Convivo Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

We held our Wedding in the Montecito Room of Convivo. Our guests LOVED the family feast styled food and the room was the perfect size for 55 guests + a DJ. The drinks were a delight and the staff were very professional. The coordinator Kristina did work with me continuously to arrange the menu and layout of the dance floor. It was nice to customize the layout.

I did have some mishaps happen on the day of the wedding that I wanted to mention here and to Convivo banquet/restaurant staff.

1. Two of our vendors did not receive meals although I emailed Kristina to add them in. I sent two emails regarding vendor meals & their dietary restrictions. On the day of the wedding, the lead catering manager was reluctant to whip up two extra meals for my vendors who had been working for 6 hours straight that day. Even with my approval to bill us for their meals, they were shut down and not accommodated to.

2. Typically, in the wedding industry the vendors eat right after the Bride/ Groom in order to become fully available for the next events in the timeline.... for example, speeches & first dances. When the vendors eat too late close to the end of dinner service they are forced to miss their meal entirely or eat it in less than 10 minutes as they have to be up and ready to photograph/ DJ the next events in the timeline. I did personally ask the head staff to feed my hard working vendors as soon as possible but they still were fed towards the end of dinner. This delay in serving the vendors not only hurts the timeline/ logistics of the wedding event but creates a safety concern as my photographers/coordination team have been documenting the day since the morning, doing bridal prep, ceremony, bride and groom photos, setting up the reception and by the time they reach the venue, it's important for them to take a break, eat and hydrate before the speeches. Having to wait an extra 75 minutes after a 6 - 7 hour day is not ideal and not industry standard.

Please, for whoever is reading my review and has control over this. PLEASE - I beg you to be flexible and feed the wedding vendors sooner in the dinner service for logistical and safety reasons. I understand Convivo is primarily a restaurant who occasionally holds wedding banquets but being in the wedding industry myself... It is industry standard to feed the vendors right after the Bride & groom have been served. That is the only thing I wanted to emphasize and provide insight on.

Aside from that, we really loved having our intimate wedding reception there. Till this day, our guests are continuously complimenting us on the food. It was very memorable. Thank you Convivo staff & Kristina, the Banquet...

Found this place after reading a few online recommendations, food did not meet the expectations, make you wonder if those articles were paid by the restaurant.

For example, the pizza crust looked good in photos but was doughy and too greasy if their aim is the Italian wood fired version. The white sauce was almost nonexistent, so just cheese on dough, topped with mushrooms. Putting shiitake on there can be called “fusion”, but the flavor profile just doesn’t match. However, the roasted chicken dish was superb!

Food aside, what’s really troubling about the whole dining experience is the service. First, it’s extremely slow, after being asked and offered water 3 times, we finally got it, that’s about 20 min.s after we sat down. Then when we were done with our food, had to ask the check 4 times, the last time, one of the waiters yelled at me ‘do not discriminate against me, especially when I’m trying to help you out’. First of all, yelling and not helping with anything is not helping a guest out. Secondly, there’s no discrimination, not verbally, not attitude wise, nothing. I was saying to him ‘we would like our check please, we’ve asked 3 times for it already, we have somewhere to be after this’. Not to mention, I share the same ethnicity as him. That sentence he said was extremely rude, unprofessional and accusational. I had to calm him down and ask for the check again. There’s no apology from him nor the restaurant.

When the check was brought, the merchant copy where you sigh for tips was no where to be found, neither were a pen, nor a waiter to ask. A tiny jar of mini choco chip cookies was brought along, they were stale already, like left out for days. If by any chance this is the way the restaurant apologizes, it needs to do significantly better. Now I also have to keep an eye out on any unauthorized charges on my card too since I never saw the merchant copy of my bill.

This was one of the most bizarre and unpleasant dining...

From the moment we arrived, this place set the tone for a fantastic dining experience. Parking was a breeze, with free street parking available (though I imagine it fills up quickly during peak lunch and dinner hours). We got there at 4:30 PM, which may seem early, but if you want a prime outdoor seat with a view of the strip and the beach, bathed in a fiery sunset, it’s the perfect time to go—especially during the summer months. Dogs are welcome on the patio.

Now, onto the food and drinks!

Focaccia – Served with basil oil, onion & caciocavallo. Delicious, warm, and flavorful. 9/10. Mojo Jojo Cocktail – Spicy passion fruit tequila, cream of coconut, citrus. Flavorful, but very spicy—I’m a wuss when it comes to heat, so for Tajín lovers, this would be a 10/10. For me? 7/10 (purely personal preference). Carrots – Served with baba ganoush, saffron cauliflower, dukka, and golden raisins. Unique, well-balanced, and had a tangy kick that added to the complexity of flavors. 8/10. Costolette (1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs) – Smoked & slow-roasted, served with giardiniera. 10/10! The meat fell off the bone, incredibly tender, and had barely any fat—absolutely perfect. Spit-Roasted Chicken – Harissa, chermoula, olive, almonds, cauliflower. My husband devoured everything except the olives (which I happily took off his hands!). Crème Fraîche & Pistachio Cheesecake – 10/10. Smooth, creamy, and an absolute must-try. Gelato & Cappuccino – My husband said it was the best coffee he’s ever had—high praise from a coffee lover!

A special shoutout to our server, Jeff, who was attentive, kind, and incredibly accommodating. He made sure we were comfortable and enjoying every moment of our meal. The whole experience felt like we were VIPs at a luxurious resort—the kind of service that makes a place truly special.

Highly recommend—especially if you can snag an outdoor seat with that...