The Good Lion - Santa Barbara

Never had any food year so I can't attest for that. But the drinks are a different story. This is probably the premier hand-crafted specialty cocktail place in Santa Barbara. It's a tight little space. Can often get pretty crowded shoulder to shoulder. It's also hard to hear. You may get lucky and get one of the tables to the left when you walk in. The bottom line is that the drinks are really special even if it takes them 10 minutes to make them with a perfume spritzer bottle.

Absolutely best bar in SB. You will find something you like, bar tenders are very talented.

An unexpected but delightful find! Definitely will return the next time I'm in town : Stopped by late on July 4th after unexpectedly stopping in SB for the night, and wanted a quick drink before bed. The Good Lion is right in the heart of downtown, so an easy walk from a lot of nearby Airbnbs/hotels/motels/attractions, and the interior decor menu made the stop all the more noteworthy. The cocktail I ordered, the Monkey Fizzness, was the perfect amount of sweet with all of the elements poured into this tall glass, and was excellent to follow up with some of the site's nonalcoholic homemade sodas. Highly recommend this as a stop for your evening in town.

Hands down best cocktails in Santa Barbara, dare I say America, although I have yet to drink all the cocktails in America. This place serves magic in a cup with a twist of whatever flavor you are looking for. Tell the bartenders what flavors you love and they’ll make up a drink for you. But don’t do that, it’s annoying, cause all the drinks on the menu are delicious, even the ones that aren’t. You literally can’t go wrong, unless you don’t want to be right, then I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re looking for a delicious booze forward drink try the Improved Cocktail, it’s bourbon based with a splash of sweetness, like Ron Swanson AFTER he met Dianne and became a stepdad to two princess demons, I mean kids. How is a man like that so good with kids like that? We may never know, but thanks to this place, we don’t need to. Looking for something refreshing with more ice than a KFC sweet tea? The Ninth Ward is a summer delight, chilled to perfection. Also the Kentucky something. Ask for “the book” of cocktails... not just the menu they give you. The book will give you endless possibilities that may leave you flailing in anxiety about more life choices, but lest we forget, unlike the cruelty of life, whatever choice you make here, you can’t go wrong!

Great seasonal craft cocktails! The bartenders are very knowledable and very friendly here. They have a huge classic cocktail menu and have a rotating seasonal house cocktail menu. We love to get here early to get a glass of the complimentary punch. Some of my favorite cocktails here are the Bramble on (when they have it, it's seasonal), Green beast, Tangerine gimlet, whisky sour and the Gin fizz. They also have a fantastic Amaro selection which is great for settling the stomach after dinner. Cool vibe and design. Small bites are great! Not really a place for a full dinner. It's more of a before or after dinner spot. All though I have filled up on small plates and cocktails before. Great for dates or meet up with friends.