After enjoying one of the many broad and sandy beaches that Santa Barbara is so well known for, it’s never a bad idea to kick back and relax at one of the many vibrant and colorful coffee shops and cafes that you can find around nearly every corner of this luscious city.
From the quaint and cozy to the loud and exciting, here are some of the very best coffee shops and cafes that you need to try out next time you’re in the beautiful city of Santa Barbara.
With beans sourced from Central and South America which are roasted 2 to 3 times per week, if there’s one thing Handlebar is known for it’s the perfect mixture of serving some delicious beverages with a vibrant atmosphere.
Handlebar Coffee has been one of the most exciting coffee shops in Santa Barbara since it first opened its doors in 2011 and with a sociable setting and a spacious interior, it’s always worth visiting this coffee shop when you need to relax with a delicious iced vanilla latte or a creamy espresso.
While it was once known as The French Press, over the years Dune Coffee Roasters has transformed into an incredibly cozy coffee shop and cafe that takes on a studious sort of atmosphere with its unique art decorations displayed across the walls.
With an expansive menu packed with more express and latte flavors, than you could ever dream of, along with some delicious warm pastries and cookies to snack on, you can’t go wrong with Dune Coffee Roasters when you feel like relaxing.
If you’re a little peckish after spending the day exploring the vast and adventurous city of Santa Barbara, each one of Caje’s multiple coffee shops not only serves some delicious coffee options with a few unique garnishes to mix up the flavor, but they are also well known in the area for their extensive food menu.
Whether it’s light and healthy dishes or a full-on main meal to enjoy with the family, Caje really is a restaurant and cafe mixed into one.
While this coffee shop may be one of the older stores in Santa Barbara, first opening its doors back in the 1980s, this has not stopped its coffee menu from growing bigger and better over time with more than seventy organic and shade-grown trade fair coffees to choose from, all with their own flavors and garnishes so you won’t ever be tasting the same beverage twice.
Don’t forget to try out the delicious food options while you’re there, especially the fruit or Nutella toast to compliment your drink of choice.
With a huge selection of drip coffees, pulled-shot specialty drinks, and organic teas to choose from, each drink from the Dart Coffee Company is roasted to perfection, giving them a very distinct creamy texture that is a delight to sip on as you enjoy the artistic atmosphere of each of their stores.
As if the warm and delicious beverages weren’t enough, a percentage of every bean sold goes towards the Yanonalli Street Artist Fund which helps to promote artistic studios in the Santa Barbara area, making this coffee store even more loveable.
If you’re ever exploring Haley Street, it’s hard not to notice Low Pigeon with its bright white exterior surrounded by palm trees with the giant pigeon logo near the front door.
The wide and colorful aesthetic isn’t just for show however, when you step inside you’re met with an espresso bar, roaster and takeout counter along with the incredibly friendly staff who are ready to assist you with the beverage and food options so that you can find the right meal for you.
Stylish, relaxed and incredibly casual, it’s hard not to instantly feel at ease once you take a sip of a warm and delightful coffee at Low Pigeon.
As the name suggests, Daily Grind knows what it feels like to crave that perfect cup of coffee to get us ready for the long day ahead which is why they prioritize making their beverages warm, delicious, and with a good dose of caffeine to get you geared up for the day.
Alongside its coffee and tea menu, Daily Grind also offers fresh veggie juices and sweet fruit smoothies if you want a more fruity flavor to get you out of bed in the morning.
For many of us, the atmosphere and interior of a coffee shop are just as important as the coffee itself, and when it comes to design, you really can’t get better than the more traditional and spacious layout of Old Town Coffee.
With a large outdoor patio, free Wi-Fi and even table tennis, Old Town Coffee is great for when you want to enjoy some personal space, or to engage in a conversation about how great the coffee tastes with other strangers.
It’s hard to find a coffee shop that oozes style more than Caffe Luxxe with its light brown color palette and high-standing chairs surrounding the entire store, creating a warm, inviting, and friendly atmosphere that is only made more enjoyable thanks to the hand-crafted espressos and brewed coffees which are a delight to sip on.
With a scrumptious breakfast menu to tuck into along with a long list of warm brews to enjoy, not only Lighthouse Coffee has some of the best customer service around with each of their baristas being incredibly friendly and even showing customers how each type of coffee is made, but these staff members are also experts in their own right so that they can prepare some incredible tasting beverages in little to no time.
LOKUM is most well known for its deep and rich-tasting Turkish coffee along with over 30 varieties of Turkish delights to choose from with both vegan and gluten-free options available.
LOKUM even goes a step further by offering their customers authentic copper Turkish kitchenware to take home, allowing each customer to replicate the delicious tea they taste in the store at home too.
From cupcakes and cheesecakes all the way to cookies that melt in the mouth with each and every bite, if you like the idea of munching on a delightfully soft dessert, you won’t want to miss out on Crushcakes Cupcakery with its fresh food and wide selection of espressos and lattes to choose from.
Known for its scrumptious croissants and bread along with warm and creamy caramel lattes, D’Angelo Bread is perfect for when you’re feeling a little under the weather in the morning, and need that certain pick-me-up to prepare you for the day ahead.
With a few of these stores being dotted around Santa Barbara, you don’t want to miss out on what many consider to be the best morning coffee shop in the city.
From their creamy espressos to their signature double chocolate chip cookies, Lucky Penny may be one of the lesser-known cafes in Santa Barbara, however, it has an incredibly expansive menu serving everything from hand-made pastries all the way to pizzas, perfect when you and your friends or family want to kick back and relax with a delicious meal and some lukewarm coffee or tea.
Bree’osh offers a good selection of garnished coffees and teas offering several unique flavors that are all heavenly to test out, however, this is not even mentioning their soft and downright delicious ham and cheese croissants and quiche along with their famous salmon and eggs which is so good to enjoy as an afternoon treat or evening meal to wind down for the day.
Make sure to step into one of the many cafes and coffee shops dotted around Santa Barbara when you take a break from exploring all that the amazing city has to offer, and always aim to try out a few rather than just one so you can find the cafe that suits your preferences the best.
My name is Dana Dupree and I am an avid coffee lover. Since I began college and realized what a heavy load writing majors took on, I have been a fan of the bean juice.
My job has taken me all over the US on book tours and press conferences, and my favorite part about the trip is exploring the best places to grab my cup of Joe.
