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The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, Goleta, CA

The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

4.6
4.6
530 Reviews
$50 and over
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
  • Charming
  • Healthy
  • Great for brunch
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.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American, Mediterranean, Californian
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am Lunch Daily 11:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 571-4217
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Justin Purpura
  • Private party facilities
    The Bistro offers a private dining space that accommodates up to 20 guests. Please inquire with The Bistro for requests of larger, non-private, reservations or buyouts.
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross Street
    Hollister
  • Parking details
    Self Parking and Valet
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine

What 530 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Best Ambience

  • California Central Coast

    Great for brunch

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • California Central Coast

    American

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Ambience

  • Santa Barbara

    Innovative

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara offers an "outstanding experience" with "fantastic service and awesome food." The restaurant impresses with "stunning waterfront views" and a "peaceful ambiance." While some guests noted slow service and high prices, the "memorable" experience and "friendly staff" make it a top choice.

530 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    New York City

    19 reviews

    2.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on September 20, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    The view and settings are perfect! The resort is impeccable designed and maintained and the Bistro is located in an amazing area close to the pool and beach. Food is average, missing style and kick, drinks are ok but nothing out of ordinary. Disappointing. Service is subpar - they are missing professional personnel matching the expectations. Prices are on the high side so there is a gap between what you get and what you pay. Worth visiting only to enjoy the settings and the atmosphere!

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  2. Mario Giovanni

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I recently had the pleasure of celebrating a special lunch at this incredible restaurant, and it exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with a warm and attentive welcome, setting the tone for a memorable experience. The intimate setting made for a perfect, relaxing atmosphere, and the stunning waterfront views were simply breathtaking. The upscale lunch menu offered a variety of delectable options, each dish more flavorful and artfully presented than the last. What truly made the experience exceptional was the peaceful ambiance—the low noise level allowed for easy conversation without any distractions. It was the perfect balance of elegance and tranquility. Whether you’re looking for a romantic meal or a refined gathering with close friends, this restaurant is an absolute gem. Highly recommended!

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  3. Candice

    San Joaquin

    21 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The views are great and the breakfast/brunch buffet was so delicious. Ozzy and Lucy were wonderful! They treated us so well.

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  4. Steve

    Phoenix

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on September 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding experience , sat us right on time (honored our request for outside) , service was prompt and efficient and food was great! Highly recommend if you can afford it

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  5. Victoria

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We stayed at The Bacara Resort to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary. Our breakfast at The Bistro during our stay was a highlight of our trip. This is because we were fortunate to have Dulce as our server. She took excellent care of us and made sure we had a wonderful breakfast with a spectacular view and added special touches to make for the most wonderful and memorable celebration during our stay. All of the staff at The Bistro were top notch, but Dulce went over and beyond to make sure we had the most memorable and special lunch.

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  6. Jas and Tony

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on August 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed excellent service. German was very attentive and we appreciated it! The waiters worked as a team to keep us happy.

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  7. cynthiaK

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on August 7, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food needs to be edited to exclude unnecessary elements.

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  8. SteveH

    Central Coast

    19 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on June 15, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We have been dining at several of the restaurants at The Bacara. Wanted to have a relaxing and tasty casual dinner. Unfortunately, the menu is VERY LIMITED!! Quality of food was very bland. That said, the service was FANTASTIC!!!

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  9. PS01

    Los Angeles

    673 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    673 reviews

    Dined on June 5, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love Bacara... One of my favorite spots in the whole world.

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  10. PS01

    Los Angeles

    673 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    673 reviews

    Dined on June 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic service and awesome food! However as a regular to Bacara, the prices are keep on going up and up!!!

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FAQs

The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara is rated 4.6 stars by 530 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for The Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

8301 Hollister Ave., Goleta, CA 93117

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Hollister
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am Lunch Daily 11:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American, Mediterranean, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Self Parking and Valet
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Justin Purpura
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine
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