Inside the dreamlike Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel, Japanese-trained chef Scott Yonamine prepares a menu highlighting seafood from the Santa Barbara coast and the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. The stunning dining room is modern and intimate with a $185 per person omakase or select a la carte dishes like the sake kasu marinated black cod fished from local waters. The Oubaitori cocktail is a superstar martini with Haku Vodka, dry vermouth, plum, lychee, and chamomile.

For the past 16 years, Warner Ebbink and chef Brandon Boudet have put their full effort into Little Dom’s in Los Feliz, later expanding to Little Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria in 2020. With Bar Lou, they’ve taken a thoughtful detour from their casual Italian menu into a full-on Mediterranean coastal approach in Montecito, with Boudet’s roasted carrots, crab cakes, meat-and-cheese platters, spaghettini with Santa Barbara sea urchin, and a steak au poivre with crispy fries.

Even though Bettina is adjacent to the 101 Freeway, it’s an oasis with a bright dining room, communal patio (its pale pink tables veritably demand to be photographed), and some of the best wood-fired pizzas in all of Central and Southern California. Also on the menu are local wines, ricotta cavatelli, creamy tomato soup, hard-to-pass-up supplí, and whipped ricotta on focaccia; gluten-sensitive diners can order their pies on a crispy gluten-free crust. Locals are patiently awaiting Bettina’s second Carpinteria location, which, hopefully, will open in 2025.

Taqueria El Bajio has been operating for more than 20 years near Downtown Santa Barbara. This unfussy spot isn’t as busy as the historic La Super-Rica, but the quesadilla adobada with shredded pork, cheese, onions, and cilantro makes this restaurant as essential a stop on any Santa Barbara food tour. The no-frills interior includes a few tables with plastic lawn chairs flanking them; the place makes for great takeout if you have plans to picnic elsewhere.

It might be tempting to take away Buena Onda’s freshly made Argentine empanadas to-go, but consider sitting in the charming outdoor dining area. A dozen empanadas can easily feed a group with compelling flavors like the Caprese empanada stuffed with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. The traditional version with Sunfed Ranch ground beef with onions, bell peppers, olive oil, and boiled egg is always a top choice. Check to see if live music is on the schedule, order some wine, and settle in.

Flor de Maiz, a casually elegant Latin diasporic restaurant, has a varied menu that caters to all sorts of dinner occasions. Here, esquites come in a small cast-iron skillet with zig-zags of Tajín aioli; different moles manifest in dishes with tender halibut, grilled chicken, or, more unexpectedly, burrata; ceviches run the gamut, from ahi tuna to octopus. The breezy dining room is reminiscent of somewhere coastal in the Yucatán peninsula, and the spot is versatile enough that it can serve for date night, friend get-togethers, and family dinners.

There’s no lack of great breakfast burritos options in Santa Barbara, but one of the best in town can be found at an unassuming Mexican spot, Lito’s, a few blocks away from the busy strip of Downtown. The small daytime only restaurant offers breakfast burritos of practically every variety, stuffed with ingredients like eggs, nopales, potatoes, beans, machaca, and more. Diners can try practically any ingredient combination in their burrito, making the options almost endless; a tender warm tortilla holds it all together without being too heavy. If a breakfast burrito isn’t on the agenda, Lito’s also serves things like taquitos and classic Mexican combination plates with carne asada.

This fun outdoor dining destination in Santa Barbara’s booming Funk Zone district offers pizzas, salads, and good vibrations in equal measure. Its wood-fired pies come with blistered Neapolitan-style crusts and toppings like aged prosciutto, broccolini, Parmesan-flecked arugula, or confit garlic. Add one of its salads (the chopped Italian or chicory Caesar will do), the spicy pork meatballs, and a glass of frosé to make for an afternoon with friends or family that encourages the group to linger.

Loquita, a deeply chic Spanish restaurant converging at the corner of State Street and East Yanonali, makes for an ideal dinner night out in Santa Barbara. Expect a memorable first bite from its olives a la El Bulli, a riff on the famous El Bulli liquid olive that bursts in the mouth like an overfilled water balloon. Diners should also try the croquetas de jamon, a shaggy fritter encasing bubbling melted cheese and Ibérico ham; the tortilla Española, a potato, leek, and egg omelet that is much more than meets the eye; and, most importantly, one of its paellas — the mariscos paella comes stained with squid ink and pocked with bay scallops, grilled prawns, and mussels.

A view of the Pacific while dining is a must in Santa Barbara, and Chad’s is ideally located overlooking the Santa Barbara waterfront. Operated by the founder’s grandson, Chad Stevens, classic cafe dishes are plentiful with options like omelets (try the Santa Barbara with avocado, bacon, cheddar, and pico de gallo), chicken fried steak, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, pancakes (gluten-free stacks are available), club sandwiches, and Cobb salads. Santa Barbara Roasting Company provides the coffee beans, though adults can enjoy micheladas or bloody marys.

Dusk, a vibey restaurant and bar at the Drift hotel, offers stellar drinks and bar snacks that can be enjoyed from early evening into the later hours of the night. The menu leans Mexican, with dishes like salsa-negra-drenched shrimp aguachile, Baja oysters, and a lip-puckering halibut ceviche served with crisp tostada chips; drinks include inventive house cocktails, classic margaritas, and curated tequila and mezcal flights. Visit its next-door sister restaurant Dawn in the morning for top-tier espresso drinks, pastries, and breakfast toasts.

Prepare to be entranced by Lokum, a Turkish cafe on a pedestrian-friendly section of State Street. The walk is especially nice on Tuesdays between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. when farmers market vendors line the street. For a quick hit of caffeine, try a strong Turkish coffee or tea in the rear area of the beautifully lit shop. Admire the massive Turkish delight display case before picking up the jelly confections made with ingredients like rosewater, orange, dried fruit, and nuts. (Lokum caters to the vegan crowd with options that omit gelatin.) The shop’s baklava (sticky, crispy, honey-filled phyllo pastries) should be eaten fresh.

Santa Barbara’s pandemic pop-up opened in a permanent space near the Santa Barbara Public Library in 2021 and remains a local favorite. Chefs Peter Lee and Felicia Medina sling Chinese pork belly or K.F.C.-inspired bao, honey walnut shrimp, udon carbonara, and a delectable bread milk ice cream doughnut for all to savor; the vegetable-packed bibimbap and kung pao cauliflower are also worth an order. Lunch and dinner service have slightly different offerings, so make sure to try the restaurant at different times of day if you want to sample it all.

In July 2024, Bibi Ji reopened near the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara’s Arts District. The wonderfully pink dining room now seats double what it used to and serves owner Alejandro Medina’s modern Indian menu, plus a new four-seat chef’s counter for Bibi Ji’s rotating tasting menu. Bibi Ji’s standouts remain on the menu including the dal makhani lentils, barra lamb chop, and tandoori chicken. Sample it all in the modern, pink-painted dining room cast in a neon light from its indoor signs.

For an easy Mediterranean-ish lunch, brunch, or dinner, head to the Daisy on the far side of State Street. Here, diners will find dishes like falafel served with olive-oil-pooled hummus and herby zhoug; lemony chickpea sandwiches with avocado and tahini harissa dressing; mezze plates, fish plates, salads, and toasts; and dinner fare like lamb and beef kofta or a smoked half chicken with a black lentil-feta-tomato salad, zhoug, and tomatillo sauce. The bright, minimalist dining room is conducive to solo meals or a spread to share with the family.

This bustling market on West Victoria Street offers the ability to crawl several of Santa Barbara’s best food purveyors, including the Michelin-recognized Corazón from chef Ramon Velazquez, known for its tacos, quesadillas, and homemade salsas and tortillas. Other stands in the market include Big T’s Deli (go for the pastrami), ice cream specialist Rori’s Creamery, Little Bird (for fried chicken sandwiches and burgers), Three Monkeys (find tangy, regional Thai favorites) and Cooney’s at the Market (for flights of beer to wash it all down). The list doesn’t end there, so leave time to make the rounds and try a little of everything.

This relative newcomer in Goleta serves up stacked fried chicken sandwiches, fountain drinks, and crowd-pleasing sides. Try the Korean Nashville Hot for a fried chicken sandwich punched up by gochujang sauce and a cilantro-and-kimchi aioli; the Georgia Peach biscuit sandwich comes drizzled with hot honey and topped with caramelized peaches. Sides include fried macaroni and cheese balls, buttermilk biscuits, fries, and salads (the latter of which, yes, can also be crowned with fried chicken). Finish with one of its nostalgic desserts like the ice cream cookie sandwich, dipped in chocolate ganache, and banana pudding packed with classic vanilla wafers.

When in Santa Barbara, always plan a drive through the San Marcos Pass. It’s one of three passages through the expansive Santa Ynez Mountains with a perfect stop to break up the drive at Cold Spring Tavern. It’s a former stagecoach stop that’s been serving food since 1865. Bikers and wine country aficionados dine at picnic tables and admire the vintage wagon wheels hanging from the walls. Order the beer-battered onion rings, tri-tip sandwich, wild game black bean chili, baby back pork ribs, or the behemoth buffalo burger.

This Isla Vista mainstay is beloved by students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, some of whom make special stops in to visit even years after graduating. The menu is filled with imaginative bagel sandwiches, which can be served open-face style as halves or stacked in the traditional form. Classic orders include the Hampton, topped with cream cheese, lox, slivers of red onion, tomato, and lemon pepper; the Eggle Plus, Bagel Cafe’s version of a bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich; and the International, a do-it-all sandwich with turkey, avocado, pesto, tomato, and Bibb lettuce on diner’s choice of bagel. Wash it all down with an espresso drink, orange juice, or organic lemonade.