Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour
5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour
By Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours
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About
from per adult
$175.00
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 2-99, max of 8 per group
Duration: 3–4 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best
2023
- Local taxes
- Beverages (water and one non alcoholic drink)
- Food and wine tasting
- Additional alcohol tasting (including wine or beer)
- Local guide
- Guaranteed to mostly skip the long lines
- Guaranteed to skip the lines
What's not included- Gratuities to tour guide (recommended)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Please feel free to leave gratuities at any of our tasting locations
- Departure details
- 814 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA Please plan to meet your guide in front of the stores 33 jewels and Bryant & Sons. They are on the State Street side of El Paseo Shopping Center across from the mall.
Return details- Santa Barbara Downtown, Santa Barbara, CA, USA We rotate the end of the tour. It will end within 6 blocks of the start location.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 7606P1- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum drinking age is 21 years old
- Please note: restaurants and tastings are subject to change
- Walking is involved
- Most restaurants are wheelchair accessible
- Kids - parents you know your kids best, kids are welcome, if you think they will have fun with the groups.
- NOT recommended for toddlers
- FOOD ALLERGIES/AVERSIONS: Vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free (not celiac) option are available, we will do our very best to accommodate you BUT if we don't know about your food allergies/aversions ahead of time, we cannot accommodate them. Please advise at time of booking if required - add your food requirements in the Special Requirements field upon booking.
- Special requirements other than food i.e. wheelchair or stroller - please add your requirements in the Special Requirements field upon booking.
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:
- Santa Barbara County Courthouse
- Casa de la Guerra
- Arlington Theatre
- The Granada Theatre
- The Historic La Arcada Courtyard
- How much is Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour?
- Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour price starts from $175.00. Discover and book Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour cancellation policy?
- Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour?
- Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour is hosted by Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 7606P1
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- You'll start at814 State St814 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USAPlease plan to meet your guide in front of the stores 33 jewels and Bryant & Sons. They are on the State Street side of El Paseo Shopping Center across from the mall.See address & details
- Pass byEl Paseo BuildingSanta Barbara County CourthouseArlington TheatreThe Granada Theatre
- 1The Historic La Arcada CourtyardStop: 5 minutesSee and sometimes walk through the Plaza designed by famous Architect Myron Hunt.Read morePass byCasa de la Guerra
- You'll end atSanta Barbara DowntownSanta Barbara Downtown, Santa Barbara, CA, USAWe rotate the end of the tour. It will end within 6 blocks of the start location.See address & details
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About the operator
Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours
499
Santa Barbara, California
Joined in May 2014
#4 of 85 Food & Drink in Santa Barbara
- mercadc0000Highly Recommend This Fun and Delicious TourOur tour guide Nancy was THE BEST! We had such a great time on the tour and it included visiting some of the historic sites in Santa Barbara. The food selection was delicious (COME HUNGRY TO THIS TOUR) and Nancy was so much fun and so gracious. We had my elderly mother with us so Nancy made sure to pace things out slowly and take breaks throughout the tour. 100% recommend but be warned to wear comfortable shoes and come hungry.
- R3014CNsusank00Great Great TourThis was a fabulous tour. I am a local and still learned things about SB history. Each of our stops served superb food and drinks in abundance. I thought we would just have small tastes of food but we had full sized margaritas(3 of them) and full sized tacos. Our guide, Nancy, was informative and great to chat with. I recommend this tour with great enthusiasm and look forward to doing anothet.
- ruthd90700Fun and TastyFun fun fun! Come Hungary!!! Great thing to do with adult children. Very accommodating hosts! Great variety of tacos, salsas and margaritas! Perfect ending with churros and horchata! And even learned a bit of Santa Barbara history.
- ktypwrs00Tacos, History and FunThis tour was amazing, delicious and so informative! Even as a local I found myself learning new things about the history of SB, and more importantly eating tacos at places I’d never been to but will absolutely return to in the future. This is such a fun way to get to know the city!
- kellybL7897TS00Birthday Week-End ActivityIt was a wonderful experience for the 3 of us! Nancy was a very informative tour guide and very knowledgeable of the area! This tour was one of our favorite things we did while visiting Santa Barbara! The restaurant stops were top notch! We especially like the tacos at Taqueria! Ooh, the mushroom taco and OMG the pineapple sauce!! Would definitely recommend having a meal there!! Thank you Nancy for giving us a taste of Santa Barbara!
- 0956David00Great tour of Santa Barbara.Meeting a great group of food, wine, history and conversational enthusiasts. Great to get to make new friends on a California coastal trip! Nancy was a fantastic guide. Could not have been a better experience!
- IntrepidPnD00Happy CustomersGreat tour. Lots of great tastes, plentiful helpings, unlike some we have been on where you may get one small mouthful at each stop. Nancy was a very good guide. Very knowledgeable. Lots of great historical information. Plus we appreciated her taking pictures along the way and then sharing them with us.
- Laura B00Fun Eating & Drinking TourOur guide, Nancy, was wonderful! She did a really good job making sure that the 3 of us in our group got the type of drinks that we preferred and that we liked our tacos and sauces. She gave us lots of information about the history of the places that we walked to. We all had a fun time and we definitely had more than enough to eat and drink. We would recommend Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours to anyone looking to have for a relaxing afternoon walking around town and eating.
- LRD0800Best Tour in SB!!!The Taste SB Food tour was great!! Maddy, our guide, was personable, informative, and a joy to be around. We had a fun small group and as a full on foodie, my taste buds were dancing all day! We went from wine tasting and cheese plates to tacos, papaya salad, ravioli, and Turkish delights! It was perfect weather, the right amount of time spent at each location, and everything was organized wonderfully. The varying cuisines were a nice change from place to place and the walking distance was the ideal length. The history interwoven about the buildings, restaurants, and city of SB in general tied it altogether. What an exciting and unique way to explore all that Santa Barbara has to offer!
- Meander9852000Taco Tastings and History in Santa Barbara.I loved the weaving of the history of Santa Barbara with the food tastings. Our guide, Nancy, was lovely and very knowledgeable about both the city and yummy taco eats that we experienced throughout the tour.
- Adventure82699700An enjoyable Food tourThe guide was very friendly, knowledgeable to our group. The selection of stops on our tour included a winery, a Mexican restaurant, an Asian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and an Italian ice shop.
- TravelingJen12300Taco bout a great tour!We went on the taco and drinks tour on Saturday afternoon and had Nancy as our guide. She is an absolute delight, mingling humor and history as we walked around downtown SB. We were definitely full by the end after consuming so many delicious tacos and margaritas. I also dare you to not eat all the chips and salsa at the first stop even though Nancy warns you to save your appetite for the rest of the tour. I loved that the tour ended with a sweet treat -- churros. I definitely recommend this tour for locals or tourists as a great way to showcase Santa Barbara and its food while learning something new. If you love tacos, take this tour, you won't regret it!
- avalon45700Great way to experience Santa Barbara!What a great day! Our tour guide was Nancy, so much fun and full of wonderful knowledge. I had never experienced a walking food tour before, but I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a whole package of great food, drinks and history….some of the best tacos, taquitos and drinks I have ever tasted and to top it off, the best churros ever…thank you Evan and Nancy for a fun fill day!
- tamarak602800Great way to spend an afternoonWe had a great time! Our guide Ken was awsome. He was very knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the tour. Food was amazing so go hungry!
- kerryfZ7624LH00Tingling Taco TuesdayWe thoroughly enjoyed our Taco & Drink tour through downtown Santa Barbara with our tour guide, Nancy guiding us through the versions of tacos, margaritas and history of Santa Barbara. Super delicious and super fun. They were NOT kidding when they said it was a meal + in itself. I'd highly recommend to any one seeking taco adventures.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
424 reviews
Excellent
408
Very good
11
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
0
gibbsterlg
Orange, CA7 contributions
Aug 2020
Linda was a very warm, friendly & informative guide. She provided detailed history of the local eateries and the city of Santa Barbara. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. Will definitely do this tour again.
Written August 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna
2 contributions
We had an amazing wine tasting tour in Sonoma. This time of the year, we decided to give Santa Barbara a try. We are curious adventurers and we love it here in Santa Barbara. The food was beyond my expectation. The restaurants we visited were all worth it and they are located humbly behind the crowded streets. We would go past these amazing restaurants if Georgia did not show us. By the way, she was a great guide who would go an extra mile to make the tour wholesome. Her knowledge is incredible. We learn about the rich culture of the buildings and the symbols attached on the landmarks. We will definitely go back to SB thanks to Georgia!
Written April 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! Georgia had so much fun with your group. We hope you had a great rest of your anniversary vacation! Hope to see you again soon!
Written April 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andrew G
2 contributions
Aug 2021
Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours made my wife's birthday an unforgettable one! Best of all, they made me look like a rock star b-day planner. Evan and her team catered the tours food and drink experience based on our wants and needs. We wanted to indulge in extra alcohol for our tour and they did not disappoint. The wine tasting and little cheese/cracker/olive box was the perfect way to start. The food was more than enough and so yummy. Those taco's were to die for! The walking and historical tour of Santa Barbara was truly just the right amount in between each stop. Our legs were never tired and we loved the backstories about the theaters and the courthouse. When our group detoured for an extra cocktail, Evan and our guide made sure we didn't miss the tour finale by hand delivering McConnel's ice cream to us to finish off the stellar tour!
I can not say enough about this companies customer service. They delivered 100% customer satisfaction! I have been coming to Santa Barbara and State Street for 30+ years and this tour still blew me away. I will 100% be back to do another tour. All our friends are still talking about it weeks later!
I can not say enough about this companies customer service. They delivered 100% customer satisfaction! I have been coming to Santa Barbara and State Street for 30+ years and this tour still blew me away. I will 100% be back to do another tour. All our friends are still talking about it weeks later!
Written September 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natalie Schulz
3 contributions
Feb 2021 • Friends
What a wonderful mix of culture and food in SB! Georgia was great and you could clearly tell her enthusiasm for Santa Barbara. We started off with some wine and cheese which was a perfect beginning and size of appetizer.
My favorite was going through all the different alleys and back end paths to see parts of Santa Barbara you wouldn’t have thought to look at. Just when you walk long enough you start to get hungry again, we stop for our next bite!
It was only just over 2 miles walking, super easy to do and I was the perfect amount of full by the end. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Santa Barbara!
My favorite was going through all the different alleys and back end paths to see parts of Santa Barbara you wouldn’t have thought to look at. Just when you walk long enough you start to get hungry again, we stop for our next bite!
It was only just over 2 miles walking, super easy to do and I was the perfect amount of full by the end. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Santa Barbara!
Written March 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review. Can't wait to see you again on another tour!
Written April 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Megan O
23 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
The SB Food Tour is a must do experience for a foodie who wants to explore SB through their stomach! This was a solo vacation for myself and my plan was to relax and enjoy SB’s beautiful weather and architecture. I was reading through some travel blogs to see if there were any highlights in the city and this tour popped up. As an avid foodie who tries to experience the local cuisine, I knew I had to give this tour a try and I’m so happy I did! Evan (owner) was super responsive and so friendly! Nancy (guide) was knowledgeable and fun, making the experience casual and entertaining! We even had Maddie (another guide on our tour) who was so sweet and added a view more fun facts along the way. The tour was easy walking along State Street and the food was DELICIOUS! Good size portions that filled me up (and I came very hungry!), yet not too filling where the walking became difficult/uncomfortable. I HIGHLY recommend this experience for solo travelers and couples looking to mix up the traditional tourist activity! Thanks SB Food Tours!!
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MonkeyMan42
Oakland, CA33 contributions
We visited one winery, a taqueria, a bao restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a Turkish tearoom and dessert shop. Nancy was our guide and made it all so much fun, sharing her passion for Santa Barbara history and food. It was a great way to try places we never would have tried on our own and also fun to meet other people who love food and swap tips. Nancy kept having us pop into places that weren’t on the tour and was very patient when we couldn’t stop ourselves from grabbing extra bites. Everywhere we went they treated us like VIPs so the tour company clearly takes good care of them. I know they’re always switching up the stops so I’ll try it again in a year or two.
Written December 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DBSB712
Calgary, Canada9 contributions
We can’t thank Georgia and Evan enough for the absolutely wonderful food and history tour of Santa Barbara today! Georgia’s knowledge, friendliness and positive energy level made this the absolute best tour we’ve ever been on.
The tour lasted 4 hours and we ate and drank at 5 different places spanning many different cuisines and wines from the area. Accompanying this gastric feast was the interesting history and sites of Santa Barbara - who knew history could be so interesting?
We definitely recommend this tour with 5+ stars to all of our friends and business associates who plan to venture to Santa Barbara🤗
The tour lasted 4 hours and we ate and drank at 5 different places spanning many different cuisines and wines from the area. Accompanying this gastric feast was the interesting history and sites of Santa Barbara - who knew history could be so interesting?
We definitely recommend this tour with 5+ stars to all of our friends and business associates who plan to venture to Santa Barbara🤗
Written April 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Monica N
1 contribution
Jan 2022
The best food tour thus far! Georgia, our tour guide was so kind, had great humor, and a lot of knowledge which made our experience unforgettable. She was also courteous and gave us privacy when eating our food and it never felt like we were rushed during the food tasting. All the history she shared with us was mind blowing. The food was by far amazing! We felt comfortably full by the end of it. We look forward to definitely exploring Santa Barbara again. You definitely do not want to pass up this food tour!
Written January 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debbie Mathewson
Buena Park, CA5 contributions
My fiancé and I really enjoyed this tour. With Covid restrictions, it was a little different with to-go items, but Nancy did a great job of ensuring everything was prepared by the time we got to each spot and also found places for us to sit and eat. It was nice to walk around downtown and learn more about the history behind some of these beautiful buildings.
Written January 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnH1972
Houston, TX48 contributions
Sep 2021
We couldn't have picked a better activity to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
This was our third attempt to travel to Santa Barbara and it was well worth the wait. The first planned excursion to the west coast in 2019 was canceled due to an untimely personal injury and the second trip was canceled in March 2020. So clearly I caused Covid. Both times I had to postpone the trip, Evan was extremely helpful and understanding.
Georgia was our tour guide and did an amazing job herding our group around downtown while providing a fascinating history of Santa Barbara. Make sure you come hungry because there is so much tasty food to enjoy. Our group had so much left over at one stop that we sent some home with dinner.
I highly recommend booking this tour when you visit Santa Barbara and hope you have the good fortune to have Georgia lead it!
This was our third attempt to travel to Santa Barbara and it was well worth the wait. The first planned excursion to the west coast in 2019 was canceled due to an untimely personal injury and the second trip was canceled in March 2020. So clearly I caused Covid. Both times I had to postpone the trip, Evan was extremely helpful and understanding.
Georgia was our tour guide and did an amazing job herding our group around downtown while providing a fascinating history of Santa Barbara. Make sure you come hungry because there is so much tasty food to enjoy. Our group had so much left over at one stop that we sent some home with dinner.
I highly recommend booking this tour when you visit Santa Barbara and hope you have the good fortune to have Georgia lead it!
Written September 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carly
Brusly, LA
Hi, we would like to schedule this tour, but I see that all sales are final. However, we are unsure if you will be operating due to COVID. Do you anticipate being open on July 13-14 ?
I don't eat meat or drink wine! Are there still other options available to me at each location?
luggageliza
california60 contributions
Yes, they will cater to a variety of diets. It’s wonderful!
If you don't drink wine is it cost effective? Also, what time does the tour start?
debra772015
Bakersfield, CA4 contributions
Even without wine, the tour is a good value. The food was good, the guide was very informative, and we had a great time.
I wanna make sure I dont reorder the same tour I did last time. Does this tour go the public market like the historic tour?
debra772015
Bakersfield, CA4 contributions
Yes it did. We had a Thai noodle dish which was very good.
Robin R
Conway, SC12 contributions
We will be on a Princess cruise. How far is it from the port to the tour start?
Santa Barbara schedules a special electric trolley (which normally just goes up and down State Street and back and forth along the waterfront) which picks up where you disembark from the ship's tender and takes you up State, the main street, to the Arlington Hotel for 50 cents.. that's about where most of the uptown food tours start, including Santa Barbara Tasting Tours. And, for another 50 cents, you can take the trolley back down to the waterfront when you're finished. or walk.
dogrl
San Francisco, CA12 contributions
Could I bring my dog on the walking tour?
Along For Adventure
Austin, TX26 contributions
Probably not, since you go inside many restaurants and wineries and sit down to eat.
shellytraveller2016
Kentville NS4 contributions
Does this tour take names of single passengers to pair up with other singles as I cannot reserve this tour for 1 person (there is a 2 person minimum)
Evan ESB
Santa Barbara, CA125 contributions
In the event that you are a single traveler, you can sign up through our direct website TasteSBFT
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour provided by Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours
Product Overview: Downtown Santa Barbara Food Tour
Prices From | $175 |
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Number of Reviews | 424 |
Number of Photos | 284 |