Blue Tavern

Well I guess this place is closed. Anyway. Food was nice looking but flavor was way off balance. The sea bass ceviche was super citrusy n acidic and the prosciutto pizza was greasy n salty. Oddly, the leftover pizza tasted great the next day, after I popped it in the oven. Savory.
I guess it doesn’t matter now!!! Shame, cute little restaurant.

I know it’s useless to write a review for a place that recently closed, but our experience here last month bothered me enough to want to write one anyway.
This spot was located in the same building of Hotel Indigo where we were guests, so it made it very convenient to attempt to eat dinner here, or at least we thought.
After doing some shopping down the street, we decided to head back to the hotel and just grab a bite at this restaurant out of convenience. When we arrived, the hostess couldn’t have cared any less of the customers walking up to the hostess stand. She saw us, but kept on with wrapping up a call followed by helping the bartender behind her with some orders with no «I’ll be with you in a minute» eye contact or communication with us. When she finally got around to helping us, we basically said two for dinner, but she said all the visible, empty tables were reserved. Seriously? The dining room was twenty-​five percent full, but we were told we can dine at the bar, which was completely full or take a seat out on the patio, which was fifty degrees out. Um no.
We decided to just order a pizza to go and take it back to the room, I didn’t want to deal with her much longer and I was getting more annoyed by the minute by her attitude.
After we ordered the prosciutto pizza, we walked to our room and my husband went back to the restaurant to pick up our pizza. When we opened the box, we both looked at each other like «what the hell is this?» I took a few bites and was pretty disappointed at how overly salty and oily it was. My husband took one bite before we threw it out and ordered a way better dinner thanks to a local company that delivered food from a better selection of participating restaurants.
My only regret? Not knowing about the food delivery service from Restaurant Connection SB before going through the horrible dining experience at Blue Tavern.

Chef Ricardo Zarate is amazing. I’ve been eating at his restaurants since he operated out of a cart in a cafeteria in South LA. I dined here by total chance and everything we had was amazing.
Dishes are severed as the are ready. So it doesn’t all come at once.
We had the ceviche, arugula salad with scallops, seafood risotto and beef pappardelle. Dessert was stuffed crepes with ice cream.
so so amazing.

Wonderful, fresh lunch enjoyed on their sunny patio.
Hungry from a long days travelling, our party of 5 stopped by the restaurant to get some lunch. Our meals were awesome! Fresh fish, oozing pizza and cold drinks, what more can you ask for?
Friendly service in spite of the buzy hour, always a big +!

I have been going to the Blue Tavern for quite awhile, and it only recently occurred to me that my experiences might be worth sharing with the Unilocal community.
Santa Barbara is a small town with relatively few culinary options — I come from a very big city where there is a very good chance I will find fantastic food and cocktails, so my standards are extraordinarily high. I had been spending the last few years looking for truly good eats here in SB, but nothing really stood out. A friend of mine suggested I try the Blue Tavern, and I am so happy she did.
Everything from the appetizers to the small plates to the entrees to the brick oven pizzas is creative and well-​crafted. I haven’t tried anything I didn’t like. The ambiance is lovely, too — kind of modern and hip but very cozy at the same time.
It strikes me that perhaps my favorite part of the restaurant, even with all that tasty food, is the cocktail selection. Bartender George creates some of the finest, tastiest drinks I have ever had. They have also created some of the finest hangovers I have ever had, because I tend to try several different cocktails made of several different, high-​quality alcohols. I can’t have just one! George’s dedication to his craft is apparent in everything he does, and I really admire that about him. He buys fresh ingredients from the local farmer’s market, the bar is always stocked with beautiful flowers, and he is constantly updating the cocktail menu with his latest creations. He has contributed to a lot of the positive memories I have had at the Blue Tavern, and I am grateful that he clearly cares very deeply about keeping his customers happy. If you go see George, I recommend the Yellow Armadillo (it’s spicy and comes with a candied slice of bell pepper!) or the Purple Rain (I even attached a picture of the Purple Rain and a rose cocktail because the world should see how beautiful they are). There are so many others I love but I cannot remember their names.
Whether you are a true foodie or you simply want a nice place to unwind with an awesome cocktail, please be sure to stop by the BT! You won’t be disappointed.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary dates mixology to 1948 and defines it as:
«the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks». If that is the definition, then George the bartender at the Blue Tavern is truly a mixologist and an artist. His cocktails are creative, complex and beautiful… not to mention delicious. Maybe a little too delicious… Excellent meal, excellent service… amazing cocktails.

Fabulous Sunday Brunch (5 stars)
Wonderful finish to the Santa Barbara Marathon: Sunday Brunch at Blue Tavern.
We got the mimosas along with steak and eggs.
The mimosas were so good, of course we got seconds.
The steaks were just right: medium and pink.
The eggs sunny side up, cooked perfectly.
The potatoes were nice and crispy.
Check out the photos.
Definitely plan to return when back in Santa Barbara.

Well, I wasn’t «blown away» as other Unilocalers mentioned. It’s good but it’s not that good!
On a beautiful Sunday, my friend and I decided to go up to Santa Barbara and just relax in all that is beauty, and my oh my, it’s certainly beautiful up there. This place is at the very end (or very beginning depending on your perception) of State Street. Maybe a block away from the beach (ie. the sand).
Sitting on the patio is a must! so you can get the amazing breeze blowing through your hair and just watch all the people walking by (and the dogs! Lots and lots of dogs!)
The inside is cute too — complete with edison lights (LOVE) and cute little tables and booths.
The service was kind of lackluster. Nothing horrible but also never checked on or anything. Meh.
It’s mostly about the food (for me anyway!) so here we go:
Heirloom Tomato & Beet Salad with burrata — Yum! and such a beautiful presentation! The plate came complete with golden and regular red beets (although in my opinion, the golden ones were much better — more buttery and smooth!) It was a delicious dish though — the burrata was also quite flavorful and good! Yum!
Diver Scallop Salad — Those scallops were good! Delicious melt in your mouth bites of heaven. The salad itself was simple but good. Walnuts. Poached Granny Smith apples. Solidly good.
Antichuchos:
Hanger Steak — This was definitely seasoned in a Peruvian way. Spicy! Flavorful! The meat itself was cooked perfectly. Tender. Juicy. Yummy!
Prawns — Yum! Perfectly cooked! Spicy! Bold! Their house sauce (which they seem to put on every meat and shellfish) was surprisingly tasty too!
Everything was good but it wasn’t amazing! Maybe I should have gone with the shrimp & uni toast?! I don’t know but it was good.
Also, their happy hour menu has a ton of food options — so that’s a great way to try out some items without breaking the bank.

The State Street gem, known simply as the «Blue Tavern» has also earned a blue ribbon in my book. This place has redefined mussels for me and opened me up to a whole new appreciation for Santa Barbara’s food scene! A lovely genial interior, with nicely applied contemporary flair, is enveloped by a grand patio near the entrance, which is perfect for the large group of 15 that we were. I can only imagine how lovely it must be for afternoon luncheons in the SB sun.
Their mussels, which are cooked with chorizo, slices of shallot, all in a savory red sauce, make it a mouthwatering symphony of flavor. We also had the beet salad, which was incredible! I’m pretty sure that I’ve changed a friend of mine’s life forever, because this was the first mussel she’d ever had the pleasure of eating… it will be hard to live up with that kind of base of comparison.
All around, I felt it was 5 stars from my experience! Superb job.
**It should be noted that the pizza my friend (mussel girl), had ordered, was overly salty from the prosciutto, and slightly undercooked through the middle of the dough… but we didn’t have that experience, so I’ll let her write that review.

Blue tavern is so much better than the lark. From the seafood dishes to the rib eye steak, everything I have tried here is amazing. The drinks are extreme creative and there isn’t one I wouldn’t have on the menu. I look forward to bringing my friends here to try the pisco sour and other cocktails The servers are amazing, brittany is the best at recommending new items on the menu and wine. All of chef mark samsons dishes are thoroughly thought out and innovative. I have grown especially fond of the pizza, it is perfectly thin and crispy with very exotic toppings. Good luck on finding a quality meal in santa barbara that doesn’t cater tourists. The blue tavern is the real deal and one of the best kept secrets in santa barbara!

This place is decent. I had the steak and eggs. The coffee was good. Good morning we came the place was understaffed. The portion of the steak and eggs was tiny for the price. And they forgot to give me my sauce on the side. These are minor inconveniences, overall it was okay. The food itself was really good. Good location convenient right outside the train station.

Two Words: Blown Away
The moment I walked in, I felt an upbeat energy from the hostess and servers. Blue Tavern felt lively — something most dining establishments are missing. The servers were responsive and they were able to describe each dish.
The sea bass ceviche had a subtle base of infused citrus and garlic. While some ceviches may have an overwhelming lemon taste, this dish had a savory one. The crispy calamari and cancha served as a crunchy complement.
Beets and Heirloom Salad delivered a summery taste — sweet tomatoes, golden beets, crunchy lettuce, arugula, and buttered cheese. The buttered cheese is burrata which had a rich, creamy taste similar to ricotta. The glazed beets and burrata is an unusual pairing, but the combination added to its decadence.
Crispy Chicken Chicharron was tender and crunchy. It had a unique blend of spicy aioli made of rocoto peppers. Do not worry — the server told me that they reduced the spice of the rocoto — the pepper adds a subtle spice to the chicharron.
Steamed Mussels had a lime-​infused broth which included aji amarillo butter and spicy chorizo. I could tell that the dish was properly prepared. The mussels were light, tender and had an ethereal sea flavor. They were generous in their portion of mussels.
Sea Urchin, Scallops and Shrimp Toast was tantalizing! The rich flavors melted in my mouth. Every bite felt enticing.
Save room for dessert!
The Guava Cheesecake is presented in a miniature round jar. The top layer consisted of guava and the bottom layer had cheesecake filling. The guava was very sweet, but the cheesecake complemented it. The more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it.
The Tres Leches cake had a moist texture to it. Chef Samson informed me that the rich texture is from soaking it in three types of milk. The cake was divine. Every bite melted in my mouth and left a lavish taste.
In my previous review, I stated that I would not return. However, Manager Mark Samson invited me back to Blue Tavern.
Blue Tavern is revitalized — it completely transformed from the remarkable service and their use of distinct ingredients. Their pricing is well worth their luxurious, unique cuisine, knowledgeable staff, and exceptional dining service.

This place was Meh to say the least.
I came in to see if I could find some healthy eats and was greatly disappointed.
I didn’t want to eat ½ a chicken for $ 30 so the next best option was their chicken skewers for $ 10 and a side salad for $ 6, which I had requested «special», because it wasn’t on the dinner menu.
When I ordered the chicken skewers I was told that it would be about 8oz of chicken, but when the dish came out it was more like 3−4oz and it wasn’t good at all. Some of the chicken tasted burnt and dry and the flavor was just overwhelming. The amount of rosemary on that chicken was enough for a whole chicken and it tasted kinda gross.
My salad was not very fresh and lacked imagination to say the least. Originally the salad comes with cheese, but I had them take it out. You’d think the server would have suggested I add tomatoes or something else in place of the cheese, but instead I got a tiny amount of lettuce with a few tiny bites of pecans.
This whole food arrangement was a taste train wreck and I won’t be coming back. Altogether the menu options are very limited and the prices are just too high for the portions they serve and the low quality food.
This place is definitely overrated and overpriced and if your looking for a decent place to eat I’d say just keep on looking.

They were able to seat a party of 6 within an hour’s notice. The food here is pretty good. I had the beets salad and the beef pasta. Oh yes, and the mussels. The mussels are amazing – big and juicy! It definitely left me wanting more. The beets salad is quite unique and great if you like beets — i can see why others have recommended this. the salad portion is a bit smaller than I expected. There were several large pieces of beets but not much of anything else. Finally the beef main course with the homemade noodles is of course another item you can’t go wrong with.
I heard their mixologists are well-​known here. I didn’t get a chance to try any of their cocktails but next time for sure!

We stopped by on our afternoon walk, post shopping and pre-​urban wine trail, and we made it just in time for happy hour, which I highly recommend.
Our waiter was fantastic, providing recommendations while discussing the dishes & Peruvian ingredients in depth with my mom.
We shared a few glasses of wine, the burrata salad, hummus appetizer and grilled prawns and loved every bite of it.

Came back for a second time, but this time with 45 other guests! The service was absolutely incredible. Even with a large group, the staff at Blue Tavern did not let us down. Our water glasses were never emptied and servers made sure everything was running smoothly.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the items on the menu, but I particularly liked the seafood risotto, side of cauliflower (baked with a sauce, cheese, and a panko layer on top), and the mushroom pizza that has a heat kick to it!
Don’t forget to try their delicious cocktails — «East Side» is super refreshing and «Paper Plain» is just plain ridiculously good.

imagine my delight when staying at the hotel indigo, when i found out that blue tavern was chef’d by my favorite local LA chef, Ricardo Zarate!!! I love Mochica and Picca so I was super excited to try Blue Tavern.
We went during happy hour: 2:30 — 6:30pm and 9pm-​close
We got the Margarita Wood Oven Pizza, Mozzarella, Tomato Panca Sauce, Basil ($ 10),
Crispy Chicken Chicharron Cole Slaw, Spicy Aioli ($ 8), Sea Bass Ceviche Crispy Calamari, Rocoto Leche de Tigre, Celery Leaf ($ 14). The chicken chicharron was less crispy then our expectations so it reminded me more of small fried chicken bits. I think I was expecting more fried chicken skin vs meat but the taste was still pretty good. Everything else was amazing.
Highly recommend, especially if you’re staying in the hotel indigo or are near the beach, state st. etc.

You had me at Pumkin & Quinoa Stew. I know, right?
What a great addition to the bottom of State Street. Blue Tavern, although on the main drag, is a bit out of the hustle and bustle and that’s just perfect. A quiet part of State allowing the doors open to the front patio open and the cool, sea breeze to blow in, reminding you that you’re in a quaint beach town.
Reservations are highly recommended for dinner but I’ve not seen a need for brunch. OpenTable will help you with both. The 6 of us arrived on Saturday night to the front table, right at the open doors. Best table in the house. As the wine and cocktails arrived, we were still trying to narrow down the tasty looking menu. Deciding to go tapas/​family style we dove in head first with:
Beets & Heirloom Tomato Salad $ 14 delicious and light
Sea Urchin, Scallops & Shrimp Toast $ 20 amazing flavor melted in my mouth
Tuna Crostini $ 15×2 was so good, we had another
Seafood Risotto $ 24 was good, not a standout though
Home Made Papardelle $ 21 is a must and i’ll certainly revisit
Pan Fried Branzino $ 21 was good but again, nothing special here
Pumkin & Quinoa Stew $ 20 was the clear winner. WOW! Who would have thought I would pick a meatless dish as the Best In Show. It’s that good folks.
For good measure, we threw in the Cauliflower and Green Beans both at $ 8
All paired with the a Pinot from Summerland’s Bien Nacido vineyard. An excellent choice if I do say so myself.
The price is more than reasonable for quality and inventive food that comes out of the kitchen and the service is smooth and effortless. Chef Zarate and his team are doing wonders and it’s no surprise to me it’s been packed since opening only 5 months ago. We BT’s creative menu and easy going staff, this joint takes a nice bite out of Santa Barbara’s dinning options. You’ll want to taste for yourself. Oh, brunch is outstanding too. Try the freshly muddled tomatoes in the Bloody Mary (may take a few extra minutes to achieve perfection) with the Steak & Eggs $ 18.
Thank you Blue Tavern for filling my belly with delicious goodness. I will certainly be back. Cheers,
Mark

We had a fun Saturday night! Amongst so many other things we had dinner at the Blue Tavern.
I had heard that this place was not nearly as good as Anchor had been. I disagree! We sat at the bar and were certainly pampered by the bar staff!!! Great guys! We loved our drinks, I had champagne and my wife had a specialty drink. It was made with the seed of a fruit I didn’t recognize and a couple of different liquors. When it was done it tasted like a feux-​grapefruit drink. We could hardly believe it didn’t have any grapefruit in it at all! Very good!
My wife ordered a fish dish and I had a pasta with a wonderful cream sauce and filet. It was sinfully good. The food came quickly and was hot and perfectly prepared.
The restaurant was lively but not so busy that people had to wait for a table, I was surprised that it was easy to get a seat on a Saturday night.
The prices were perfectly fair for the quality of the food, not too expensive.
They have a pizza oven going so then next time I will do one of their flatbreads. They look delicious for about $ 15.

Fresh Oysters & Uni heaven Santa Barbara.
Looking to treat yourself on a mini– get away from Los Angeles with your friends and loved ones?
Blue Tavern Restaurant is the place to be.
Delicious and fresh ingredients where European, Californian and Latin American comes together? Oh. yes… Party in your mouth!
Blue Tavern is located only few blocks from Santa Barbara’s State Street.
Delicious and orgasmic Peruvian fusion tapas and entrée plates will sure make your eyes and tummy happy.
All the delicious ingredients from Santa Barbara will be infused into your culinary experience at Blue Tavern.
Plus, all the waiters and waitresses are gorgeous and extremely sweet and tentative!
I’ve been a long fan of Chef Ricardo Zarate and Stephane Bombet of Chef Zarate Restaurant Group.
Was it worth 2 hours of drive from Los Angeles for this restaurant?
Most certainly! If you are a fan of Mo-​chica, Picca, and Paich definitely make a point to drop by Blue Tavern when you visit Santa Barbara.
Will I be back again?
ABSOLUTELY!