The Good Lion is my go to whenever I'm downtown. They always nail it when it comes to creative…read morecocktails. I especially love the names they come up with for each drink. The environment is casual, with indoor and outdoor seating. I love to people watch here! Located next to the Granada and the perfect spot to grab a few drinks before a show. Happy hour is Monday - Friday from 4-6pm and offers a small menu of $9 cocktails. Sometimes it gets pretty crowded depending on what events are happening downtown. My only gripe is that I wish they had two bartenders during the busier nights. They could be short staffed though. Nonetheless, it's still a great spot for good quality cocktails.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Cool artsy bar with great cocktails…read more We were looking for a place to wet our whistles before dinner and this place looked promising. Located right next to the Granada Theater on the main drag, it looked to have undergone recent renovations and had a very chill but stylish ambiance. There was plenty of seating on a Wednesday night, and our bartender was a friendly young woman. The hubby got the spiced rum old fashioned, which had an ice cube with a lion's face etched onto it--a nice touch. I got one of their tiny Negronis, which came in a cute tiny mug and cost $5 (it sounded fun). Both tasted great and we had a nice time sipping our drinks and taking in the decor. Alas we had to be on our way so couldn't linger long, but we'd definitely love to stop by again the next time we're in town.

Wonderful, fun, tropical themed bar in Santa Barbara with indoor and outdoor seating. Interesting…read morecocktails and relaxing vibes.

Test Pilot lands somewhere in the orbit of tiki without fully crash-landing on a bamboo runway, and…read morehonestly, that works in its favor. In a stretch of Lower State packed with breweries, wine bars, and roaming weekend energy-drink humans in vintage bowling shirts, it threads the needle nicely between cocktail bar and tropical escape pod. The menu leans tiki-adjacent rather than deep-cut exotica, but the drinks are smartly built and avoid the "every problem can be solved with more rum" philosophy. There's a solid spread of spirits across the board, which makes the place feel more welcoming to a broader nightlife crowd instead of strictly rum disciples clutching vintage Trader Vic's mugs. The Oaxacan Dead was the standout for me. Smoky, balanced, endlessly sippable. One of those drinks where every sip quietly talks you into ordering another without turning into a sugar avalanche. The Jungle Bird was also great, though presented more in the direction of a Negroni than the punchier tropical versions you usually see. Bitter, restrained, and easy to settle into. Crowd-wise, things tilted a little frat-floaty as the night rolled on, but the staff handled everything smoothly and kept the vibe from turning into full pirate mutiny. Service stayed friendly and composed even when the volume of the room started climbing like a malfunctioning theremin. Big bonus points for the location and outdoor seating. Being right in the middle of Lower State makes it an easy launch point or final stop depending on your evening trajectory. Grab a drink, people-watch, drift between breweries and wine spots, repeat as necessary.

We stopped at Dusk Bar for about an hour on 05/23/2026 (at about 6:30pm) while we waited for a…read moretable at a nearby restaurant. I love how this State street facing business, which is part of the Drift Hotel, has a Dawn (coffee shop) and a Dusk (bar). We were looking for a good cocktail before dinner, and this did not disappoint. We were a party of two, and there are plenty of seats inside, as well as some patio seats outside. I had the Sweet Gidget, which is a tequila based drink with strawberry liquer, lime and some strawberry sugar rim. We also shared the chips and salsa, which had some absolutely delicious chips and some great green tomatilla salsa. It actually had a pretty nice spice to it, which we really loved. We would return again in the future.

Cody is a FANTASTIC bartender! I had a flight of Mezcal and ended the night with Morning Dew. WE…read moreLOOOOOOOOOVED AND I MEAN LOVED MORNING DEW. Absolutely fantastic drink!!!!!! So smooth and refreshing and dangerous lol... super friendly and calm atmosphere! Great music too!

My wife and I found ourselves in Santa Barbara this weekend to celebrate her 40th birthday and upon…read morechecking into the inn, we were quickly referred to Oku by the front desk manager. After we offloaded the truck, changed and relaxed for a bit, we headed out for a walk near the waterfront. We eventually made our way down to the beach and found ourselves at Oku. We approached the hostess stand and were greeted by two young ladies who pointed us towards the bar as we'd planned on just stopping by for a cocktail. We were immediately welcomed by Tommy who handed us two menus, set us up with a couple waters and asked if he could serve us a cocktail. I got the Oaxacan old fashioned and my wife got the Oku old fashioned. In addition to our drinks, we also ordered up some shishito peppers, hamachi sashimi, Toro nigiri as well as big eye tuna nigiri. Our drinks arrived quickly and as we sipped on them, our food arrived shortly thereafter. It was early afternoon and we had apparently beat the crowd which was great for us as the place quickly filled up after about half an hour. The shishitos were perfectly prepared and served with a sauce as well as tuna flake on top and made for a phenomenal starter. Shortly thereafter we tore into our sashimi and nigiri all of which was served well and tasted great. While eating our food, the place began filling up and Matt showed up to help man the bar. Despite getting very busy, Tommy and Matt remained attentive and made sure we were taken care of and had what we needed. We finished our cocktails and food, closed out and prepared for our departure, but I hope to come back tomorrow for some more amazing Japanese food and excellent cocktails from the crew here at Oku. Thanks for the hospitality, excellent cocktails and for welcoming us in! Tommy and Matt are both excellent additions to the team! Photos compliments of my wife since I take photos like a Neanderthal.

My husband and I dined here for an early dinner with a reservation. I think after checking in it…read moremight've taken 5-10 minutes to be sat. Our server was really kind and on point with everything! Everything came out quickly. We ordered the otoro sushi, ikura sushi, rainbow roll, and two orders of the filet mignon. I have zero complaints about the sushi. It was incredibly delicious! I do think the filet mignon had beautiful plating, but it was very underwhelming, and didn't come out the requested way of cooking. I don't think I'd order that again, but we enjoyed our food overall. We chose to dine outside since it was a nice day and I thought that was pretty nice. We did bring our baby and had enough room with a high chair etc. we'd come back!

Came by here on Valentines day to have a couple drinks. Place is beautiful and the vibe is very…read morechill and relaxing. Took a minute to get some service unfortunately. The drinks were well made and we ordered the charcuterie board to eat. Small place, small menu FYI. Overall not a bad little spot to hang out and catch up with friends or bring a date.

I absolutely loved Pearl Social and kudos to my friend Jara S. For highlighting them and for the…read morestellar drink recommendation. Pearl social is such a whimsical fun spot to grab a drink and a snack in the funk zone. We stumbled in for a late afternoon drink and it wasn't very busy inside - giving off "best kept secret vibe". The decor is very feminine yet playful. Loved the design and bar area. We opted for a casual booth area by the bar which was really nice. Also all of the little things were done well, crisp menus, clean bathrooms, and music done at just the right sound level. Their menu in the bar area for food is small but mighty - oysters, cheese plates, you name it. I'm definitely going to keep coming here for the cocktails. I've had one of the best sips in 2025 here - which would be The Mixtape cocktail. My friend told me I had to get it and I'm so glad I listen sometimes lol. This cocktail completely blew me away. Passionfruit forward, it's silky, sweet yet very well balanced. One of the more unique and tasty cocktails I've had ever and honestly I'm not sure how I could come back and get anything else. 10/10 Cocktail and menu. Super impressed. Kudos to Mark who was working the bar. Such a lovely spirit and kind person. He really is passionate about his menu and the drinks he's curated. Loved talking to him as we got to know a lot more about Pearl social and how some of their drinks were concerted. Really appreciated his time and expertise. Anytime I'm in the funk zone I will 100% be stopping back by here for a cocktail and good vibes.

We went for brunch and I had fish tacos and they were very good…read more $21 for 3. My two dining companions had eggs Benedict with potatoes; they both commented how much meat was on the Benedict. Why are the five stars? Anyone who reads my reviews knows, I hate being offended by prices. The pricing was in line with the experience. It was a nice restaurant experience. The outside patio is a beautiful setting on the harbor. The service wasn't overbearing. We were able to visit and have a lovely ladies birthday brunch.

We dined here yesterday and it will be our last visit…read more The only positive was being seated right away -- after that, the experience went downhill fast. Our kids' food and the ceviche came out quickly, but the ceviche was overwhelmingly fishy and inedible. One of our entrees also arrived with the appetizer, while the rest of our food didn't come for another 20-30 minutes. Throughout the wait, our waitress kept reassuring us that our food was "coming" -- which felt misleading and only added to the frustration. When my fish tacos finally arrived, I received 2 tacos instead of the 3 that every review I'd read mentioned. No explanation, no adjustment to the price. The worst part was my husband's tuna melt -- he took a couple of bites and said something tasted very off. We had to send it back.

My friend and I haven't been back to Santa Barbara since 2021. So here we are back in May 2026. My…read morefriend and I took a Santa Barbara Sunset Sailing tour. I knew we would arrive back late and there're not a lot of restaurants open past 9:00. We arrived back at the dock at 8:30PM. My friend was hungry and as we were walking back to our hotel, we saw Santo Mezcal still open YEAH! As we have seen in the past, the place is packed and super lively with diner finishing up. There were spots open at the bar we took. Edgar the bar tender (cocktail aficionado) was great! We ordered Cocktails, Espresso Martini and a Mezcal Paloma (so good) I ordered the Shrimp Empanadas. My friend ordered the King Fish Crudo and the Enchiladas Verdes. Even though they were ready to close our food came out hot, fresh, presentation great and tasting delicious. It was a great ending to our sunset cruise night. Atmosphere: fun lively. Service: excellent. Food: excellent.

Super easy and convenient location if you're arriving by Amtrak Train…read more This was the perfect place for lunch on the patio after arriving to Santa Barbara. Service was great and very attentive. -The pulpo or octopus tacos were insanely delicious. The meat was so soft and tender. And oddly their rice and beans were also really really good. -The ceviche was not worth ordering tasted like red chili oil on ceviche.

Friendly staff Really Dark Room that's still really cute!…read more Cauliflower Tacos recommended and the Laid Back cocktail yummy

I would highly recommend booking an omakase slot at Rodeo Room on Monday nights. It is incredible…read moreand Kevin is awesome The final slider finisher might be the best burger I've ever had. I shouldn't share this because they are so damn good but they also sell the sliders separately on Mondays only. Go try them! They are to die for!

Came here for a quick drink and had an amazing time…read more The bartender Chesco was super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I was craving a drink that was not on the menu and he was nice enough to make the drink and it was also DELICIOUS. It was a great drink and a great time, I can't wait to return.

Stopped by Shaker Mill for a quick drink while enjoying a beautiful day in Santa Barbara. The bar…read morehas a cute setup and a nice patio area, which made it a great place to sit outside and relax. There were only two beer options available, as the focus seems to be mostly on mixed drinks and cocktails. I ordered a margarita was a Tajin rim and my husband ordered one of the two beer options. The Tajin was pretty on the glass but I was really hoping for a Tajin rim to enjoy as I sipped in the margarita. The server was friendly, and even though the bar area itself was busy, we were still able to find seating on the patio. Prices were about what you'd expect for the area. Overall, it's a nice spot to grab a drink and enjoy the atmosphere.

We came here for a late lunch as we saw it holds Michelin Bib…read more Sweet: great menu options. So many tasty choices. We ordered the Vietnamese chicken wings and braised pork noodles. Both very delicious. The wings were all flats so that was a plus alone. Full of good flavor and very crispy. The noodles were delicious as well. I recommend both. The restaurant is decorated very nice and the server was attentive. Sour: the restaurant was very clean but it bothers me so much when some places have a designated area that flies like to circle around that tends to be near the bar. I wish there could be more control to prevent that. I did really enjoy the meal but the portions were small. If it wasn't so good I would almost say the prices weren't worth it. You can definitely share but I would get at least 3 options for 2 people. My husband and I weren't that hungry so it was a decent amount since it was such a late lunch and we were thinking about getting something else shortly after. Overall I hope we are in town again soon as there are other things I'd like to try.

The chicken wings were absolutely amazing - if you do nothing else, order those!!! The Vietnamese…read morestyle was my favorite. The shaved bok choy and duck salad was SO good as well!!! The duck was excellent, and didn't feel too fatty - it was perfect. The drinks were good as well - had the spritz. Our servers were so polite and friendly, and honestly just felt like we were around friends. I like that this place, like many jn Santa Barbara, pays their staff a living wage and so you end up with a more authentic interaction that doesn't feel forced. The aesthetic was beautiful - perfect for a lunch date or for a dinner before sunset. Open air seating, beautiful decor, overall a lovely experience!