Today we are talking all things Santa Barbara. I was absolutely obsessed with our weekend getaway and can’t wait to come back. I have a few friends that frequent this area, a friend that grew up there, and many of you that are FROM there. So planning this trip was far too easy thanks to everyone’s detailed recommendations. You are my people. I tried to think of the best way to lay this out if you too are planning a trip. I’m listing what we did, where we stayed, the most popular recommendations, and things I would do differently next time. Because who doesn’t mess up a thing or two their first time visiting a place?! Of course, my notes and experience may be completely different than yours, but this is what I’m taking note of for future.

To Eat:

The Lark

If you arrive in the evening and want to grab a bite, I recommend making a reservation. We didn’t do that and it took about 30 minutes of walking around and asking different restaurants which ones stayed open past 9. We stayed in the Funk Zone and a popular bar, Finney’s, stays open, but other than that a lot of hostesses told us they were closing when we showed up at 9:05. I didn’t even think to check for that, so don’t make my mistake. We ended up at The Lark, which was recommended by so many of you and delicious! It’s a shared-plates concept, so it felt perfect after a day of traveling. We got to munch off one another’s plates and not feel too fancy- ha. My favorite thing there was the Pimento Cheese Sliders. They are SPICY and just heavenly if you are a pimento cheese girl like myself. Little tip: The manager is SO kind! We told her it was our first time in Santa Barbara and she told us to wait 5 minutes. She came back with a highlight map and handwritten sheet listing out all of her favorite spots that tourists sometimes overlook.

Los Agaves

This was another highly recommended spot. We grabbed lunch there after our morning at the spa. I had the tostada salad and Paul had the tacos. Both were fabulous and the nice thing is they have a big patio so you can sit outside in the sunshine. I believe there are a lot of these around this area. It’s a casual spot, so if you just want a quick bite to eat, this is a great option.

McConnell’s Ice Cream

This is the most recommended dessert place. A friend that lives in Santa Barbara said to go to the one on Mission Street and De La Vina Streets. She said you’re likely to spot a celeb at that one. I loved the honey and cornbread cookie flavor! It wasn’t overly sweet, so if you are someone that likes a bit of salt in your desserts you have to try this.

Santo Mezcal

Paul wanted a late lunch one day, and while I didn’t eat his fish tacos, I did try their chips and salsa. It’s located in the Funk Zone and so you can people watch and enjoy lunch or happy hour. Paul loved it and it was right by our hotel.

Carlitos

We had happy hour here one day and split nachos. It’s right by the Arlington Theatre and a few boutiques, like Diani, so worth popping into. We came here after visiting the county courthouse.

Miramar

This was my absolute FAVORITE thing we did! We strolled Miramar and had oysters and cocktails at their beach club. It reminded me of The Biltmore in Colorado, but with a swanky California vibe. There was a gorgeous wedding going on, it overlooks the beach, and the scenes are picturesque. The Rosé Spritz was also the BEST cocktail I think I’ve ever had in life.  I think if we went back we would have a meal here and allocate more time in the trip for this spot.

Jeannine’s

Make the quick drive to Montecito and grab breakfast at Jeannine’s. This breakfast spot almost feels like it is out of a Reese Witherspoon movie. You’re sitting on a gorgeous street in Montecito with fluffy biscuits, delicious mimosas, and people walking their dogs everywhere. I dare say I liked this spot even more than San Ysidro Ranch, simply because it was such a gorgeous day. The line moves FAST. They’ll ask if you want to sit inside or out. We requested outside and she kept asking if we wanted inside- I think because locals are probably fine to sit inside. The inside of the restaurant is cute, too! We told the hostess we were from Texas and really wanted outside. She was so kind about it and got us the best spot outside and then kept checking on us throughout the meal. So definitely tell the hostess if you are visiting. 😉 But the nice thing is that the line moves quickly, so we didn’t wait but 15 minutes on a busy Saturday morning.

Convivo

We were supposed to go to Lucky’s that night, but we actually passed by Convivo and both agreed we wanted to try this. This was the BEST service we had the entire trip. The manager and wait staff was phenomenal. Sit outside and watch the sunset by the ocean. We told the waiter we were visiting for our anniversary and he brought us champagne, appetizers, etc. I feel like that NEVER happens to us. We didn’t even get that on our honeymoon- ha. We sat by the loveliest couple from the UK. They had been married 27 years and we chatted all about raising kids and their favorite spots in California. In terms of food, the peach pizza {a summer dish} was the best pizza I’ve ever had and the lobster was perfect.

Stonehouse

San Ysidro Ranch is a very special spot that was highly recommended. A friend of a friend told me she actually prefers the bar inside for a meal and I would try that next! Now my mistake, we booked our dinner at 8. The sun had already set and it was SO dark. It’s romantic and definitely meant to be dark, but I hate that I didn’t book during sunset because I bet that would have been gorgeous. So book earlier in the evening if you go! Next, they will come by with a breadbasket. Ask for the gluten-free bread. It’s the one in the middle. When I tell you it is the best bread you’ll ever have in life, know that is the most important thing I’ve ever shared on COF. ha. 😉 No seriously, the bread alone was worth the trip. Lots of readers told me to people watch here and they weren’t kidding. Sitting outside you’re like, “Wait, is that a Real Housewife from New York?!“

The Goat Tree

This is a spot by our hotel in the Funk Zone- it is amazing! We came here for our morning coffee and pastries. We also sat outside in the afternoon with a coffee reading, listening to live music. They have brunch and dinner options as well.

To Shop:

This isn’t my personal opinion, I just want to reiterate what at least 6 shop owners told us- just as a warning to you if you are traveling there. Every single boutique we walked in asked where we were from. When we said Dallas/Fort Worth, their automatic response was, “You’ll find you don’t come to Santa Barbara to shop. We hardly have any shopping here and barely any men’s stores.” Lots of boutique owners explained why it’s like this- the rent, etc.. My own personal take was that I wasn’t disappointed at all in the shopping, these boutiques were so cute! But there isn’t a ton! State Street is more chain stores, so if you are thinking you’ll run in lots of baby boutiques on your trip, I wouldn’t say there is an abundance of these spots. We popped in the Nordstrom to get Paul something for dinner and it’s much smaller, like maybe 1/10th of the Nordstrom by us. But I honestly liked that because it’s so gorgeous there you spend most of your time outside! I just only say this because this was such a standard response from local shop owners and if you think you may need to pick up something specific for a dinner, you may not find exactly what you are looking for! However, the boutiques we did go into had some of the BEST selection of my favorite brands: Veronica Beard, Golden Goose, etc.

• Diani- this is a trio of boutiques: they have a clothing store, shoe store, and home store all next to Carlito’s.
• Angel
• Nurture Cottage- the sweetest boutique for babies and tots!
• K Frank- this store did have men stuff! 

To Stay:

Hotel California

This is in the Funk Zone, which was a really popular spot and recommended by y’all. Being from Texas, we loved it as this area totally reminded us of Austin! If you opt for long term car rentals Brisbane, you’ll find it incredibly convenient for exploring the area. You can easily cover meals, sightseeing, and more with your rental car. Everyone was so friendly, and having a rental car makes it even easier to enjoy everything the city has to offer. You’ll also see a lot of brides taking pictures in this spot, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

To Do:

Bacara Spa

This is at The Ritz-Carlton Santa Barbara. A few girlfriends that travel here recommended this spa and I loved it! When you finish with your treatment there is an upstairs terrace where you can drink champagne, coffee, or tea and look at the ocean. That alone makes the appointment worth it. But again, the service here was wonderful. I think the thing that really stood out to me in Santa Barbara was how kind and lovely all the locals are. Everyone talks to you and goes above and beyond to give you great recommendations.

Check out the major resorts- Four Seasons The Biltmore, Hotel Californian, Rosewood Miramar.

This was the TOP thing recommended to do and y’all weren’t lying! They are absolutely breathtaking. We didn’t make it to The Biltmore- but next time for sure! I’ve never traveled somewhere and gone and checked out the other resorts, so I wasn’t sure how much we needed to do that and MAJOR mistake on my part. We went to Miramar on our last day and I was like, “Oh my goodness, why didn’t we do this yesterday?!” This is what lots of people do while traveling there and it’s because each resort offers such a beautiful and unique atmosphere. At Miramar, the Rosé-Spritz was my favorite cocktail and we enjoyed oysters looking over the ocean. If you stop by Hotel Californian, their Sauvignon Blanc selection is wonderful or try their martinis! They have a really cool indoor bar with tufted leather furniture. Or you can sit out on their patio, which is where I would read.

Drive along Mountain Dr.

Our friend from Santa Barbara, Nicoletta, told us to drive along Mountain Drive to see the houses built on the side of the hill. I normally get car sick. I’m talking I had to sleep MOST of the time in the car on our honeymoon to Maui because driving up mountains makes me queasy. This wasn’t like that! It’s definitely a winding road, but not as steep. We did this and allocated about 30 minutes to an hour and we are so glad we did. The real estate is a must see. I am interested in having Alabama Mobile Homes, so I navigated the Home Nation listing to choose.

Top of County Courthouse 

You want to go up the top of this to see the best views in Santa Barbara! I’m not a fan of heights, but this is one of my favorite things we did. A little tip: while walking the stairs with other people, ask someone ahead of time if you can take their picture up top and they can take yours. I only say this because in our experience, there were a lot of weddings taking photos up top and we didn’t want to get in their way. And with all the shuffling back and forth I think it took 20 minutes to find someone to take our photo. We walked the stairs with so many other families, we should have just asked ahead of time!

Santa Barbara Mission

San Ynez Valley wineries or Urban Wine Trail

Popular Recommendations:

• Lots of recommendations for you to do a meal at the Biltmore, but we didn’t get to do that.
• Lucky’s Steakhouse for people watching, onion rings, and martinis!
• Tre Lune in Montecito for date night.
• Bluewater Grill for a beautiful lunch.
• Brophy Brothers for Clam Chowder.
• Old Town Coffee is apparently where all the locals get their coffee.
• Eat at Bouchon

Next Time:

• I would skip State Street.
• Book Stonehouse San Ysidro earlier
• I would love to either do a meal at Miramar and would also check out The Biltmore.

Overall, I 100% hope there is a next time as this is one of the most beautiful spots we have ever visited in the US. The people were SO kind everywhere we went and the food was worth the trip alone. We felt so lucky to visit such an incredible spot in our country and I can see why so many people love this place. I know many of you frequent this spot a lot so if you have other things you think readers should know to make their trip easier, feel free to leave a comment! I hope this little guide helps you if you visit. Just remember: visit the resorts, book dinners during sunset, and chat with everyone. Truly, the people there go ABOVE and beyond to make visitors feel at home!