Belmond El Encanto Dining Room

My lovely friend recommended that we stop by for brunch before we leave and what an amazing view! I ordered steak and eggs along with a mimosa and it was delicious. We were so full, we almost didn’t stop by the pastry bar. Good thing we did! Bread pudding and fruits to top everything off! They even gave us extra little chairs for our purses! Our server was sweet and attentive.
A delightful brunch and impressive view! Love it!

Three of us had dinner and drinks out on the veranda last week. The setting is lovely and the people are dressed well. What I can’t understand is how they can’t manage to provide basic service to guests. For example, we had to twice ask for Evian water. Finally I got up and walked to the bartender to get it myself. The Hamachi was good (minus the sorbet on top) but they never cleared our appetizer/​salad dishes before piling us up with the entrees. The table was a mess, they forgot utensils so our seabass (which was good, not great and $ 40+) got cold and chewy. The Kistler Chardonnay was way too cold. It just doesn’t add up that this place is rated 5 stars other than the view and ambiance. But who wants to be exasperated? Breakfast there is a better experience. (Oh, and they were out of propane so we all froze outside… no I don’t want a blanket that is used by the general public)
My friend paid over $ 700 a night to stay there so I hope El Encanto gets it together. I’m local and go here about twice per year, only when a friend wishes to go, but it’s always a similar experience.

The view is beautiful up here!
Came in For Brunch:
I ordered the steak and eggs with hash browns. Superb! The service is always outstanding. They were sweet enough to bring out stools for our Chanel bags! So cute :) We had a few mimosas while we enjoyed the band playing.
The weather was perfect.
As we were getting ready to leave, our waitress suggested we stop at the pastry bar. I tried to resist but glad we didn’t.
The bread pudding and cheesecake were delicious.
This is place is a hidden gem in the hills of the lovely Santa Barbara.

What’s not to love? Great views. I visited this restaurant on Valentine’s Day and it was very romantic. The service is great and so is the food. Best resort in Santa Barbara, period.

This is a tough review because sometimes its amazing and other times its just so-​so.
Things that are amazing always: the views, the service, the valet, the décor. You can’t beat the view at sunset overlooking Santa Barbara and the harbor.
Things that are sometimes great and sometimes not: the ambiance. The jazz singer they bring in is great. But if you’re inside dining they don’t turn the music off so it becomes a competition between the canned music and the live. I asked them to turn off the canned but they said no.
The food. Again, sometimes amazing other times meh. For example the Hamachi sashimi is just incredible, absolutely delicious. The short ribs are sometimes tender but ²⁄₄ times they’re tough. The New York Prime is OK, again kind of tough for being Prime (medium-​rare always). The shortcake dessert is pretty awesome, consistently.
I would give an extra star but given the price, location and the availability of insanely good food in Santa Barbara, I expect more.

I have to say that I had been very disappointed in the food and service but I have since been back twice for lunch and it was amazing. The service was very good… to notch really and the food was great. I’m so happy to have two great experiences with how beautiful this place is I plan on returning now. I would give it a 2^nd chance if you had previous bad experience… they have changed. It is still pricey but that is to be expected with the location and view.

I don’t know why the reviews here are so bad — I love the Belmond! I first came here when the newly-​rehabbed hotel just re-​opened and had a good enough experience. I came back, this time with my family for Christmas Day brunch, and the experience was awesome!
The space is gorgeous, like being at a rich friend’s home. Outdoor is where it’s at, with the wrap-​around patio providing a gorgeous view of the ocean, tree tops and hills. There are numerous heat lamps to keep you warm.
Service was also very attentive, just like being in a private club. The manager was also very friendly and helpful, especially when my toddler cut his finger and needed a bandage.
The food this time around was perfection. I had the butternut squash soup to start (could have licked the bowl), the truffle lobster risotto (pieces of black truffle, not just oil) and a traditional yule log (the best I’ve had so far).
Best of all, valet was complimentary!

They call themselves a five-​star restaurant but I’ve had better food and drinks at McDonald’s.

I went for lunch. First and foremost– excellent service! The staff here was extremely accommodating and friendly. Loved them! The view was breathtaking. The only reason I’m giving it three stars is because the food was average quality, and not worth the price. The menu selection was also more limited than I would have liked.

Honestly, I am quite baffled at so many 3 star reviews. That being said, my hubby and I were in Santa Barbara for 1 night without the kids and wanted a nice dinner with a view of the city so we gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. That was back in September, but I haven’t forgotten our memorable night!
The food was delicious. Not overly complicated, but done well. The ambiance, beautiful outdoor dining room, and views of the city were spectacular. I would recommend arriving before sunset to watch the show.
Thank you to our server, Jillian, for helping make our night special and for recommending the dark chocolate soufflé for dessert! Seriously AMAZING!
We will be back next time we are in town! The El Encanto is a gem!

Went for lunch on a November Monday when it was not at all busy. It is a truly beautiful place with a great view, but lunch was very expensive. We had between us (2) one small bowl of tomato soup, one appetizer kale salad with an added hard boiled egg, one order of fish and chips, and a total of three quite small $ 13 glasses of Sauvignon Blanc total cost $ 96. Add tip and $ 5 valet charge plus valet tip and it was over$ 120. Service was ok if a bit patronizing (please don’t call me dear!). Food very average. A big peeve was the pre-​sliced bread for the table served in an open dish with no napkin wrap, the windy setting resulted in dried out slices with little flavor. Won’t be back.

Was surprised at how beautiful the patio was and how delicious the food was! This restaurant is located in newly remodeled Belmond hotel, a perfect patio dining spot! I can only imagine the views at lunch /​brunch or sunset hours!
Late dinner for us, they gave us one of the best half booth table in the patio, very cozy, intimate and semi private. Had our usual lemon drop martinis and vesper martinis, hubby says they make the perfect Vesper martini, so strong and tasty!
Dinner menu was quite clean and simple, there was a special menu too. Good seafood selections, ordering was easy for me! Many expensive reserved wines starting at $ 300 or so, glad I don’t drink wines, phew.
Bottle of sparkling water as usual, not interested in table bread with butter. Hubby liked it alright.
Starters:
Santa Barbara sea urchin with caviar: the famous Santa Barbara sea urchin was so fresh and sweet, loved the sea salt they put in there, caviar was fantastic, we just loved it!
Oysters on half shell: I liked it how they put sea salt in both appetizers, I love sea salt. Oysters were medium sized, not too meaty but very fresh.
Entrees:
Grilled whole market fish with brussel sprouts and carrots, came with olive oil: forgot to ask what kind of fish was that, it was so fresh and tender, the roasted vegetables were so good.
Filet 8oz in rare plus: it came medium rare the first time, has to send it back, the second one was perfect, tender and juicy, hubby was happy.
Dessert:
Lemon and mandarin sorbets were so refreshing and light. 20 yr tawny was perfect as usual. They also have 30 & 40 yr tawny too.
Service was very friendly and attentive, just slow paced and very relaxing. Food was very light, better put salt and pepper on it.
I really enjoyed our slow and romantic patio dining. It was lovely, that’s the idea to come to Santa Barbara for a weekend right? Romantic and relax, just what we were looking for!
Ps. They have a lounge at hotel lobby, serves drinks and lounge menu till late night.

We stayed here at the hotel and the dining room was a convenient place to eat. I knew it was a Unilocal three star but how could that be. This is a fantastic location and it’s easy to be a critic but I think three woofs is about right. Maybe 3+
Great atmosphere for sure and we liked the waiter; super friendly. However, the food was just ok and the wine list was really limited. Average at best and disappointing restaurant for a Belmond Hotel.

Well… we really wanted… i mean REALLY wanted to like this place. It’s beautiful, scenic and expensive. The food was bland at best, the menu and wine list are riddled with errors and the service (at least during our lunch) was horrible. Like, forgot water 4 times horrible. All of the bread (buns, toast, etc) was served burnt. Yeah, I know it’s a hotel, but I expected way more.
We were also there for an event which had catering, I’d say the catering was a bit better but still not nearly as good as we had hoped or expected.

The deck and views from the dinning rooms at the El Encanto are gorgeous, but the food is sub par for a 5 start resort. Other than the view, it was a really unforgettable dining experience.
The bar is tiny. There was a live band but the cover songs were simply a terrible choice for the audience and the singer was off key most the time.
In my humble opinion the only thing the El Encanto had going for it was the view.

Loved my experience here. First time local enjoying fine dining, cocktails, great service, atmosphere and elegance. Everything on menu tastes great. Step out of your comfort zone and you wont regret it

Amazing hidden gem with incredible food and a spectacular view to boot. Sitting on the deck overlooking my hometown the ambiance, now that the place has been redone, is both romantic and casual.
The appetizers were good, nothing to write home about but was certainly interesting. I tried the Avocado Gazpacho which was a little heavy and aesthetically pleasing but I tired of it after sever bites. The stone fruit plate or watermelon salad is the better choi e. We ordered the sweet corn risotto as an appetizer and it was light, creamy and delicious.
The real stars were the entrees! I ordered the filet mignon with truffle mash potatoes and bernaise. The filet was cooked perfectly with the cream and saltiness balanced just right for an explosion of flavor. The filet was a rich dish but portioned just right and I really couldn’t finish it fast enough, left wanting more even though I was full.
The desserts were great as well, but the entrée was not outdone by them. Both the peanut butter bite and chocolate soufflé were great choices, decadent and rich. But again overshadowed by the filet. I strongly recommend eating here, the setting, view and food truly provided a rich experience. The service was adequate, a little slow for my taste but not worth docking any points for.

Amazing food. Everything was perfect. Best drink I have had in Santa Barbara. First chili vodka and guava! Amazing view! I will definitely come back

Perfect place for brunch or an afternoon cocktail as the views on a sunny day is gorgeous! The dining room feels fancy, but outside, it’s definitely more casual and relaxing.
We came here for an afternoon cocktail the first day. We ended up bringing our iPad and laptop and just relaxed on the patio sofas. I had the Charmer cocktail: vodka house infused with grapefruit, St. Germain, and lime juice. Perfect drink while enjoying the view! Complimentary olives and nuts were tasty too.
Also came here for breakfast the last day. I had the Greek Yogurt with Housemade Granola and Berries while my husband had the Smoked Salmon Bagel. Both were delicious and pretty big portions.
Prices are very reasonable. Service is friendly and attentive. If you’re staying here, definitely worth stopping by.

Food: My fiancée and I went to their Sunday brunch. The 6 small apetitzers were overall pretty good. The prawns with corn was the best one out of the six. For the entrée, I had the Santa Barbara Cipino while my fiancée got some fish dish (brazino). I think the entrees were decent. It also comes with a desert buffet, but we were too full to enjoy them.
Food rating: 3.5÷5
Service: Service here is pretty good, waiter was nice, attentive and polite.
Service rating: ⁴⁄₅
Price: Expect to pay $ 45 for brunch.
Overall: Beautiful place with a nice view. Food was good with great service. Nice place to stop by and enjoy the scenery.