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Blackbird, Santa Barbara, CA
Award-winning

Blackbird

3.8
3.8
181 Reviews
$31 to $50
Californian
36 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 7 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Fancy
  • Good for special occasions
Blackbird offers an inventive take on dishes, highlighting hyper-local and hyper-seasonal offerings. Leaning into the locality and freshness of the fare continues to be a focus of the restaurant’s story. In 2025, we will focus on redefining and developing the personality of Blackbird, including highlighting the talent to create the semblance of a relationship for locals looking for somewhere to go. A revamped cocktail menu will aim to drive additional local interest and traffic into the spaces. We continue to strive to position Blackbird as a favorite in town, and to that end are finding new ways to activate the venues each night and draw both locals and hotel guests in.

Complimentary hotel valet parking with validation.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Lounge
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Travis Watson
  • Private party facilities
    We are available for partial and full buyouts for up to 150 guests. Please contact us at sales@hotelcalifornian.com for more information.
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Area
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross Street
    At the intersection of State Street and Mason Street.
  • Parking details
    Hotel Parking
  • Public transit
    One block from the Santa Barbara Amtrak station.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 181 people are saying

Blackbird reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.8
3.8 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 4Service
  • 3.9Ambience
  • 3.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Santa Barbara

    Hot spot

  • Santa Barbara

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Blackbird offers "excellent food and service" with standout cocktails and a "flavorful" risotto. The ambiance is inviting, and the decor is praised. Locals appreciate the experience, highlighting "great service" and a "fun experience." However, some diners find the pricing high and the menu limited, with mixed reviews on special events.
181 Reviews
  1. Ken

    New York City13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved our night at Blackbird. The salad was great, Focaccia bread is a must, and the Brussels were fantastic. Oysters were the $2 special and being from the East Coast these were not my favorite, but were certainly fresh. Highly recommend.
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Ken, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your night at Blackbird! It’s great to know the salad, focaccia, and Brussels stole the show for you. We appreciate your feedback on the oysters, please note they are always West coast and always fresh. We look forward to welcoming you back for another fantastic dining experience!

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  2. Rebecca

    Las Vegas2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 16 April 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    This restaurant is way over priced. Dinner was below average tasting. Not worth it.
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Rebecca, we appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear your experience didn’t meet expectations. We strive for quality and value, so your insights are important to us. We’re committed to improving and hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future. All the best, Kiarra Beard - General Manager

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jean-François

    New York City14 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Restaurant tendance, serveurs/serveuses jeunes, service bien, plats bons. Il y a une terrasse qui donne sur la rue (passante).
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Thanks for your feedback, Jean-François! We're glad you enjoyed the service and food. We appreciate your thoughts and would love to know how we can do better. Hope to see you again soon!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Garth

    Central Coast12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service. We’re locals, and will be back.
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Garth, thank you for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food and service. It's great to have locals like you, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Mike

    Orange County1 review

    1.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    We had a terrible experience here. Blackbird’s Valentine’s Day prix fixe dinner special was an extremely overpriced scam that seemed like a joke on the customers ($150 per person). The first part of the meal was a single potato chip with a little sour cream on top with fake caviar. The second part of meal was a half cup of lukewarm warm, bland pea soup. Third part of meal was a cup of basic fettuccine with tomato sauce—literally that was it—it was terrible and made no sense. It was like something you would make on the fly for a toddler. The main course, which took almost two hours to get to, was three small scallops and some corn out of a can. Please save your time and wallet and never come here.
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Mike, we’re truly sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. Your feedback is invaluable, and we take it seriously. We strive to provide memorable dining experiences, and it’s clear we missed the mark. Thank you for sharing your thoughts; they help us improve.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. John

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The wagu steak had an odd taste. The cherry martini was the best I ever had.
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Thanks for your feedback, John! We're glad you loved the chocolate cherry martini, but we're sorry to hear the Wagyu steak didn't meet your expectations. We appreciate your insights and will share them with our culinary team to improve. Hope to see you again soon! All the best, Kiarra Beard - General Manager

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  7. Jennifer VIP

    San Francisco17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved the cocktail menu. The food was so good. The risotto was so flavorful. Enjoyed the ambiance and the staff was very kind
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Thanks for the fantastic feedback, Jennifer! We're thrilled you enjoyed the cocktail menu and found the risotto flavorful. Our team takes pride in creating a welcoming atmosphere, and it’s great to hear you felt that. We can’t wait to welcome you back for more delicious experiences!

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  8. Dawn VIP

    Sacramento1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 5 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely immaculate & and the decor on point 
    BlackbirdResponded 2 days ago
    Thanks, Dawn! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food and ambiance. Your feedback brightens our day and motivates us to keep delivering great experiences. We can't wait to welcome you back! All the best, Kiarra Beard - General Manager

    Is this helpful?

  9. Sam

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 31 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Everything we ordered was delicious. Great cocktails. Great for a higher end but still casual evening.
    BlackbirdResponded on 5 February 2025
    Thanks, Sam! So happy to hear you enjoyed the food and cocktails. Our team works hard to create a memorable experience, and it’s great to know you had a fantastic evening with us. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Anjali

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 19 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fun experience, good food, great service, nice vibes
    BlackbirdResponded on 5 February 2025
    Thanks, Anjali! We're thrilled to hear you had a fun experience with our food and service. Your support means a lot to us, and we can't wait to welcome you back for more great vibes!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Blackbird is rated 3.8 stars by 181 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Santa Barbara
  5. Santa Barbara

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 7 times today
Google Map for Blackbird

36 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross Street
    At the intersection of State Street and Mason Street.
  • Area
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Lounge
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Hotel Parking
  • Public transit
    One block from the Santa Barbara Amtrak station.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Travis Watson
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    We are available for partial and full buyouts for up to 150 guests. Please contact us at sales@hotelcalifornian.com for more information.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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