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Gala Food & Cocktails  - Gala, Santa Barbara, CA

Gala

4.8
4.8
313 Reviews
$31 to $50
European

Make a reservation

2 people
8:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighbourhood gem
Gala exudes a European meets Santa Barbara charm, where you feel like you’re transported to a beautiful bistro in the Mediterranean. Enjoy shared tapas, farmer's market favorites, pasta and risotto, fresh oysters and the best steak with bone marrow butter & chimichurri. Cozy up for our farm to table craft cocktails, a Pisco sour or martini and a full meal with friends. Curated wine list with local & Spanish wines. Right down the street from the Santa Barbara Courthouse enjoy an evening at Gala.








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, Farm to table, Farmer's market driven, Tapas, Seafood, Steak, Oysters, Happy Hour, Food, Cocktails, Wine, Restaurant, Vegetarian, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    European, Spanish, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 869-2813
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Jaime Riesco
  • Private party facilities
    We have a beautiful patio and indoor dining room, perfect for private events, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate dinners and birthday celebrations.
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross Street
    Ortega St.
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

  • Oysters, Pisco Sours & Margaritas Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - Sat - 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    Fresh oysters for $2.50, French fries $6, Olives $5, Calamari $10, Pisco Sours $9, Pitchers of seasonal margaritas for $36 and more! Join us for a Happy Hour at Gala Tuesday through Saturday from 4-5:30

What 313 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • California Central Coast

    Great for outdoor dining

  • California Central Coast

    Good for special occasions

  • California Central Coast

    Lively

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Overall

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Food

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Ambience

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Value

  • Santa Barbara

    Innovative

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for groups

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Hot spot

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for scenic views

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for special occasions

  • Santa Barbara

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gala offers a vibrant dining experience in Santa Barbara with "excellent food" and "great service." Guests rave about the "life changing raspberry almond tart" and "to die for" lamb. The atmosphere is lively, though sometimes noisy, and the restaurant features creative cocktails and a beautiful setting. Highly recommended for special occasions.

313 Reviews
  1. Amanda

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had the best birthday dinner ever. EVERYTHING was incredible, the raspberry almond tart was truly life changing. So delicious and such good service 10000/10

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  2. toni

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice small place very clean and modern. Service was great. The food was fresh and well prepared and presented. For me it was a little spicy because I can’t tolerate much space but for most I think it would be fine. I would recommend for lunch anytime and a casual but delicious dinner

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  3. kerri

    VIP

    Denver

    174 reviews

    4.0

    174 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was outstanding. The black dover sole was perfectly prepared and loved the sides. Had several started and the zucchini blossoms stand out and the corn bread. We also had the almond tart and the chocolate dessert. What we didn’t think was great was the service. We felt we were always trying to get our wait persons attention. And the noise level was high.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Paul

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great staff, excellent food. Lovely setting. Highly recommend

    Is this helpful?

  5. Peter

    Los Angeles

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Aside from the exquisitely prepared and presentation of our three shareable dishes, the service received from Liana was top-notch. It’s about time Santa Barbara has a restaurant that raises the bar of a culinary experience without the excessive prices or haughty atmosphere.

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  6. Katelyn

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our favorite restaurants in town, best cocktails and delicious unique menu

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  7. Genevieve

    Baltimore

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food with lots of fresh ingredients! The cocktails were also very tasty, with good non-alcoholic options as well.

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  8. Charles

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful place; nice staff. Food (apps, side, and main) was simply average.

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  9. Ruth

    Seattle

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous food, excellent service. Will definitely return.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Pam

    San Diego

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 12, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Terrible service took over 45 minutes to get a drink. Have been there several times before and it was always good but this time was a super disappointed evening. Not sure if I would return.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gala is rated 4.8 stars by 313 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
8:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
Google Map for Gala

705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Ortega St.
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    European, Spanish, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jaime Riesco
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (805) 869-2813
  • Private party facilities
    We have a beautiful patio and indoor dining room, perfect for private events, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate dinners and birthday celebrations.
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