Bought a bunch of masks from here, $1 each. They have so many action figures, plushies, snacks, etc.read more

Love, love, love this store! There's everything anime, from plushies to posters. Little stuffs that…read moreyou can't find most places line the shelves, it's fun to browse. I found a few plushies from Mario Bros, from gudetama and even Studio Ghibli. I saw cute dog key covers, pens/pencils/erasers and even a bath squishy that lights up. Hmmm, there are Japanese bowls/chopsticks as well as mugs for tea. You'll just have to come in yourself. The employee working that day was really helpful too. Check it out when you come to the Paseo!

One of my favorite stops in Santa Barbara. The chocolate was made beautifully and delicious! I…read morebrought home the Jasmine Caramel flower and Jade Oolong buddha. My friends loved it. The staff were also very friendly. They also have drinking chocolate.

This is a special chocolate shop. It's small but brings in the world of chocolate. There's all…read moretypes represented from all over. Dark, milk, truffles, ganache (my gosh good) etc. each piece I tried was full of flavor. They also have chocolate bars and sipping chocolate. And they even featured hand painted greeting cards by a local artist! Lovely. Whenever I was in SB I tried to swing by because Chocolate Maya is a neat place to pick up a chocolate treat!

Decided to check out the wharf on my last day in Santa Barbara. This place seemed inviting, so…read moreventured in. Due to the weather, the store was empty, with maybe 1 or 2 other people coming in/out during my visit. I liked the vintage candy selections and the salt water taffy was nostalgic. I indulged with an assorted bag. I also picked up a few other childhood favorites as well. The taffy pieces were hit/miss. Some too hard, some too soft, some just right. The vintage candy items I bought were fine. At the check out counter, my taffy bag was tied off and all candy placed in a cute bag for my drive home.

Omgeee!!! This place was super cute and the gentleman there made the whole experience amazing!!!…read more First time here! Small, cute little spot to get your sweet tooth going. The service was great by the gentleman, which I truly feel bad because I should have asked for his name. His energy was the best and smiling at all times. As I was walking out I saw a cute little turtle plush with a cute orange hoodie and instantly stopped to purchase. Again, the gentleman with a big smile took care of me one more time. Definitely will return but only because I loved his energy.

There isn't much that can be said about this establishment that hasn't already been said, but after…read moreour last visit to the area, I had been anxiously waiting for the chance to return. The chocolate here is absolutely delicious, but the caramel, in my opinion, is on another level altogether. It's the kind of thing that makes you slow down and appreciate every bite. The shop's warm, inviting atmosphere adds to the experience, and the incredible smell that hits you when you walk in is almost impossible to resist. Thanks again for the continued dedication to your craft. It truly shows in every bite, and we're already looking forward to our next visit!

I do love my dark chocolates, whether it's Trader Joe's many varieties or local places that make…read morethe more "exotic" ones with creative flavors. I kind of stumbled in here to be honest (I was looking for coffee, but I'm a little spacey at times and popped in here), but once I saw what it was (fancy dark chocolates), I decided "why not!" and ordered a small box of 4. They're $4/each, which is pricey, but not out of line for this type of thing. But having tasted several really nice examples (Recchiuti, Deux Cranes, Fleur de Cocoa, Alexander's), this didn't really measure up to those. Granted, I only tried 2 flavors myself, but they either barely tasted of the intended flavor or they didn't have the depth of flavor I was used to. It's very possible that I didn't sample enough flavors or just didn't take to the couple I tried, but I was honestly expecting better. Nice friendly lady who helped me though, and it's a nice looking shop.

Menchaca Chocolates is truly a chocolate lover's dream. A hidden gem located at the Mercado on…read moreupper state. From rich dark chocolate to creamy oat milk and white chocolate, Menchaca Chocolates crafts every bite with care. They also offer sampler boxes. On my visit, I picked up the chocolate covered spicy mangos. Who knew dark chocolate covered mangos would be so addictive. Highly recommend! The habanero sea salt is what gives it a little kick, but it's not too spicy where it burns your mouth. I also bought a chocolate bar covered in toffee. They offer chocolate and art workshops; where you can emerse your senses in cacao beans grinding, nibs roasting, fluid chocolate hardening, and create your own chocolate bar! The choices of chocolate are dark, oat milk and white chocolate. With over 40 toppings to choose from and customize your own chocolate bar. I'm looking forward to taking a class here soon!

I think my biggest issue here was just in the way the chocolate workshop is described as a "make…read moreyour own chocolate bar." I've done chocolate workshops where we literally got cacao beans from bods, roasted and dried them, them mixed with other ingredients to make chocolate, this is not that. This is really an arts and crafts project where you just happen to take home some chocolate at the end. That being said, the chocolate base is quite good, from the dark chocolate (which I normally don't like), through the milk chocolate, and the white chocolate. Each of the base is already made, then they give you a ton of toppings to customize your own bar. I will say I wish they would have suggested us to push in the topping a bit more into the mold, as much of the toppings came off when we ate them later. After this 10 min process of customizing your bar, the rest of the time is spent just decorating your box. They do have an extensive collection of art materials, it was just a bit of a let down that it felt like 90% crafts. Beyond that, the service could have been better. It was very stand off-ish. We ended up decorating our box for what felt like an hr cause no one came to tell us our chocolate was ready. And it just really felt like we had no idea what was going on throughout the process. Staff was nice, just not very informative.

Julian came over and delivered an epic sushi feast! Some roles, specialties, followed by nigiri…read moresushi and a ginger/cucumber shiitake salad, it was a wonderful way to celebrate turning 50! 14 of us ladies, he brought out each platter as it was freshly made. He can alter the menu based on your needs and budget, Highly recommend!

What an incredible experience. Chef Julian is a true professional. I cannot recommend it highly…read moreenough!

I live in Santa Barbara, planning an out-of-town trip, and was looking for gift for a host at…read morewhose home I would be spending a couple of nights. Viva Oliva was perfect. A small, local company, they offer a large variety of very reasonably priced gift choices. The sales associate was very friendly and helpful. (I chose a beautiful gift box of gourmet olive oil/vinegar pairings.)

I absolutely adore this shop!! The vibe is very charming, intimate, and warm. I have never seen so…read moremany different infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars before. I really appreciate that you can taste the products. I found so many I loved and tasting the notes helped me better envision what I could use each one for and how it fit into my cooking style. I also like how they offer each product in two sizes. The people here are so warm, friendly, and knowledgeable as well. They were so ready to help and give information about their store and their products.

The store was clean and organized, and the gals working this morning were so kind! I let them know…read morethat my relationship had just ended and I needed a chocolate pick-me-up (rough morning). They were so sweet and helpful, and even gave me a couple extra samples! The chocolates are as delicious as always (I'm eating them as I write this) and I'm so grateful for the employees' kindness with me. It made my day so much better and I really appreciated it.

See's has been a part of my family's holidays and birthdays for decades,over 50 years! We keep the…read moretradition of sharing See's alive and have to say the quality remains outstanding.We all know the cost is a far cry from way back in the day when it was 12 dollars a pound so now it is not as common of a splurge as it used to be. But I will always spend over 30 dollars for a can of my 94 yr old mom's favorite almond royals! Staff does a great job and I appreciate the ladies who have been there so long.I have to add Please don't let us down by not offering a sample.It is a special part of the See's experience and during Christmas some staff weren't offering a sample but of course did when asked.That might sound like a silly complaint, but as the prices keep going up those little details do count.

Cute little trinket store attached to the candy shop. Get your taffy and your friends (or yourself)…read morea gift too! Lots of options for everyone.

Fun spot for your Santa Barbara souvenirs. If you're looking for stickers they have some cool Santa…read moreBarbara stickers. Worth checking out!