Tthe last time I visited him Santa Barbara was in those halcyon days. The seaside city – a little less than two hours north of LA and five hours south of my home in the Bay Area – has always been a haven for people who crave a mix of adventure and culture with a side of Spanish colonial-style architecture, Beach time, (and now, Meghan and Harry). But its mix of temperate climates (the temperature rarely drops below 50 ° F) and outdoor living meant that Santa Barbara was, say, uniquely suited to delivering what we were all looking for during the pandemic: nature and the Ability to gather fresh air.
In fact, in May 2021 – after years of discussion – the city turned 10 blocks of its main drag, State Street, into a pedestrian mall that could rival the best in Europe. Four blocks from the waterfront, travelers and locals can walk or cycle block by block, now full of parklets and outdoor patios.
I spent a weekend exploring anything new and enjoyable – and so can you.
New hotels to check in
Palihaus I felt like a home away from home – well, the posh, immaculately furnished home of my dreams. Opened in March 2021, the 24-room boutique hotel is located on a quiet stretch of Garden Street, three blocks from State Street. Rooms are spacious, with colorful vintage and new furniture, quirky art, Smeg fridges, and a terribly tempting selection of mini-bar snacks. There’s a pool for lounging during the day, a cozy bar with pink chandeliers for late night drinking, and a planted courtyard where you can order breakfast and lunch. Bonus: You’re just around the corner from the breathtakingly beautiful Alessia pastry shop, opened in July 2021 by pastry chef and native Santa Barabra, Alessia Guehr. (You can’t go wrong, but my partner and I devoured a rum-accented baobab and a ham-filled croissant – and vowed to return for the chocolate bomb filled with liquid chocolate.)
For those looking for a sea view, book a room below Seeberg. A local icon, the 90-year-old hotel is fresh from a remodel that kept the Spanish Revival bones (see the painted beams in the lobby) but modernized all 200 rooms with trendy new furniture and diving-inspired art. as well as the main meeting rooms. Don’t miss a meal at the new on-site restaurant, Costa Kitchen & Bar, where you can enjoy cocktails at the terrace bar and watch the sun set over the Pacific. Then enjoy dishes with a Mediterranean touch (Branzino with olive salsa verde, lamb with charred feta) on the terrace of the restaurant, also with a view of the beach.
Restaurants to plan a trip
There’s a slew of new – or updated – restaurants in this food-loving city, starting with the three latest additions to the California Michelin Guide: Talk to (a Spanish restaurant with excellent tapas, which was named Bib Gourmand), Carusos (California-style restaurant at Rosewood in Montecito, north of town) and Bibi Ji. On Bibi Ji’s outdoor patio, I had the best Indian food – paired with glasses of natural wine – I’ve had in years, including a buttered chicken that I still think of, fiery roasted cauliflower, and a dreamy paneer-filled kulcha, one Type of flatbread. Don’t skip the sauce section of the menu – the okra raita was out of this world (and me never like okra).
Aside from the Michelin Guide, there is plenty to eat. dove, which opened in November 2020, honors the restaurant of the same name that has operated in the same location for 37 years. On the spacious outdoor terrace, you can enjoy cozy pozole verde and a Santa Maria Wagyu tri-tip that is criminally good: thinly sliced with a delicious char on the outside and paired with a ranchero salsa.
For lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with Secret Bao, a casual restaurant that opened in March 2021 that sells really good bao buns: spicy Korean fried chicken, tender octopus, or even PB&J folded taco-style into pillow-shaped bao. (Finish with the Donut Bao, a deep-fried concoction with vanilla ice cream.) Korean fried chicken is also on the menu Bossie’s kitchen– named after the sculpted cow that once sat on the Art Deco building, formerly a dairy – this time between a bun and topped with sesame salad and gochujang sauce. The hearty dishes, homemade brioche donuts and the quiet outdoor terrace attract people from all corners of the city.
Round off your day
You have to find a way to pass the hours between meals, right? Trek Bikes – whose CEO John Burke lives on site for part of the year – was launched in January 2021 B cycle, an e-bike sharing program in downtown Santa Barbara. Simply download the app and off you go. The 4.5 mile beach walk goes without saying, but I loved cycling up the hills towards the Old mission– and with the e-bike you won’t even break a sweat.
Or you can stroll the State Street Promenade and visit the newly renovated Santa Barbara Art Museum. The six-year $ 50 million remodel, completed in August 2021, added a contemporary art gallery and a photography gallery, among many other changes. The public is free on Sundays. In 2022, check out the Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources exhibition, which features 20 works by the artist and Van Gogh-inspired partnerships with the opera, symphony and other institutions.
Drink up, morning, noon and evening
Greet the day Dart coffee by doing Radio zone, a food-and-art filled district near the waterfront. Yes there may be a line, but that’s fine because a) you are outside where you can admire the pink market lights and two sprawling seating areas (one of which is a plant-filled garden across the street) and b) expertly brewed coffee and probably the best empanadas in town. I’m a fan of the sweet corn onion with a churro latte on the side. Too impatient? Try Golden Line coffee on Anacapa Street. We came across this pop-up one morning while walking around the post office farmer’s market. It occupies the Villa Wine Bar on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and serves tea and coffee specialties such as flavored cocoa chai lattes and single-origin pour overs.
You can’t drop a cork without visiting a tasting room or wine bar in Santa Barbara, including newcomers Sevtap and Venus in furthat has a vegan pop-up. But right on the main street is a small, bright place called La Arcada Plaza, where you can find restaurants, shops and wine tastings, including at Barbieri & Kempe wines. The tasting room with a European feel (see cheese box!), Which opened at the end of 2020, shares wines under two labels from the couple Paolo Barbieri and Erin Kempe. We couldn’t help but take home a bottle of Rhône-style Grenache from the Barbieri label and the full-bodied Kempe Bianco, a Viognier blend.
After a day of good food and games in the sun, there’s nothing like settling down with a well-mixed drink. Located in the Funk Zone and run by the same group that owns the neighboring bakeries Lucky Penny, Lark and Helena Avenue (all delicious). Pearl social has a chic interior and a little terrace – and cocktails so good we came back the next evening. I especially liked the Martin & Gina, a brew made from gin and amaro. Just blocks from the beach, at Holy Mezcal, find the most extensive tequila list in town and the restaurant’s ghost of the same name. Order an Oaxacan Daiquiri (a world apart from its all-too-cute resort-drink cousin) and enjoy the sounds of the people leading the good life.
Be careful before you come
Julia, the just released HBO documentary about the life of Julia Child, who retired in Montecito in 2002. Santa Barbara isn’t the focus of the document, but it’s still fun to see and then take with you Julia-inspired vortex through the city, stop at favorites like that Saturday farmers market, the Sicilian Oil and lemon, and of course, The super rich taqueria for bistec tacos.
Coming in 2022
Take the Kiddos Down Under: In January 2022, the Santa Barbara Zoo will unveil the Australian Walkabout, an immersive exhibit that allows explorers to wander among resident wallabies, emus, and more. Look out for the new in spring 2022 Drift Santa Barbara, a technology-driven hotel on State Street, and the renovated Aquarius, a Moxy hotel in the Funk Zone.
COVID changes
As of November 2021, there will be no travel advisories in Santa Barbara. Travelers from 2 years of age are Masks are still required indoorsregardless of vaccination status. Approximately 72 percent of Eligible Santa Barbara residents are vaccinated. For more information, see this dashboard.
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