THE ORIGINAL DOWNTOWN SANTA BARBARA FOOD TOUR

What to Expect

At Taste SBFT all of our guides love Santa Barbara, food, people and are very proud of our tour. We are excited to guide you through part of our little town, introducing you to some of our favorite daytime places.

Our tours are designed for guests to have fun, learn about Santa Barbara, get some walking in and taste local Santa Barbara deliciousness. We want guests to be full, but not overly full. There is so much great food in Santa Barbara and we also want you to be hungry for dinner.

Logistics:

1. Tours begin at noon sharp (unless otherwise stated).
2. Please arrive a few minutes early (if you really want to impress, show up 15 minutes early). If you are late, you may miss a tasting, so it’s important you are early or on time.
3. Tours run about 3.5 hours (dependent on the size of your group).
4. Enjoy food from six local Santa Barbara spots, while visiting 5 tasting locations, including 1 winery (winery includes a tasting that we bring in special for our tour guests).
5. Whether you drink alcohol or not, we visit the winery (unless you are on an all no alcohol tour).
6. Your guide will greet you and have Taste SBFT nametag and/or T-shirt. Guides have masks with them.
7. Tours are all walking tours!
8. Please wear comfortable clothes, shoes, etc. (We walk about 3 or 4 easy miles, but it is all walking).
9. IIF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WALKING OR HEALTH ISSUES, etc we do suggest booking a private experience to meet your comfort level. We do also occasionally have a slower paced tour marked on the tour type.
10. We do serve water at most locations BUT we always encourage guests to bring a bottle of water.
11. Tours begin and end close to each other, but not at the same location.
12. As mentioned before, at the end of the tour, expect to feel good; some are really full, others are perfect. We do not want our guests to be too full because being too full isn’t fun and we want you to enjoy a wonderful dinner because we have some great dinner spots!
13. Should you have a light breakfast? Yes, if you’re up early or have a tape-worm, please, we don’t want anyone showing up with low blood sugar.
14. All our guides love Santa Barbara and our tasting partners and are excited and honored that you chose us to show you around SB.

We work with a variety of awesome local tasting partners and enjoy deliciousness from 5-6 tasting locations on our tours. We DO NOT visit all of the partners listed below, but work with all of them and encourage you to visit them (they are in no particular order).

Renaud’s Pastisserie & Bistro

French Patisserie & Bistro.

Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar at The SB Public Market

Authentic regional noodle bowls, specialty small plates, and handmade dumplings inspired by the cuisines of Thailand and Taiwan.

Los Arroyos

Homemade Mexican Food made with quality ingredients & prepared multiple times a day to ensure freshness. Family-owned and operated since 1999.

Taqueria SB

Family owned business serving authentic Mexican cuisine

Rotating local wineries located in El Paseo

We have a lot of great wine in SB and work with handpicked local wine partners. One wine tasting room per tour.

Grassini Family Vineyards

Family-owned and operated boutique winery which specializes in the handcrafted production of wines made exclusively from Bordeaux varietals, using renewable and sustainable resources.

Cebada Winery

Cebada Vineyard is part of Forbidden Fruit Orchards, an award-winning boutique farm and winery.

Jessica Foster Confections

Handmade gourmet chocolate truffles and other sweet treats offered occasionally.

Slate Catering

Slate specializes in grazing tables, cheese & charcuterie platters, edible centerpieces, picnics, workshops, & more. They proudly source locally from Santa Barbara’s bounty of gracious farmers, as well as incorporate local breads, pickles, jams, and so on.

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams

They are out to produce the finest ice creams in the world, in the most responsible and sustainable way possible. In the process, they hope to enrich and enliven the communities in which they live and work, and leave the world just a little bit “sweeter” than it was found. Made from the finest ingredients. No stabilizers, preservatives or fillers. Local ingredients and it’s made from Scratch.

Lus Strawberries

Hand dipped strawberries

The Chase

A Santa Barbara institution since 1979 serving traditional Italian food and drinks.

M Special

M. Special is a collective of friends and family from across the world of beer, food, and entertainment. Each member contributes something unique to help create a unique, fun experience, and of course some great beer.

M Kitchen

Located inside the downtown M Special, serving up a variety of deliciousness.

Cali-Forno Pizzeria

Local and fast pizza. Made in a 800 degree oven, it takes longer to put the pizza together than to cook it!

The Sportsman Lounge

Not your typical dive bar. Mostly locals, totally clean and damn good drinks.  AND it might just be the oldest bar in SB. Please note that guests that are under 21 are not able to go inside.

Lokum

Delightful Turkish Delight varieties filled with protein-rich nuts and fruits. Vegan and gluten free options available.

***Please note that tastings and tasting locations are subject to change.***

Where To Meet

Tours meet at DOWNTOWN Santa Barbara. Meeting locations vary. Your confirmation email will include the exact meeting address and parking information, once you’ve booked your tour.

Note: Please check your spam folder for ticketing confirmation and/or emails