The story
Stonehouse Restaurant, at 900 San Ysidro Ln. in Santa Barbara, serves Californian American cuisine in a 19th century citrus packing house. Forbes Travel Guide awarded it Four-Star status in 2026.
Executive Chef Matt Johnson grew up in Santa Barbara and joined San Ysidro Ranch in 2008, after training at the Santa Barbara School of Culinary Arts. The kitchen cooks with fish from local farms and herbs and produce from the ranch's organic garden. Meyer lemons from the historic citrus groves appear in seasonal dishes throughout the menu.
The steak Diane is flambéed tableside and finished with a brandied cremini mushroom sauce. Duck à l'orange receives the same tableside treatment. Dinner ends with the SYR Meyer Lemon Tart, served with lavender Chantilly cream. On Sundays, the champagne brunch runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Guests can sit by the wood-burning fireplace, on the ocean-view terrace under twinkle lights, or in a private dining room. Wine Spectator has given Stonehouse its Grand Award since 2014. The Speakeasy bar serves handcrafted cocktails with live music.
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Alfresco dining is a must here. And don’t worry if the weather chills — the year-round terrace offers a wood-burning fireplace and heated floors to keep you toasty.For a dish with flair, try the popular steak Diane. It’s flambeed tableside and accompanied by mashed potatoes, haricots verts and a brandied cremini mushroom sauce.Head to theSanta Barbararestaurant on Sundays for its decadent champagne brunch, which includes free-flowing bubbly, mimosas and Bellinis.End the meal with the signature lemon tart. The dessert features Meyer lemons grown at the ranch and lavender Chantilly cream.Stonehouse was honored with the Wine Spectator Grand Award. It boasts an impressive wine cellar of 2,100 labels and 12,000 bottles.
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