Best Eats & Drinks in Santa Barbara, pt. 1

Michael and I took a three day getaway up to Solvang and Santa Barbara and spent most of our mini vacation eating and drinking our way around both towns. We were determined to find the best food and drinks in Santa Barbara and after a couple days hit about 13 places that we ate and drank at. This is part 1 of the best eats and drinks from our first day in Santa Barbara, enjoy!

We stayed at The Hotel Milo which was a beautiful spot stretching over a couple blocks of ocean front Santa Barbara right across from the pier. We checked in and got a map and handful of suggestions from the girls at the front desk and were well equipped to get our first day adventuring underway.

The room was really nice and had a view of one of the pools and of the beach and ocean across the street. We later found out that AC isn’t a thing at most hotels in Santa Barbara so even though we were paying a pretty penny for this location we would be sweating most of the night. We didn’t spend much time in the room though and headed out with seafood in mind.

We started with the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company at the end of the pier. After a scenic walk along the water we made it to the tiny restaurant at the end of the way. There was a wait to sit outside so we pulled up at the bar which was cool because we could see all the cooking going on in front of us. There menu was simple and full of seafood favorites and every single one of their pasta dishes started with “sauteed in butter” so I knew I liked this place. Once we got used to the prominent fish smell circulating the room and surrounding fishing spots, we ordered a couple beers, a Bloody Mary and some oysters.

We decided to keep going after here and ended up at one of their affiliate restaurants on shore called FisHouse. The prices were pretty great with a long daily happy hour starting when we moved outside but our waiter seemed a little…um…stoned and distracted. We ordered another 6 oysters and had to send them back because they looked a bit swampy but the calamari was really crispy and came with tasty sauces and slaw. I would recommend either of these places for good value and classic fish dishes but be wary of some of their oyster locations. (A good rule of thumb is placed with cold water and choose the ones that are closest geographically to where you are in the coldest water.)

We decided to keep with the theme of just ordering a drink and appetizer at each place and making our way to more restaurants.

Our waiter recommended Loquita for our next stop so we had high hopes for some good bites at the hip tapas spot. The ambiance was really cool and I loved the open kitchen, but all the food didn’t live up to the hype. We started with some of the little bites that were actually so small I couldn’t believe I paid almost 2 dollars for a single cube of melon wrapped in some prosciutto on the end of a toothpick, but it’s part of the gimmick and they were tasty. 

Michael said there was a whole section of the restaurant in the back that was just doing the little toothpick bites. The chicken croquettes were the best thing we had here besides my Thyme Lemonade (I added vodka). They were super flavorful and crispy and went really well with the sauce. Las Gambas fell short because the shrimp tasted like it was coated in straight up tomato paste instead of a proper sauce.  For what it was, it is pretty expensive so you are paying to be at a cool spot more so than for a proper dinner but for the fun ambiance and drinks I would probably come back and recommend it for somewhere to go before dinner. 

We ended the night at The Neighborhood which we saw on one of the best bars in  California list the next day scrolling for more finds. It was a very laid back atmosphere this early in the night and the half outdoor section was perfect to walk the sunset afterglow in the clouds.  There are chalk boards all around that people can draw on or use to keep track of the score of whatever game they are playing.

We had a couple beers and played some cornhole, foosball and some other games before deciding we should get some take out Mexican food to soak up the drinks our fancy appetizers hadn’t been substantial enough for. We walked to Rudy’s Mexican Restaurant that had a great salsa bar and really fast service.

When we got back to the hotel, our room key wasn’t working but luckily the main reception was still open. We aired out our hotel room and sat on the deck watching the stars and listening to the waves crash while we finished our chips and salsa and got to bed so we could do round two the following day which is coming up on part 2 of the best eats and drinks in Santa Barbara.

Day 1 Highlights:

1. The tempura squash blossom at Les Marchands
2. The cocktails at Loquita
3. The atmosphere at The Neighborhood

Day 1 Bummers:

1. The cocktails at Les Marchnads
2. The oysetrs at FisHouse