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Lilac Montecito, Santa Barbara, CA

Lilac Montecito

4.6
4.6
169 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary European

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today
  • Gluten-free-friendly
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming

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

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary European, Contemporary American, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 845-2457
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Gillian Muralles
  • Neighborhood
    Montecito
  • Cross street
    Middle Road
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    MTD Line 14 - Montecito
  • Additional
    Beer, Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 169 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for brunch

  • Santa Barbara

    Kid-friendly

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Lilac Montecito offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food, service, and ambience." Known for its entirely gluten-free menu, it caters to diverse palates with dishes like branzino and cauliflower, which are "a delight." The "charming and delightful" atmosphere and "attentive" service make it a standout choice.

169 Reviews
  1. Robert

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    My wife and I very much enjoyed our dinner at Lilac. We tried the sparkling non-alcoholic reisling wine, and it was very good. We shared the cauliflower as an appetizer, and both enjoyed the branzino for our main course. We substituted broccolini for the potatoes, and it was excellent. We shared the warm cookie and gelato for dessert. It was good, but not as great as I expected. Overall, a nice evening out and a great meal. We will return.

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  2. Ajda

    VIP

    San Francisco

    35 reviews

    2.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Mediocre food swrved in a pretty fresh ambience, too bad food wasn’t anything special, not even basic good, just meh. Chocolate cake was bad.

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  3. Melissa

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing! The food, service, and ambience. My favorite restaurant (along with their Patisserie in downtown SB). Their menu has something for everyone, and the staff is very welcoming and attentive. It’s heaven if you’re gluten free, and a delicious experience if you’re not.

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  4. Jamie

    VIP

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    We really wanted to love this place and for the most part we enjoyed our meal, I think they might have been having an off night. Or maybe they were understaffed… our server just seemed annoyed all night but I think he was the only server. The food was great and we had the BEST bottle of wine. But at the end of our meal the staff started setting up the tables around us for breakfast the next day and it was just kind of odd… my husband and I were trying to have a romantic dinner and during dessert they were putting ketchup and hot sauce on the tables next to us. We laughed about it but I could see other people really not liking that. We will give them another chance for sure though.

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  5. Carey

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went here for our anniversary lunch and it was lovely. Excellent, attentive service and delicious food.

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  6. Robby

    Central Coast

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Didn’t know it was a gluten free restaurant! Everything lacked flavor.😒

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  7. Sarah

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such a beautiful restaurant with a great menu. I went to Lilac as a celiac with my 4 friends for dinner. They all loved it! They could not stop raving about how great it is! Will for sure be returning ♥️

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  8. Rachel

    VIP

    Central Coast

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I wish I liked the food better at Lilac. I like the concept. The space is bright and cheerful. Unfortunately the food is totally uninspired. Mine was truly boring, and not very hot. My sister was with me and she thought her food was a B- at best. I'm not going to go back.

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  9. leslie

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We are locals and so enjoy Lilac Montecito. We have enjoyed Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner and have never been disappointment. The food is very good. The service is excellent, and the ambiance is lovely.

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  10. Heath

    VIP

    Orange County

    24 reviews

    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on January 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We so enjoyed our dinner at Lilac! We were warmly greeted and had very attentive wait staff. The dishes we chose Branzino and Pasta were both well prepared and delicious! My only comment is that our gems salad dressing could have had a bit more acid. Overall we were very pleased with our dinner experience!

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FAQs

Lilac Montecito offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (805) 845-2457.

Lilac Montecito is rated 4.6 stars by 169 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Lilac Montecito

1209 Coast Village Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108-2718

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Middle Road
  • Neighborhood
    Montecito
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary European, Contemporary American, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    MTD Line 14 - Montecito
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Gillian Muralles
  • Additional
    Beer, Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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