Santa Barbara Restaurants

For a good look at some of Southern California's finest dining options, all you have to do is take a look at a list of Santa Barbara restaurants. Santa Barbara is a peaceful coastal city located in Southern California, just under two hours away from the center of Los Angeles. Santa Barbara has a rustic and quaint atmosphere and is a well-known tourist destination because of its scenic beaches, outdoor activities and plentiful cultural and historic attractions. The city also has a thriving culinary scene, with an abundance of diverse restaurants.

1. Bouchon has a convenient locale in the center of the city's downtown area. Bouchon specializes in "wine country" fare, which utilizes locally sourced and fresh ingredients. For example, the seafood is Santa Barbara Channel-derived. The cozy restaurant has a continually changing menu, but serves items such as roasted squash soup, chilled beet salad, pan-roasted chicken breast, ahi tuna, crab cakes and smoked grilled venison.
2. Kai Sushi Shabu Shabu is a Santa Barbara Japanese eatery that serves both sushi and shabu shabu (thinly sliced chicken and marbled Kobe beef) dishes. Kai Sushi Shabu Shabu serves lunch and dinner. The extensive menu consists of chicken and beef teriyaki, beef ramen, sauteed garlic chicken, vegetable tempura, miso soup and chirashi mixed sushi sets.
3. Ca' Dario is a quaint and peaceful dining establishment that is owned and operated by the Italian-born Dario. Ca' Dario offers a large menu of authentic Italian fare, including risotto, veal chops, roasted quail, rib-eye steak, ricotta and spinach ravioli, and spinach and beef tagliatelle. The wine offerings include Cuvee Dom Perignon, Il Ducale and Villa Antinori.
4. Holden's Steaks & Seafood is a vibrant restaurant that has a central location on State Street in Santa Barbara. Holden's Steaks & Seafood serves lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. On weekdays, a happy hour also takes place in the early evening. The eatery features a menu of contemporary all-American cuisine with dishes like California cobb salad, prime top sirloin, New York pepper steak, pan-seared salmon, rack of lamb and barbecue baby back ribs.