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Convivo, Santa Barbara, CA

Convivo

4.6
4.6
2161 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for scenic views
  • Good for special occasions
Convivo is a Santa Barbara restaurant and bar with an Italian soul. Chef-Owner Peter McNee's food is best described as ‘Nomad Italian’. It strays from the standard or traditional Italian, sourcing inspiration from many other cultures’ cooking but its soul is thoroughly Italian. The ever-changing menu includes small plates, housemade pasta, wood-fired pizza, rotisserie chicken, fresh seafood and steaks served family-style. McNee’s all-star supplier network provides the freshest produce and local seafood the region is famous for.

Inspired by the bounty of the sea, the lush farms and abundant vineyards nearby and the cooking methods of Italy, Convivo is a festive gathering place for locals and visitors alike inside the newly-restored Santa Barbara Inn.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, Mediterranean
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–11:00 am Sat, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 am Brunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–1:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–1:30 pm Dinner Daily 1:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 845-6789
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Peter McNee
  • Private party facilities
    We offer indoor and outdoor private event spaces that can host 14-90 people.
  • Area
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross Street
    Milpas Street
  • Parking details
    Additional street and private lot available.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

What 2,161 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • California Central Coast

    Great for outdoor dining

  • California Central Coast

    Italian

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for brunch

  • Santa Barbara

    Innovative

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Barbara

    Romantic

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Convivo in Santa Barbara is a "hidden gem" celebrated for its "wonderful food" and "friendly service." Diners rave about the "beautiful setting," especially the outdoor patio with ocean views. The menu offers "delicious" options, including seafood and gluten-free dishes, with standout cocktails and "amazing" desserts like the lemon tart.

2,161 Reviews
  1. Emily

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Date night! We arrived and were seated, but waited so long to order that the manager had to come to us (unsolicited), asking if we had been helped. He took our order. In addition to food, we ordered a bottle of wine, but when our server brought it to us, he served the white wine at room temperature. We added ice cubes to our glasses and it was disappointing but we shrugged it off, no big deal. Food was very good, ambience was fine. We requested our check, and it was brought to us. There were two items on the bill that we didn't recognize- when we brought this to the attention of our server, he immediately took the bill and said "oh, one moment". Moments later, he brought us a new bill, no longer containing the two items we didn't order. When I asked how he knew what was wrong, he mumbled something about confusing us with the other table. Very strange. We love dining out and are so respectful of the restaurant environment and the team it takes to run things smoothly, but this was decidedly off... and off putting. What a shame, the quality of the food was very good.

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  2. julie

    VIP

    Central Coast

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 17 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love this restaurant and I always order the same things! The Oak roasted chicken is fabulous as are the carrots and the brussels sprouts and the focaccia. This is my go to place!

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  3. Bin

    Orange County

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The characteristic of this restaurant is that each dish has the taste of an artist, with bright colors and beautiful appearance, which makes us reluctant to use knives and forks to enjoy the delicious food.

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  4. Liz

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    23 reviews

    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love this restaurant, which is part of a lovely hotel. We sat on the outside patio, which is beautiful and oceanfront. Plenty of heaters outside too, which in the winter is always welcome. We had a wonderful waiter and after our appetizers and dinner selections, he brought us a free dessert because we had informed the restaurant it was our anniversary . Not many restaurants still provide free desserts for special occasions— most places ask if it’s a special occasion- you tell them— and they do absolutely nothing about it. This place made us feel special. I’ll go again in a heartbeat. Great dinner selection too.

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  5. Doug

    VIP

    Central Coast

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service. A very attractive setting as well.

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  6. Wendy

    VIP

    Central Coast

    130 reviews

    5.0

    130 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food, spirits, ambience, and service! Highly recommend the seafood dishes, unique pizzas, and house salad!!!

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  7. heather

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We went there on Valentine’s evening for a special dinner. What we got was an average meal. Overpriced. Small portions. The manager walked right past our table to greet numerous tables and ask how their meal was. Did not stop at our table. There are so many choices in Santa Barbara. I would suggest finding some place else.

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  8. August

    Central Coast

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    The food was amazing, however the service was poor. We were sat far away considering it was fairly empty, table was increadibly wobbly to the point that it spilled our drinks a couple times and was directly next to an outdoor heater making the chairs sit adjecent to each other rather then facing each other. Took them approximately 30 min to take our order, the table behind us had twice as many people and arrived 25 min after us and they received their food sooner. Took a while to get refill on our drink, and to have clutter cleared up used dishes and trash(it was windy and we crept having to pick up the beer can from the floor). Honestly next time we’d just order to go and eat it at the beach rather than be at a restaurant that made us feel like we weren’t welcomed there. We made the best of it considering it was a date on Valentine’s Day.

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  9. Geoff

    Central Coast

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 13 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great menu and food is very very good. Prices are reasonable. Ambience is a little generic and like eating in a hotel restaurant. Window seat over looking stacked up chairs and tables outside (it was raining). Maybe plants could have improved the view.b

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  10. Ken

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 9 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and service. Always consistently good! Primo location. Right across from east beach.

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FAQs

Convivo offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (805) 845-6789.

Convivo is rated 4.6 stars by 2161 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Convivo

901 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Milpas Street
  • Area
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–11:00 am Sat, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 am Brunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–1:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–1:30 pm Dinner Daily 1:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, Mediterranean
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Additional street and private lot available.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Peter McNee
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
  • Phone number
    (805) 845-6789
  • Private party facilities
    We offer indoor and outdoor private event spaces that can host 14-90 people.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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