City Guide: 48 Hours in Santa Barbara

I’m back! I did it. I saw California for the very first time ever and had the most magnificent weekend. While I went for a wedding (it was one of the best, yet), T. and I still found time to explore and totally take advantage of a rare weekend on the west coast.

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m finally kicking off my new city guide series! Hooray! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this moment for months now and couldn’t imagine a better city to start with.

WHERE TO EAT:

• Handlebar Coffee Roasters: Seriously the cutest not-so-little coffee shop in SB. Okay, we only stopped at a few, but this one was my favorite. The staff was kind and quick, and the atmosphere was perfect. If you’re looking for a quick cup of coffee to take on the go or to sit around with a chai, I highly suggest it.
• Lilly’s Taqueria: This is your general, sort-of hole in the wall place that is SO FREAKING GOOD. Really. California + tacos = me never leaving. Okay, I had to leave, but I had Lilly’s twice (in three days), so you know that sh*t is good.
• Cielito: When we were shopping downtown SB, Cielito was recommended to us for dinner. We promptly snagged reservations and were so glad we did. The meal was phenomenal. Again, Mexican food, because how can you not while in Santa Barbara?
• Backyard Bowls: After the wedding, we enjoyed the most delicious, fresh breakfast bowls, hence the name. I strongly suggest the Island Bowl.
• The Lark: We admittedly didn’t get to eat here, but it was on my list and looked positively delicious. And by that I mean, on the website and also from walking by – it must be the cutest restaurant in SB.

WHERE TO SHOP:

• Still – Elevate Your Ethanol: We actually stumbled upon this place in a funny way. Two of the tiki mugs (you heard me right) for the wedding broke in transit, so I magically found a place that had the same ones! I promptly put them on hold and it was our very first stop in SB. Of course, we ended up shopping (who doesn’t need a julep strainer?). It doesn’t hurt that the staff was *the best*.
• Wootton Printing: We happened to walk by this shop on the way to meet everyone for Backyard Bowls, and were so glad we did. It’s adorable! You can even see the owner letterpress-ing (is that the right verb? who knows) right in the store! It’s your go to place for vintage postcards, stationary, and even some beautiful kitchen items.

WHERE TO HANG:

• State Street: This is where everything is happening. The majority of shops, restaurants, and oddities are off of State Street. For just about 48 hours in SB, we sure became quite familiar with the adorable State St.
• Leadbetter Beach: The day after the wedding and post-breakfast, we met up with (almost) everyone who attended the wedding the night before. The bride and groom brought tacos, because….tacos. (Lilly’s, again). It was a lovely beach and parking was SO cheap (I think $3/hour? I don’t know, something ridiculously affordable though).
• Stearns Wharf: We took a short walk out to the end of the pier, and even with the fog out over the water, it was a gorgeous afternoon view. One that I definitely can’t get back home with the chillier temps.
• Basically anywhere else in SB: We drove up a few of the mountains (okay, through neighborhoods that happened to be on the mountains), but it was so worth it. Even a 10 minute drive lands you with some pretty sweet views.

WHERE TO STAY:

• Canary Hotel: We didn’t get to stay here (insert sad face), but the wedding was on the roof with remarkable views (see below!). It was the perfect venue for the most wonderful celebration. However, now I’m obsessed with Canary Hotel – probably because it’s a Kimpton and they’re the best (one day I’ll stay in one!).
• Hotel Indigo: This was another option on the books – quite possibly one of the sweetest hotels in SB. Just take a walk by if you don’t get to stay there and you’ll wish your reservations were refundable (sorry).

WHERE TO DRINK:

• Figueroa Mountain Brew: We stopped in here for a quick beer flight and loved it. It’s a small spot, a few minutes walk from the wharf. The brews were good (ahem, they have one called scary space) and while they don’t serve food, you can order in(!) or stop by a food truck outside – when we were there it was Georgia’s Smokehouse. How fitting, right?
• Five & 1/4: This is actually a pop up wine bar we heard about while visiting Still. The owner started this as a way to bring non-California wines to SB (they describe it as the funky wines, which I totally dig). With a $20 purchase at Still, you can get a free glass of wine at the pop up! And get this, it’s housed in a little crepe shop.
• Wildcat Lounge: After the wedding, and after some burgers from the burger bus – which made a stop at Canary JUST for the wedding (hello sliders and french fries after a night of drinking champagne), we trekked down to Wildcat. Sunday nights are gay nights and it is THE BEST. I’m not a “club” person, but it was small enough that it seemed like a little dance party in a bar. It was just what we needed to round out the weekend.

And this might go unsaid, but absolutely drive the PCH if you can. We took it part of the way up from LA, but then we took it the entire way back on Monday afternoon. The drive was incredible! Even though I was stuck driving for the weekend, I still had an amazing time driving along the beautiful, wavy Pacific Ocean.

Have you been to Santa Barbara? Do you have any suggestions for the city guide?

g.