Gala

4.8

298 Reviews

$31 to $50

European

Make a booking

2 people

28 Dec 2024

22:30

Booked 21 times today

Good for special occasions
Great for outdoor dining
Great for creative cocktails

Gala exudes a European meets Santa Barbara charm, where you feel like you’re transported to a beautiful bistro in the Mediterranean. Enjoy shared tapas, farmer's market favorites, pasta and risotto, fresh oysters and the best steak with bone marrow butter & chimichurri. Cozy up for our farm to table craft cocktails, a Pisco sour or martini and a full meal with friends. Curated wine list with local & Spanish wines. Right down the street from the Santa Barbara Courthouse enjoy an evening at Gala.

1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Farm to table, Farmer's market driven, Tapas, Seafood, Steak, Oysters, Happy Hour, Food, Cocktails, Wine, Restaurant, Vegetarian, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
European, Spanish, American
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(805) 869-2813
Website
http://www.galasb.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Jaime Riesco
Private party facilities
We have a beautiful patio and indoor dining room, perfect for private events, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate dinners and birthday celebrations.

Location
705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Area
Santa Barbara
Cross Street
Ortega St.
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Offers

Oysters, Pisco Sours & Margaritas Happy Hour
Multiple dates available
Tue - Sat - 16:00 - 17:30
Fresh oysters for $2.50, French fries $6, Olives $5, Calamari $10, Pisco Sours $9, Pitchers of seasonal margaritas for $36 and more! Join us for a Happy Hour at Gala Tuesday through Saturday from 4-5:30

Popular dishes

olivesUS$8.00
kalamata, frescatrano, castelvetrano
beau soleil oystersUS$4.00
served chilled with apple cucumber mignonette or hot with parm and herbs
calamariUS$18.00
house tartar sauce
cornbread in a skilletUS$12.00
honey butter
chicken croquetasUS$16.00
aioli
fried green tomatoesUS$10.00
feta, corn salsa, sweet chili sauce
'pan con tomate'US$14.00
on charcoal sourdough from Oat Bakery, roasted garlic, farmer's market tomato spread
quinoa & potato hashbrownsUS$12.00
herb creme fraiche
- add salmon gravlaxUS$6.00
- add 1 oz caviarUS$29.00
given's farm broccoliniUS$12.00
spicy sweet & sour sauce
tempura zucchini flowersUS$16.00
stuffed with haloumi cheese, romesco sauce
crudoUS$28.00
local Channel Islands halibut crudo, aji amarillo leche de tigre, pea shoots
grilled spanish octopusUS$32.00
fried yucca, mojo picon sauce, charcoal aioli
burrataUS$24.00
butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate
dry cured spanish jamónUS$16.00
- Full orderUS$28.00

None

mushroom risottoUS$28.00
butter, thyme, parm, oyster & portobello mushrooms
tagliatelleUS$27.00
sun dried tomato pesto, parmesan, tomato petals
branzino a la planchaUS$36.00
fennel apple slaw, polenta, herbs
duck confitUS$34.00
confit'd in house maple leaf farm duck leg, mashed potatoes, leafy greens, duck gravy, preserved farmer's mkt gooseberries
snake river farm striploin steakUS$42.00
bonemarrow butter, chimichurri, roasted garlic & french fries
herb crusted rack of lambUS$42.00
served with celery root puree, mushrooms, balsamic reduction
seared scallopsUS$42.00
trout roe, shimeji mushrooms, sautéed spinach, beurre blanc
buy the table next to you a glass of cavaUS$6.00

SIDES

french friesUS$7.00
leafy green salad, herbs, parmUS$9.00

DESSERTS

jaime's cheesecakeUS$14.00
almond & rasberry tart, vanilla whipped creamUS$14.00
carrot cake, cream cheese frostingUS$14.00
flourless chocolate cake, vanilla whipped creamUS$14.00
orange creme brûléeUS$14.00
glass of port by opoloUS$12.00
glass of manzanillaUS$16.00
boozy iced coffeeUS$12.00
homemade bailey's, kahlua, cold brew
homemade limoncelloUS$9.00

What 298 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

California Central Coast
Healthy
California Central Coast
Hot spot
California Central Coast
Lively
Santa Barbara
Best Food
Santa Barbara
Innovative
Santa Barbara
Good for groups
Santa Barbara
Healthy
Santa Barbara
Hot spot
Santa Barbara
Great for outdoor dining
Santa Barbara
Good for special occasions
Santa Barbara
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Gala is a vibrant dining spot in Santa Barbara known for its "excellent food" and "beautifully presented dishes." Guests rave about the creative cocktails, delectable tapas, and warm service led by owner Tara. Though the ambiance can be lively, the outdoor patio offers a quieter setting. A must-try for memorable dining experiences!

298 Reviews

G
Garrett
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Best meal I’ve had in SB in months, maybe longer. The lamb is to DIE for. My daughter is a very picky eater, but the kitchen made her some buttered noodles to accommodate that she loved. Even then, she loved the calamari and croquetas (and so did we!) 10/10 food, highly recommend
Is this helpful?
M
Mary
Central Coast
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Thank you to Tara and her amazing team for making my Birthday dinner so memorable! Everything was so delicious and beautiful. The hot oysters and tagliatelle seemed to be the tables favorite:) And the desserts!!! The cheesecake was perfection! Thank you again and I can’t wait to come back again:)
Is this helpful?
G
Gabriel
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great server, comfortable experience and great food
Is this helpful?
n
nazila
VIP
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food is amazing as always. Our favorite place in Santa Barbara
Is this helpful?
k
kristina
VIP
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing experience. Beautiful restaurant with delicious food and service! Highly recommended for any evening!
Is this helpful?
M
Mary
VIP
San Francisco
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 21 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Terrific place, great food. One of the best restaurants in SB. Thanks for taking such good care of us!
Is this helpful?
D
Doug
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 21 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service, friendly people and incredible food
Is this helpful?
K
Katelyn
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 8 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful experience from start to finish. Most delicious cocktail.. followed by the hash browns and croquetas (I think that’s how it is spelled?) then the steak and the sun dried tomato pasta… the perfect date night. This restaurant is def a favorite!
Is this helpful?
C
Claire
VIP
Central Coast
81 reviews
5.0
81 reviews
Dined on 8 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Gala is always a good spot for small portions and great choices. Friendly service and friendly people enjoying Gala. Deja was our server again. Always smiling and timing is great. One of our favorites!
Is this helpful?
W
William
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tara and her staff were the epitome of great hospitality and the food was fun and delicious. The branzino was our fave.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gala is rated 4.8 stars by 298 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

28 Dec 2024

22:30

Booked 21 times today

705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Ortega St.
Area
Santa Barbara
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
European, Spanish, American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Jaime Riesco
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Website
http://www.galasb.com/
Phone number
(805) 869-2813
Private party facilities
We have a beautiful patio and indoor dining room, perfect for private events, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate dinners and birthday celebrations.

Gala

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Oysters, Pisco Sours & Margaritas Happy Hour

Duck Confit

Fried Green Tomatoes

branzino a la plancha

del jardín, mar & montaña

olivesUS$8.00

beau soleil oystersUS$4.00

calamariUS$18.00

cornbread in a skilletUS$12.00

chicken croquetasUS$16.00

fried green tomatoesUS$10.00

'pan con tomate'US$14.00

quinoa & potato hashbrownsUS$12.00

given's farm broccoliniUS$12.00

tempura zucchini flowersUS$16.00

crudoUS$28.00

grilled spanish octopusUS$32.00

burrataUS$24.00

dry cured spanish jamónUS$16.00

None

mushroom risottoUS$28.00

tagliatelleUS$27.00

branzino a la planchaUS$36.00

duck confitUS$34.00

snake river farm striploin steakUS$42.00

herb crusted rack of lambUS$42.00

seared scallopsUS$42.00

buy the table next to you a glass of cavaUS$6.00

SIDES

french friesUS$7.00

leafy green salad, herbs, parmUS$9.00

DESSERTS

jaime's cheesecakeUS$14.00

almond & rasberry tart, vanilla whipped creamUS$14.00

carrot cake, cream cheese frostingUS$14.00

flourless chocolate cake, vanilla whipped creamUS$14.00

orange creme brûléeUS$14.00

glass of port by opoloUS$12.00

glass of manzanillaUS$16.00

boozy iced coffeeUS$12.00

homemade limoncelloUS$9.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Gala restaurant rated?

Is Gala currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information