Montecito Restaurants

A local friend let us in on this cute tasting room in Montecito’s Lower Village, a short walk from the Miramar. We like to drop in for a glass after lunch. The family-run Folded Hills winery grows its vines—organically—in the Santa Ynez Valley. Staffers are just as charming as they are knowledgeable, and after tasting a flight or two, signing up for the Folded Hills wine club (expect two six-bottle shipments annually) seems like an entirely reasonable idea.

Saturday nights are ripe for pizza and a beer, so Montecitans tend to agree. Bettina’s white subway tile and olive-green shiplap interior hums with chatter and a low-key raucousness that half convinces you you’re in a hipster pizzeria in Brooklyn. (The owners are New York transplants, and the vibe follows.) Call us purists, but we’re partial to their simple margherita pie. Blistered edges, sweet-sour tomato sauce, flecks of basil, and a drizzle of grassy olive oil is even tastier with a green salad and robust glass of Brunello. In our book, a restaurant is only as good as the sides and snacks (or, in this case, spuntini) on the menu. No meal at Bettina is complete without an order of the cacio e pepe arancini to get the Saturday night going.

Before she opened Merci in the lovely Montecito Country Mart, chef and owner Elizabeth Colling cut her teeth at the Ritz Escoffier School in Paris. She followed that with stints at Spago and Bastide. And now, every Saturday, dozens of locals line up to indulge in Colling’s resolutely French brown-butter-soaked waffles Suzette. The café itself is a blush-colored cocoon of wicker seating, marble tables, and the welcoming scent of fresh bread hot out of the oven. Roll up early, commandeer a table, and slowly work your way through the patisserie case alongside what feels like half the town. Our standing order: Merci’s Cali spin on breakfast brioche (they add nut butter) and runny eggs. Even the toast tastes better here—served with a French smear of herby cheese instead of plain old butter.

Oliver’s is the kind of upscale vegetarian restaurant we wish would open in LA (preferably next to goop HQ). Thanks to Santa Barbara’s balmy climate, indoor-outdoor dining makes sense. At Oliver’s, the transition is seamless—the warm wood and blue-grey of the interior opens out onto a tree-laden patio strung with lights, and the long French doors are always open to catch the breeze. Dishes like sweet potatoes smothered in herbs and chili, jackfruit tacos, and nutty, toasted farro risotto with fried sage are satisfying and so tasty. The cocktails—made with cold-press juice, kombucha, and premium-grade liquor—are practically virtuous, and the enchanted-treehouse vibe, especially in the early spring, is irresistible.

"My dad brought me to this Italian trattoria for a special dinner when he came up to visit when I was at UCSB. It still serves all the delicious and seasonal Italian dishes you’d expect in a warm, welcoming setting. Choose between the cozy interior or the vine covered outdoor patio for lunch or dinner." -GP

Lucky's is known for its great American fare, which comes in the form of martinis, oysters, steamed artichokes with vinaigrette, turkey burgers, and of course, the requisite steaks and chops. It has a great old-world Rat Pack vibe and it's perennially packed, meaning it's always a fun night out. The bar is open late.

There are three Los Arroyos locations (the Santa Barbara outpost downtown is the one that started it all, though we've only tried the one in Montecito), and they all share a menu of Mexican food that hits the spot—the kind that’s prepped fresh daily, using tried-and-true family recipes and local ingredients. It's all comforting and reliable, though the crab enchiladas and chimichanga burrito are particularly good. There are also eight kinds of salsa, all of which go nicely with the two-dollar tacos on Tuesdays.

This is the kind of family-run restaurant where the house-made chips and salsa materialize without ever having to ask and every seat—whether it’s a booth in the main dining room or a table on the patio overlooking the pretty Mission-style facade—is the best in the house. The menu offers options to scratch a number of culinary itches, whether it’s Spanish tapas or traditional Mexican standbys (the mole tacos are legendary). The generous happy hour is a favorite among the after-work crowd. Get the blood orange margarita. Trust.

This cafe shares space with an old-timey, packed-to-the-rafters pharmacy, which means that unless you know to look for it, it’s easy to miss. The service here is limited to breakfast and lunch, both of which are pretty basic—really, you want to come for the pancakes. What’s more, is that the pharmacy itself is weirdly great. The shelves are lined with everything from perfume and fancy skin care lines to basics like Advil and shampoo.

Everything about this Santa Barbara institution—including the somewhat unorthodox ordering system—is legendary. Some 30 years ago, Jeannine’s signature scones helped put the original Downtown SB location on the map. These days, the lobster Benedict and Kahlua-soaked banana French toast keep all three locations slammed at brunch time, while crisp salads and fresh, no-frills sandwiches leave lunch crowds happy. That’s not to say the baked goods haven’t held up over the years: The currant scones and homemade cookies are as good as ever. There are also two locations in Santa Barbara, one on State Street and the other on Figueroa.