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Gala Food & Cocktails  - Gala, Santa Barbara, CA

Gala

4.7
4.7
325 Reviews
$31 to $50
European

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 13 times today
Additional seating options
  • 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

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    European, Spanish, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jaime Riesco

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 325 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Food

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for groups

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for special occasions

  • Santa Barbara

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gala in Santa Barbara is a culinary gem, celebrated for its "exceptional service" and "delicious, creative dishes." Guests rave about the "amazing cocktails" and cozy ambiance, making it a top choice for special occasions. While some find it "a tad loud," the overall experience is "highly recommended."
325 Reviews
  1. Al

    VIP

    Chicago

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Gala. The drinks were fantastic and the food and service were amazing. We will definitely be back!

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  2. Sarah

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Great food and service but a little too loud for us :(

    Is this helpful?

  3. Kathy

    VIP

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gala has become one of the bright, shining stars of the Santa Barbara food scene. Service is always prompt and gracious. And the food just gets better and better!

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  4. Kevin

    VIP

    Central Coast

    12 reviews

    1.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Is you like mediocre food and rushed service, this is your spot.

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  5. Jon

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome meal and great craft cocktails, the server was excellent and ambience was great!

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  6. Jonathan

    San Francisco

    51 reviews

    5.0

    51 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An excellent share plates restaurant with creative and tasty dishes. Always enjoy Gala when in Santa Barbara.

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  7. Dexter

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gala was outstanding. The staff was very accomodating even though we were coming in late from out of town and barely made it to the cutoff time before their kitchen closed. Despite this the food came out great, from the Branzino to the grilled octopus, to the steak. Service was impeccable despite a busy Saturday evening. Nice and clean restaurant. Parking was relatively easy as it was later at night when we arrived. Can't complain about anything and would highly recommend.

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  8. Cindy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another fabulous evening at Gala! Service was exceptional, the wait staff is always the best and food was wonderful. And the “Buy Cava for another table” menu item once more brought us together with new friends. ❤️ Love Gala.

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  9. David

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was great as always. Sorry the bottle of wine we ordered off of the wine list wasn’t available, but the option recommended worked out perfectly. Very crowded (Friday night) and very noisy. But everything else was about perfect.

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  10. Juan

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was exceptional very tasty,We started with Octopus with rosted cuya very good and after that we had a Calamari an other nicly done appetaicer, for our mains I had the Bransino nice delicate fish and my wife had the Duck really nice done dish,,,, Graet food I really recommend

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FAQs

Gala is rated 4.7 stars by 325 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 13 times today
Additional seating options
Google Map for Gala

705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    European, Spanish, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jaime Riesco
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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