Armada Wine & Beer Merchant

Jamie is great! Love their selections. This is a get spot to hang out! Try their wines on tap!

They sell rosé in a can! IN A CAN?! It was awesome.

Took a friend from Los Angeles to Armada on an 80-​degree mid-​week afternoon and he loved it. What better time for a rosé?
The wine selection is great, and the prices are about what you’d pay in the Funk Zone without the usual throngs or pretense. We got to sit with a view of the courtyard at 1129 State, exist in a mellow and tranquil setting, converse, enjoy the music (good music, by the way), and say hello to the in-​house America Bulldog.
It starts to pickup around 5pm (they have a happy hour Monday — Friday!) with folks in their business casual attire, but don’t fret – the space is conducive to a quintessential chill Santa Barbara vibe and not a loud or busy mob.
Putting this on my list of places to enjoy a glass, especially with out of town friends from the Bay and LA.

Pure and simple. Unique wine and beer selection paired with a laid back, sleek space.

This is my favorite wine bar, hands down. Fun atmosphere, amazing wine and beer selection, feels really nice but not stuffy. And Tucker and Jaime are fabulous!

Great spot for a glass of wine or a beer with friends. Very laid back. Nice tasting room. Would highly recommend it.

I loved this place from the first moment I stepped foot on it. This is my home away from home. It has become my bonding place with my brother, friends and coworkers. The staff, Jamie, Tucker, Carlos and Miss Luna make this place special. I love coming here. Wine’s amazing and they have a really good beer selection. I recommend this place to everyone I come in contact with.

It’s was 9:30pm on a Saturday night and we were told as soon as we walked in that they were «closing up». According to their hours, they’re open until 11:00 pm, so obviously the staff was done. That was our first and will be our ONLY time visiting there. We were very disappointed… Some wine bar:-(

Armada may be a bit hard to find since it is all the way in the back of the San Marcos building. However, every time I walk by (which is every day since I work nearby), it is crowded. I don’t drink often so I never thought about going in, however, some of my coworkers wanted to try their wine, so we stopped by one evening.
It is a small place, but it feels really homey with all the sofas and pillows inside. They also have some tables outside, which is nice during summertime when the sun does not set at 5 PM. I like the vibe here, it is modern and appeals to young people but it is not «hipster.» Not that I have anything against hipster since I enjoy The Good Lion as well.
When I told one of the bartenders that I don’t really like to drink, she recommended the elderflower and rose lemonade. Since I was feeling adventurous, I ordered it. It turned out to be a great choice because the taste was strangely alluring. I never really liked lemonade because they can get really sour, but the elderflower and rose lemonade was not sour at all. It is not on the menu, but you can definitely ask them about it.
They also provide food catered by a cheese restaurant nearby. Everything on the food menu is appetizers or snacks. We ordered some crackers with cheese and fig jam. It came in a take-​out package but everything tasted fresh. The portions are small and costed around $ 13, so don’t come hungry.
Don’t expect the bartenders to be walking around and asking you if you want a refill or anything else. There are only two female bartenders and a lot of customers, so they are generally at the bar area. My coworkers had to walk up to the bar to get refill of their wine.
Overall, I think it is a nice place but since I don’t really drink, I don’t see myself visiting it frequently. It is definitely a cool place to hang out and chat after work with coworkers and friends.

One of my favorite places to drink in Santa Barbara. A great selection of beer and wine in a lovely atmosphere! Off the beaten path but still close to other places. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an upscale place to have an adult beverage.

This little gem is tucked away in a court yard behind shopping stores on State street. I love the ambiance & design. They have a great wine & beer selection. The staff is very knowledgeable & always helps me pick out something I love. One of my favorite places to go on State street.

This place is very quaint. It’s hidden from State which is nice so you don’t have to deal with the crowds. The wine selection is great and I believe they have a rotating beer menu. Very quiet atmosphere so it’s a great place to bring a date. Or you know… go by yourself… I’m not judging.

Amazing ambiance and lovely people… The Happy Hour wines are always scrumptious and intriguing! Love their sweet mascot Luna… looking forward to bringing my boyfriend and his sweet frenchie here to hang out on the weekend!!!

This is hands down the BEST place to come and have a relaxing beverage. The two ladies who
run the place couldn’t be anymore down to earth, chill, and fun to chat with. Luna the dog, is a very welcoming mascot, and she doesn’t mind if you bring your K9 along with you. The playlist is always mellow and enjoyable. The selection of wine and beer is top notch and always changing. The atmosphere is by no means pretentious, but classy, clean, and a far cry from the dirty dives on lower State. Armada is a rare gem in a college town such as ours. GO SUPPORT them… if you spend your money anywhere else, you are obviously too lame to enjoy such an awesome place!

Tasting room in the back of Antropologie building. Cute little tasting room and great chill place.

This place was awesome! Came here for a quiet evening with friends on a Saturday night. Not many people know about it, so we ordered bottles and just talked. It’s a great place for after dinner drinks.
Excellent selection of wines and beers. Parking next door. The space is chic, airy and very clean.

Finally made it in to check out Armada last night, and had a lovely time. The décor looks great and is comfortable… nice bar, cozy seating areas. I had a glass of the Baker & Brain Pinot that was very good.
Some other pluses– the owner was very sweet, and it is dog friendly in there. An adorable boxer joined our girls night.
I will be returning to Armada. Planning on checking out happy hour next time!

Armada is the brain child of Tucker Huget and Jaime Heer. With the financial support of some silent partners, these young women have carved out their own wine & beer nook in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara and they’ve done an amazing job.
The space is beautifully appointed with wood-​grain furniture and nautical themed elements. It has a very home-​y feel with a touch of class. Think if Pottery Barn and Pinterest had a wine/​beer baby, that’s the vibe in this unique haven.
They have an excellent selection of wine and beer and really pride themselves on bringing in selections that are not easily found at every other bar or restaurant in Santa Barbara.
Some of the wines can be on the pricier side for the pours but you get what you pay for in quality I guess.
There are pre-​made cheese and charcuterie «boards» available purchase, but they go fast so don’t come hungry or you may not stay long and risk missing out on the opportunity to drink more delicious wine and beer while chatting up, Tucker and Jaime.
At times customer service can be hit or miss, if they’re really busy go to the bar to order and then take your drink to your seat.
Speaking of seating, there is a nice «patio» space outside that gets an excellent breeze. It’s perfect on a hot day. There is also a comfy living room type setting with chairs and a couch. On the opposite wall are tables and chairs along a large window over looking the courtyard and the bar has plenty of comfortable, high-​back bar stools. It’s clear the designer really wanted to maximize the space and they surely hit the mark.
Feel free to bring your pooch! They are dog friendly so why leave Fido at home all alone?
Parking is a cinch with a huge lot located right behind the venue off of Chapala St. The first 75 minutes are free!
Enough about the small details, tell me more about the wine, you say?! Okay, okay! A few of my favorite wines from their offerings are the Baker & Brain Pinot Noir, Matua Sav Blanc and the Rose from the champagne flight. (I can’t remember the maker, but ask Tucker, she’ll know which one I’m talking about; she is great!) Of all the flights the champagne flight is definitely my go to during the summer.
Tips:
–There is a happy hour, ask about it if no one offers the info to you. I won’t leave information about it here because it seems each time I go it has changed in some fashion, the time, the deals, etc. so I don’t want to misinform you.
— They usually have complimentary bar snacks like pretzels or goldfish (until someone complained that gold fish were childish because they serve them to their kids. Boo! I loved the goldfish and I thought it was a nice way to stay within the nautical theme), but do ask because depending on who is working that day things like that may not be readily offered to you.
— Sign up for their mailing list! They have lots of cool events and email announcements about them regular if you’re on their email list.
So why not five stars? Customer service can sometimes be a glitch and I’ve felt like an inconvenience at times for asking questions or even wanting to order another glass. It does not happen all the time by any means but it has happened enough times that we don’t come as often. It just seems that some customers get excellent service and others don’t. It’s very obvious when one of the staff is entertaining their friends. I’d also love to see more food options! We’d stay a lot longer if there were more snacks to purchase to keep our bellies at bay while we drink. (But on the bright side you can bring in outside food, go to Savoy nearby or order something to be delivered; so that’s a plus!)
All in all, this is a great addition to the SB wine/​beer scene and will hopefully do well in the long run in this off the beaten path gem! You shine bright like a diamond, Armada!

I want to start with the name, «Armada» As we look back through history there was of course the Spanish Armada, the Great Armada. The French sent ships to England in an attempt to overthrow Queen Elizabeth the first. Of course it was thwarted largely due to Francis Drake and the French were forced to retreat, ¹⁄₃ of the 130 ships did not return. It was unsuccessful.
The second Armada was the English Armada of 1589 of the Anglo-​Spanish War. It was led by Sir Francis Drake and was also a failure, the English lost 40 ships and it was the turning point of the war.
The third and final major Armada was the Armada of 1779. It was again a French attempt at conquering England and again it was a failure.
I went to the Grand Opening of Armada Wine & Beer Merchant last night and it was Huge! I had a glass of wine and some beer. The wine was flowing and they kept running out of glasses. Everyone seemed to have a great time and all of my friends and people who I chatted with loved the space! Many people thought that the wine was just a tad pricey from what they are used too, the beer too. The employees were great in spite of the huge crowd overwhelming them, I think people will have a great experience in there during less busy times.
I am worried though as were many of the people around me. Armada opened it’s doors in what has proved to be Santa Barbara’s black hole of unsuccessful businesses. Business after business after business have failed in that courtyard! I sincerely hope that they don’t suffer the same fate. I think we all need to make a conscious effort to spread the word, make it a go-​to happy hour location and meet there as an alternative to the funk zone!
It would be such a shame to see such a wonderful place suffer the same defeat as the Armadas of the past.

My wife and I stopped in for a drink before dinner to check out this new spot. It’s got a great vibe and a friendly staff.
It’s a little tucked away inside the San Marcos courtyard, but it’s worth finding.
I am excited about the beer selection and my wife found a cider that she really likes. We’re also excited about trying the on tap wines.
Hopefully we get to return soon.