Departures: Michelin Stars and Speed on the California Coast
Inside Loquita, there’s a casual ebullience that mirrors its dedicated menu section of gins and tonics. I quickly scan the offerings and order everything containing the word “jamón.”
The Infatuation: The 25 Best Places To Eat & Drink In Santa Barbara
This upscale corner spot in the Funk Zone is a great choice for sipping cocktails and people-watching. The massive patio makes it ideal for a big outdoor group dinner and the incredible Spanish food only sweetens the deal.
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Loquita has been one of Santa Barbara’s most consistent restaurants thanks to well-executed tapas like pan con tomate and croquetas to patatas bravas and tortillas served in a charming space covered with colorful tiles and tasteful wooden tables.
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Acme Hospitality’s fine dining stalwart the Lark, casual Cali-Mexican La Paloma Cafe, and Spanish spot Loquita are always top-notch dining options.
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The wine region and food bowl of Santa Barbara on California’s Central Coast is a monied coastal enclave with some of the world’s best farm-to-table dining, produce and seafood – making it the perfect foodie getaway out of LA.
D Magazine: A Refreshing Escape to Santa Barbara
Dinner that evening at Loquita Santa Barbara was outstanding. We began with an order of Dátil, a plate of goldenberries, jamón serrano, manchego, and membrillo, with bread for dipping. For the main dish, my wife and I split the Chorizo y Pollo Paella, which can easily feed four.
Suitcase: In the Zone
While still sparkling with the same starry glamour it’s always had, California’s Santa Barbara has a fresh buzz, thanks to the emergence of the Funk Zone – an artsy neighbourhood hub drawing in creatives of all stripes
805 Living: Trends in Cocktail Land
The Spanish cuisine at Loquita in Santa Barbara meets its perfect match in a cocktail menu devoted exclusively to gin tonicas, or Spanish-style gin and tonics. How different is a Spanish G and T from its English-speaking counterpart? Vastly.
805 Living: Sangria
Sangria, in its most natural form, comes from a very humble tradition of simplicity,” says Ryan Lykins, lead bartender at Loquita in Santa Barbara. “I think what makes ours so special is that we don’t try to overdo it.”
LA Eater: Eating and Drinking Around Santa Barbara
Lower State Street’s Loquita is all about Spanish influences, from the colorful tiles to the tapas menu and the stand-up bar tucked into the back. Step through the front door on any given weekend night for the scents and sounds of paella coming fresh from the kitchen.
Seattle Times: Eating and Drinking Around Santa Barbara
The Lark, Loquita, and La Paloma Café, feature menus certified as “Ocean-Friendly” by the Surfrider Foundation, which works with businesses to protect the earth’s oceans and beaches through such conservation efforts as eliminating single-use plastic.
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A contemporary Spanish restaurant with timeless style, Loquita is full of locals and visitors alike. With executive chef Jasmine Shimoda at the helm, you can expect traditional Spanish flavors and tapas plates like Patatas Bravas, Pulpo, and Tortilla Española.
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Newly knighted with the Bib Gourmand honor — for the Michelin newbies here, this distinction sits right below a star — Loquita’s energy emanates before you even set foot in the door.
AFAR: What’s New in Santa Barbara
There’s a clutch of new—or newsy—places to eat well in this food-loving city, starting with the three latest additions to the California Michelin guide: Loquita (a Spanish restaurant with stellar tapas, which got a Bib Gourmand designation).
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Loquita is a popular restaurant that was just added to the California Michelin guide this August: Their tapas, three styles of paella, and unique gin and tonics will transport you to Spain.
LA Eater: 14 Essential Cocktail Spots in Santa Barbara
The bar program with its gin tonicas, farmers market fresh sangria, and Spanish vermouth selection completes the Iberian vibe, especially when the drinks are enjoyed on the restaurant’s beautiful bougainvillea-dressed patio — the best seats in the house.
Santabarbara.com: Acme Hospitality’s certified “ocean friendly restaurants”
Acme Hospitality has announced that their three local dining restaurants, The Lark, Loquita, and La Paloma Café, have been certified by the Surfrider Foundation as Ocean-Friendly Restaurants.
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The aromas from the open kitchen permeated our senses instantly. As does often happen with tapas, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, and when the delectably savory paella with tempura squash blossoms, avocado, and tomato rallado was served after our starters, we had to take a break to make room.
Michelin Guide: New Additions, Central Coast, California Restaurants
Servers know the menu by heart, so follow their lead and start with tapas like crusty pan con tomate, before digging into hearty chorizo y pollo paella. An homage to the El Bullí olive is a contemporary signature, while carpaccio garnished with pickled mustard seeds and aged sherry vinegar is forever popular.
Pure Wow: The 13 Best Restaurants in Santa Barbara
To dine at Loquita is to briefly escape to Spain. There’s no wrong answer to what to order here, from classic tapas to seafood grilled on wood fire to sharable paellas. Add to that a menu of gin and tonics and a beautiful patio surrounded by flowers, Loquita is the perfect night out in the American Riviera.
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For a fancier dinner in the Funk Zone, try Spanish tapas and craft cocktails at Loquita.
Montecito Journal: Celebrate Mother’s Day at These Local Restaurants
Loquita will introduce diners to jamón ibérico de bellota on Mother’s Day. Known for its authentic hot and cold tapas, Loquita is offering Spanish delicacies for mom on her special day. Executive Chef Nik Ramirez introduces a new menu item: jamón ibérico de bellota – the finest aged ham in the world, sold by the half ounce. If mamá is thirsty, order her a rosé sangria.
PureWow: The 25 Best Beach Towns in America
Santa Barbara is one of the most favored California getaway towns, and for good reason. In addition to stunning beaches, it’s renowned for its Spanish-influenced downtown area, which is riddled with delicious restaurants and shops. Grab dinner at Loquita, or Blue Agave or Bouchon. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
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Once in Santa Barbara, spend time in the hip Funk Zone, a walkable area with numerous places to dine and sip wine and beer outside from boutique tasting rooms. Peruse art pieces and graffiti murals on converted warehouses as you meander the area. Consider dinner at The Lark, Spanish tapas and craft cocktails at Loquita, or wood-fired pizza at Lucky Penny.
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Santa Barbara Life & Style: Take A Sip, Cheers to Takeout Cocktails
Our wondrous city is home to an inspiring cocktail scene—skilled mixologists bring masterful creations to our restaurants and bars routinely.
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805 Living: A conversation among four 805-area culinary proprietors about the unprecedented challenges that their industry continues to face
805 Living connects four restaurateurs who have kept their businesses afloat and the rest of us well fed during the pandemic. Read on for their 20 questions and 20 answers.
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Santa Barbara Independent: Six Santa Barbara Stars for Date-Night Takeout
Loquita provides an escape to Spain without the stress of a pandemic flight. “Chef Nik Ramirez was inspired by the travels of the conquistadors throughout the country,” said GM Stephanie Perkins. Their four-course Valentine’s Dinner features tasty pintxos, remolacha with Mud Creek Farms citrus, ricotta salata, and chicories, and paella bursting with Santa Barbara spiny lobster and wagyu short rib.
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New York Times: 36 Hours in Santa Barbara County
For a more cosmopolitan dining experience in the city of Santa Barbara, sit beneath the strung lights on Loquita’s side patio, where quintessentially Spanish dishes mix with the gauzy atmosphere in ways both intoxicating and magical.
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Plantfull Kitchen: Loco for Loquita’s Vegetable Paella
Santa Barbara’s Loquita does proper paella and Spanish tapas in the heart of the city….the veggie-friendly options on the menu are well worth it. The most notable being the verduras or vegetable paella. Perhaps it’s a humble name, but this was a stand out dish on its own, delicious enough to make me want a second taste of the paella the following day.
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Forbes: A Relaxing Weekend in Santa Barbara
The trendy Funk Zone has new diverse dining, including The Lark for quintessential Californian food, Loquita for Spanish tapas and Tyger Tyger for Southeast Asian street food.
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Domino: Happy Camper – Our Guide to Santa Barbara
Loquita One of the hottest tables in town—thanks to Spanish tapas with a twist, like pork belly with kimchi paella. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, from the whitewashed modernist dining room to the terracotta patio surrounded by jacaranda trees, bougainvillea, and flowering vines.
LA Eater: 13 Essential Santa Barbara Restaurants
Lower State Street’s Loquita is all about the Spanish influences, from the colorful tiles to the tapas menu and the stand-up bar tucked into the back. Step through the front door on any given weekend night for the scents and sounds of paella coming fresh from the kitchen, or plate after plate of croquettes winding their way to the sunny back patio. This is the place to spend a summery Santa Barbara evening.
Travel by Entree: Loquita: great Spanish cuisine in Santa Barbara
Our experience one recent night (Loquita is open only for dinner) was sensational. A polite and charming hostess offered us seats at the lively bar or at a comfy table with cushions overlooking the open kitchen. We settled in comfortably and Justin, our very adroit and congenial waiter, brought us a bottle of light Spanish wine and a signature saffron-infused gin cocktail and martini while we perused the menu. View full article
The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Santa Barbara
If you’re looking for an upscale dinner with great cocktails (that isn’t stuffy at all), Loquita is a place where we’ll always send you. The pulpo, the scallops with chorizo, and the churros are all must-orders.
Santa Barbara Independent: Foodie Awards
But almost exactly a year to the day since its opening, everyone knows that Loquita thrives as a delicious and dazzling postcard to modern Spanish cuisine.
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The patio at Loquita… is the perfect alfresco setting for feasting on paella and Spanish tapas
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Santa Barbara Life & Style: A Little Loca
What’s better than sharing stories and laughs with good friends, over good drinks? Truthfully not much, besides perhaps the drinks being authentic masterpieces.
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805 Living: HOLA LOQUITA!
A new eatery celebrates the culinary traditions of Santa Barbara’s historic roots
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Santa Barbara Magazine: NEW Spanish Days!
On the edge of the Funk Zone, LOQUITA serves up authentic pintxos, tapas and paella
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