Boathouse Restaurant at Hendry's Beach

Ambiance is one of the finer points of dining.  We all know of wonderful little ‘hole in the wall’ places; great food, very inexpensive and no special ambiance to speak of.

By ambiance is meant the atmosphere and environment by which one is surrounded.  We attempt to create that in our homes with the use of music, art, choice of furniture…the list goes on.

Eating by the ocean, or any body of water (save for sewers) is one of the more clamored for choices of ambiance.   Restaurants by the water can be way over-priced with only mediocre food.  The monthly leases these places must pay are often exorbitant, and the restaurant business is a fickle one.

Finding a place with the ocean ambiance and moderately-priced good food is a coup.  We have found such a place in Santa Barbara in the Boathouse Restaurant.

There is indoor and outdoor seating.  The most coveted areas, in the warmer months, are of course those seats outside right by the windows.  However, all the seats offer a good view, and all the sea air you can breathe.

The inside is also scrumptious, with a full-blown view of the ocean.  We have eaten in both locations, and enjoyed every nanosecond of it.

This is not your haute cuisine, but the food is quite good and dependable, and we have not been disappointed.  They have a large selection of wines, though we have not partaken as yet; that’s a round-trip cab ride to ensure no compromised driving.

The atmosphere is casual, friendly and nicely relaxed.  While you are waiting for your table you can walk along the beach.  This is ‘Henry’s beach’ (see the Arroyo Burro post).  And right outside is a stone sculpture/stairway; it is sometimes closed off, but apparently is open at times for walking tours overlooking the ocean.

Reservations are recommended.  Parking in the lot is often tricky, but worth persisting if you want to have a marvelous dining experience.

Boathouse Restaurant at Hendry's Beach
2981 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
805 898 2628