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Gala Food & Cocktails  - Gala, Santa Barbara, CA

Gala

4.7
4.7
324 Reviews
$31 to $50
European

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighborhood gem
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
  • 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.
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross street
    Ortega St.
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

  • Oysters, Pisco Sours & Margaritas Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - Sat - 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
    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

What 324 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

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

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Healthy

  • California Central Coast

    Lively

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Food

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Ambiance

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for groups

  • Santa Barbara

    Healthy

  • Santa Barbara

    Hot spot

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for fine wines

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for special occasions

  • Santa Barbara

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gala offers a vibrant dining experience in Santa Barbara with "excellent food" and "great service." Guests rave about the "life changing raspberry almond tart" and "to die for" lamb. The atmosphere is lively, though sometimes noisy, and the restaurant features creative cocktails and a beautiful setting. Highly recommended for special occasions.

324 Reviews
  1. Kathy

    VIP

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gala has become one of the bright, shining stars of the Santa Barbara food scene. Service is always prompt and gracious. And the food just gets better and better!

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  2. Kevin

    VIP

    Central Coast

    12 reviews

    1.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Is you like mediocre food and rushed service, this is your spot.

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  3. Jon

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome meal and great craft cocktails, the server was excellent and ambience was great!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Jonathan

    San Francisco

    51 reviews

    5.0

    51 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An excellent share plates restaurant with creative and tasty dishes. Always enjoy Gala when in Santa Barbara.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Dexter

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gala was outstanding. The staff was very accomodating even though we were coming in late from out of town and barely made it to the cutoff time before their kitchen closed. Despite this the food came out great, from the Branzino to the grilled octopus, to the steak. Service was impeccable despite a busy Saturday evening. Nice and clean restaurant. Parking was relatively easy as it was later at night when we arrived. Can't complain about anything and would highly recommend.

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  6. Cindy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another fabulous evening at Gala! Service was exceptional, the wait staff is always the best and food was wonderful. And the “Buy Cava for another table” menu item once more brought us together with new friends. ❤️ Love Gala.

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  7. David

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was great as always. Sorry the bottle of wine we ordered off of the wine list wasn’t available, but the option recommended worked out perfectly. Very crowded (Friday night) and very noisy. But everything else was about perfect.

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  8. Juan

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was exceptional very tasty,We started with Octopus with rosted cuya very good and after that we had a Calamari an other nicly done appetaicer, for our mains I had the Bransino nice delicate fish and my wife had the Duck really nice done dish,,,, Graet food I really recommend

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  9. Alexander

    Central Coast

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Menu good selections. Food well prepared and delicious! Indoors a bit noisy and crowded.

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  10. Glenn

    Los Angeles

    73 reviews

    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on February 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was terrific. We ordered cornbread, barata salad, fried zucchini blossoms, and flourless chocolate cake. All were fresh and perfectly prepared. The service was excellent. A definite 5-star choice. We can't wait to return and try more items.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gala is rated 4.7 stars by 324 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today
Google Map for Gala

705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Ortega St.
  • Neighborhood
    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
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • 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.
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