First time here was on Friday! Amazing drinks and customer service. Jorge is the man. Mezcal is on point and so are the Brussels sprouts. Fun bar for a night out. read more

My parents came up to SB for dinner so we decided on La Paloma. We had patio reservations, but they sat us in the parking lot Covid patio, without shade, the suns light was blinding us as it set (6:30 pm). There were clearly 6-10 tables in front that were available. 3 hostesses we're bickering about where to put us beforehand, awkward. We asked to be moved out of the sun and the hostess that sat asked us again "do you have a reservation?" And said they were having difficulty with seating arrangements instead of just making it right. Obviously we had a reservation when we checked in but now we're getting treated like walk-ins. They moved us to the front, good for them bc we were about to leave or sit at the bar. Drinks weren't very strong- the la Paloma was light. Weirdness from the hostess was palpable. Weirdness from the entire wait staff except the one tall male food runner that brought our mains and explained them to us, he made eye contact and seemed positive. I got the tuna it was good. The watermelon salad didn't have enough cheese ... the 2 basil leaves were whole (couldn't even rip up the basil we gotta chop the salad ourselves ) ... lackluster and could've made better at home... they served the table next to us with large wine glasses while my mom got a small wine glass a subtle trick to make the pour seem heavier, if you have the right glass for the right wine why not serve us the right glass ... the ceviche was small, 4 bites ... ceviche is supposed to be a full cup, it's not a hamachi crudo... the Brussel sprouts were good... mains were good, but nothing mind blowing... overall just kind of a weird dining experience... Santa Barbara needs to chill off the psychedelics seems like everyone is a little spaced out. Overall it just didn't have the "it" factor and service that you would want when spending $250+ .... 3 apps 3 mains and 4 drinks... prices weren't horrible but honestly if it means charging me $20 instead of 14.5 so I get some cheese on my watermelon salad then up the prices man (FJB) There we're literally goat cheese shavings, who wants shaved goat cheese?? No one ! We want chunks, crumbles, a disk of chèvre not a little sprinkle eh... we tipped 20% but it left everyone dissatisfied. read more

Love love love this place . Got the Tri tip and my wife got carnitas . Omg !!! So good !! And our server was amazing !! Her name is Gabby and she was professional and just so nice . Thank you for a great experience!! read more

We were there this past Thursday (3/30/23) celebrating the upcoming wedding of our son and his fiance. The food and ambiance was amazing but the staff stole the show. They were so awesome, professional and on point the whole evening. I highly recommend this location any time you're hungry or need a place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Staff was super friendly, we got a visit from Santa which made the dine in experience so much better. I had the burnt end bowl on the brunch menu solid 8/10 it was missing something read more

We had a wonderful brunch at La Paloma. We discovered this restaurant by accident but are sure to come back for brunch, or dinner, when we return to Santa Barbara. The food was delicious and the service exceptional. We sat outside and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. read more

La Paloma Cafe. A place that needs to be talked about, but never is. Located at 702 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 cut at the corner right on Anacapa and Ortega street. The Spanish and mid-century modern inspired cuisine and design consists of dainty fairy lights, vintage promoting and the music that makes you want to sway your arms and shoulders to the calming and spiritual beat. With the timeless decor that makes you feel as if there are no worries in the world provides a space to enjoy your meal with families and friends with a staff that will welcome you as if you had been many times beforehand. Starting with a meal that warms your heart and stomach, the Chilaquiles. With a price of $14.95 and an extra cost of $9.00 if tri-tip is wanted on top. The plate of chilaquiles start off with a crispy tortilla cut into triangles smothered in a green mild enchilada sauce, that includes not one but two over-medium styled eggs. And even more garnish added on top that has thinly-sliced fresh radishes as well as juicy and thick tomatoes. Last but never least, the crema that is drizzled on top of the whole dish, the chefs are never shy to add their creamy and milky sour cream. Now you have two choices, the Chilaquiles or the Burnt Ends Bowl that is made up of smoked brisket, perfectly cooked tri-tip and slaw that makes the bite have an natural taste. The slaw is a mix of cabbage, light cream, pickled onions and finely-diced tomatoes. Put these three ingredients into one forkful and you have paradise. Now, La Paloma does have more diverse foods compared to your burgers and pizza. Just because the dish may seem extreme, too many veggies or over seasoned may be a sign that you must venture out and explore types of cuisines. La Paloma can also br on the pricier side. This is something to know before visiting the cafe, as it may not fit your budget or you may not be in the mood to spend $15 on a dish and $7 on a drink. Though the saying "You get what you pay for" is very much something to consider I can La Paloma has the higher price for a reason. The atmosphere and the food can speak for itself, La Paloma can be a great place to start your adventure. Now, you must have a spectacular drink to go with your spectacular meal. Horchata, a simple drink that has been mixed with cinnamon, oat milk and a white rice that has been soaked in water. Right now I have tried many restaurants and homemade horchata. La Paloma has the best. Saying that a cafe has anything better than my abuela's, is telling you that it must be good. Horchata at La Paloma costs $7 and for the amount the you are going to drink it might be about $15. Now that you know what to purchase and where to go for your next sunday brunch there is nothing stopping you from heading to La Paloma, a local cafe that is just down the street from your home. See you at La Paloma. read more

Wow, just ...wow. We have been to the Lark and Loquitos, both owned by the same company with great success, but La Paloma blew us out of the water. Just perfection, from the outstanding food, attention to detail, waitstaff, attention from manager, drinks and atmosphere. You will be well taken care of here. I came to celebrate an internship my son got, suggested it in Resy reservations and when we sat down, they just showed up with champagne for me and this amazing fruit drink for him and asked him about his success. Just class at its finest. We will definitely be returning. read more

Ordered the Huevos Rancheros & Burnt End Bowl. Salad & rice in Burnt End Bowl were good but did not enjoy the meat. Huevos Rancheros were below average. The water we were served was hot & had a weird aftertaste. Not worth the price. read more

Love the story behind this place! The ambience felt personal and familial! Excellent food, excellent service! Shout out to our server Shaoli and the manager Bobby who made certain we were well cared for! Can't wait for our next visit! read more

We were looking for something new and tasty for Brunch. The setting is excellent, a little tight, but it's Sunday Brunch - so we expected crowded. It took 20 minutes for someone to get to our table, then only to pour water. We were assured someone would come soon. We asked for at least some coffee. And 10 minutes later, it arrived, barely warm. We couldn't get anyone's attention to warm it up. Finally, the waiter arrived. We asked about hot coffee, and he started to leave, but now we wanted to order 30 minutes into our experience. We have a couple of allergies, which the menu said was not an issue - though he made it seem like a monumental challenge for the kitchen, and he'd have to check (no raw onions and no cilantro were the requests). He got all three orders and repeated them. 2 cups of slightly warmer coffee arrived. We tried them and asked for hot coffee. Ten minutes later, we got coffee from two runners, and the server came by with a carafe. Problem solved, but 45 minutes into our visit. The waiter came to our table again and said no problem with the substitutions, and he wanted to be sure that each of our orders was as he'd written - all good. Fifteen minutes later, the food arrived, and the orders were wrong. One order was completely something no one had ordered (me) (even after double-checking our requests), and the dishes were underwhelming. I'd suggested to our party that even though the service was horrendous, the menu sounded great, and let's give the kitchen a chance. I didn't finish the bland Chilaquiles, and our guest just pushed his food around and barely touched it. I'd hoped that this place, owned by a well-respected restauranteur in town, would give us a new place for the weekends. The waiter finally picked up on the vibe that we were not happy. He comped the wrong meal and the coffee and gave us some complimentary drink tickets. However, the damage was done. I see many 5 star reviews for this place, so maybe don't go when it's busy? read more

You might think you've had good cocktails, you might even be right. But let me tell you you haven't had the mezcal hibiscus margarita at la Paloma yet and you need to. You won't find better bartenders with warmer hearts than Jorge and Mario at La Paloma. So if you want exceptional cocktails and exceptional service from exceptional humans this is the place to go. read more

Amazing Food and service! Service here is a 10. The food is wonderful. I had the Tri Tip and my husband had the pork shoulder carnitas both were so good .. We started with the Brussel sprouts . The hibiscus margarita is to die for. read more

Incredible!! We are so glad we decided to come to La Paloma for dinner. The ambiance was fabulous, the service was top notch and the food was even better! Bobby was our waiter and it was obvious that he loves his job and La Paloma. It showed in his knowledge of the menu and level of service. Cocktails were fantastic as were the artichoke and fries appetizers. We got the tri tip and the local Fish and we were blown away! Highly recommend! We will be coming back! read more

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Excellent dinner. Good service, very nice patio (brought the dog!), and first class food. We'd been waiting to try the new place, we'll be back. Brussels sprouts were amazing, good shishito peppers, one person had Mahi Mahi which was perfectly prepared, two of us had the tri tip which was served on a bed of beans, salsa and had dollops of horseradish cream - yum. I think the tri tip at Barbareno is the best in town, Paloma's is up there as well. Chocolate tart ... split three ways .. perfect ending. Very pleased with dinner here - we'll be back! read more

First off let me say that the four of us who dined at La Paloma were quite dissatisfied and disappointed. Secondly, the food was good. And thirdly, the service was awful. Now, a little recap: Our Rez was for 6:45. We were seated promptly. We ordered cocktails and we did not get our drinks for 25 minutes. We were served by three people (have no clue as to which person was our server). After hailing two of them, our drinks arrived. One in our party ordered a Bloody Mary. It had to be sent back twice, as it had no taste. We ordered dinner (two chicken, one carnitas, one special salad and one soup). We also ordered what was supposed to be glazed carrots. We also ordered ceviche, which took 20 minutes to finally come out. The person in our party who ordered the special salad had to send her salad back twice before getting what she ordered on the 3rd attempt. The 1st was the wrong salad. The 2nd time the salad had cheese on top of it and she told the server NO cheese. Our entree meals took forever. We had to ask three times as to where's the entrees. The side dish of carrots tasted so washed out w/no flavor that it tasted liked canned carrots. Bottom line is we left the restaurant at 9:30 (2 hours and 45 minutes later).! Yes, they took off the appetizer, but the experience was abominable. We heard good things about this place and we were very passed off to say the least. Other than the washed out carrots, the good was pretty good. But, as we all know, food quality is only one part of having a pleasant dining experience. Again, had no clue who was our server. At the end of this horrendous experience someone who called himself a "captain" says thank you and handed us his business card. I ditched it. It's really a bummer, because this place is located nicely, the place is pleasant and the food a B. The service and confusion was hard to take. I've been in the foodservice industry for over 30 years. I know a little bit about restaurants and what hey endure. If there was an employee issue (under staffed) or something else, tell us up front. We live in Santa Barbara and we will not come back. Will we tell others about our adventure...if asked, yes. read more

Friendly service, mediocre food. Signature dish, the Santa Barbara Chicken, served undercooked with tepid hard potatoes. "Ceviche" was mound of raw tuna. Nothing Mexican here...not a chili pepper in sight. Highlight was the "grilled garlic bread" which was heavily burned/blackened toast tasting like an electrical fire. We paid, generously tipped the very friendly waitress and left hungry. Recommendation: avoid. read more

Excellent presentation, selective menu including line caught local seafood and vegetarian choices. Must try carnitas with black bean puree...you won't be disappointed. read more

First of all, the service at La Paloma is hands down the absolute best I have ever experienced at any restaurant. I was greeted with a smile and made to feel like they were genuinely happy I was there. I didn't have a reservation, but they made sure I got a comfortable table right away. The menu was simple, but the food was great. The flavors were subtle and, while traditional, not just a rehashing of the same old stuff. I had roasted chicken with a subtle sweet, citrus sauce and, quite honestly, the most amazing brussel sprouts ever - they were crispy and delicious, tangy and sweet, with whole pomegranate seeds. I would highly recommend an evening at La Paloma. read more

We hosted our wedding dinner here and we are so happy we chose La Palmoma. The food was amazing. The drinks were so yummy. We loved the Latin vibes throughout. The staff is extremely friendly and does their job well. read more

SO GOOD. bummed Paradise (former name) was gone so I did not expect to be happy. However, the ambience of vintage Santa Barbara was in-tact and enhanced, both my appetizer and main course blew my touge away with the flavor punch, servers were genuine in caring about our experience and the kitchen knocked it out with little wait time. Menu has me hankering to go back. SO GOOD!!! read more

Finally trying this place after sending so many of my bar patrons from out of town to paradise and what I thought was a comparable new restaurant. Ambiance is nice. Beer was good. We started with two waiters, a lady and a gentleman. Apparently this was a mix up and we lost the gentleman. This was in the middle of ordering our food so we didn't really get to ask any questions, they both sort of ran away. Tri tip was ordered medium but was more med well to well. Portion was small and did not look like the photos online. Fiancé got the carnitas. Also small and lacked flavor. Beans tasted like straight horseradish, everything was kind of messy and mixed into one, not nicely presented like I saw online. Potato wedges were fine, comparable to what you would find in the grocery store deli. Came with a side of ranch. Waitress seemed annoyed that she had to take us, was not seen most of the meal. Likely doing side work as our previous server told us he wasn't aware she was still taking tables. Bill totaled $106.00 before tip. Felt pretty ripped off by the whole experience. Wish we had kept the previous server as he was very on top of things and helped guide the table next to ours through the meal. We were jealous. I get that it was an hour and a half before closing time on a Sunday but the whole experience was lackluster. Unfortunate we will probably not return. read more

I responded to Frank C. Review but feel it's important to post undery own account as well.y wife and I had 5:30 pm mid-week reservations earlier this year. We were seated at the small end of front patio table. We asked to be reseated and received nothing but grief. There were three parties including us at the restaurant. The other two parties were also 2 persons, but we're seated at "4 person" tables as the " charge" staff member repeatedly pushed out. Then she really crossed the line when she stated they had reservations as if we didn't. Eventually we were offered space on the upper terrace in the direct sunlight. Since the other two tables were occupied by white people and we're not I felt some discrimination was at play. I told the staff they were way out of line and that I would never return. Over the years we frequently enjoyed our visits to Paradise Cafe (20-25 times). As a neighborhood resident since the mid 1970s I even used to frequent the original La Paloma. Yes we're only two people so us not going won't make or break any restaurant. However I did notice this past week while walking down Anacapa on my way to Joe's that there were no patrons at LA Paloma while hundreds of folks were on the promenade between Cota-Haley. I guess they didn't have "reservations". Too bad used to be a great spot for locals. read more

We brunched with La Paloma on Saturday, and it was amazing. We started with the Avocado Tostada and Farmer's Market Fruit Salad - both super fresh and flavorful. The Burnt End Bowl had the most tender tri-tip, and was well balanced with the rice and pinquinto beans. Would definitely recommend visiting this downtown gem for brunch. read more

Fantastic food, exceptional service, and such a lovely atmosphere! Diego took such great care of us and it was so cool when the chef himself brought our food. We can't wait to come back! read more

Our server Gabby was so sweet and knowledgable about the menus and helped us make up our mind. We started with a margarita and a paloma. The seafood special was a red, white and bluefin tuna which was to die for. For entrees we had the pork shoulder carnitas and the mission chicken which were both cooked to perfection. Amazing food, great service and wonderful atmosphere. 10/10 read more

Yum! We loved the tuna and yellowtail tonight. Art and flavor combined. Perfection! Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream is our all time favorite. Not too sweet. So glad we stopped in on our way North. read more

La Paloma is delicious! Their margaritas are spot on. Got their hominy Mac and cheese which was delicious but you can't beat the rotisserie chicken. Service was great, beautiful resturaunt, good vibes! Lots of outdoor space for these covid days... read more

Miss the Paradise Cafe. Santa Barbara has several Mexican style restaurants that are good. The Paradise had a broader and more inclusive selection and great burgers. I prefer Playa Azul. read more

We started off in the bar which was nice and the server was friendly. The dining experience not so great. The food was disappointing and sadly not at all like California Ranch cooking. I had a half chicken that came with roasted potatoes. As I limit starch, I asked if the potatoes could be swapped with cole slaw (on menu). Server said she had to "check" with the chef. She returned and said we don't do that here. Ok great, there is no need for me or anyone at our table to come back. read more

Husband and I ate here on our recent vacation in Santa Barbara, and it was the best meal we had all week (in a week of great meals!). Carnitas we're to die for, especially the amazing tortillas they were served with. Delicious cocktails. And the service was terrific--everyone was so friendly! Great ambiance and location as well. We will definitely be back next time we're in SB! read more

Had an amazing dinner at La Paloma. I ordered the catch of the day (albacore), and hominy casserole. Our serve Kaila was extremely helpful and friendly. All of her recommendations were the best, especially the bird of paradise marg. The flan was one of the best deserts we've ever had! It was fluffy and had a dank syrup on top. Throughout the evening the staff was super attentive and the manager checked in to ensure we were having a good experience. One of the other servers, Bobby, was especially kind and eager to tell us all about the history of Paloma! read more

The best new place in town hands down. The carnitas is to die for and the tri-tip is as good as it gets. I'll definitely be back.

Incredible service, delicious food! Louie took great care of us! They are perfect set up for outdoor dining and we were super excited to find out that in addition to the regular heaters, they had foot heaters for the windy Santa Barbara night! read more

What an epic experience at La Paloma the hostess's we're extremely friendly this was April 29 at 9pm and then we got to our table and we're greeted by our server Gigi who is an absolute rockstar she heard that I got excepted into law school and brought a glass of champagne, so classy and she was so attentive and gave us very good food recs then Bobby came by to check in also which is amazing that the servers are working together to make their patrons happy, Bobby was so personable and made us feel at home and also made us want to come back and check out brunch overall the crew that works here is epic and the food speaks for itself read more

We were stoked to try La Paloma as the setting and location were a reason we were fans of Paradise Cafe. There were tons of servers (and ours had a trainee trailing along) but it still took longer than expected to get our first drink. Once we had ordered, they took the menus so we had to get one back to get a drink to go with dinner. The pozole was excellent! The reason for the 3-star review is that the plates weren't heated so on a cold night we were served a cold tamale and cold tri-tip. Heated plates should be the norm when we are eating outside please! read more

This place is absolutely wonderful! We stayed in Santa Barbara for three nights and ordered to-go from here for two of them. I think we ate pretty much everything on the menu, and I promise, it is ALL amazing. (Personally could eat the carrots every single day.) We can't wait until we can visit in person! read more

Incredible! We got the Tri-Tip family meal. Highly recommend it! Tri-tip, beans and slaw that they make are made for each other. I hate cilantro and this cilantro slaw was really good. I'm also picky about tri-tip, again it was really good. The beans are a perfect compliment to both the slaw and tri-tip. read more

Probably the most mediocre food I've ever had in Santa Barbara. The concept sounded so good. A Mexican inspired grill and bbq. Their website was enticing but the food we got was nothing like the photos. The chicken was tough, bland, under spiced. Real barbecue is dry rubbed and smoked all day until it falls off the bone. The accompanying potatoes were an afterthought. The grilled salmon was over cooked after the server said it came medium rare. The wine by the glass was hellishly overpriced even by Santa Barbara standards and the so-called cobbler was simply a bowl of cooked berries and apples with ice cream on top. No crust. This place needs to step up their game or risk closing. Weirdly, The Paradise Cafe that occupied this space for decades was also mediocre at best. Maybe there's a curse on the building. read more

Beautiful outdoor style dining; restaurant clearly following all important health guidelines by keeping us safely spaced outdoors with all staff masked -- AND kept us toasty warm on a chilly night with ample outside heating. Service was prompt, friendly, accommodating & knowledgeable about menu. The freshest crispest Paloma cocktail I have ever had (had to have 2). Great wine options as well as good options for non-drinkers (highly recommend the Horchata). As a pescatarian I did not find myself limited in the ways I often do; there was an amazing salmon on the menu and a vegetarian style "al pastor" which was super tasty. We tried nearly all the appetizers which were too mouthwatering to pass up, but on my next visit I hope to try more of the salads as there were tons of options there, too. Honorable mentions: hominy and cheese, rosemary potatoes, brussel sprouts, garlic bread & pinquito beans & the tamale (omg). Tried all the desserts which were unbelievable & easy to share. I really appreciate the way the character & charm of Paradise Cafe has been preserved, while thoughtful updates & nods to the original concept of the building were added. Cannot wait to go back for the good service, food & drinks. Thank you La Paloma, for being the first (& only) place I have been able to have a full dining experience at in 2020! read more