Almost everything is on or just off Sagunto Street, so park once. Pasta means S.Y. Kitchen or Trattoria Grappolo. Steak means Brothers at the Red Barn. The Victor does the weekend live-fire brunch, and Dos Carlitos the quick walk-in lunch. Book weekend dinners, and check Monday and Tuesday hours.
This week
- Nov6–8Buellton Fall Festival · Visit Buellton
Avenue of the Flags; Fri 4-10pm, Sat-Sun 12-10pm; carnival rides, live music on two stages; Ales on the Avenue beer and wine tasting Sat (tickets) · Free · by City of Buellton
- FriNov 6NatureTrack Film Festival · Visit NatureTrack Foundation
8th annual; reception 6pm, program 6:45pm at the SYV Grange Hall · $25 · by NatureTrack Foundation
- SatNov 7SYV Historical Museum Vaquero Benefit Dinner & Auction · Visit Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum
42nd annual · Tickets (early bird from Aug 1) · by Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum
- SatNov 7Alma Rosa Fall Harvest Dinner · Visit Alma Rosa Winery
Winery event; check access on the listing · Not published · by Alma Rosa Winery
Go for
- Groups: Trattoria Grappolo
- Happy hour: The Victor
- A patio: The Victor
- Families: The Victor
- No reservation needed: Dos Carlitos
Map
Map loads here. Each listing also has a Directions link.
Scroll the list and the map follows.
What are the best restaurants in Santa Ynez?
Here's when each one is open. For the museums and the late bar between meals, see things to do in Santa Ynez.
| Restaurant | Food | Open | Bookings |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.Y. Kitchen | Italian | Lunch & dinner daily | Book (OpenTable) |
| Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn | Steaks & grill | Dinner only, daily | Call for 5+ |
| The Victor | Live-fire California | Dinner Wed–Sun; weekend brunch | Recommended |
| Trattoria Grappolo | Italian trattoria | Dinner daily | Book |
| Dos Carlitos | Mexican | 11am–8pm daily | Walk-in only |
| PONY Cocktails + Kitchen | Bistro & cocktail bar | Breakfast to dinner, 7 days | Book (OpenTable) |
| The Baker's Table | Bakery café | Breakfast and lunch | |
| Willows at Chumash Casino Resort | Steakhouse | Dinner 5pm to 10pm (11pm on show nights); lounge from 4pm | Reservations highly recommended |
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Missvain, CC BY 4.0 Italian · Santa Ynez
S.Y. KitchenReserve
Lunch and dinner every day makes this the easy midday stop between tastings. Chef-owner Luca Crestanelli was born and trained in Verona, and the cooking is Italian. Book ahead for dinner.
- Open
- Lunch & dinner daily
- Booking
- Book (OpenTable)
More details
Connections Same owners, three styles: chef-partner Luca Crestanelli runs S.Y. Kitchen (wood-fired pizza at dinner) and Stica (slices, a few steps away) in Santa Ynez, and Nella Kitchen & Bar (Roman pinsa) at the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos. Source
- Lunch daily 11:30am–2pm
- Dinner Mon–Thu 5–9pm; Fri–Sun 4:30–9pm
- Chef Luca Crestanelli, from Verona
1110 Faraday Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-691-9794
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Steaks & grill · Santa Ynez
Brothers Restaurant at the Red BarnReserve
The answer to "where do I get a steak?" It's a dinner-only spot in the red barn on Sagunto Street, and the menu's grilled prime cuts run from top sirloin to a 16 oz ribeye. Call ahead for parties of five or more.
- Open
- Dinner only, daily
- Booking
- Call for 5+
More details
- Dinner only: Sun & Mon 5–8pm; Tue–Thu 5–8:30pm; Fri & Sat 5–9pm
- Grilled prime steaks (sirloin, filet, ribeye, New York)
- Call to reserve for parties of 5 or more
- Closed on six holidays, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
3539 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-688-4142
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“One of the hottest seats to get in the valley”
Eater LA, Aug 18 2026 Editor's pickLive-fire California · Santa Ynez
The VictorReserve
Eater LA Eater LA's best places to eat around the Santa Ynez Valley
Get the tri-tip Benedict at weekend brunch. The Victor, on the grounds of The Genevieve hotel, cooks over a Josper charcoal oven, and the patio (twinkle lights, an outdoor fireplace) is heated all year. There's a kids' menu, and Thursday is $2 oyster night.
- Open
- Dinner Wed–Sun; weekend brunch
- Booking
- Recommended
Go for Patio time · Brunch
More details
Press Eater LA's best places to eat around the Santa Ynez Valley: "one of the hottest seats to get in the valley". Eater LA, Aug 18 2026
- Dinner Wed–Sun 5–9pm; weekend brunch Sat & Sun 10am–2pm
- Happy hour Wed–Fri 4:30–6pm; $2 oysters Thursdays
- Heated patio with fireplace; kids' menu
- Brunch reservations "highly recommended"
3631 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-695-2999
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Italian trattoria · Santa Ynez
Trattoria GrappoloReserve
Groups, this is your table: private rooms serve family style. Grappolo has been a Sagunto Street gathering place since 1997, with house-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, seafood, steaks and a wine list that mixes area and Italian bottles.
- Open
- Dinner daily
- Booking
- Book
Go with A group
More details
- Open daily from 5pm
- House-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks
- Private dining rooms, family-style menus
3687 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-688-6899
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Mexican · Santa Ynez
Dos Carlitos
Chips come from homemade blue and yellow corn tortillas, and the menu runs from tacos al carbon and enchiladas to a skirt steak torta. The long-running neighborhood Mexican spot serves all day, every day, and doesn't take reservations, so just turn up.
- Open
- Open every day. 11am–8pm daily
- Booking
- Walk-in only
Go for A drop-in visit
More details
- 11am–8pm, 7 days
- Walk-in only, no reservations
- Skirt steak torta, tacos al carbon, enchiladas
3544 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-688-0033
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Editor's pickBistro & cocktail bar · Santa Ynez
PONY Cocktails + KitchenReserve
Eater LA Eater LA's best places to eat around the Santa Ynez Valley
Early breakfast or a late cocktail? PONY has the longest hours of the places on this list, open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner as a neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar.
- Open
- Breakfast to dinner, 7 days
- Booking
- Book (OpenTable)
Go for Brunch
More details
Press Eater LA's best places to eat around the Santa Ynez Valley. Eater LA, Aug 18 2026
- Daily 8am–2:30pm and 4:30–9pm (Fri–Sat until 10pm)
- Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, cocktails
- Reservations via OpenTable
3558 Sagunto Street #A, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-691-9187
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Bakery café · Santa Ynez
The Baker's Table
Amy Dixon, baking in the valley since 1998 and for area restaurants before that, has run this Sagunto Street café since 2012. Expect croissants, French macarons, apple galettes and sourdough, plus breakfast plates and salads, made with fair-trade, area and organic ingredients when she can get them.
Go if you want a pastry and coffee before the Old Santa Ynez Days parade in June, or a walk down Sagunto Street any day.
- Open
- Breakfast and lunch
More details
- Breakfast and lunch menus; order online
- Whole cakes and catering by order
3570 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460
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Steakhouse · Santa Ynez
Willows at Chumash Casino Resort
The steakhouse inside Chumash Casino Resort, which the resort says is Four Diamond rated: prime steaks and seafood, a long list of area and imported wines, and ingredients from nearby farms and ranches. Book it for dinner before a show in the casino's Samala Showroom.
Go if you want a white-tablecloth steak dinner near Solvang and everyone is 21 or older; Chumash Casino Resort is 21+.
- Open
- Dinner 5pm to 10pm (11pm on show nights); lounge from 4pm
- Booking
- Reservations highly recommended
More details
- Dinner 5pm to 10pm; to 11pm on show nights
- Vegan menu available
- Inside the casino resort: 21+
3400 East Highway 246, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 · 805-691-1999
Where to get a steak in Santa Ynez?
Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn is the steak house. Its grill menu runs from an 8 oz prime top sirloin to a 16 oz prime ribeye, and it's open for dinner only, every night except six holidays (Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day). Inside the casino resort, Willows does prime steaks and seafood until 10pm (21+). Grappolo lists premium steaks next to its pasta, The Victor cooks over a Josper charcoal oven, and Dos Carlitos does a skirt steak torta.
For Santa Maria-style grilling over red oak, see Hitching Post 2 in Buellton. Coming from the casino? Our guide to where to eat near Chumash Casino adds cheap eats, late nights and drive times. Menu, hours and history are in our Brothers Red Barn guide.
Which Santa Ynez restaurants need reservations?
Book S.Y. Kitchen and PONY through OpenTable, and reserve at Grappolo and The Victor, which says brunch reservations are "highly recommended." Brothers Red Barn asks you to call for tables of five or more. Dos Carlitos is the exception: walk-in only, no reservations.
Where is brunch in Santa Ynez?
The Victor serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm, with avocado toast, tri-tip Benedict and huevos rancheros. PONY opens at 8am every day for breakfast, brunch and lunch, until 2:30pm. Staying in Solvang? See breakfast in Solvang.
Which Santa Ynez restaurants are kid friendly?
The Victor has a kids' menu. Dos Carlitos serves all day, so you can drop in when the kids are hungry. PONY opens early, and Trattoria Grappolo serves family-style menus in its private rooms for big groups. Heading out to taste afterward? Nearby Santa Ynez wineries like Sunstone and Brander allow kids.
For happy hour times and weekly deals at The Victor and Dos Carlitos, see happy hour in Santa Ynez.
Plan your day
- MorningBreakfast first: Santa Ynez Valley breakfast and brunchTown by town, with hours
- MiddayGo tasting: Family-friendly wineries in the Santa Ynez ValleyFarm animals, lawns, policies
- EveningBook dinner: Best pizza in the Santa Ynez ValleyWood-fired to delivery
- LateNight out: Solvang nightlifeKaraoke in a windmill, a 2am saloon
- OvernightFind a bed: Santa Ynez hotelsPolo bungalows to a rooftop pool
Quick answers
What are the best restaurants in Santa Ynez?
S.Y. Kitchen for Italian (lunch and dinner daily), Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn for steaks, The Victor for live-fire cooking and weekend brunch, Trattoria Grappolo for pasta and pizza since 1997, Dos Carlitos for walk-in Mexican, and PONY for breakfast through cocktails.
Where can you get a steak in Santa Ynez?
Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn grills prime cuts, including top sirloin, filet, a 14 oz New York and a 16 oz ribeye (dinner only, daily). Trattoria Grappolo also lists premium steaks, and The Victor cooks over a Josper charcoal oven.
Which Santa Ynez restaurants need reservations?
Book S.Y. Kitchen, The Victor (brunch reservations are highly recommended), Trattoria Grappolo and PONY. Brothers Red Barn asks you to call for parties of five or more. Dos Carlitos is walk-in only and takes no reservations.
Where is brunch in Santa Ynez?
The Victor serves weekend brunch, Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm, with dishes like tri-tip Benedict and huevos rancheros. PONY serves breakfast and brunch every day from 8am.
Which Santa Ynez restaurants are kid friendly?
The Victor has a kids' menu. Dos Carlitos is a casual, all-day walk-in spot, PONY is open from breakfast, and Trattoria Grappolo serves family-style menus in its private rooms.
Sources
tap to open
- Each restaurant's own website, linked in its listing above.
- PONY Cocktails + Kitchen, Location & Hours: dinner to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, 9pm other nights (checked Oct 24, 2026).
- Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn, Contact: closed Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day (checked Oct 24, 2026).
Last updated Oct 18, 2026. We list what each restaurant publishes. We haven't eaten at every one, and we never copy reviews. Confirm hours before you go.
