.
A photo of Opal Restaurant & Bar restaurant
4.8
Exceptional(1759)
Price: Expensive
• Californian • Santa Barbara
Booked 32 times today
We have inside and limited outdoor sidewalk dining. If you prefer to sit outside, please indicate that with your reservation request. To accommodate our second seating, early parties should plan for a maximum stay of 1.5 to 2hrs, depending on party size. Please call 805 966 9676 for more details. A popular local’s favorite, opal restaurant & bar’s Eclectic California Cuisine fuses creative world cuisine influences with American Regional touches, from a 14 oz. Herb-Grilled Ribeye Steak on Tuscan White Beans, to Fresh Pan-Seared Fish & Seafood, Homemade Pastas, Gourmet Pizzas, fresh Baked Breads, imaginative Salads, & Homemade Desserts. We have a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list, & a full bar with seasonal Craft Cocktails. Our entire dining room staff assists to take care of each table, enabling exceptional service in a warm engaging manner, properly nuanced to your mood & taste. Our staff genuinely cares about giving you the best possible experience!
A photo of Intermezzo By Wine Cask restaurant
4.7
Exceptional(1783)
Price: Expensive
• Californian • Santa Barbara
Booked 6 times today
Intermezzo by Wine Cask New Menu by Executive Chef Mossin SugichModern American cuisine with a Mediterranean twist

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you
From verified diners like you
  • Niall
    Los Angeles •2 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 1 day ago
    The staff was amazing! Super attentive. Our server was awesome. She kept checking on us and made sure everything was good and if we needed anything. I’m definitely coming back.
    More info
    Holdren's Santa BarbaraPrice: Expensive• Steakhouse• Santa Barbara
    4.5
  • Jason
    Portland / Oregon •16 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 3 days ago
    Our first visit to Lilac as former California residents in Santa Barbara on vacation. Excellent service, clearly well trained and highly focused on delivering exceptional dining. Our wait staff team provided great suggestions and was attentive without being invasive. The food was excellent all around, high quality, classically prepared, and delivered on all fronts. Ambiance was perfect, understated, lively jazz, and dinner appropriate lighting. A perfect date night end to our quick vacation.
    More info
    Lilac MontecitoPrice: Expensive• Contemporary European• Montecito
    4.7
  • PeterVIP
    Los Angeles •305 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 4 days ago
    One of the best Italian restaurants in the central coast vicinity. Highly recommended and reservations a must. The best eggplant parmesan and one of made like cannoli instead of slices. Not on the menu, but made to order is the best carbonara Italiano around.
    More info
    Tre LunePrice: Expensive• Italian• Montecito
    4.8
  • ClaireVIP
    Los Angeles •17 reviews
    5.0
    Dined 5 days ago
    It was my second time dining at Convivo . We sat outside on the patio, which I highly recommend. You can see the ocean across the street with the Christmas lights it was very festive It was a continuous celebration for our anniversary. Our waiter was fabulous. He was extremely attentive and very friendly and professional. The food was absolutely delicious. I had their flatbread pizza which was super yummy and my husband had the steak which was delicious.  I will say that the inside of the restaurant has a little bit to be desired in atmosphere, but if you’re looking for extremely good food and wonderful service, we had that !!!! Sit on the patio ;-) 
    More info
    ConvivoPrice: Expensive• Italian• Santa Barbara
    4.7
  • Brian
    California Central Coast •2 reviews
    5.0
    Dined on Dec 14, 2024
    The highlight of our meal was the lamb Al pastor with fermented corn flatbread. Flavors on point. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable in food and beverage. Very attentive to our table. Excellent atmosphere! Will be back!
    More info
    BarbareñoPrice: Expensive• Californian• Santa Barbara
    4.8
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