Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in California Central Coast

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in California Central Coast? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Pono Pacific Kitchen

4.9

4.9 (630)

$31 to $50

Pacific Rim

Pismo Beach

About the restaurant

Pono Pacific Kitchen offers Pacific Rim cuisine that focuses on local favorites with a style of cooking and presenting dishes that combines ingredients, influences and techniques from not only Hawaii but also Asia, California and Mexico and the western coasts in general.

Top review

KATRINA

Dined 6 days ago

This is the Best restaurant in Pismo beach area Food is consistently. Great Done here weekly Enjoyed every dinner The sword fish is excellent

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Popular dish

Georges Bank Scallops

4.9

4.9 (241)

$31 to $50

Distillery

Atascadero

About the restaurant

Barley & Boar is a cozy boutique pub located in downtown Atascadero. We distill our own liquor, brew our own beer, and craft our own delicious fare from fresh and local ingredients. Dinner is full service, and our bar is open until midnight.

Join us monthly as we change our menu to showcase what’s in season.

Top review

Beth

Dined 2 days ago

The food is always outstanding and the service is friendly and fun.

36 Degrees North at San Juan Oaks Golf Club

4.9

4.9 (52)

$31 to $50

Californian

Hollister

About the restaurant

The signature restaurant at the newly reimagined San Juan Oaks Golf Club. 36º North brings an upscale ambiance and memorable dining experience through seasonally inspired California cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. With a dramatic olive tree featured as an iconic centerpiece, the scene is set for gourmet dinners and special occasions.

Top review

Irene

Dined 7 days ago

Another excellent meal and the best customer service! Thank you.

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Experience

New Year's Eve

The Black Sheep SB Brasserie

4.8

4.8 (712)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

A locally owned and operated, modern-classic California-French Pub. We serve elevated, eclectic, locally sourced Cuisine paired with incredible wines and craft beer. We are NOW OPEN for SUNDAY BRUNCH 10am-1:30pm. Located in Old Town Santa Barbara on 18 East Cota Street, the building boasts a rich history of French restaurants and saloons dating back over a century.

We are open for Dinner Wed-Sun from 5PM. We are known for our incredible family style tasting menu’s where multiple dishes are presented to your table for each course.

Top review

Anne

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing and even better than the reviews...impressive balanced food and great service. Defo return.

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Experience

Christmas Dinner

Experience

New Year's Eve Dinner

Experience

"Sunday Supper" Chef's Choice 4 courses

Mistura

4.8

4.8 (1638)

$31 to $50

Peruvian

San Luis Obispo

About the restaurant

The word Mistura brings together the essence of Peru, a vision of its people and cuisine, a wondrous blend of cultures of priceless heritage. Our Mistura is a modern Peruvian restaurant that is as lively as the country and biodiversity it celebrates. Mistura captures the multicultural spirit of Peru, combining its native Incan and Pre-Columbian culinary heritage with the Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese influences that embody the country's flavorful cuisine. Mistura is an authentic tribute to the diversity of Peruvian food, proposing familiar yet unexpected and adventurous flavors.

Top review

MikeVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Excellent food by people who were very proud to share the culture and culinary experience with guests. I tried food I’ve never had before, and loved every bit of it.

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Experience

Chef's Table

Secret Bao

4.8

4.8 (673)

$31 to $50

Asian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Modern Asian American Restaurant from Chefs Peter Lee & Felicia Medina.

"Consider the bao. Chinese in origin, it’s most easily described as a steamed bun filled with something savory. Yet, like the American concept of a sandwich, the bao exploded into a flexible format of untold bounds — served at any meal, filled with you-name-it, completely closed or wide open, with endless regional variants from across Asia and far beyond." - Matt Kettmann (SB Independent)

1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Bao, Food, Restaurant, Asian, American, New, Modern, Fried, Chicken, Octopus, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paelo, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Top review

Vicki

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing yummy dishes, very flavorful and exciting! Great place! We love it!

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The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

4.6

4.6 (531)

$50 and over

American

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Named “Top 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America” by OpenTable, The Bistro offers a casual and relaxed atmosphere to dine and enjoy sweeping views of the coastline. Local produce and sustainable seafood highlight an acclaimed menu of traditional bistro favorites, including brick oven flatbreads, seasonal salads and the signature Santa Barbara burger.

Please note that holiday reservations are only available for in-house guests. Room confirmation number is required to officially confirm your dining reservation during these times.

Marriott Bonvoy Members can earn points when staying with us. Please enroll here: https://www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com/uscanqr/s/EN/ch/sbarz

For parties with 6 guests or more a 26% service charge fee will be added to your final bill. For all guests there will be an 8.75% California State tax added to the final bill.

Top review

CATHYVIP

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

This is a beautiful venue. Inside and outside dining with gorgeous views. The food is fantastic and our service was top notch. Thank You Dulce !! We enjoyed it so much we made reservations for breakfast for the next day. Thank You Graice!!

Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette

4.5

4.5 (1287)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Marina

About the restaurant

Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette is an award-winning upscale seafood restaurant in Marina, CA. Indulge in a culinary experience like no other with a live show kitchen, tantalizing oyster bar, and perfectly cooked steaks. Join us for daily happy hour and enjoy our carefully crafted cocktail and wine program. Savor weekend brunch while relaxing on our pet-friendly patio. Whether you're planning a wedding, memorial, or business dinner, our private dining spaces are available to create a memorable event. Come and discover why our seafood restaurant is a top choice for those seeking exceptional cuisine and unforgettable dining experiences in Marina, CA. Open Monday - Friday from 2 PM- 9:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10AM - 9:30PM.

Top review

AllisonVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing service from start to finish beginning at the hostess stand. We never had to worry about whether our server was coming back to check on us, he also had an assistant server who cleared plates and checked in on us as well. (The check in’s were not overbearing). Food was phenomenal, we had the 14h NY strip, clams, oysters, olive bread & sea salt and a bottle of Daou Cab. Great ambiance, cool setting - there is even a display of oysters on the wall with rocks behind a metal bar caging. The bathroom also had a unique approach to soap- used an essential oil infused salt! Highly recommended and will definitely return on our next trip to Monterey!

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Popular dish

Grilled Oysters

Bibi Ji

4.2

4.2 (318)

$31 to $50

Indian

Santa Barbara

About the restaurant

Modern Indian food featuring local produce and seafood paired with a robust low-intervention wine program curated by Alejandro Medina and James Beard Award winner Rajat Parr. Located directly across the street from the historic Granada Theatre in the heart of Santa Barbara's ARTS District. Join us in our lively, signature pastel pink dining room.

Michelin Guide Central Coast Selection 2021, 2022 and 2023

Top review

Lee

Dined 7 days ago

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.

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Popular dish

Crispy Cauliflower

Rockfish Harbor Grill

4.2

4.2 (157)

$30 and under

Seafood

Monterey

About the restaurant

We are excited to transform Monterey Bay's best location into the newest, freshest, seafood restaurant. Enjoy an all-new ambiance, waterfront tables, and exciting menu items!

For more than one hundred years, fishing has been a vital part of Monterey’s economy. Monterey’s historic Fisherman’s Wharf with its colorful shops, seafood markets, and flavorful restaurants, is a reflection of that history. Rockfish celebrates Monterey’s fishing tradition and enjoys the Wharf’s most expansive, panoramic views of the working harbor.

Stop by and enjoy a cocktail and our stunning views at the restaurant’s bar and lounge. Our ambiance is casual California and it’s suitable for visitors of all ages. Come see for yourself. You’ll be glad you did!

Top review

LesVIP

Dined on Dec 9, 2024

The location, view, food, and staff are all great. You will like it. :)

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