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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

PRICE RANGE
RM 118 - RM 189
CUISINES
Seafood, Wine Bar, American, Mediterranean
Special Diets
Gluten Free Options
View all details
meals, features, about

Location and contact

0.4 km from Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Reviews (280)
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274 results
Traveller rating
162
68
25
11
8
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveller rating
162
68
25
11
8
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Reviewed 20 November 2023

Good wine but Noisy atmosphere. See menu options, are not much. The salads should be bigger. We need more soups!

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 13 August 2023

Nice setting,good wines. Attentive personnel. Good service. Excellent place for 2-6 people. The pepperoni pizza is a good deal, it is good size. The onion soup is too sweet, so no good. But out of that our experience has been very good.

Date of visit: July 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 13 January 2020

The home made pasta was good as was the fish. In fact, over our four day stay in Santa Barbara, it was the best fish we had. Oysters could have been better. Pleasant venue. Service was very good. Very good SB wine selection too.

Date of visit: January 2020
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Reviewed 8 January 2020 via mobile

We had a bit of a hard time finding this place, it’s inside the courtyard as opposed to actually on the street where the name is. It was decorated for New Years but the ambiance is very upscale and kind of cozy. Our table was...near the fireplace which was perfect on a January night. The menu was fixed for the festivities but the choices were varied. We each had a steak that was delicious. The wine selection was huge and the service was impeccable. We would go again any time.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 5 January 2020

Beautiful high ceilinged dining room. We had a round table for 6. Our waiter was knowledgeable, attentive, and entertaining. The food was great, along with the wine and cocktails. Lemon tart for dessert: Delicious! We will definitely be back.

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 December 2019

Ouir memories of Santa Barbara go back to the 60s, when things were old and tired. Visiting friends this time, we decided to do it right. Booked the Kimpton, the Loberoe Theater and, close-by, the Wine Cask. (It's got to be OK for a pre-performance...dinner.) Wow. Split a salad - great. My pork chop (med rare) was perfect. Cannot remember wife's dish but very good. Did not have time for dessert - gloom. Shall go again.More

Date of visit: December 2019
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Reviewed 6 December 2019 via mobile

We made an OpenTable reservation for a Thursday but didn’t need it. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves! Great cozy ambience (get a table next to the fireplace) and impeccable service. We saw food being taken out the front door to the next door...bar (also with fireplace) and noticed it was much noisier there. Glad to have been in this quiet spot. I made a dinner of several vegetable side dishes, which were flavorful and generous enough to share. My partner had the squid ink fresh pasta with braised pulled pork-best meal he’s had in a long time! The crime brûlée was just perfect to end the meal. Parking in a nearby surface lot was easy and inexpensive (about $1 per hour). The restaurant is tucked into a side passage arcade so that may explain the lack of crowds.More

Date of visit: December 2019
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Reviewed 11 November 2019

It is a good restaurant, good selection of wines and great food. Service is very good and ambiance very classy. A bit expensive but you pay for the quality

Date of visit: October 2019
Helpful?23  
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Reviewed 15 October 2019

Sorry it took me so long to post this! We had a fabulous experience at the Wine Cask for our son’s and daughter-in-law’s Wedding Rehearsal Dinner for 112 guests on a Saturday evening in August. Catering manager Jenny Roberts “held my hand” during the planning...and execution of the event that went off beautifully! She had great suggestions and follow thru to match. She never stopped smiling no matter how many times I bothered her. Kudos to her. The venue is gorgeous and with perfect August weather, we were able to utilize both the patio for wine and hors d'oeuvres along with the dining room for dinner. Every detail fell in to place seamlessly and the feedback from guests (mostly “out of towners”) was wonderful. We thought about having musical accompaniment for the reception but decided against it. Soft music played and soon the laughter and happy chatter filled the airspace. We did not miss live music and would tell anyone with a budget and large group of guests to forget it. Our customized and beautifully printed menu (Jenny showcased our own graphic) featured several pre-selected entree choices including white fish, beef, chicken and a vegetarian risotto, all deliciously prepared without pork per our request. A selection of appetizers and desserts rounded out the meal. The most commented on appetizer was the “Mini Brioche Grills, White Cheddar Cheese, Tomato Jam.” Definitely a fan favorite. The “Oven-Roasted Cauliflower” was a first course hit and the group was more or less split on the beef and whitefish choices as tastiest. Due to budget considerations, I chose to serve the house white and red wines, and these were well received and nicely palatable. They seemed to pair well with all of the menu choices. We also served beer by request, soft drinks and coffee. Again, due to budget constraints, I did not add flowers but relied on Jenny’s esthetic and trusted that she would choose tasteful, albeit small, table bouquets. Add small candles, these were more than enough, and the overall effect was of a beautiful and casually elegant room. All in all, the event was a happy celebration and a culinary success. I couldn’t recommend it more. We were a fairly large group….the choices in Santa Barbara for a group our size, with great food, are few unless you wanted to have the party in a hotel. We didn’t. The downtown location was great for the young people who could visit the bars and clubs after dinner. This was a destination wedding for most of the guests who had a chance to experience one of the most beautiful venues in Santa Barbara located in El Paseo, an iconic and historic setting.More

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 May 2019

Here for a large dinner party. Appetizers ready when we sat. Most scrumptious were the pate crustinis and mini crab cakes. The house Chardonnay was wonderful. My NY Strip was cooked medium which I normally want it a bit more done but it was juicy...and flavorful. The staff were attentive and friendly. The private room was large with a high ceiling adding to its roominess with nice lighting (we like to see our food!)More

Date of visit: May 2019
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Reviewed 7 May 2019 via mobile

It has been a few years since we were last hear and it was a 5 star. It has come down since then. Less food and wine options and just not the same quality. It was still good but with so many other options in...Santa Barbara was hoping for more. Prices were not bad and our waiter was very nice but overall just not what it had once been. If you have a few nights then this is one to try but if only in town for one night would try something elese.More

Date of visit: May 2019
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 February 2019 via mobile

Wine Cask has a good reputation locally and is a classy joint with very nice ambiance. It is “restaurant week” this week in Santa Barbara and they offered a $40 fixed price three course dinner as well as the full menu. Two of us took...the Prix Fixe menu and two used the regular menu. The fixed price menu was good value but it was a shame the food wasn’t served hot - none of our meals was anything other than warm. It was tasty, though. I was disappointed in my dessert. It was very tasty but the flan pastry case appeared to be mass produced and bought in bulk. It did not appear to be home made which, in a restaurant of this caliber, I would expect. I only had one glass of wine and it was corked - surprising for the Wine Cask which has such a high reputation for their variety of available wines. The restaurant changed out the glass immediately, of course. Service was attentive and generally good - no fault there. Would we go back to the Wine Cask, the real measure of the review? Not for a while, as there are too many other local restaurants where food quality equals or betters our experience here tonight.More

Date of visit: February 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 January 2019

To celebrate our 40th anniversary my two sons, their wives and my husband made a reservation at the Wine Cask. We had fabulously delicious food, cocktails and wine. We tried the oysters, octopus and cured salmon appetizers which were all wonderful. For dinner I had...scallops which I believe are the most delicious I have ever had in my life. My husband had the pasta of the day which he couldn't stop talking about it's deliciousness. Others in the group had the ribeye and seabass. Everyone was delighted. Our service was outstanding. It made for a very memorable anniversary celebration. I would not hesitate recommending this restaurant with it's fabulous food and it's beautiful, calm, warm ambience.More

Date of visit: January 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 8 January 2019

We booked the table on line for 6pm for 29th December. By 6.30 the restaurant was 90%occupied. Tables were nicely spaced and staff attentive.The restaurant were happy to advise where they could amend their menu to accommodate my intolerances. The food was excellently cooked and...the wine list had a wide selection of international wines bwhich we chose.service was just re right pace .More

Date of visit: December 2018
Helpful?
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Reviewed 29 October 2018

We attended a small family wedding in Santa Barbara and this was the location for the reception. We enjoyed cocktail hour with served hors 'doeuvres in a private room and our meal was served in the courtyard. And what a culinary delight it was. I...love eating meals that I wouldn't have the expertise or ingredients to fix at home and I cannot say enough about the meal selections that we were served!! The service was impeccable. It was the perfect spot for our celebration and if I ever get back tot this city, it would be one of my first choices to dine!More

Date of visit: September 2018
Helpful?
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Questions & Answers
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TravelBug0417
6 November 2019|
Answer
Response from GarilynnStan | Reviewed this property |
I copied this from their website: THANKSGIVING DINNER – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH Three course ‘a la carte’ format menu, $85 per person-This is not a tasting menu but rather guests will have full choice from the entire... More
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maitrinh2001
27 August 2017|
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Response from robertbW8291PC |
I believe so but you should call the restaurant to confirm
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Bacrm5
14 July 2016|
AnswerShow all 4 answers
Response from Penny1968 | Reviewed this property |
Not good for children under 10. I am sure they can come up with gluten free.
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Wine Cask Restaurant, Santa Barbara - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Wine Cask Restaurant

Yes, Wine Cask Restaurant offers takeaway services.

Wine Cask Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5