Convivo Restaurant & Bar, Santa Barbara CA

One of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara, and I don’t say that lightly. The eggs in purgatorio (basically shakshuka) is fantastic as are all of their salads and, my personal favorite, the malfadine pasta. My wife loved the crab ravioli (so much so that we came back the following day to order it again!). I also very much enjoy their iced tea and cocktails (particularly the Mojo Jojo which you can order even if it’s not on the menu). When you combine the delicious food and drinks with the spectacular location and view, it’s a wonder this place isn’t always packed. A friend from Zurich always insists on visiting here at least once when he’s in town and has gotten the Tales Bar in Zurich to approximate the Mojo Jojo.

Convivo is a really nice place! The outdoor seating is lovely and the inside is very clean and big.

I came here because the reviews were good and for the most part it was. Service was good and attentive. To the point where the server noticed I wasn’t happy with my dinner. He asked if I wanted to send it back which I declined. I pushed through a bit but unfortunately could not continue eating it. When the check came, it was not on it. I never asked for that but it was greatly appreciated. I made sure I showed that on the tip.

The Beef Carpaccio was so good! It was fresh and light, thinly cut to perfection. The flavors exploded in your mouth!

The Focaccia tasted good but was a bit stale.

The Guinzaglio was cooked to perfection but sadly lacked seasoning. I don’t even think salt went into the pasta water. It broke my heart. It looked so good and and even felt good while I ate it but needed salt. The lightest touch of salt would have changed it all around. So disappointing.

Overall the place is great. Willing to bet if I went today the bolognese would taste better.

Wonderful experience here! Phenomenal food - presentation, ingredients, variety. Pizza and blue fin tuna salad were great! Ocean views, dog-friendly patio, and great service. Jamie was so attentive and provided great recommendations. We were very impressed with everything from start to finish!

Extremely devastated by the entire experience. Booked a reservation for 2 on the day of my birthday. I had been looking into 5 star restaurants in town and was so excited to celebrate my birthday dinner here. Upon arriving on time for the reservation, the hostess let us know our table was still in use and that we'd have to wait. While waiting another couple walked in and told her they had a reservation and were immediately seated.

None of the staff said happy birthday at any point the entire evening which was sort of baffling. Prior to booking, I had previously looked over the menu and called. Over the phone I was told I'd receive a complimentary cheesecake which I was really looking forward to trying. Our server lacked hospitality and seemed bothered by any questions we had about the menu. He also did not look me in the eyes once the entire evening and gave us the impression we were being rushed to leave. Strange service and behavior considering it was a mistake the restaurant was responsible for and it was the day of my birthday. Nonetheless the outdoor seating was lovely but the experience was awful and extremely uncomfortable and just overall saddening. The check was brought and no complimentary dessert was offered. Again, this was an absolutely devastating birthday dinner and I truly hope the owner of the restaurant sees this and makes necessary improvements because the experience was just shocking and beyond disappointing.

My husband and I had our intimate wedding reception at Convivo last July and we had an overall great experience. Everything we ordered was delicious, the ambiance was pleasant, and the service was excellent, the staff always made sure we were taken cared of. I definitely loved the flavor of their Ink Spaghettini. Also many thanks to Diana who I coordinated with for reservations for our reception, everything happened smoothly and my family and I had a wonderful time. Would definitely come back to try out other dishes on their menu when I am in Santa Barbara area!

The food here is consistently phenomenal. I mean… one of my favorite dishes here are the carrots. Carrots! This typically boring dish is a delight, and that’s just one example. (Wish they were on the lunch menu). This restaurant does not receive the recognition it deserves. I truly think it’s one of the top five best meals to be had in Santa Barbara.

We had a lovely Labor Day lunch outside on the patio and it was a delight! Beautiful weather and setting complimented the menu that tempted on many levels!
Our server was very pleasant and helpful; but they did seem quite busy as we waited quite a while for water, drinks, etc.
The Spicy Mary was delicious, not too spicy; but sadly, the Blue Cheese olives had not one with blue cheese in them.
One of our party had the Fig Appetizer plate that was a work of art! I tasted a few parts and they were amazing!
Our other friend had the Ahi Tuna Niçoise salad that was simply stunning; perfectly cooked soft boiled egg, shaved, pickled fennel and other goodies! Only issue was that the tuna had a quite a bit of gristle in it.
I had the Lemon Ricotta Cappellacci, filled with crab meat. A beautiful plate with just amazing taste! I'd order again!
The atmosphere and the creative selection of dishes makes this a 'must go' for anyone in Santa Barbara for whatever reason, The location across from East Beach can't be beat!

We went to Convivo for a rehearsal dinner and it was EXCELLENT! We loved all the family style dishes and had a great time on the heated patio.

Overall, we had a great experience at Convivo. The staff was really kind and sweet. Our food was incredibly tasty.

Their house market salad was the underdog of the night that won our hearts - the peaches, tomatoes, apples, and greens were all fresh and the champagne vinaigrette took it all to the next level.

The crudo was a great starter. I don’t think you can really go wrong with anything you order.

Drinks were great. I will be trying to recreate the Mrs. Jones when I get back to Seattle - it was heaven!

And valet is complimentary!

All in all a great experience! It was made even better by our server, Pam. She rocked! Completely understood and respected the dietary restrictions and challenges that we had in our party and worked to find ways for us all to have the meal we wanted.

I recognize that it's difficult to stray from a specific preparation, but nothing shows a restaurant's, kitchen's, or staff's capability more than finding a way to make a meal inclusive and enjoyable for all. Well done!

Thanks Convivo! Thank you, Pam!

Sever Isaac Soliz came to me, I hadn't seen him in 20 years. I was very proud and humbled him.

Loved EVERYTHING about this place! Enjoyed a beautiful dinner on the patio overlooking the beach…cocktails were excellent and I highly recommend the Convivo Sour, which is their take on a traditional Pisco sour.

Next up was the delicious seasonal fig salad that we paired with their house made focaccia…followed by our entree’s…the Santa Barbara halibut and split roasted chicken. Everything and I truly mean everything was ON POINT and delicious! You can tell they focus on high quality, seasonal ingredients and it shows in every dish!

Highly recommend this place and will definitely be back!

PS: this restaurant is located in the Santa Barbara Inn and they have free valet parking for restaurant guests!

Honestly, I wanted to like it! It’s cute! We stayed in the hotel, menu looked good. But the food was bland and even a little gross. Even dessert! The pizza sauce was too sweet, the fig salad literally tastes like it’s on top of baby food purée (butternut squash) and the halibut was chewy. For the price, I really wanted more.

Very slow service with low occupancy.
Ribs are tasteless.
Cocktails contain more water than anything else.
Sea food and atmosphere were good.

Making perfection look easy. From the servers fantastic recommendations and stewardship, to the dinner service, the experience was impeccable. The focaccia is not to be missed. The prickly pear cocktail defies gravity, magnetism and the natural order. The figs salad was delicious and served as a shareable starter for 2. For the main we listened to the servers recommendation and had the miso pasta. It did not disappoint. Our only regret was our inability to go back again the next night.

All of the food and desserts were amazing! And, the ocean view from the dining patio is fabulous! One of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

Nice place to eat in Santa Barbara. If you eat outdoors you can see the view of the ocean. The service was great. The waitress made sure we were taken care of. I ordered the pesto focaccia. It was delicious. I did ask for balsamic vinegar to add some more flavor. I also ordered a mushroom pizza. It was amazing. Very filling and I could have shared it. My husband ordered two vegan options. The charred avocado salad which was refreshing and a vegan flatbread. The flatbread had mint which was a little overpowering and the vegetables were huge. Would have been better a bit smaller but overall was good. When they bring you the check they give you little mini cookies. If your dining with someone who needs vegan options this is a good place to go to.

So how should I start? ! Even if I reserved 20/30m before, they managed to find me a table. In fact everybody has been very kind and available, I really enjoyed my time at Convivo, the only thing I regret it's not having known his unique italian atmosphere and hospitality.
Arrivederci ;)
(per il pizzaiolo, detto da un italiano: keep it up man!)