Amazing bar with a highly skilled bartender (on a Tuesday night) who managed to deliver…read moreconsistently perfect cocktails with zero help, to a crowd. The cocktails are highly creative, diverse in flavor and design, and really could stand up to any you would find at a top cocktail bar in a major city. The exterior doesn't scream "must come in" but you absolutely should. Is it a tiki bar? Yes, but in the best way. And the bartender deserves applause for pulling off 3+ quite complex cocktails every 5 minutes off of memory and without any support.

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.

Oysters hh 2 for 5 Drinks were about 10 to 12 each…read moreTheir paloma was great Not a whole lotta food options during happy hour fyi

For some reason, this is considered the top cocktail bar in downtown Santa Barbara, however, we…read morefound the experience underwhelming and the service remarkably slow and unenthusiastic. When we arrived on a Tuesday evening, there were about seven patrons throughout the bar and the outdoor seating area with the live music drew us in. We were told to order at the bar, so while the rest of our party was seated, I stood there for five minutes before someone took my order. Totally fine, but no sorry for the wait or even smile or any warmth from the male bartender, who disappeared for a five minute break shortly after taking my order. The tables at the outdoor seating area were very sticky and since there were no employees in sight I (and the other patrons who arrived then) cleaned the tables ourselves. After waiting 10 minutes I went up to the bar and assumed since our drinks hadn't been delivered, I was supposed to pick them up, I was told don't worry, we'll bring them to you, and after another five minutes, our drinks arrived. The cocktails were decent, nothing revolutionary but I am spoiled in this department, well made but nothing to get excited about . After 30 minutes of enjoying the genuinely nice outdoor area we ordered another round, three shots took another 10+ minutes. When we realized we had to leave to make our reservation, we asked for a box for our untouched food, and we were told we don't have boxes. They ended up finding one for For us, but it appeared to be a pastry box from somewhere else. The female bartender who took over after the male clocked out, was much more personable, but not much more efficient. To their credit, this bar has an excellent selection of tequilas and Mezcal's, so if you're not in a rush and you enjoy those spirits it's definitely worth stopping by. The music was really great and was definitely the highlight of that bar.

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.

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.

Great craft cocktails in an incredible and historic building. We got there right at opening so…read moreservice was very quick and happy hour was in full swing. We only got two drinks because we were on a time crunch but both were delicious. The space is very intimate and dimly lit, the perfect space for a craft cocktail.

Great cocktails, great spot with Excellent customer service…read more It has good atmosphere , we were there after Happy Hour on a First Thursday and the band playing jazz was a lot of fun. Right next to the Granada Theater Downtown Santa Barbara

So fun and so amazingly decorated. The service was super slow but the decorations make up for it…read more The cocktails were creatively named but didn't taste super special. Decent tho. The pizzas were delicious! I would go back for this any day. Love the vibes and would def go again.

Had a great time enjoying the drinks at this holiday location. Everyone was really kind and polite…read more We met some other patrons and the hostesses were great to talk to; since we were seated near them. Very interesting drink offers: I loved my Old Fashion and my wife really enjoyed the Mutha-f@€ker in the cute santa pants cup. It was a $10 entrance fee but went for a great cause and we did get a Christmas beanie with lights. How can you go wrong.

We went to Finney's Craft House in Santa Barbara and had such a fun dinner! The vibe was energetic…read moreand lively, and our waitress was great and super attentive. We clearly came hungry We ordered the poke nachos, avocado egg rolls, spicy tuna crispy rice, yuzu buffalo boneless wings, crispy coconut shrimp, fries, and the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. Everything was fresh and really good, elevated bar food with lots to choose from. The spicy tuna crispy rice was probably my favorite! My sister LOVED the avocado egg rolls, which have mango in them and were definitely a fun twist. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again was the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. The prosciutto was sliced pretty thick and cooked almost like bacon, which just wasn't what I was expecting. And the margaritas!! We tried the skinny, guava, and spicy mango and ALL three were excellent. I also loved being able to split and pay the bill ourselves on the little kiosk at the table. No waiting around for the check, which is such a nice touch! Fun atmosphere, great service, good food and EXCELLENT margaritas. I would definitely come back! Only took pictures of the drinks because we were too hungry lol.

Prosciutto and arugula pizza (1/5) wasn't a quite what I was expecting. It is more like a bacon and…read morearugula pizza--the prosciutto was cooked. It is topped with shredded cheese, but the cheese is...firm? Sweet potato fries are perfectly crispy and salted!

Cutlers was such a fun experience. They've got a cute patio area that is decorated well and they've…read moregot a small menu of cocktails. I had the apple pie mood lifter it was perfect for a warm summer day. It tasted like apple pie! And my hubby got a Negroni, which was very good. We ended up also getting a shot of the cold brew liquor and ended up taking a bottle of that home. We will definitely be back!!

After a sweet drink, at a bar nearby, I was seeking something less sweet- thus we headed over to…read moreCutler's for a drink or two. This location is in the heart of the Funk Zone near the pier in Santa Barbara. When we approached the location, we saw that they were only offering drinks outside on the patio- as the temps were ok on Saturday in early September, we felt ok sitting on a small patio on lounge chairs with relaxing music in the background. The patio is in the back of Cutler's that can be entered around the corner (map on the front door of Cutler's shows the directions). The patio is next to other tasting room patios featuring wine and next door to Lark's restaurant. When we visited the tasting room at about 3pm in the afternoon, we were the only individuals there but started to fill up with other small groups. When a large group entered, the waitress said you will need a reservation as she was only wait staff there. Perhaps a sign is needed to notify people, that groups need reservations. The drinks were spot on- the drinks started at 14 dollars to about 16 dollars for cocktails. The tasting room also offers tastings of their products too. The tastings looked small. The cocktails were well poured. I was just disappointed to find out that I could not get a Bloody Mary on a Saturday- only Sundays- the Bloody Mary looked really good. If you are done with wine, and seeking something different, come relax on the patio here if your vibe is a low key environment with solid distillery cocktails.

Very impressed. Best taco's I've ever had. Service was exceptional. Would highly recommend.read more

Location was great, service was solid, decor felt legit. It was a cool place to come and eat but…read morecould see myself just enjoying a few drinks too. I have challenges paying for Latino food at these prices, however if they actually have food worth those prices I will do it. This Resturant satisfied these challenges, food was amazing like really good. I ate the veg meal and wow!

Food was excellent and our server was just lovely. There was a small hiccup in our experience that…read moreshe handled as best she could within her level of experience (saying this in a positive way), and then the manager came in and was insanely gracious in all respects. Most impressive to me was that as much as she wanted to take care of us as her customers, the manager seemed equally dedicated to taking care of her server and staff. Huge respect and appreciation to both our sweet server and the woman leading such a strong team this evening

We went to Oku around 6pm and it was BUSY, but somehow we lucked out and were seated right away! We…read moresat outside with an amazing view of the water. The vibe was classy and trendy but still lively. Such a pretty spot! The four of us shared a bunch of things. The Everybody Loves Raymond was my favorite roll. It had these little cubes of tuna on top that were almost like a mini poke bowl. SO good! The Crouching Tiger was another favorite. The rainbow and spicy tuna rolls were good too, just more classic. The crispy tuna nigiri was my favorite appetizer. Super fresh with perfectly crispy rice. We also loved the firecracker rock shrimp, which was light and crispy without being oily. We got the sauce on the side so the spice was totally manageable. But the GARLIC NOODLES!! Easily some of the best I've ever had. Buttery, garlicky, creamy and everyone at the table agreed they were amazing. The shrimp fried rice was great too, and they were able to make it non-spicy for us. We obviously did not have room for dessert, so we ordered it anyway The French vanilla crème brûlée was delicious, the green tea mochi was good once I got past the texture since it was my first mochi experience lol, and my sister said the tiramisu was the best she's ever had! Service slowed down a little after our entrées came out, but they were also extremely busy. Great food, gorgeous water views and such a fun dinner. I would absolutely come back. And I'm not sharing the garlic noodles next time.

Cute bar with some delicious drinks…read more The place is decorated nicely, service was fast and friendly. The place was not so busy since it was a Tuesday afternoon. My friend ordered a piña colada and I had a Paloma. Super yummy drinks.

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.