Address: State Street
Last Reviewed : 5/96
Price : Medium (2 people = $30)
Style : California Cuisine
The food at Zelo's has changed in the last couple of years from "trendy wierd" to trendy reasonably good. One good feature is the ability to add two items from the following list to the main entree (Rice Pilaf, baked potato, mixed veggies, potato pancake, fettucini alfredo, etc...). The desserts are worth trying. The service was attentive, but it took almost an hour to be served. Perhaps this was because I was ther on a Sunday and there was only 1.5 cooks in the kitchen.
Zelo's is also a hot nightclub with some interesting entertainment in the back.
Address: Santa Barbara St.
Last Reviewed : 5/96
Price : High (2 people = $60-70)
Style : California Cuisine
This is a place you take somebody you want to impress. Reservations are recommended. The food is excellent, with an especially good selection of fish. The last time I was there, I had "escolar", a fish I had never even heard of. The presentation is imaginative; the chef seems to think vertically instead of horizontally. An impressive wine list (almost makes me wish I have developed a taste for wine). Excellent dessert menu. Sometimes I've been here and the food has been good but not great (and for what you are paying, you expect great), but recently, I've never been disappointed. Reservations are recommended unless you want to sit outside.
Address:
Last Reviewed :
Price :
Coast Village Grill
Address: 1279 Coast Village Road, Montecito
Phone : *905) 565-7540
Last Reviewed :2/97
Price :Medium High
Good selection of fish, well prepared. All in all, a very pleasant place to dine.
Address: Upper State
Last Reviewed :9/96
Price :Medium
Italian, and nicely done.
I like Aldo's as a lunch place after a hard day of shopping. Nice outdoor patio dining.
The Brown Pelican
Address:Hendry's Beach
Last Reviewed :4/97
Price :Medium
It's OK for dinner. Nothing special. I prefer this place as a pleasant place to have breakfast on a Sunday morning. Sit outside, read the paper, eat your omlette, etc.. Excellent beachside location. Also, it's a great place to get something to eat after walking your dog on the beach. Hendry's is the "primere" dog walking beach in town.
Address: Goleta Beach (off of Ward Memorial Drive)
Last Reviewed : 4/96
Price : Medium High (2 people no wine = $50)
Nice beachside dining.
They have a newly installed oyster bar if you are into that stuff.
Bistro Med
Address: 1129 State Street
Phone (805) 965-1500
Last Reviewed :10/96
Price :
Finally, a unique restaurant for Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara doesn't need another Italian restaurant, and this isn't it. It's mediterranean, but more towards the Greek/Turkish/Lebanon side of the Sea.
Address:
Last Reviewed :
Price :
Address:
Last Reviewed :2/97
Price : Medium
The traditional place to stop for an after the theatre bite to eat. Good desserts.
Address: Santa Barbara Harbor
Last Reviewed : 6/96
Price : Medium (2 people $30)
Style : Seafood
One of the places to see and be seen by the local sailing community. A bit off the tourist route, it's mostly inhabited by locals. A great place to go after an afternoon on the water.
Great clam chowder, seafood fettucini. Avoid the fried food, it's nothing special. They have NO dessert menu. I can't think of any place to get dessert on that part of town (Sambos?). The best tip is to head to the bar, it's first come-first serve. There may be a 30 minute wait for a table, but often the bar has some vacant seats, and it's the same menu.
Address:
Last Reviewed :1994
Price :High
Address:
Last Reviewed :
Price :
Address:Victoria Plaza off of upper State
Last Reviewed :10/96
Price :Medium
Excellent place for fish (as well as oysters). Unhurried, quiet atmosphere.
The Palace Cafe
Address: 8 East Cota
Phone: (805) 963-5000
Last Reviewed : 10/98
Price :Medium High
The local Cajun place. It's hard to decide what to get at a place like this, so they have a combination platter that has one of everything. That's my recommendation.
Mousse Odille
Address: Cota Street
Last Reviewed : 3/97
Price : Medium. Reasonably priced
Not open for brunch on Sunday. Bummer!
The best French restaurant in Santa Barbara.
Blue Agave
Address: Cota Street
Last Reviewed :4/98
Price : Medium
They don't take reservations.
Currently, one of the "trendy" places in town. I'm not sure what it is trying to be. It looks like what you might get if you combine Cajun with Southwestern and some Italian influences. A very eclectic menu, but it's good.
Address:
Last Reviewed : 1996
Price : Medium
Southwestern Restaurant. I prefer it to Left from Alberquerque. Zia Cafe has the best sopipias (sp) I've ever had. If you want blue corn anything, this is the place to come. Not much on desserts unless you like flan.
The Rainbow Cafe
Address:
Last Reviewed :4/97
Price :reasonable
Nice place for breakfast on upper, upper State street. Good service, fast kitchen, nothing fancy.
Address: Stagecoach Road off of Hwy 154 (San Marcos Pass)
Phone : (805) 967-0066
Last Reviewed : 4/96
Price : Medium High (2 people, no wine = $50)
Style : California Cuisine
A REAL out of the way place. Probably Santa Barbara's oldest restaurant, it actually was a stagecoach stop in the 1800's, and it has retained much of the look (from what I hear, I personally don't remember). Fortunately, it has not retained the original menu. The food is good, and usually has a lot of "meat" dishes. Last time I was there, the fish choices were a bit slim (salmon and shrimp/pasta). Service can be a bit slow, Good dessert menu. Reservations are recommended.
No view - if you want a view, go to the El Encanto. If you haven't been to the Cold Spring Tavern before, give yourself plenty of time to get lost. Drive slow, the San Marcos Pass is the most dangerous road in the area. We're talking high speed, oncoming traffic, down a steep winding mountain road with no center lane divider. Get the picture? And it's even worse if a car hits you instead of a mountain biker.
The Brown Pelican
Cajun Kitchen
Rainbow Cafe
Esau's