After closing down for a few years, The Dutch Garden is back with a new beer garden and the same hearty menu that goes hand-in-hand with a cold pilsner. This 70-year-old spot resembles a cozy roadside diner in Bavaria with decorative beer steins, German knick-knacks, and tubs of mustard on the counter for your lunchtime brats. The chicken schnitzel happens to be excellent—hot, crispy, and super juicy. The plate comes with mini-mountains of mustard-y potato salad and sauerkraut.

In case you miss the massive trompo behind the counter, Taquería La Unica takes its al pastor very seriously. This modern taquería is from the same people as Los Agaves and offers all kinds of Mexican street food classics, including tortas, cheesy costras, and a massive taco-tostada hybrid called a volcán loaded with spicy refried beans, cheese, and whatever carne piques your interest. You can't go wrong with the sweet-smoky al pastor, but don't neglect the tender lengua tacos, either.

Whenever you’re ready to be the kind of person who eats oysters and caviar while lounging on a shady patio along State Street, get yourself to this location of Malibu-based Broad Street Oyster Co. It’s one of the best, non-pretentious seafood spots in town, and it feels like it was decorated by thrift-store-raiding, hard-partying pirates. They’ve got everything from fried fish sandwiches and fresh oysters to Santa Barbara uni and one of the best lobster rolls on the West Coast.

Located on Lower State Street is Casa Comal, a small Mexican restaurant with a not-so-small menu (and a banging reggaeton playlist.) This order-at-the-counter spot does everything from sopes to tortas to ahi poke tostadas drizzled with chipotle mayo. But if you're overwhelmed by large menus, stick to the tacos. The octopus one is the best seller for a reason: the warm pulpo comes with roasted pasilla chiles, cilantro aioli, and a cheese-crusted tortilla that offers a satisfying crunch.

Just down the street from La Super-Rica, Bossie’s Kitchen is the perfect cafe for when you need a break from the crowded restaurants downtown. This casual counter-service spot is part-deli, part-doughnut shop, and part-neighborhood bistro, and it’s located in a former dairy plant. There isn’t much space inside, but the string-lit patio out front offers a nice place to relax with lunch after a hike, or sit down to a leisurely dinner.

Between Lucky Penny, Olio Pizzeria, and the occasional Little Ceasar’s location, Santa Barbara had its pizza bases pretty much covered. But in 2018, an ex-Roberta's baker opened Bettina, bringing specialty flour and slow-fermented dough to the Montecito Country Mart. Crowds have been lining up ever since to try the pizzeria’s inspired takes on Neapolitan-style pie. The bubbly crust is pleasantly salty, and each delicate slice gives a satisfying crackle when folded.

Located on Santa Barbara's mostly residential west side, Mesa Verde feels like a clubhouse for vegans who actually like the taste of vegetables. The dining room is shaded by palm trees and covered in dark wood finishes, and the fresh and filling plant-based menu works well for a casual lunch or weeknight dinner. We recommend starting with the flaky grilled flatbread served with a side of creamy hummus and moving on to the jackfruit chorizo street tacos topped with blueberry chipotle salsa.

Calling Secret Bao a fast-casual spot that serves Chinese dishes is like calling Ferdinand Magellan a boating enthusiast. This downtown favorite isn't just a lunchtime alternative to Sweetgreen: the shrimp-stuffed baos and katsu curries are a reason enough to make a quick stop before your beach trip or grab dinner during peak commute hours. From the hamachi poke bowl to chili noodles, Secret Bao has a dish for every appetite, and they all hover around $20 or so.

You can find great wine in many of Santa Barbara's tasting rooms, but if all you want to drink is pet-nats, head to Satellite on Upper State Street. Even if you know next to nothing about wine, this natural wine bar has a tightly curated wine list and a staff skilled at helping you find something exciting within any budget. Bottles line the walls behind the bar, and most of the glasses cost around $15.

Caruso's, located inside The Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel, meets all the criteria for a perfect sunset restaurant: it faces west (essential), its outdoors, and it sits on its own private beach. As you might expect from a tasting menu Italian restaurant owned by LA billionaire power-broker Rick Caruso, the classic pastas and seafood dishes here are plated like they have their own stylists. The prix-fixe menu comes with four courses, including dessert, for $165 per person.

Ama Sushi is another restaurant on the Rosewood Miramar property but lacks the breathtaking ocean views you'll find at Caruso's. However, you get something equally great: an intimate omakase experience at a fairly reasonable price. For $145 per person, you're served a 15-course dinner featuring high-quality sashimi, meaty Hokkaido scallops, and yuzu-infused firefly squid. And there's an optional $130 sake pairing if you care to partake.

This high-style modern Indian restaurant (by way of NYC) is located right on State Street in a neon-light-covered space that works for anything from date night to a group dinner to solo drinks at the bar. We'd make a trip just for the uni with biryani rice, but as long as you're here, you should order the grilled lamb chops dusted with turmeric and cumin, the curry made with local halibut, and the tangy passionfruit lassi.

Santa Barbara Shellfish Co. was founded on the pier in 1980 as a place for local fishermen to sell their freshest catches of the day. Slowly, they started taking the seafood being sold and cooking it into clam chowder, crab cakes, and lobster pasta until SB Shelling became the full-fledged restaurant that it is today. We wish we could eat their uni-topped scallops every afternoon for the rest of our lives.

The Lark is a massive, modern restaurant in a former fish market that would fit in around DTLA's Arts District. This is a place where fun comes in the form of endless rounds of West Coast oysters, giant ribeye steaks, and eavesdropping on young couples who still seem to be in the honeymoon phase. It's fancy without being too stuffy—a dinner here will make you feel like a chic, sophisticated version of your former self.

Thanks to Julia Child proclaiming that this was her favorite restaurant in America, La Super-Rica is easily one of the most popular spots in Santa Barbara (if not the entire California coastline). But trust us, this order-at-the-window Mexican spot is worth the long lines. La Super-Rica's tacos, chicken suizas, and gorditas make this a must-visit for anyone in SB. We recommend ordering the Especial, a platter of roasted chile pasilla stuffed with cheese and topped with marinated pork.

Having absolutely nothing to do with the now-closed restaurant in Beverly Hills, this Bouchon is a super-fancy French restaurant in Santa Barbara. It's expensive and you'll definitely need a reservation, but if you're in Santa Barbara on a romantic trip of any kind, Bouchon's meat-heavy menu and French farmhouse interior are exactly what you want.

Olio is a Santa Barbara staple and you frankly can't go wrong with any of three connected and very delicious concepts: Olio Pizzeria, a panini bar called Olio Bottega, and the more full-scale restaurant Olio e Limone. Since they all share the same address, you can walk into each and choose whatever feels right for your situation. However, we will say that the squid ink calamari at Olio Pizzeria is probably the best calamari we've ever had.

This upscale corner spot in the Funk Zone is a great choice for sipping cocktails and people-watching. The massive patio makes it ideal for a big outdoor group dinner and the incredible Spanish food only sweetens the deal. From tapas to desserts, all of the food is flavorful and fun to share. The paellas are a highlight: many of them include a combination of traditional ingredients like chorizo and seafood, plus some not-so-traditional items like shishito peppers or pickled onions.

If Super-Rica is the king of Santa Barbara's Mexican food, Lilly's is the queen. Located in an old building up against a freeway overpass, this extremely popular taqueria doesn't clutter your vision with burritos or quesadillas. Lilly's is all tacos, all the time. Their marinated pork abodaba is a must-order, and while you may not have woken up thinking you'd eat beef lip tacos for lunch, you absolutely should here.

Of all the great food stalls at Downtown's Santa Barbara Public Market, the one you need to be running to is Corazon Cocina. The seafood-heavy Mexican food counter is fantastic, and an ideal spot to grab a low-key lunch in between wine tours. Order any of the seafood tostadas (the yellowtail and watermelon-covered Sal Del Mar is our go-to), and don't skip out on the mole chicken taco. Lines do get long.

Located on a side street in the Funk Zone, Mony's is a solid Mexican spot that's perfect for a casual lunch in the neighborhood. Everything at this dime-sized taco spot is worth ordering, but our usual is the barbacoa combo or the chicken burrito. Whatever you do, get involved with the salsa situation. Particularly the pistachio salsa. Warning: weekend lines here get insane and they close at 3:30pm daily.

Barbareño calls itself Central Coast cuisine. We're not entirely sure what that means, but it must have something to do with market vegetables, fresh seafood, and simple meat dishes, because that's exactly what's going on here. The space is modern, with a front patio perfect for a date night that won't empty your wallet. Get the tri-tip and whatever the homemade ice cream is that day.

Sama Sama Kitchen shares some DNA with other State Street staple restaurants: It's a bright space lined with light wood with a massive backyard patio covered in vines and string lights. But this eclectic Indonesian spot isn't just another place to bring your picky aunt who always orders the chicken. It's where you cover your table in dishes like crispy rice salad, sweet and spicy mie goreng, and banana donut fritters.

If you've spent a few boozy Saturdays in Santa Barbara, you probably know about Los Agaves: a well-established Mexican restaurant with three different locations in town. Santo Mezcal is their more upscale sister restaurant serving Mexican dishes like massive plates of ceviche (get the halibut and ahi tuna), shrimp covered in creamy mezcal sauce, and an octopus in adobo dish you'll think about late at night. Also important: the mezcal cocktails are very good.

Being one of the few late-night spots in downtown SB, you might think The Blue Owl was only meant to be visited after a long night out at the bars. But you'd be wrong. This Thai-fusion restaurant serves food that tastes good no matter where you fall on the sobriety scale. The pork banh mi is great, and the gooey Thai basil cheeseburger is everything we want at 1am (or any other time of day, to be honest).