Come With Me to Santa Barbara! | Our Stay at Riviera Beach House
Disclosure: Riviera Beach House hosted us with a complimentary two night stay in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
We headed up to Santa Barbara for a few days because my best friend was getting married there! I had never stayed in the city before (Kevin reminded me that we stopped by the Mission a few years ago, but I don’t think that really counts) so I was excited to explore and check out the area!
We were very graciously hosted by the beautiful Riviera Beach House during our stay, and we instantly fell in love! They are part of the Pacifica Hotels family (a few months ago, I got to stay at the Marina Del Rey Hotel which is also one of their hotels), and I just love the experience of staying at a boutique hotel. It feels more personal and the customer service is always better in my opinion!
We specifically wanted to stay at the Riviera Beach House because it is pet friendly, so we were very excited to have been able to bring our dog Maximoff with us on this trip!
I loved that the hotel offers complimentary beach cruiser rentals, which is perfect for getting around town! The hotel is located in the perfect spot where you can either walk, bike, or drive to wherever you want to go in the Downtown Santa Barbara area in just a few minutes!
We stayed in a Deluxe King Garden Patio Room, and I loved how colorful and vibrant everything was! Our bed was extremely comfy and I had the most relaxing sleep! The sheets are so soft and truly make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud.
I loved that there was a desk in our room because I had to work remotely while we were there. The Wi-Fi connection was great, and they even had an ergonomic chair which really helped a ton because my back tends to hurt after sitting too long. It made for the perfect work station!
I loved the bathroom design - the tiles were so gorgeous! We wish there was a bit more counter space since we normally bring a ton of toiletries with us, but we were able to make it work.
We also loved having our own private outdoor space to relax. Maximoff made himself right at home, and we were so touched by how thoughtful the Riviera Beach House staff was to put together this sweet welcome bag for him, which included some dog toys and treats. We also appreciated that they had food and water bowls ready to go for him - it was a small thing that made a huge impact for us!
After settling in, we took a quick walk over to Stearns Wharf, then hopped in our car and drove over to the famous Chromatic Gate to snap a few photos.
We then headed back to the hotel for dinner at Santo Mezcal! It is the Riviera Beach House’s signature restaurant, and it’s no surprise why it’s one of the best places to eat at in Santa Barbara!
We started off with some amazing chips and salsa and we ordered a couple of drinks to try. I got La Fresa Margarita, which has pressed strawberries, agave nectar, lime, strawberry, and your choice of either tequila or mezcal. Kevin ordered the Palomita, which is a non-alcoholic drink, and includes grapefruit juice, honey-lavender syrup, and Jarritos grapefruit soda. Both were so good!
For our appetizer, we started off with the Queso Fundido (which contains melted Oaxaca cheese and Monterey jack, chorizo and pasilla peppers). This was a recommendation from our awesome waiter, Martin, and he says it’s one of their most popular items on the menu. I’m not a huge chorizo fan, so next time, I’m trying the Guacamole, but Kevin really enjoyed it!
For our main entree, Kevin ordered the Tacos Del Mar. He was able to try one shrimp and one halibut taco, and he really liked both of them, but he prefers the shrimp one more! Our plates both came with a side of rice and salad.
I ordered the Tacos de Atun, which were ahi tuna tacos. I usually don’t go for fish tacos, but I wanted to give it a try since Santa Barbara is known for their seafood, and these did not disappoint! I loved that it wasn’t a fried fish, and the flavors from the ahi tuna, avocado aioli, and chipotle and sweet sauces were so good.
For dessert, we had the Pan de Elote! I loved the mixture of the corn, fruits, and vanilla ice cream flavors, but the texture threw me off a bit. I wished it was more of a cornbread texture, and it was a little mushy for my taste. I did appreciate that it was a dessert that was a bit on the lighter side though, so we were able to fully enjoy it even after our hearty meal!
The next day, we celebrated my best friend’s wedding! We unfortunately were not able to see the ceremony as the courthouse limited how many people could be inside, but we met up with our friends afterwards.
I’ve known my best friend for over 20 years, and I am so excited for her and her hubby as they start this new chapter of their lives together! We love them so much and feel so honored to have been able to celebrate this special day with them and their families.
In the afternoon, Kevin and I got to help take photos for them, and they turned out so cute! This is just a small preview and a couple of my favorites from the shoot.
We then had dinner with their families at Bouchon! We had a private room to ourselves, and we loved our waiter Morgan who was fantastic!
My best friend is married! She is the most beautiful bride.
We did a prix fixe menu, and I forgot to take a photo of my appetizer, but I ordered the Mushroom Ragout. It was full of garlic (I was obsessed) and also came with a mini grilled cheese on the side. I highly recommend it!
For my main course, I ordered the Wagyu Ribeye which was so tender and cooked to perfection.
The star of the menu was hands down the Blackberry-Lemon Upside Down Cake we had for dessert. It also came with a side of McConnell’s ice cream, which was the perfect complement to the dish!
It was a quick trip, but we had the best stay at the Riviera Beach House! They were also kind enough to give me a discount code to share with you - use code KESHIA15 to get 15% off your next stay with them! You can make your reservation online here.
Thank you again to Riviera Beach House for the hospitality and for hosting us during our trip! We already can’t wait to come back!
xo,
Keshia