Best Restaurants with a Fireplace in Montecito

Dined here while on vacation from LA. What an experience! Is this place pricey? Yes. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it. To start, we were seated at the upper terrace. It had such a wonderful atmosphere there. There isn’t much lighting, but there are oil lamps at each table as well as a mini light for looking at the menu. A nice touch. The wine and drink menu is very extensive. I ended up with a glass of wine while my wife had a mocktail that was served smoked with pear wood. Presentation was A+. For starters, we had the tuna tartare and the strawberry gazpacho. The tuna was delicate and served with seaweed chips. My wife was raving about the gazpacho as well. For entrees, my wife had the black cod and I had the duck a l’orange. The sauce was flambéd table side. While the duck was excellent, the black cod was better, in my opinion. We also shared two sides: the mashed potatoes and the broccolini. I’m not sure how they made the potatoes so creamy. They were very, very good. The broccolini wasn’t too bad either, but wasn’t as good as the rest. The char flavor was a bit much at times. For desert, we shared the lemon tart. They use house grown Meyer lemons. It was excellent as well. Overall, the food was excellent, the service was superb, and the atmosphere was charming and romantic for the two of us. While the pricing would prevent us from coming here often, I’d 100% recommend Stonehouse for special occasions. We’ll definitely be coming back next time we’re in the area.

I love Stella Mare's...have been going there for more than 20 years...and I'm very sad that it is closing on January 1st. The old French country house ambiance is so enjoyable, and the food is wonderful. I truly hope they will find a suitable new location in Santa Barbara and reopen soon. It's especially troubling that the building will become a Mexican restaurant. I love Mexican food, but it's not as if we don't already have more Mexican restaurants than a town the size of Santa Barbara could possibly need! Farewell, Stella...hope to see you again soon.

Lived this new place in town. The food was delicious. Service was just a bit slow. Pastor could be a bit warmer too. Otherwise definitely going back.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oku provided a wonderful experience for my family and me, especially for a birthday celebration. The food was absolutely excellent, and the service was perfect. Our server was attentive and made sure we were well taken care of throughout our meal. To top it off, they came out with a delightful dessert complete with a candle, which added a special touch to the occasion. This has always been our go-to place, and it never disappoints! Thanks for another perfect dinner

The most phenomenal meal and filet we’ve ever had. 10/10 for special occasion dinner.