Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA TRAVEL GUIDE
Welcome to my Bite Sized Travel Guides series. What exactly is a Bite Sized Travel Guide, you ask? Well, it’s essentially a short and sweet travel guide, a summarized version of where to eat, where to stay, what to do and quick tips, my favorite “bites” of a destination, if you will. Because sometimes I haven’t spent enough time in a location, or don’t know it well enough, or don’t have enough professional photos from somewhere, to qualify for a full blown travel guide, but I still want to share the spots I do know, love and recommend, as well as ones I have bookmarked for future visits, in a simple, minimal and easy to digest format with small tips and tidbits as well as any relevant and correlating blog posts and links. The Bite Sized Travel Guides are perfect for someone just looking for quick recommendations, and not wanting to scroll through a whole guide and paragraph after paragraph just to find a spot for dinner. The Bite Sized Travel Guides will also be added to and refreshed anytime I re-visit the featured location and have something new to add. I hope you’ll find these bite-sized bites of a destination just as tasty as I do!
Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places in California, and for good reason. The location and beaches are dreamy, the architecture is beautiful and just so classically Californian and the food and wine is incredible. Plus, the location makes it perfect for a day trip or weekend getaway from LA. I mean, need I really say more?!
COFFEE
New to SB, and quickly becoming a favorite for me, is Dawn, located at the front of Drift Hotels; delicious coffee, beautiful aesthetics, not much room to sit but very accessible and easy for grab and go bevs; I also like Dune and Handlebar Coffee
Helena Avenue Bakery
biscuit breakfast sandwich and cinnamon rolls for the win
Oat Bakery
the hygge buns are an absolute must and their breads are delicious, too (we tried the cherry brie bread and wow! just incredible!)
The Lark
a must stop; I’ve only been for brunch but it was so yummy and I can’t wait to go back for dinner! Get the yogurt bowl, shakshuka and a pitcher of cocktails for sure! Also, a great spot for groups!
Sama Sama
an Asian fusion spot with cool vibes and yummy food; don’t sleep on their signature chicken wings and crispy rice salad and their signature Jamu margarita is a must {swap the tequila for mezcal and it’s even better!}, but they have so many other great cocktails on their menu, too (esp. if you’re a mezcal fan, like me!). Also, as an FYI, they have a happy hour!
LUCKY PENNY
one of our go-to spots in Santa Barbara; the pizza is delicious and it’s great to grab-and-go either to take to the beach or if we need a bite to eat on our way home after a day trip to SB
Potek Winery
One of my favorite spots in the area; the wines are amazing and the setting is beautiful and perfect for a little day drinking sesh in the sun! I also like coming here because you can get all of Municipal’s wines, not just their Potek label, plus they share the space with Third Window Brewing, which is great if you’re with a group and maybe some people want beer and some want wine. Plus, Third Window has their kitchen so you can enjoy some yummy food, no matter what you’re drinking. FYI, if you visit Thur-Sun the smash burger is 1000% a must! Like I have dreams about it because it’s just that good! But their pizzas, chicken sandwich and shawarma all look incredible, too!
TEST PILOT
Such a fun spot in SB; a tiki bar with great drinks and a fun atmosphere, come for a pre-dinner bev or late night drinks
Pali WinE Co.
Another favorite spot to grab a glass of wine (or do a wine tasting); everyone that works here is so friendly and I love that they typically have live music on the weekends, too! I also love that they have a wine for everyone’s taste preference, from more classic reds and whites to natural wines (The spooky juice is a fave!) to orange wines to chilled reds and sparkling wines and even mulled wine in the winter (pictured above, from our last visit there), the assortment is really outstanding! Just as an FYI, it can get pretty booked up on Saturdays, especially during the summer, but they do take reservations so I highly recommend making one if you’re planning to go on a weekend, especially with a group!
Boathouse
a perfect spot for happy hour as they have a great happy hour menu and you can’t beat their location right on the beach; just be sure to make a reservation for the deck and/or get there early; also parking can be limited so you may want to Uber there {esp. if you’re drinking, obvs!}
McConnell’s
while you can now get McConnell’s in other spots of California, it’s still fun to go to their ice-cream shop here since they started in Santa Barbara, plus, their ice-cream is delicious! FYI, there are a few locations around town, but I’ve only been to the one in the Funk Zone
Cold Spring Tavern
while this spot is a bit of a drive outside the city limits, making the trek to this mountainside tavern is definitely worth it. you can come for lunch, dinner and/or drinks in the bar (which is next door and, as an FYI, has live music on the weekends) and they also are grilling up the tastiest tri-tip steak sandwiches outside; especially love this spot in the fall and winter months because it’s so cozy
FUNK ZONE
great spot for day or night, lots of restaurants, places to grab drinks, shopping, etc.
VISIT THE BEACHES
Butterfly Beach and Arroyo Burro Beach {where The Boathouse is located}
pop into Parker Clay
Santa Barbara is their home base, and of course, one of my favorite brands doing some incredible things so I highly recommend popping into their shop so you can see their incredible products IRL! P.S. You can always use my code ALYSSAP15 to get 15% off anything that might be catching your eye!
Kimpton Canary
Most of the times I’ve been to Santa Barbara have actually only been for day trips so we’ve only ever stayed at this hotel. It’s a good location to be if you want to be central and be able to walk to all the things. The rooftop is lovely and has a pool, food is great, and service is great and, of course, the architecture is beautiful. One caveat- it’s located across from the fire department so depending on your room, it may or may not be an issue, and is just something to keep in mind.
ON MY LIST TO STAY // El Encanto, Four Seasons Biltmore, Pali House, Hotel Californian