Santa Barbara Restaurants
 

Will be in Santa Barbara in April, what are some great restaurants, include any with fabulous views.

There are a lot of good ones, but two stand out. Citronelle has a great view but I was not as impressed as some of the critics - a bit too upscale and busy. The one not to miss is Downey's. This is a small place on State St that reputedly is Julia Childs' favorite restaurant. Fine food, service and an innovative wine list. You should check the Zagat web page. Don't know if they have a separate listing for Santa Barbara of if it's a section of LA but I'm sure it's there somewhere. Have a great time! Dick

Citronell IS fabulous. The view is out over the water, but since you're not facing west (long geography lesson) you won't be seeing much of a sunset - and Dick's right about it being busy at times - I'd recommend lunch there instead. Same incredible food for a few dollars less. Do not miss the chocolate hazelnut bars for dessert. <BR> <BR>Downey's is superb. No view but you won't want to look at anything other than the exquisite food on your plate anyway. <BR> <BR>The Brown Pelican at Hendry's Beach (also called Arroyo Burro Beach)has a limited but very good lunch menu. The restaurant is right on the sand and it's common to see hangliders overhead. <BR> <BR>Have a drink at sunset on the deck of the El Encanto Hotel. <BR> <BR>Order a plate of oysters and enjoy THE best harbor view from Brophy Brother's on the breakwater. <BR> <BR>Julia Child does speak highly of Downey's, but her favorite restaurant is La Superica Taqueria on Milpas Street. Order the Superica Especial any time, and on Mondays and Tuesday, the chile relleno con crema. <BR> <BR>There's the Wine Cask, Meritage . . . how much time do you have here? <BR> <BR>Bon Appetite! <BR> <BR>

We travel to S.B 2-3 times a year, usually with children, so we tend to eat more casually. For some inexpensive casual places: have cinnamin french toast or cinnamin rolls at S.B Cinn. Rolls right on Cabrillo BLVD overlooking ocean. It is a dump but great! Brophy Bros is good. The best place for breakfast is "The Bakery" overlooking the beautiful Court House garden. S.B is casual so keep that in mind. We have not eaten at Downey's or Citronelle (too nice for teenagers), but have heard great things about both. EMail me and tell me what you are looking for and I can give you more ideas. Montecito has many good restaurants too.

Sorry Cindy, the Bakery closed a few months ago. We miss it too. <BR> <BR>That reminds me, you can get a very basic breakfast or just sip your coffee at the Cabrillo Pavilion, (on Cabrillo Blvd, across from the Radisson) downstairs, around the back, on the sand. Another on-the-sand place for breakfast or lunch is the Shoreline Cafe. It's also on Cabrillo Blvd. past the harbor, just below the City College. The food is okay. The setting is lovely. <BR>If you're out in Goleta for some reason (can't think of any unless you're visiting friends or touring the university), the Beachside Bar & Cafe is, as the name implies, on the beach, just off the approach to UCSB. Again, okay food, nice setting. <BR> <BR>If you have the time, think about a day trip up to the Santa Ynez Valley (only 45 minutes over the beautiful San Marcos Pass - Hwy 154) for some great wine tasting. There are also several really, very good restaurants up there. <BR> <BR>What kind(s) of food interest you? We have a zillion restaurants and many are very good, but there are also plenty that are long on views and atmosphere and short on quality. What's important to you? Any budget constraints? How long will you be here? That will help us distinguish the "don't miss this" restaurants from the "if you happen to be strolling by, try this" sort of places. <BR> <BR>And yes, Cindy is right about the attire here. It's almost always "casual day" in Santa Barbara!

I almost forgot, my very favorite place to eat in S.B is "The Palace". New Orleans/cajun & great. Try the coconut shrimp appetizer.

I can't remember the name, but we had a fantastic and cheap breakfast at the restaurant on the pier. It's the first (and possibly only) place on the right-hand side, before you get to the shops at the end of the pier. Great great great sausage & eggs, which I can still almost taste! Try it.

Just a little clarification - there is Stearn's Wharf at the end of State Street and then there is the harbor or breakwater area which is less than a half mile west. Gordon may be talking about either The Harbor Restaurant which is on Stearn's Wharf or The Breakwater Restaurant which is at the harbor. Confusing, eh? <BR> <BR>Other great American-type breakfast (eggs, omelettes, sausages, biscuits, etc.)ideas: The Cajun Kitchen with a restaurant in Goleta, the original place on De la Vina just down from Mission St., and the third and largest location at the corner of De la Vina and Canon Perdido Streets. Good hot Louisiana sausage, chorizo and specials. It's almost always crowded but worth the wait. The waitresses are amazing too. Another local favorite is Esau's which is on lower State Street, just a few doors up from Guttierrez St. Great wheat germ pancakes, eggs, etc. There's also Pavlako's on Milpas St. Good eggs with feta and spinach. It's small and basic but good. <BR> <BR>If you want to spend a couple hours having brunch and you have a big budget and appetite to match, the Sunday brunch at the Biltmore is fabulous. <BR> <BR>So many restaurants, so little time.