You can look down on the red tile roofs from the romantic El Encanto hotel dining room in the foothills or grab a beer and a snack out on Stearns Wharf on the Harbor Restaurant s sun deck. Even Julia Child loves to drop by and eat off the paper plates. However, when gourmets put on the glad rags and want a special night out, they tend to head for a handful of top spots where pricy plates are waiting. They include the Four Seasons Biltmore s La Marina room, San Ysidro Ranch s Stonehouse, Downey s, the Wine Cask and Citronelle. All have excellent food and very different personalities.
La Marina is elegant, in a classic oceanfront hotel.
The Stonehouse is up in the hills, with thick, whitewashed walls and a view out over the gated mansions of Montecito. Downey s is downtown and Citronelle is at the beach, commanding a glorious ocean view from its third floor location. The Wine Cask, with a choice of 35,000 bottles on its wine list, is housed in the old El Paseo complex downtown and is a virtual club for locals. El Encanto has the class-act room, renowned for its romantic ambiance and views of the city. For some reason, Santa Barbara seems to have more good Italian restaurants than Mexican eateries.