Santa Barbara is such a charming town with a blend of Spanish colonial influence and coastal California vibe. It’s also a great destination for wine lovers with several wine regions near by and multiple tasting rooms in downtown. I recently spent two days in Santa Barbara to explore the wine and food scene and here are some of things I recommend adding to your itinerary if you are planning a trip there!
Sterns Wharf Pier
Walk the historical pier and enjoy the view. Perfect to grab a snack or drinks.
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
The Oyster Bar
Moby Dick Restaurant
Visit wineries in Lompoc or Santa Ynez
Lompoc and Santa Ynez are two main towns with wineries and only 40-50minutes drive away.
Santa Ynez: Sunstone, Liquid Farm, Lincourt
Lompoc: Tyler, Sandhi/Domaine de la Cote, Hilt, Ampelos, Sanford, Chanin
Read more about some of the wineries here.
Wine tasting in downtown
If you can’t drive out to Lompoc or Santa Ynez, there are still tons of wine tasting options in downtown.
Santa Barbara Wine Collective
Whitcraft Winery
Melville Winery
Potek Winery
Eat all the food
Santa Barbara is home of sweet Santa Barbara Uni and also has tons of great food options from tacos, seafood, and wine friendly cuisines like Spanish tapas, French, and Italian. Check out these top restaurants for great food and wine.
The Lark
Lilly's Taqueria
Tondi Gelato (this is a Gelato place but one of the bests I’ve had outside of Italy)
Bouchon
Loquita