Loquita

Loquita is a tapas bar located in Santa Barbara, California, offering a wide range of Spanish and seafood dishes. The restaurant caters to various dietary preferences, including vegan and vegetarian options, and provides ADA-compliant facilities for all guests.

With a menu full of flavorful dishes such as Ostión charred west coast oysters, Croqueta de Jamon, and Crudo ahi tuna, Loquita ensures a delightful dining experience for all guests. The Charcutería selection and Paella options showcase the restaurant's commitment to authentic Spanish cuisine.

One of the highlights at Loquita is the Ibiza Chuleta, a 10 oz. Niman Ranch bone-in pork chop served with Mallorquina sauce and grilled artichoke. The postres menu offers mouthwatering options like Churros dulce de leche and Basque Cheesecake for a sweet ending to your meal.

As a food reviewer, I can confidently say that Loquita's dishes are not only delicious but also beautifully presented. The restaurant's trendy and romantic ambiance, combined with attentive waiter service and a full bar, make it a perfect spot for a special night out with friends or loved ones.

If you're in Santa Barbara and craving authentic Spanish flavors, Loquita is definitely a must-visit destination that will leave you satisfied and wanting to come back for more.

Loquita Menu

Location

Address: 202 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 880-3380

🕓 Work Hours
MON 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
TUE 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WED 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
THU 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
FRI 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
SAT 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
SUN 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Business info

  • Takes Reservations
    Yes
  • Delivery
    No
  • Takeout
    No
  • Vegan Options
    Yes
  • Many Vegetarian Options
    Yes
  • Wheelchair accessible
    Yes
  • ADA-compliant main entrance
    Yes
  • steps or stairs
    Yes
  • QR code menus available
    No
  • Accepts Credit Cards
    Yes
  • Accepts Android Pay
    No
  • Accepts Apple Pay
    No
  • Accepts Cryptocurrency
    No
  • Outdoor Seating
    Yes
  • Trendy, Romantic
    Yes
  • Moderate Noise
    Yes
  • Good for Groups
    Yes
  • Good for Dinner
    Yes
  • Street Parking, Valet Parking
    Yes
  • Waiter Service
    Yes
  • Full Bar
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • Heated Outdoor Seating
    Yes
  • Private Dining
    Yes
  • Gender-neutral restrooms
    Yes
  • Open to All
    Yes
  • Offers Catering
    No
  • Not Good For Kids
    No
  • Wi-Fi
    No
  • Happy Hour
    No
  • Drive-Thru
    No
  • TV
    No
  • Covered Outdoor Seating
    No
  • Bike Parking
    Yes
  • Provides reusable tableware
    Yes

Last Reviews

  • Author: Jane

    19 February 2025

    Very disappointing and lackluster tapas experience. To be very honest, confused as to why this restaurant is so highly praised.I wanted to bring an old friend from out of town to a nice meal in Santa Barbara. Having recently moved to the area, I heard nothing but praise for Loquita. I am a big fan of tapas and always appreciate the attention to detail in presentation and food quality that tapas restaurants put into their dishes. I managed to book a Saturday night reservation for this popular restaurant weeks in advance.Upon seating, my friend and I agreed that the interior design is BEAUTIFUL. I was a big fan of the lighting and open kitchen concept. Service was polite, but rushed and a little inattentive. It's ok, it's a Saturday night! My friend did not want paella, so we ordered bocaditos and tapas that were recommended by our server. While I know paella is the main star of any tapas restaurant, the dishes we ordered are still representative and commonly popular items. With the pricepoint and prestige of Loquita, I trusted that we could have a good meal regardless of anything we ordered on the menu.Appetizer - Pan con Tomate - A laughable portion for $. For the price, I really thought it would be more than a SPLIT, half loaf of bread with tomato sauce. Please see the photo attached. I was disappointed by a taste that felt more like a quick snack a kid would make at home after school.Appetizer - Croqueta de Seta - Everyone likes fried food! Definitely better than the first appetizer. The filling surprisingly reminded me of bitterballen (thick gravy and viscous). The crust was thick and well-fried, and I enjoyed the truffle taste. The crispy potato nest was fun to snack on as well.Tapa - Crema De Calabaza Con Bogavante - Lukewarm soup served on flat dishware. Easy and fun to share. Very strong citrus taste from the syrups(?) drizzled on top.Tapa - Borrego A La Brasa - Well cooked but VERY salty. The sauce was mediocre and just made the lamp chops too salty. I opted to eat them plain.Tapa - Pulpo A La Gallega - Pleasantly soft interior, but the exterior was overly charred. No flavor from the sauce, so it really felt like a plain chewing experience. I read a few other reviews that agreed the octopus is commonly overcooked.When dining at tapas restaurants, I do give grace and understanding that statistically, it is difficult for them to perfect every single dish on a vast menu. However, I always favor tapas as an incredibly joyful and unique, social experience where friends openly appreciate and share good quality food and multiple flavors they would never be able to try when dining alone. I was embarrassed to bring my friend to such a lackluster experience after I had been so excited to plan and share about this restaurant in the weeks leading up to their trip.I would visit Loquita again to try the patatas bravas, paella, and ibiza chuleta. However, I hesitate to recommend this restaurant to others, much less bring my friends from out of town. I am not a fan of dining out to give one restaurant multiple chances, when there are already so many other options to try in Santa Barbara. If I want to dine at a restaurant with the branding, pricing, and prestige such as Loquita, I would want at least a satisfactory experience every time.

  • Author: Derek Ashworth

    19 February 2025

    I love Spain and have been many times, the food in Spain is so amazing and so specific that it becomes a craving that needs to be quenched. Loquita does this quite well, everything is on point, my only complaint would be the pan con tomate is too small I need a big basket of this not one piece cut into four pieces, it still tastes great I just need more, so I ordered two. Anyway everything is amazing the ambiance is great the staff is great and a good selection of Vermut. Love Loquita and try everything because everything is perfect!

  • Author: Jeff Cooperhouse

    19 February 2025

    Next level Spanish cuisine at Loquita! Very easy to understand why they are a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The beef carpaccio was phenomenal. The mariscos paella with mussels, shrimp, and scallops was superb. Loved the cocktails as well, we ordered the maravilloso and costa blanca. We sat on the dog friendly patio. The service was excellent, properly explaining and attending to everything as needed, and being friendly. Definitely recommend!

  • Author: Brent Cham

    19 February 2025

    What a gem in Santa Barbara.It’s a beautiful restaurant with great lighting, a gorgeous full bar, and plenty of patio seating with heat lamps.Went with a group of . Highly recommend making reservations but they did have two separate bar seating areas.They have a great drink menu including vermut that was surprisingly very refreshing.We had the croquetas de jamón, the crudo, the mushrooms, the pear and goat cheese salad, the chicken and chorizo paella, and the churros.Everything was fantastic. Those were some of the best croquetas that I’ve ever had. Bright and fresh crudo was also fantastic. The pear was brined or marinated so looked bright red like watermelon. The octopus dish had so many layers and was amazing.The chicken chorizo paella was good but had large pieces of chicken in it which some of my friends would have preferred smaller pieces. I’d like try the seafood paella next time.Churros we’re obviously Spanish style so a bit more dense but they were solid. Def tasted better with the three dipping sauces it came with. They’re slightly different types of churros than Mexican style churros.Overall a very cute spot with fantastic food. Perfect for date night or a big group.Service also was attentive and super friendly.

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