Lilac Montecito — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

Exceptional Gluten-Free Dining & Hospitality at Lilac Montecito

My wife and I returned to Lilac Montecito for dinner after visiting their sister café in Santa Barbara earlier that day. We’ve been to Lilac before and already knew the food was fantastic—but this visit reminded us why the experience here is truly unmatched.

Earlier in the evening, we had left a nearby restaurant where my wife’s celiac disease was dismissed without care. The moment we stepped into Lilac, the contrast was clear.

Lilac Montecito is a 100% gluten-free restaurant, which instantly set our minds at ease. For anyone with celiac disease—or dining with someone who has it—you know how rare it is to relax fully during a meal. Here, you can.

Our server, Emanuel, and his entire team went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, respected, and cared for. Their warmth, professionalism, and quiet attentiveness turned what could’ve been a ruined evening into the best date night we’ve had in years.

We arrived about 60 minutes before closing and—without planning to—lingered a bit past their posted hours. Not once did we feel rushed. The team continued to serve with grace and never made us feel like an inconvenience. We were incredibly grateful for their hospitality and respect that this was a generous exception, not the norm.

The food was incredible—beautifully plated, fresh, and deeply flavorful. And knowing every bite was safe for my wife made it that much more enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a refined, fully gluten-free restaurant in Montecito with a staff that truly cares, Lilac Montecito should be your first stop. We’ll absolutely be back—and next time, we’re...

Disappointing Experience - Didn't Live Up to the Hype

Visited for lunch on a Monday afternoon, drawn by glowing reviews and charming photos. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations.

We were seated in a room to the left of the entrance, which felt plain and stuffy—lacking the cozy vibe promised by the photos. The ambiance didn’t set a great tone.

Service was inconsistent. Our server was friendly but absent for long stretches, and they mixed up part of our order, which was frustrating.

The food, sadly, didn’t redeem the visit. The lemon blueberry tart lacked a bright lemon flavor, with a thick, bland crust. The chicken sandwich was overcooked, leaving the chicken dry. The seared tuna salad disappointed with tuna that was barely seared. The chicken rice soup felt generic, like something from a buffet. The apple sausage was decent—the highlight, if there was one—but the bacon was underwhelming and undercooked, and the fried eggs were reminiscent of a diner’s basic fare.

Overall, the dishes felt uninspired, and the execution missed the mark. With so much potential based on its reputation, this felt like a letdown. Perhaps Monticito’s dining scene has limited options boosting its ratings, but I’d pass on a...

Our first time at this new restaurant on Coast Village Road. We went for dinner. The atmosphere is classy with elegant table settings and unobtrusive but beautiful background music. Because it's also a bakery the bread they provided was very tasty, a cross between a soft roll with a crustier exterior and delicious salt crystals. Even the butter was good. We split a Caesar salad which was delicious especially the sliced parmesan and the parmesan crisps!! We were a little disappointed to discover only when the bill arrive that to split the salad in the kitchen was an extra $10 making the Caesar $28! Too much!! Next time we'll share it from a common plate! My wife's chicken marsala she said was delicious and my rigatoni bolognese was too. I particularly appreciated that both meals were delivered piping hot. The service was very friendly if occasionally slow on drink refills. They apologized for being short on desserts but we hadn't intended to have one anyway.

Total bill with one glass of wine was...