This getaway was much needed after what feels like an endless quarantine. Mikey and I have been taking a couple small staycations in LA during the Summer. It was nice to go somewhere further out of the city for a change. It’s been a good year or two since we were in Santa Barbara. This time around I clearly saw it’s beauty and fell in love with the area even more – I literally googled homes in SB and well, budget exceeded! I’ll just keep it as my got-to for getaways.
Since the last time I was there, it’s grown a lot. I saw so many more restaurants and shops. We came out for 2 nights and stayed at a cutesy beach front hotel: Mar Monte Hotel. They just did some upgrades and the rooms + hotel gives you Spanish Mediterranean vibes. Our balcony had a beach view which we loved waking up to every morning and watching the sunsets by evening. The hotel has an outdoor restaurant bar by the pool called Cafe Lido. Mike and I swung by for their happy hour and enjoyed Mediterranean-style small plates and cocktails. We then walked over to the beach for some dessert and coffee by the waves – it was perfect!
One of my favorite things about our hotel were the bikes and it’s prime location. It was so nice to bike ride by the beach and 10 minutes to restaurants and shops. One of the best ways for me to experience a place with Mikey is by bike riding – it’s so much fun! Here are a list of places we went to during our getaway + places I’d like to go see next time I’m in Santa Barbara:
Brunch: Goat Tree. I’ve been here once before with Mikey and their lemon ricotta pancakes are my jam! It’s part of the Hotel Californian and a cute place to eat brunch in the outdoors.
Dinner: Santo Mezcal. They have a nice outdoor patio area on State St. I’m really picky when it comes to Mexican food, mainly because I have a very high (spicy food) tolerance and expect it to meet those standards. On that note, my crab enchiladas were very tasty, aside from me asking our waiter “to bring me his spiciest salsa” (almost every Mexican restaurant has a secret hot sauce that’s off the menu) the waiters usually know what I mean! I used it to give my enchiladas a little kick! Aside from my spicy demands, everything was spot on. The Ceviche Verde was a perfect choice for a shared plate and Pan de Elote dessert was my favorite!
Drinks by the beach: Flor De Maiz. This place was recommended to us by a friend. I was recommended to try the Margarita Tamarindo Con Chile. It was a bit pricey but well worth it!! It was nice sitting outdoors with views of the beach. Side note: you have to order some food aside from drinks, which Mikey and I didn’t know and had to force a small plate into us after having brunch.
Bike Ride and go to the beach to catch the Sun and Sunsets – this is how we spent most of our time!
Up next…I’d love to go to super boujee Miramar Beach Bar and Malibu Farm$$ on our next Santa Barbara trip. SB has become one of my new favorite places for a beach-side getaway. Hope this lil guide will be helpful when you plan a trip out there!
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