Best Historic Restaurants in Montecito

Fabulous time! Such a great addition to CVR. Michael at the raw bar was very knowledgeable about the oysters and kept them coming. Our waitress, Corey, was fantastic and the Manager, Jerry, always takes the time to check in and say hello!

The Confit De Canard (crispy duck on stuffed French toast) at Stella Mare’s is probably my favorite dish of all time. The sweet and the savory are perfectly matched. We had our wedding reception there three years ago and that is when I discovered this dish. When I heard the restaurant was closing at the end of the month I was bummed. The wife and I made a special trip up there yesterday to eat at Stella Mare’s one last time. It was bittersweet. The food and ambiance is top notch, and the prices very reasonable. Santa Barbara is losing a real gem! Sad it won’t be around in a few days and sounds like the restaurant will not be resurrected anywhere else anytime soon, at least that is what our waiter said. 😢 Cheers to the chefs Roth Ironside and Heriberto Munoz for some great memories!

The food here is delicious, definitely different from and a cut above traditional Indian restaurants in America. The service was also very attentive. I really appreciate the number of vegan dishes and the fact that everything is clearly marked. My two caveats are that there’s a lot of heat in this food so if you can’t stand that this is not the restaurant for you. Even the mild chutney was hot rather than flavorful. It’s also a noisy set up with little thought given to sound management in the design of the space. The pink themed walls are kind of cute but also slightly nauseating. 

This is the 2nd time I have dined at Arnoldi's since it reopened, and both visits have been fantastic. The food is superb, and the waitstaff very attentive. I loved sitting out back in the garden. The music is from the 30's-50's and perfect for the setting.