Delightful family dinner (in town for a funeral) at a nice new find in Santa Barbara. FOOD & DRINK - Food -- from salads to pasta to meats to desserts -- was all high grade and enjoyed by everyone there. The cocktail menu had some clever mixes, and the wine menu offered plenty (maybe even too many) suggestions. SERVICE - Overall service was attentive and effective. The staff worked with our needs and handled a couple of unexpected situations (a couple in our party unexpectedly showing up with their kids in tow) with aplomb. AMBIANCE - While you can't really see much of the ocean, the front windows face it from across the closest street, and the sense of it being there (especially with the windows open) counts for a lot. The house itself is upscale decorated and set. VALUE - Upscale and food and service matches the upscale prices, but it felt like we got worth for what what paid. We paid a bit over $100 a person -- but that included cocktails and wine (and the two kids, who got plates of their own). NET-NET - We're not locals, but Toma is definitely going on our list for any future visits we make to Santa Barbara. read more

OMG when we come in from Jackson hole, we love eating here, we take the kids and we all go. It's one of the best environments. The food is delicious. So glad there's quality food still in town. Coming from LA the food capital of the world, this place is so good. read more

This is an outstanding restaurant on all levels. It's very popular, so make a reservation! The food is delicious and the portions are very ample. The side dishes such as the mixed seasonal vegetables are worthy as an entree. The wait staff are very professional and inviting. The service is prompt. The host is exceptionally anxious to please guests. The restaurant is beautifully appointed with fresh flowers at each table. Tables are dressed in white cloths and the flatware and glassware are exceptional. the space is sparkling clean. The full bar is also an inviting place to sit and the cocktails are clearly prepared by a mixologist. ENJOY! read more

Stopped in for a drink and appetizer. Wish I had stayed for dinner. Presentation was amazing as were the flavors. I was craving stuffed squash blossoms and saw they had them on their menu. I was expecting lightly fried squash blossoms, but these were stuffed with ricotta cheese and grilled and the sauce was interesting. The standout was the daily special, Hamachi Crudo in a citrus/coconut sauce. Beautiful presentation, fresh, and so flavorful!! Will definitely be back for that and dinner next time. Lovely, intimate dining room across the street from the beach with French music playing in the background. read more

See all

*Rating this experience with a child & grandparent* We were out-of-towners, looking for a walkable restaurant that had a kid-friendly menu, and we decided on Toma. Reservations are highly recommended, the restaurant was packed on a Thursday night. We got a lovely corner table by the window so we could see the boats and part of the ocean. This is what we ordered: - tuna cones: sounded like it was a must-try so we did, and we really enjoyed them! My mother said she's never tried anything like it before, and really enjoyed them. It was her highlight of the meal. - kids meal, chicken tenders ($20) - for a kids meal, this was on the pricier end, but my picky eater really enjoyed them. They were crispy and very soft. He said it was the best tenders he's ever had. It also came with a sundae with chocolate fudge and whipped cream. So that's a win! - squid ink black spaghetti - good flavors, good amount of mussels, and I enjoyed the al dente of the noodles. My mother thinks they could've been even more al dente, but I thought they were fine. I enjoyed dipping my bread in the sauce :) - risotto with jumbo shrimp and scallops ($49) - for the price, the scallops were very, VERY small. For that price and size, they should've given us at least 5 scallops, not 3. The shrimp was also ok in favors and also not considered "jumbo" at all. Risotto was very tasty. - phyllo crisp with raspberry mousse - interesting, I really enjoyed the mousse with the fruit, but was so-so with the crisp. It wasn't overly sweet, which I enjoyed. Service was attentive, despite how crowded it was. At one point, my kid knocked over his root beer all over our table, and the staff quickly came to help clean it up. I appreciated that they didn't make it a big deal and were quick. I would come back and try other dishes, but not order the risotto scallop/shrimp because of the small seafood portion. read more

See all

Absolutely charming romantic venue across from the pier and boat docks /beach. Everything including service impeccable! Loved our swordfish and Seafood Pasta. Dessert is deliciously stunning! love love love Full house usually so make a reservation or go early and sit at the small bar read more

See all

Sat at the bar while waiting for our table and decided to eat there. The bartender provided excellent service, and our food was delicious. Can't wait to go again! read more

My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Toma. It's a beautiful restaurant with very nice place settings. The service was good, not especially friendly but efficient. We had a squash blossom starter but it was the only dish we didn't enjoy. I ordered the Ravioli Pomodoro and my husband ordered the Lasagna. We both loved these dishes as well as the complimentary bread for the table. The desserts were incredible! My husband had the Warm Chocolate Torte and I had the Crème Brûlée, both gorgeous and delicious. I'm glad we visited and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal. read more

See all

When you find someplace that is very memorable, you make sure to alway return. Well this restaurant is just that place. I've been a few times already and each and every visit was amazing. Right from the start. We didn't make a reservation as it was mid week which we assumed that it would be ok. Which it was as it was still early. From the start, walking in and checking with the host. Who I beleive maybe the manger but not sure. He's such a sweetheart. I love how they remember people which is always a good thing. We were able to have open table which there was a few. But within 15 to 20 minutes, the place did filled up. So I would recommend reservations. The service is always amazing with each and everyone working there. Like mentioned, love that the staff remembers their customers. Not only the host, the bartender, as well as one of the other waiters who waved to say hi. Menu wise, everything is excellent. After a few days of wine, we kind of gave it a miss...lol... but I did have the espresso martini which is a big hit and a favorite so far here. The fried olives with blue cheese to start is always a treat. Started off with the fritto misto, a mix of seafood and veggies lightly fried and served with a chipotle aioli sauce and marinara. It's a must for us. And also the house baked garlic bread with Parmesan and marinara sauce. Simple yet so good. Entrees, my favorite. The pasta de mare, with the housemade lemon trenette pasta, a mix of scallops calms and shrimp in a white wine garlic sauce with chili flakes and crispy leeks. It's always a must for me. There was also the pesto bucatini both with and without chicken. And the rigatoni with sausage. The sauce alone was excellent. Service was always amazing. Walter took care of us this experience. Very sweet and friendly. There was a gentlemen that was dining behind me who was enjoying some wine and gracious enough to offer me a taste. That was so sweet which I found out later that he loves his wine and always shares with the staff. An amazing regular. Food is alway amazing, the ambiance and service is great. Love the friendly staff which makes returning so welcoming read more

See all

The Food Generally underwhelming. The garlic bread was decent, but the black ink pasta was surprisingly bland and lacked flavor. Most frustratingly, our table was never offered bread, despite every other table around us receiving it. Ambiance The highlight of the night. The restaurant has a beautiful, upscale atmosphere and a great vibe--it's a shame the food didn't match the setting. Service Decent service overall, but dishes took a while to come out and our server took a while to come from time to time. For the price point, the attention to detail simply wasn't there. Bottom Line: Great for the view and a drink, but the dining experience fell short. read more

See all

Came here for dinner on a Monday night while visiting Santa Barbara. Making a reservation was pretty easy on open table. First thing you notice is that the restaurant definitely has an upscale feel to it. My wife and I love Italian food so we were pretty excited to try this spot. We ordered a good number of items, including garlic bread, Truffle Gnocchi, Crudo, and their Black Spaghetti, along with a Tuscan pear cocktail. The Tuscan pear was really good! It was sweet and had great flavor. The garlic bread was pretty good as well, but we noticed that they also had complementary bread which was available upon request. Wish we would've known about it before we ordered, but it is what it is. In terms of their dishes, they were great, but the standout was the Truffle Gnocchi. The gnocchi melts in your mouth and the sauce was delicious with a good amount of truffle flavor. The black spaghetti was great, and came with a lot of clams, which was nice as well. The crudo was good, although I wish they had less things going on in the dish. I found that there was too many flavors and it took away from the taste of the crudo. Overall I had a good experience here, the dishes were really good and the portions are generous. Service was good as well. This was more of Italian with a bit of a seafood twist rather than a classic restaurant but I found their dishes to be a refreshing take on Italian. I will say that while everything was good, it felt like it was missing a wow factor that you would expect for the premium price, but maybe that's just me preferring more classic Italian flavors. Still a good option for dining in Santa Barbara! read more

See all

We loved the food. But our waiter was super rude. Also, it was my son's birthday and didn't even acknowledge it. It was on the reservation and in the system according to what the hostess. My son wanted to take his time on ordering and when our waiter heard that, his energy's changed completely. At first I wanted to feel bad and maybe think he was having a rough day but every other table he talked too, he was super friendly. He was tall, wears glasses and a chubby waiter, I'm not sure what was his name but that's all I know! Mangers please take this feedback seriously! read more

Had a great dinner here. The seafood dishes were fresh and flavorful, especially the perfectly cooked sea bass and the pasta with clams. Everything was beautifully presented. The desserts were just as impressive--the warm chocolate cake with ice cream was a favorite. Great atmosphere, attentive service, and a memorable dining experience. read more

See all

We love Toma. It is in a beautiful location, which is just icing on the cake because the food is amazing. Starting with some incredible appetizers through to luscious desserts, we have never had anything less than a wonderful experience. Service is always on point, as well. One of our Santa Barbara favorites. read more

We were so looking forward to our dinner at Toma to celebrate my birthday The restaurant is very cute and atmosphere is nice. It took over 10 minutes to receive water and another 10 for our drink order. I'm fine with drawn out service but we weren't even offered drinks before our entree (and this wasn't due to the entrees coming quickly) our drinks had been empty for some time by the time our entrees arrived. Things didn't get better with the entrees, my truffle gnocchi was mushy and bland and my husbands short ribs tasted like they were sitting under a heating lamp for too long. Overall a very disappointing experience. read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is some of the best Italian food I've ever had. We loved the atmosphere and the wait staff were very attentive. This will be our "go to" place whenever we are in SB. read more

Soooo soooo delicious. I got the rigatoni and I want to come back here already to eat it again. Our food came out really fast and the ambience was great too. Our server Christian was super nice and friendly and had great service! 1000/10 would definitely definitely come back! Editing to say they even gave a complimentary raspberry mousse read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Rigatoni and pesto - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

We were in town for our 20th anniversary and wanted to have a delicious dinner. My wife found Toma on Yelp and we made a last minute reservation. OMG. We were thrilled! The whole experience was fantastic! The decor, the ambiance, the drinks, the food.....the fooooodddd. Everything we ate was delicious. My wife is an amazing cook so we often are disappointed when eating out because we know she could make better food at home. Not here. The flavors were so complex and well thought out. We have never had mussels before so we tried them......amazing!! The cocktails were delicious too. Our server was wonderful, attentive and very friendly. All around 10/10 stars and we will most definitely be back! read more

Yummy food , great ambience and service. What more can you ask for? The fritto misto (mixed fried seafood) has a variety of different items including shrimps, scallops, bring onion, red pepper, etc. they are crispy and juicy and with diff textures. Consider considering different ingredients require different frying time this dish requires more effort and it showed in the taste. Tuna cones are both sweet , crunchy and flavorful. And it's beautiful. It comes in four cones. The seafood risotto is super delicious. The grilled shrimp and scallop are grilled to perfection and very flavorful. Tiramisu is yummy. Will be back. If I can snatch a reservation next time. :-) read more

I heavily suggest making a reservation beforehand to ensure you will have a table as Toma gets quite busy. Luckily, my friends and I were able to adjust our reservation the day of to accommodate our larger party when we stopped in Santa Barbara. As soon as we entered, we were seated and then quickly greeted by our server. We placed our wine, appetizers, and entree orders quickly and only waited a few minutes for our wine to come out. The appetizers came out fairly quickly as well. Before we even had time to finish our apps, our entrees were being placed on the table. Overall, their service time was fantastic. Unfortunately we did have one app wrong, someone received the wrong wine from what they ordered, and I received shrimp in my meal instead of chicken. Luckily, as soon as the waiter named my entree as he was putting it before me, I quickly mentioned I did not order shrimp, but chicken. They were nice about the correction and took my plate back right away to replace the shrimp with chicken. I enjoyed all our appetizers, but my personal favorite was the arugula salad as it had a delicious, lemon dressing. I did have the pesto bucatini with chicken (eventually) and I did love it. The pesto was very fresh and coated the bucatini noodles well. I loved that the dish was topped with carrots and zucchini too! My husband liked his swordfish, which was the catch of the day, but it was quite dry for him. I thought the savory flavor was there but did agree that it was dry overall. You never know what you will get with a meal that changes regularly due to it being whatever the catch of the day is! We ended our meal with their creme brûlée. My husband and I absolutely love creme brûlée and we would rate theirs at about 8/10. The flamed sugar top was rather soft along the edges and brunt in the middle, but the strawberries did make up for it as they were quite fresh and sweet. Still a good dessert choice! While we did like our service overall and the food in general, we received the bill that did not correct the mistakes from our meal. We were charged for the wrong wine, the wrong app, and the shrimp instead of chicken on my meal. We were able to get it fixed, but it did take some time and effort. read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Cocktail menu - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Atmosphere =charming and warm. Service was amazing! Food = mouth watering, highly recommend!!! One of my favorite Italian places now, absolutely wonderful!! read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Braised Beef Short Rib and Grilled Pork Chop - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Such a pleasure to have a restaurant live up to one's hopes and expectations. From the bartending to the bus staff, everyone was darling. Overseen by a manager who obviously cares. The food was one of the best meals we've had in a while. The short rib and fruté di mare were perfectly cooked to a beautiful al denté. Juan was the perfect server, with a charming humor, but not intrusive. And the deserts sublime. Thank you Toma for such an enjoyable experience! read more

A fantastic dinner with outstanding service! Ashley was a joy, helpful, knowledgeable with a huge smile. Everything was perfect, the roasted chicken with delicious risotto, ravioli and incredible olive oil almond citrus cake. Also to mention strawberry mousse light and delicious I would highly recommend ! A special evening made perfect! Thank you everyone! read more

See all

What a classy restaurant! Comfortable and cozy with a more formal ambiance. Great, attentive service and plenty of servers working hard to get great food to each table in a timely fashion. A well staffed well managed place. That makes a difference. The food was exceptional! Layers of flavor and combo of texture. Lovely plated presentation. Fresh ingredients and unique delicious dish creations made the menu interesting and our meal enjoyable. We started with the fresh baked bread with a lovely herb butter and a chimichurri dip. We shared a classic Caesar salad. I had a lemon pasta with seafood and crunchy leeks on top. Loved it! My husband enjoyed the short ribs. We got dessert and went away so satisfied with the full experience, and yet so full ourselves! I also enjoyed a cup of perfectly chamomile tea. I recommend this place. read more

See all

I was in the Santa Barbara area for a few days and stopped by Toma as it was within walking distance from my hotel. I took a seat at the bar and was immediately acknowledged by the bartender. I ordered a half bottle of Chardonnay and the lasagna. I must say that both were just outstanding. The service from the bartender was excellent and everyone was just super friendly and helpful. If you are ever in the area, check them out! read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - An evening at Toma!! - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Went here for our 1 year anniversary and it was amazing! They only took reservations on the weekend we went so we got there right when they opened. Very classy, and small authentic "hole in the wall" feel. Their bread is amazing. I ordered the lasagna and it was sooooo delicious. Definitely a memorable dinner. It was light and fluffy and had a good amount of meat which is something I was hoping. My husband got the rigatoni and the sauce was really yummy. We also ordered the calamari appetizer and it really hit ! The only thing that wasn't perfect was the noodles for my husband's pasta weren't as soft as he would have liked them- but this dish was still really delicious! I definitely recommend! read more

This is one of the best restaurants we've had the pleasure to dine in. Our second visit was a spectacular one, with the restaurant knocking it out of the park for its food, wine and service. We ordered: --Ahi Tuna Cones, for an appetizer. Very different, fun and tasty. Had a slight ginger flavor which I liked. --Black Spaghetti. This is a must order for seafood lovers and those who love Linguine with Clam Sauce. A squid ink spaghetti-like noodle with clams and spicy pancetta in a rich clam broth. We can't stop talking about how good it is. -- New Zealand Rack of Lamb. An incredible dish with six small rib bones, creamy polenta, basalmic tomatoes, black olives, zucchini and squash in a rich delicious sauce. Absolutely outstanding. --Sourdough Bread with Chimichurri and Garlic Butter. So good. I actually preferred the Chimichurri over the butter, but we dipped the bread in the clam broth and lamb sauce, too. --Bottle of the Cordon Pinot Noir. Very flavorful and fruity. --Two Limoncellos for dessert. Fresh lemon taste. Not too cloying or syrupy. Just right. The service was impeccable. Our waiter was outstanding, and wine and water glasses were promptly filled, dirty plates cleared. After the appetizer, our waiter suggested that we share the spaghetti first, then the lamb, which was a great suggestion, as we wanted to split everything. Toma is a must visit while in Santa Barbara. Dress code is Santa Barbara casual. Make reservations well in advance as this small restaurant fills up fast. read more

See all

Just left dinner and ran here to do a review. Firstly, shoutout to our server Kevin. You made our first time here an experience to remember. You were awesome. For the resturant itself, from the service, to the ambiance, to the drinks, to the food and then dessert... everything was perfection. A must go! read more

See all

I usually take hotel restaurant recommendations with a grain of salt since it always feels inauthentic, however, this recommendation DID NOT miss the mark. Signed in and left our name on the list and was told it was going to be about 45 mins - 1 hr for a table. My girlfriend and I went on a walk and received our check in text less than 30 minutes later. We love that. Came in and got seated at the bar where Kevin helped us. Started off with a house margarita that was absolutely killer. Followed that up by ordering Cesar Salad, Steamed Mussels, and a Linguini Pasta to share. It's been a week since my visit and I still think about those steamed mussels. I would strongly recommend this dish. The Cesar salad can't do no wrong either. The linguini was fantastic and all of the seafood was well worth the cost. All in all, 3 dishes, 3 drinks, ran me short of $180 after tax and tip. read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Steamed Mussels - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Come here just about every year since they opened for anniversary dinner. Kevin our waiter was great. Arugula salad with fresh parm was great . My wife got meat lasagna I had salmon. Both perfectly cooked. See you next Nov ! read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Arugula salad - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Every single bite was perfect! A first try of octopus tonight. Chewy and delicious at the same time. Black Cod was buttery and light. Great service and calm setting made for a good dinner. read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Octopus appetizer! So tasty!! - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Located right across the ocean and gives you peek of the harbor. Great place for a date or family dinner The restaurant usually requires reservations but we came early enough and had a chance for walk-in on a Friday evening. The food was spectacular on another level and cooked really well. For a moment I was wondering why my food took so long but that chicken requires time to cook. Even its skin was cooked well, all the way to the bone. The sea bass was also good and it was a featured item. They have different featured items that aren't seen on menu. Our server jay was terrific. All the other staff members were accommodating. Only drawback would be the lack of parking. read more

See all

Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. But the portions were very small . A cup of risotto, 2 scallops and 2 shrimp. 3 mini zucchini halves. Pasta portions the same. One cup of pasta 2 shrimp. 5 mussels . 2 scallops. And these 2 items cost $88.00. Doesn't justify it. read more

Update: it wasn't food poisoning. It was the stomach flu and totally unrelated to the restaurant. So in conclusion, the food was just very delicious and the incident was ill timed. read more

Xmas eve tradition. This year it was Toma. Great indoor ambiance & service. The food was beyond expectations too. Drinks, dinner & dessert. So good! read more

See all

This Italian restaurant is such a gem, and the location alone makes it worth a visit--right across the street from the beach and incredibly convenient whether you're taking a walking break or planning a full night out. The vibe inside is old-school Italian in the best way: warm lighting, classic décor, and that cozy, timeless atmosphere that makes you want to linger. The food and wine selection were excellent. Every dish we ordered tasted thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor, and the wine list had plenty of great options without being overwhelming. And yes... we ordered all the desserts. Zero regrets. Every single one was delicious and worth the extra calories. Service was friendly and attentive without ever feeling rushed. You can tell the staff take pride in what they do. They're only open for dinner, so I'd strongly recommend making a reservation--this place fills up fast, and for good reason read more

See all

This was our favorite dinner during our entire week of Santa Barbara. I researched and made reservations at all the trendy and top rated spots. This was my favorite. We enjoyed their homemade garlic bread, the rigatoni, the Bass special, and the gluten-free chocolate lava cake dessert. Everything was outstanding along with the wine selection. It was the only restaurant that didn't have a patio to enjoy in the nice weather but the beautiful interior did not disappoint. read more

This was our 3rd visit to Toma! Found it on Yelp! It was near our hotel so we went for it. Had Juan as our waiter, had a very fun evening with amazing food so we returned a 2nd time. Did not have Juan as our waiter but everything was delicious and on point! Last night was our 3rd visit and guess whose section we asked to be seated in? Yup! Juan's! lol! From the moment was walk in, we are 'Home''! Everyone Is friendly! The fried green olives are simply out: DELICIOUS!!!!!! Then the bread and butter?? Nothing compares. No sourdough here. Let's talk old fashioned bread! And the butter with a bit of pink Himalayan salt? Heavenly!! We shared the superb baby arugula salad. Dick had the pork chop and I had the salmon. Talk about deeeeelish! Wow. Was fun catching up with Juan (as in "only ONE Juan, is what he'll tell ya!!). Did not have any space for a dessert tonight. Service was top shelf, food and entire dining experience is always so special! The reason we always return! read more

Toma Restaurant & Bar - Crispy Salmon, asparagus, artichoke and fingerling potatoes. Perfect! - Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Jay was our waiter, I would say he is probably the best waiter I ever had. I ordered the black spaghetti and I really liked it, but make sure you stir it up in the sauce. And I ordered the pasta di mare , I love the sauce but it needs more scallops and more clams, other than that it is great. I'm only giving 5 stars because of the server was amazing! The espresso martini was really good but too much foam. The raspberry mousse at the end was so flavorful. It's hard to find fruit flavored mousse. I'll come back for sure. Thanks Jay! Quick review reviews just for you. read more

See all

So enjoyed our dinner here. We were in town for our anniversary and wanted to have a nice dinner to celebrate. Toma was near where we were staying, had great reviews and the menu looked delicious. So glad we chose them. Service was impeccable, ambience is lively and welcoming and the food was top notch as were the cocktails. Thank you Ashley for helping me decide on a cocktail (Manhattan or Paper Plane, Paper Plane was the right choice, so refreshing) and my husband on his entree ( lasagna or gnocchi- the gnocchi was so flavorful and a unique preparation). The berry mousse for our anniversary was a nice surprise and a great ending to the meal. Highly recommend for any celebration or just when you want to treat yourself to a fantastic meal. read more