Tasting room near city center in Santa Barbara that's a favorite of Martin and Caitlin- especially the Pinot Noir! We visited here on our trip in 2019 and loved it.
Enjoy the beautiful rose gardens or visit the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara Church.
Named for its historically artsy, creative tenants throughout the (now converted) warehouse-heavy neighborhood.
The pier (home to California’s oldest working wharf) offers wine tasting, a touch aquarium for kids, and lots of shopping and dining options, avoid it after mid-morning—it tends to become a bit of a tourist trap as the day goes on.
Enjoy the warm weather and keep an eye out for dolphins at Butterfly Beach, just a 15 min bike ride from downtown Santa Barbara
A 20 minute drive from downtown, Cold Spring Tavern is an antique filled saloon that has been around since the late 1800's. Martin realllllly wants to go!
There are two ways to get to Inspiration Point, which is a beautiful outlook overlooking Santa Barbara’s coastline and the Channel Islands in the distance. The shorter option starts at Tunnel Trail and will make for about a 3.5-mile hike roundtrip. It starts on an easy paved road for about a mile, but then makes its way to a trail that's steep in parts. We did this hike on our trip to SB in 2019 (Martin did it effortlessly, Caitlin not so much).
Caitlin's sister, Erin, studied and worked in wine. She prefers Santa Barbara wine country over Napa or any other domestic options. If you can make the time, we highly recommend making the trip out to experience some of Santa Barbara's vineyards (about 30 minutes from Downtown Santa Barbara). There are so, so many high-quality producers in the region so this is not an exhaustive list by any means, but here are some of Erin's favorite wineries to check out while you’re visiting… Pence Vineyards, Tatomer Wines, Stolpman Vineyards, Fess Parker, Evening Land, Tyler Winery, SAMsARA Wine Co, Sandhi Wines (Lompoc tasting room), Foxen, Dovecote Estate Winery & Ranch, and Crown Point Vineyards
Authentic Spanish tapas restaurant that utilizes the best local produce & seafood, located in the heart of the Funk Zone.
A gluten-free bakery offering sweets, breakfast, and lunch (and wedding cake!) in downtown Santa Barbara.
A classic, warm steakhouse in Montecito with outstanding martinis, steaks, and seafood. We went here to celebrate securing our wedding venue last fall!
Serving Santa Barbara locals for 30 years, this is a great spot for breakfast or lunch.
Located in the Funk Zone, the farm-to-table menu rotates seasonally to showcase the best of Santa Barbara.
Family run since 1980, a fun and delicious stop for authentic mexican food. Serving up pressed-to-order corn tortillas that made Julia Child a regular.
Modern indian spot with an eclectic menu, amazing local wine list & private back patio.
Waterfront restaurant with great views and delicious italian-inspired Mediterranean dishes
Santa Barbara’s original food hall with local offerings ranging from pizza, to ceviche to ice cream
Old school Italian restaurant with great pasta and delicious wine
Amazing ice cream with multiple locations!
Perfect spot for drinks on their back patio with bocce ball courts and a great wine list
Taproom in the Funk Zone for this local Southern California beer. They have a shared outdoor space with their neighbor Fox Wine.