Blackbird

Finally had a chance to try this place out. We're normally in the area during the day time when they were closed. But a weekend in wine country brought us back to Santa Barbara for the weekend. It was pretty mellow for a Saturday night, which maybe as we had a later reservation. The restaurant is cute, part of hotel Californian. Decors, chic and modern. Menu for both cocktails and drinks are excellent. A full bar plus a nice wine selection. Food, started and entrees were excellent. What we ended up picking. The ceviche was excellent, fresh chunks of fish and made perfectly, the baked bri was excellent and accompanied by crackers. Entrees, the pork, lamb, fish and steak. A selection of everything as it all sounded amazing. Everything was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. Also paired with the right sauce and veggies. Everything was great and full of flavors. Food, cocktails and service were excellent.

The food was very good and the prices are reasonable considering the tastiness. The ambiance is nice as well. The service is horrible. We were rushed through our meal. Two of us ordered a bottle of wine and the server brought it and proceeded to pour three quarters of the bottle into two glasses. He never came back to refill our glasses. I guess he was saving time. The strange thing is that he wasn't busy. Two of us ordered salads and the server asked the person who didn't if he would like to have his meal when we had our salads. He responded that he would wait and have his meal at the same time as the two of us. The server brought his meal with our salads because he said he couldn't stand to have him not eating while we were eating our salads. Our meals were soon to follow when we were less than half way through our salads. We finished our meals, were not offered dessert, and the check was on our table 40 minutes after we were seated. We hadn't even drank half the bottle of wine yet. When I pointed out to the server that we felt we were being rushed, he said there was a misunderstanding and when he asked if we were done with our meals, he meant did we want anything else like dessert. He then left our table with dirty salad dishes and dinner dishes for 30 minutes, until we spoke to the manager, Kiara. She was kind enough to clear the dishes and coach the server to apologize and offer dessert (which she comped). All in all, we were out for a special dinner with our son as we don't get to see him often - we live two plane flights away, and we were rushed through our evening when all we wanted to do was spend time together and have a nice dinner. Like I said, they weren't busy or needing to turn tables as they weren't even a quarter full on a Saturday night at 7:30. I think that I know why.

Had dinner here the other night and enjoyed it. They were able to make me a delicious strawberry cocktail that was really tasty. Citrus salad was really good and very refreshing. I'm not a big burrata fan but thought it was tasty. Ordered the black cod and it was delicious but the creamed leeks and crème fraiche combined made it really salty. I'd give this dish a 3/5. Overall a solid place to eat!

I went to Blackbird last night and was very impressed with the bartender. Ask for a Joan Miro you will not be disappointed.

This a late review as I'm not the most organised person but I would like to note that we really enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner at Blackbird. We are a difficult family of 6 visiting California, for most of us it was the first time, from London. We loved the ambiance and the food. The staff were very accommodating especially as we arrived late after a day of travelling. What made the meal even more special was the lovely waitress, Kaija, who was helpful, accommodating and very patient with us! As we were staying in the adjoining hotel she even helped us get a table the very next morning at the sister cafe, busy as it was, being Christmas Day. Thank you Kaija. Happy New Year.

The restaurant was in a Michelin Guide so I was expecting a Michelin experience. Attended during Restaurant Week Pros- Beautiful restaurant Great location - Santa Barbara Large bar Lovely waitstaff Outdoor dining Delicious focaccia bread- Must have w/Lemon butter Connected to Hotel California (nice) Great for intimate dinner Con- All the food was incredibly under seasoned Mussels did not have "chorizo" but rather the sauce was bland - Food presentation was not as expected Not kid friendly We ordered from the Restaurant week menu 3 course And regular menu Food ordered Focaccia Bread w/Lemon Butter Mussels w/chorizo Farm market salad Black Cod w/ artichoke pasta Chicken w/ rice Chocolate bon bons Two cocktails One bottle of wine May return for drinks only

Came here for dinner My wife is vegan Jesse, who was initially filling up our water, recommended dishes and we ended up trusting his judgment: guy was flawless Had an incredible dinner and truly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Jesse for your recommendations and energy -- made our meal superb.

We came in for dessert and coffee after wine tasting / dinner. I actually just felt like a glass of wine and some cheese but husband needed coffee. We did not know where we were nor did we know it was Michelin starred. It was fairly empty on a Saturday night towards the end of the dining hour. Servers and staff were model level stunning and remarkably professional. Presentation of wines and dessert was lovely. I remarked to my husband that everything was gorgeous but felt like maybe a tiny bit lacking in substance. The dessert was very tasty but a bit tilted on it's side with just a schmear versus blob of marshmallow. The Syrah I had was so delicious, and the server really phenomenal. The fish that went by was beautifully presented. I would love to come back for dinner, and I wonder if they should infuse a little homey comfort into the show, might strike home more as I read the reviews now because they have all the right stuff, maybe just make it a little more relatable?

My favorite daughter treated me to a weekend away in Santa Barbara last weekend. We stayed at the Californian and while there we dined at Blackbird. The experience and the food was amazing. First of all, let me apologize because I thought that I would remember the servers name but at this advanced age (66 ) I always think my memory is better than it is . Her name was either Alexandra or Anette .i whichever it was she was amazing. She was able to strike the perfect balance of being right there when we needed her without being obtrusive. She was helpful and spot on with her recommendations. If ever there was a perfect server, she was it. Now for the food. We started with drinks. I had the espresso martini which was so delicious that I had two. my daughter had a drink. I think it was called Alfred Hitchcock, or something like that, but it was served in the cutest bird glass. Next onto the appetizers . The citrus salad was just the perfect blend of citrus fruit and it was amazing. The ceviche was spot on and the oysters fresh and yummy. Next, where our entrées. I ordered the black cod and my daughter had the halibut. we wound up switching because the halibut came with a lemon caper sauce that was to die for, but since she thinks anything with a grain of salt in it is salty, I reluctantly traded with her after taking a couple of bites of the cod which was delicious as well. We finished up our dinner with dessert which was a pineapple sorbet and a lemon tart which we split between the both of us . All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The ambience was elegant. The waitress was wonderful. The food was fantastic. I cannot wait to return.

The service here is phenomenal! I cannot say enough good things about how amazing the waitstaff is. They were incredibly attentive to our large party and anticipated our needs throughout the entire dining experience. The seabass ceviche was great and I loved the burrata and citrus salad. The dessert wasn't everything I wanted but if you're staying on the property, get the macaroons they are AMAZING!

Very pricey for horrible service. Our service was awful. We were ignored most of the time while our server tended to other people. Our drinks sat at the bar waiting to be delivered to our table. Scallops entree contained 3 scallops. Focaccia bread looked delicious but tasted like someone dumped a salt shaker in it. I do not recommend.

We absolutely loved our dinner at blackbird!! After getting turned away at a few restaurants for not having reservations, we walked by blackbird and it caught our interest. It was empty which made us skeptical but the staff was so nice we decided to give it a shot. Genevieve was the absolute best! She took care of us and was able to get all of our questions answered. She was so sweet and made some great recommendations. We loved the ambiance and the open kitchen layout. Now onto the food, we had the baked brie and oysters to start with a bottle of wine and loved them both. We then ordered the halibut, scallops, and risotto and all loved our meals even more than the apps. The flavors and presentation were amazing! Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting and we hope to be back again soon.

Came here withmy Mother who traveled al the way from Scandinavia. She chose the scallops, they were great. I chose the Risotto with foraged Mushrooms, truffles, parmesan. Where was the parmesan ? Tasted like eating raw, sour as f**k basket of lemons Could not eat it after a few forks. But when the bill came, they were going to charge me for the garbage Risotto, my stomach is still hurting. My Mother even tasted it, she even said it was waaaaaay to lemoney. I had to ask for it to be removed from the bill. That should have been automatically done.

Wow....The food, the service, the ambience. 10/10 Genevieve was absolutely fantastic! It was my brother's 30th birthday and they took care of us. I would order ever dish on this menu. We will be back for sure. Thank you!

Came here with a friend last week for drinks post-dinner, unknowingly ordering the best cocktail I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. The Call me an Ube(r) (containing Pandan-Infused Bacardi Superior Rum, Ube, Thai Basil, Coco lopez Cream of Coconut, and Pineapple), tasted like a cross between a taro milkshake and a piña colada. It was a beautiful lavender color (if you've ever had an ube dessert you know its unique soft purple hue) in a tall elegant glass. Absolutely delightful, I can't wait to revisit to try again! I also had a sip of the Vallee des Roses (Lebion Cachaça, Guava Purée, Lime, Rose Water), which although not as spectacular as the Ube drink, was a yummy fizzly sweet one that I wouldn't mind ordering again either. Pretty strong too! The atmosphere was upscale and elegant, the service prompt and polite (despite it being packed, even at closing time), and the location close to everything else on State. Great place.

This was a little hard for me to find as I thought it was inside the hotel, but it's actually around the corner. I came in on a Tues night without reservations and didn't have any trouble getting a seat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and helpful and I enjoyed my drinks, but not so much the steak. I found it to be chewy and my least favorite meal for my few days in SB.

This may be one of the best meals I have ever had. The staff were incredibly friendly and very prompt with their service. I had an amazing cocktail that included Mezcal called the 1925 and it was delicious. I'm not a huge Mezcal fan but this was extremely well done and tasty. I ordered the Pomme Fritz wedges and they absolutely melted in my mouth. They were fantastic and I don't think any other potato wedge will compare. For the main I did the halibut with a deconstructed lobster potato salad, it was divine. Fish was cooked perfectly and the lobster potato salad was an incredibly interesting side that worked perfectly. If you are in Santa Barbara you need to go here.

Such a nice vibe and delicious food we went two nights in a row! The Short Ribs with Sunchoke purée were sublime. Look very forward to joining them again!!!

My mother and I came in to have coffee and dessert. We waited a while for a server to come greet us. We informed the server that we came in for dessert and coffee. She informed my mother and I that they don't have coffee and they only have one dessert, an apple tart. How does a restaurant not have coffee? So my mother and I got up and left. We are visiting Santa Barbara for Mother's Day weekend, and it upset me that the server lied to us. I reviewed their menu, and they have more than just one dessert. I can say I couldn't find coffee on the menu, but the host informed us they do offer coffee and dessert I just felt as though the server did not want to serve us because we were not ordering dinner. Didn't have a great experience and will not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

We went there just for a cocktail, so we didn't have dinner there i.e. I can't comment on the food. The bar staff had no clue what they were doing. I ordered a drink that was supposed to be a variation on an old fashioned, but both the way it was made and how it was presented was terrible. Also, both guys working the bar were constantly looking for stuff and seemed that it was their first time working a bar. Not something you'd expect on a Saturday night.

Our appetizers were great. The cocktails were impressive looking but a touch not my taste - but that's very subjective so we can't take that into account. Service was attentive, friendly and sweet. The real head-scratcher is the wine service. The beverage director (or someone who was acting in that role) is supposed to accompany anyone who asks for a wine list to their 'wine collection'. Here I am, reminding my husband to take pictures because I'm thinking it's one of -those- places. No - the wine collection is a cabinet, located in the corridor that leads to the bathrooms.. with all the traffic that entails. Not even a minute into studying the wine collection, my husband, his friend, and said beverage director were obstructing toilet traffic both ways - awkward as it could get. Some entrees went on to disappoint - 4 people out of 6 ordered the halibut. This came on a tasty, creamed leek, lobster, potato salad operation - which saved the day, because the fish was unpleasantly dry with no accompanying sauce. My husband really enjoyed his SAUCED (yes, I'm jealous), well executed wagyu hanger steak. Our friend liked the lamb loin special but it came on a bed of an odd green grain thing. Over all, it was an okay dining experience but definitely the service made and saved the night.

Great atmosphere, comfortable and welcoming. Friendly staff, quick service and the food was delicious. I ordered the The BB Smash Burger: angus patty, caramelized onions, American cheese, pickle aioli, tomato on a brioche bun. If you want fries they are a separate order. Other menu options are the Seared White Sea Bass, Wagyu Hanger Steak and the House Made Ricotta Gnudi and additional Bites. Nice dining experience for adults. If you need to feed children you are out of luck because they don't have a kids menu. On our visit we asked if they could make a grill cheese sandwich for my granddaughter which they did with a smile but the cost was the same as the Smash Burger. It would/could be a great dining experience for a family if a kids menu was added.

Really, extremely disappointing - but saved by the good steak and incredible dessert. We came to Blackbird for dinner for NYE. First of all, even though we had a reservation, we had to wait more than 40 minutes for our table. So we decided to have drinks while we waited. It took more than 15 minutes to get our drinks - so clearly they were severely understaffed. Then, dinner. 1. There was no indication on the website or on the phone when I made the reservation that it would be a prix fixe menu. However, the menu looked pretty tasty so we went with it for 5 courses at $150/person. 2. 3/5 courses were moderate in taste. The amuse was a bit bland - not amuse at all. The carpaccio was said to be served with caviar. It was not. The risotto needed more salt to balance the (very good) sweet port wine. 3. Aside from the clear lack of staff, our server/the kitchen could not figure out timing. When our first three plates arrived within 10 minutes of sitting down, I asked if we could please slow down a bit because I was still eating soup when they took my plate away to bring the next. Well - that caused a domino effect of the server not bringing our paired wines with our food, and the remainder of the meal we received cold plates. Cold udon, cold risotto, cold vegetables. When we left, we agreed that it was amongst the most disappointing experiences we've ever paid that much money for. At $600 for the 2 of us, I would have really expected better management of the place. The mismanagement definitely hurt the experience of the food. But I will say it again - credit to the chef that cooked the steak, and whomever made the chocolate gallette. Delicious.

Amazing food with locally sourced foods and seasonal menu. A friend and I decided on a quick getaway to Santa Barbara and settled on this spot for a nice dinner. Cocktails were delicious to start (see photos). Then we enjoyed the ceviche as an appetizer. We got scallops and cod as entrees with broccolini to share. Both were solid dishes but I preferred the cod with creamed leeks which was light but filling. The indoor decor is lovely but outdoor dining was enjoyable over the warm weekend and it wasn't too crowded.

This place rocks. We came in on a Saturday night, and got a table right away! We were greeted by Kaija who was the kindest, and most hardworking host I've seen here in Santa Barbara. The manager, V was so kind, and gave us several amazing recommendations, and even comped one of our apps! Thank you also to Carrie for the drinks. Overall, we walked away obsessed with Blackbird. Thanks guys!!

Absolutely amazing!!! Kaija, Axel, and Kerrie gave us the BEST experience we have ever had at a restaurant! Food is outstanding, prices are great, the ambiance is amazing and the drinks are well poured and well priced.

A hidden gem in the heart of Santa Barbara. Best sazerac cocktail I've ever had! Hardworking staff always makes the experience enjoyable. Highly recommend it you're looking for food, a glass of wine, or night cap. Ambience and service is 5 stars. A big thanks to Ray and the entire bar staff for accommodating us late night.

Prime rib was like chewing a rubber. I will not recommend to any one. House made focaccia was tasting like burned oil on top.

Very underwhelming experience. Food was wildly overpriced. Burrata salad, lobster ravioli, truffle risotto and duck all sound amazing! However, burrata was astonishingly bland, lobster ravioli barely had any lobster, risotto looked like a pile of mush but was the only dish that actually tasted good and the duck was over cooked and under seasoned. I get the location being the draw, but everything else about the restaurant was pretty much terrible. Service was about as bad as you could get. Made a reservation for inside, but they insisted we sit on the patio. Finally sat us inside, but Service was rushed...only after they waited 15 min to even serve us our non-tap water drinks. Don't come here if you care at all about quality of service of food. Good tourist trap restaurant with great branding and heavily curated online presence.

This is a tourist trap for guests at the adjacent hotel. The ambiance and vibe does not correlate to the website at all. If you are traveling for work with a per diem then why not but otherwise definitely do not come here for a special celebration or you will be very disappointed. The service was mediocre and the menu a bit strange. The bread, risotto, and fish were good but not at the price they charge. We will not return.

My girlfriend and I went their for our Valentines Day dinner. She had the halibut, and I had the filet mignon. Nice presentation, and reasonable sized portions, but very over seasoned-which is particularly inappropriate for something more delicate, such as fish. We shared some Brussels sprouts, which were fresh, and well prepared. Service was okay, and I resented the 20% tip automatically added to the bill (with no obvious way to adjust it). This was compounded by the inclusion of a line on the bill for a tip-not everyone will notice that they have already tipped 20%.

The food was excellent. The duck was super tender and moist. The steak was like butter and absolutely delicious. Kudos to the chef and the bartender for the delicious cocktail drinks

Extremely overpriced for tiny portions. Everyone at our table thought it was a tapas restaurant when our food came out.

Beautiful decoration, beautiful setup, tasty food, & super friendly & knowledgeable waiters...We enjoyed our day in Californian Hotel & this beautiful restaurant. The food was super tasty & well presented.

Here for dinner, not too busy at 6pm, but decent amount of couples at the bar. Server was great, very helpful and did not hover. Cervichie with salmon chicharrones was delicious, scallops for my date, cooked to perfection and giant. Rack of lamb for and it was delicious as well. Citrus salad was prepared very good, nice wine and drink menu, only let down was the beer menu, it was only ok with brewery list, mixed, just needed a few more. Enjoyed and will be back to see what's next on the menu.

First the restaurant was beautiful and the food was delicious. The restaurant week menu was one of the better deals during restaurant week. The salmon was cooked to perfect medium rare and I loved it. The half chicken was a little on the salty side, but the meat was flavorful and juicy and piled on top of delicious red lentils. Dessert was beautifully presented and featured unusual ingredients that you don't see in many restaurants in Santa Barbara. I had the cherimoya semifreddo and my partner had the cassava creme brulee with purple potato ice cream. The glaring problem was the disorganization in the restaurant. We were seated for 15 min without anyone coming to take our orders. We sat right across from the hostess, but she was busy looking at her phone. The water boy came twice to refill our water glasses and we finally asked him on the whereabouts of our server. When he finally came around, he was apologetic, and gave us 2 complementary drink. The dinner proceeded smoothly from that point until dessert, which again took a long wait. Finally, there was a mix up with the credit card. Our bill was charged to another table's card and I assume another tables bill was charged to our card. That took sometime to sort out. I expect an expensive, not super busy restaurant to run more smoothly.

We are in for the weekend from LA. Blackbird is the best restaurant we found. The drinks were amazing. Ceviche with salmon skin crisp was a work of art. Incredible food. Amazing location, perfect outdoor dining. Fantastic and friendly service. And apparently a hidden gem that even locals aren't yet familiar with. 100% recommend.

Wish the server was a lil more attentive and we probably would come back again. But funk zone does not lack nice restaurants so this is a no go for the next night out.

We literally just left, and it was amazing. I got the quail, my mom got the mussels, my aunt got the broccolini, and my dad got the ceviche. Everything was so good! Honestly, really was pleasantly surprised. Not that I thought it would be bad or mediocre, I was just really delightfully surprised by how good it was. The server was a young girl and she did great. To top it off, the chef was so cute ;) Can't wait to come back next time!

We were a little concerned walking into an empty restaurant at 5:30 on a weekend. Guess it was on the early side as the restaurant was packed by the time we were done. The menu selection is limited but the dishes are interesting. The service was very attentive and prompt. We started with the pork belly and the octopus. The octopus is a better dish, a little charred and very tender. The pork belly only had 2 cubes of the belly so you will get a nibble if shared as an appetizer. The ribeye was the priciest item on the menu (they offered a tomahawk steak for $120 that was off-menu). It was tender and prepared perfectly. The branzino was good, served whole. I'm not a big fan of this fish and this dish didn't do anything to change that. While served whole, the bones were not really a factor though. My least favorite was the pappardelle with venison. It was on the saltier side and the venison was not very tender (maybe that's how venison is). We also had to try the black swan dessert. The presentation was stunning, and with taste to match (almost). If you like black sesame, the black sesame ice cream is pretty awesome. Blackbird is great for a nice dinner. Given the limited options, check the menu to make sure there is something for everyone.

Not sure what the purpose of this restaurant is.. bar was serving only selected drinks with Asian recipe's No traditional drinks like Mia Tia or Margarita or Pina Colada.. nothing like that at all. So i was bored with a drink served that looked like rice was floating in it. Yuk! Menu was limited and dull. No Salads are served. No chicken is served.. so what it the point? Never again. We could not wait to leave. Had to pay for a drink i could not drink. Not a holiday place, more like an airport lobby.

Dropped by here on a whim after walking down the wharf and I'm really glad we decided to stop by. Cocktails are absolutely amazing and their bartenders are very knowledgeable and happy to help. We have definitely added a new favorite cocktail to our growing list of cocktails we've discovered while exploring bars - Chareau Me The Money! We also tried Figgy Smalls and another drink (completely forgot what it was called), but we loved Chareau so much we had to do another round. Amazing interior - very old Hollywood / Hitchcock-esque

This place is old school vibes with classic elegance. It is based off of BIRDS movie by Alfred Hitchcock. The drinks are so creative and delicious. I highly recommend this as a chill place for friends, family or just a date. Grab a small bite and enjoy delicious unique drinks!

Amazing scallops and cod. Fantastic vibe and location and some very unique cocktails. Highly recommend!

Exhausted after a long day. It's hot outside. I'm wandering down State St looking for somewhere to relax for my last hour or two before my train home. I'm sure I sounded mildly incoherent, but the greeting staff out front welcomed me in without hesitation. I had a seat at the bar and felt I could finally unwind in the very comfortable atmosphere. The bartender working when I came in was incredibly friendly, and made sure I wasn't neglected when a wedding party pre or post gaming came in a bit rambunctiously. The cocktails I had were all well made and incredibly tasty. This is definitely a place I'd recommend and visit again.

Bartender Johnny always takes excellent care of me and my boyfriend when we come in. When we sit down we have waters and menus and plates before I can even blink. He's super friendly and funny and really works hard to make sure everyone is having a good time. The cocktails here are really delicious, on par with good lion. The food is outstanding too, perhaps the best in SB at this price point. We're in love with the truffle risotto, quail, and steak. I love that you get to pick your knife when you order the steak! I'm gluten free and I always get the panna cotta for dessert. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming - it's the perfect place for a date night if you're trying to feel a little fancy.

I haven't written a Yelp review in ages. The fact that I'm writing this should suggest some serious thought--both by the restaurant and any potential diners. Putting aside the fact that a "Michelin listed" restaurant had some of the worst service I have ever experienced, the food was lacking in nearly every way imaginable. There was no wow factor, The mussels were chewy due to being overcooked. The only thing saving the mussels were the chorizo broth and buttery sourdough bread served with it. Our waitress was too busy chatting with the bartender to advise us that the $75 short rib entree wasn't a traditional braised short rib, rather a bland "steak" version of short ribs that was lacking in flavor. The only saving grace as the risotto that is really hard to mess up to begin with. The ambiance can be described as trying to be Los Angeles, but without anything worth writing home about. The intimate restaurant was nothing special. Truly very disappointed. We were hoping to include Blackbird in our rotation for exquisite dining experiences. I wonder who at Michelin accepted the bribe.

Unusual and beautiful. Drinks you've never had the usual changed with a delicious twist. A must for the adventurous.

We liked the restaurant but we ended up paying the tip twice because no one told us it was already included. This does not go well with the high end profile the place wants to claim. I feel cheated.