The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

This Destination-Worthy California Italian Restaurant Has the Best Ocean View | Eater LA

"In a prime resort setting inside the Ritz-Carlton Bacara just north of Santa Barbara, this California-Italian restaurant from chef Danny Grant takes cues from his pasta-centric menus at Etta and focuses clearly on coastal Italian seafood, pairing a sprawling, party-like indoor room with a more relaxed patio overlooking the Pacific that’s especially alluring at sunset. Start with focaccia topped either with whipped ricotta, truffle, and honey or with tomato sauce and basil; gently roasted prawns in salsa verde nod to the Evan Funke canon and complement the ocean view, with a Calabrian chile emulsion adding a spicy kick. Crudos and cold shellfish shine, including bluefin tuna with burnt tomato and buttermilk vinaigrette and snapper crudo scattered with fresh citrus and crushed green olives. Local uni arrives in a small ceramic cup resembling a sea urchin shell, enriched with smoked olive oil and roasted garlic for a delectable, scoopable bite. Shrimp and lobster ravioli sport toothy fresh pasta and teeter on the edge of too salty, but a lovely green parsley sauce offers balance. Whole salt-baked branzino is presented tableside, then deboned and laced with fresh herbs, brown butter, and capers, while slow-cooked polenta is delicious thanks to layers of Parmesan and mascarpone. Skip the $35 tableside tiramisu and order the panna cotta instead, topped with vanilla-tinted strawberries and lemongrass; then head to the grassy patch just beyond the patio along the cliffside for pre-sunset selfies." - Matthew Kang