I’ve made Santa Barbara an annual destination for over twenty years now. A city that has always catered to a more well-heeled crowd, it is often referred to as the American Riviera.
For years downtown Santa Barbara and State St. were the place to be. You could find anything from fine dining to grittier neighborhood bars to retail and a historic theater. Around 2016 a new destination took off… the Funk Zone.
Located just two blocks from the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf, the Funk Zone was a manufacturing and industrial area in the 19th century. But, as is often the case, the creatives began to take over these abandoned buildings, opening studios and galleries. Suddenly everyone wanted to be in the Funk Zone.
Santa Barbara Harbor
In addition, art galleries, tasting rooms, wine bars, farm-to-table restaurants, unique shops, a microbrewery, and Santa Barbara’s first distillery, all opened in the Funk Zone. The Funk Zone definitely adds to Santa Barbara’s fun factor.
Only an hour and a half to two hours from Los Angeles it makes a perfect weekend trip, but the Funk Zone is a favorite spot of locals love it too. I have no trouble getting my Santa Barbara-based friends to spend a day with me checking out the wine tasting rooms of the Funk Zone.
Contents
What to do in the Funk Zone
Part of the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail is in the Funk Zone, too. You’ll find some winemakers from nearby Santa Ynez Valley have tasting rooms in the Funk Zone. Side note: Los Olivos is a cute town in Santa Ynez Valley and makes a perfect day trip from Santa Barbara.
Approximately half of the twenty-plus tasting rooms that comprise the Urban Wine Trail can be found in the Funk Zone. Bonus: All of it is within walking distance.
One of my favorite things to do in the Funk Zone is to simply walk around and look at the street art, murals, and graffiti, and talk to the pop-up vendors.
Wine tasting in the Funk Zone
Santa Barbara Wine Collective
The Valley Project
One of the best places to start is at The Valley Project. The tasting room is dedicated to educating customers about Santa Barbara County wines via maps and displays of soil samples. There are fifty-five varietals grown in Santa Barbara County’s eight AVAS (American Viticulture Area). You can try wines from all of them at The Valley Project. I love the huge chalk map and other visual education materials that decorate the tasting room.
Cool chalk mural at AVA The Valley Project in the Funk Zone. Photo courtesy of AVA The Valley Project.
Riverbench
Riverbench wines are made from 100% estate-grown grapes, specializing in chardonnay and pinot noir. They produce four sparkling wines made in the methode champenoise . Honestly, this is why I go to Riverbench, I love their sparkling wine. I’m pretty sure you will too.
I tried the Blanc de Noirs and the Brut Rose. Both are made from 100% pinot noir grapes. The Blanc de Noirs had strong bubbles and a nice crispness with pear and citrus on the nose. It’s not cheap but it’s a great value compared to French champagne and the quality is similar.
Bubbles at Riverbench
Pali is known for its Pinot Noir. The owners have recently planted vineyards in Santa Barbara and Sonoma Counties; their 2015 vintage will feature wines made from the fruit of these vineyards. Prior vintages are sourced from Santa Barbara County, Oregon, and Sonoma County. They offer Pinot Noir flights and wines by the glass.
Wine and art are a classic combination. This is one of Hugh Margerum’s
Margerum Wines
Great news, Margerum Wines has now opened a tasting room just steps from the Santa Barbara Funk Zone, just across the street from the Hotel Californian. Doug Margerum has been a key player in the Santa Barbara wine scene for over 35 years and he makes really good juice.
Margerum is one of my favorites. They produce very small lots of unique wines from the best grapes sourced in Santa Barbara County. Be sure to try the flagship M5 — a Rhone blend which is everyone loves.
MWC32 is their library collection and they also offer some unique (for the area) single varietals like pinot grigio and sangiovese.
Santa Barbara Winery
In 2021, the oldest winery in Santa Barbara, aptly named Santa Barbara Winery opened in the Funk Zone. The owner is a Frenchman who started the first post-prohibition winery in 1962. Originally a purveyor of fine food and wine, his shop, Pierre LaFond Market and Deli, was a top meeting place in Santa Barbara for wine aficionados.
As you’re wandering from one tasting room to the next, take time to notice the street art and the flowers. Even the doorways to the artist galleries, museums, and studios tell you a story.
Get the message yet?
Beer and spirits
Figueroa Mountain
If wine is not your thing try Figueroa Mountain, a California microbrewer with multiple locations up and down the California Coast including Buellton and Los Olivos. The Santa Barbara Funk Zone location has live music and has become a local hot spot for late-night revelry.
SB Biergarten is a casual place with outdoor seating. They serve everything from pizza to sandwiches, beer, and wine.
Cutler’s Artisan Spirits
Cutler’s Artisan Spirits has over 100 years of history in fine distilled spirits. Though the business started in northern California during the Gold Rush era, many changes occurred through the decades and Cutler’s ultimately closed in the 1980s. In 2013, Ian Cutler, the fourth generation, revived the Cutler tradition of artisan spirits. Go for the history and the quality cocktails.
Flowers in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone
Where to eat
Hungry? I always want to eat everything in sight when I’m in Santa Barbara. I’ve never had a bad meal there.
The Lucky Penny
Needless to say, I had to go to The Lucky Penny. Look at that cool exterior covered in copper. And who doesn’t appreciate a sense of humor? Seating is communal with benches and tables outside. Lucky Penny is known for their wood-fired pizzas and salads, so we went with that and as you can see, we liked it.
Of course I went to The Lucky Penny!
The Lark
Their sister restaurant, The Lark, is booked well in advance. They were closed for lunch but we wandered through and I took some photos. I think one of the things California does consistently well besides wine, food, and scenery, is interior design. I loved this whimsical space.
The Lark was named one of the 100 Best Restaurants on Forbes 2016 list. Dine on oysters on the half shell, gnocchi with Dungeness Crab, or marinated and grilled Hanger Steak. I definitely plan to hit this place next time I’m in Santa Barbara.
Great interior design follows great food or is it the other way around?
Rare Society
Rare Society is a “retro-swanky” steakhouse, in a new location in the Funk Zone since July 2022. Modeled after steakhouses on the Las Vegas strip during the Rat Pack era, Rare Society specializes in premium protein grilled on an open flame.
Shopping in the Funk Zone
Artists gave birth to the Santa Barbara Funk Zone, so be sure to spend some time browsing the shops and galleries.
The Blue Door
- Score custom graphic tees, vintage denim, and original Americana art at Loveworn.
- Hunt for vintage treasures and Mid-Century Modern pieces at the tri-level Blue Door antique collective.
- Peruse the clothing, accessories, footwear, and home goods at The ShopkeepersBoutique.
- The flagship Channel Islands Surfboards shop offers exclusive Santa Barbara-branded apparel.
- Jules by the Sea offers unique and locally made jewelry and gifts crafted by local Jules Kramer.
- See Vees is known for vegan-friendly casual shoes and a distinctly southern California vibe.
See Vees
Santa Barbara Arts & Craft Show
Held every Sunday year-round and on Saturdays of major holiday weekends, the Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show highlights local artists and artisans. I first went to this show in the late 90s! There are so many good artists there you will not leave without something you love.
The show features drawings, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, and photography. The Santa Barbara Arts & Craft Show is on Cabrillo Boulevard between Stearns Wharf and Calle Cesar Chavez.
Santa Barbara Art Walk
How to get to the Funk Zone
The Funk Zone is bordered by State St., Garden St., Cabrillo Blvd., and Highway 101. Cabrillo Blvd. runs along the beach and State St. is the main drag so you can not possibly get lost. The Amtrak station is also on State St.
State St. dividends East Beach and West Beach.
Depending on where you are staying you can either walk, bike, hire an Uber car, or a pedicab. Santa Barbara is an easy city to navigate, especially around the beach. The only issue can be parking, though that is less of a problem in the Funk Zone.
Stearns Wharf is another landmark, if you’re at Stearns you can walk to the Funk Zone. But don’t miss a chance to walk the historic wharf maybe stopping for a glass at the Deep Sea Tasting Room.
Stearn’s Wharf is on Cabrillo Blvd. and a short walk from the tasting rooms of the Funk Zone
If your journey to Santa Barbara continues north and you’re driving California’s Highway 1 towards San Francisco, you’ll want to read my article which details sights along the way and some places to stay.
All materials copyright Penny Sadler. All rights reserved.
24 comments
This is a really nice article, my son is desperate to go an explore this area so we may have to consider it soon. It is truly beautiful.
Hi Natasha, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Let me know.
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The Guitar Bar looks like such a fun place to hang out. I don’t play very well, but it’d be fun to pick up a guitar and strum a little…or just relax in those comfy-looking chairs! You’ve put together a nice list of happenin’ places in Santa Barbara.
The guitar bar is super inviting for sure.
This sounds like a great, relaxing day! I love wine tasting and microbreweries (and art is pretty great too), so this sounds right up my alley! Thank you for sharing!
I didn’t even know about the Funk Zone. That’s too fun! I guess I’ll have to add Santa Barbara to the ever growing list.
I would love to go back to Santa Barbara and check out this cool area some day
You’d like it
I’ve never heard of the Funk Zone, but it looks absolutely awesome! I love the recommendation to slow down and enjoy the funk. I would love to go to the guitar bar. Sounds really cool!
This seems like the ultimate place to come and chill out! I love how the abandoned buildings are now being used by somebody instead of just being empty and probably an eyesore! Wine tasting is right down my street so I would be doing that!
Absolutely love the sound of the wine trail; the art sounds interesting too! Hopefully one day I’ll visit!
The Funk Zone looks like such a cute neighborhood! I would love to stop at the The Lark to eat and then go browsing in the shops. Love the street art, too! I think I need to plan a trip here 🙂
A good place to chill and relax. The wine tasting seems great and the ideal for a weekend outing.
I love art and the urban wine trail sounds so fun! I don’t care for beer so a wine trail is much more my speed! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Victoria. I’m sure you’d like it.
who are you kidding? the “funk” is gone from the funk zone, it’s just another drunk zone!
Hey Thomas, I was there in February which isn’t exactly high tourist season. Had a lot of fun. But yea, I can see that it can be a drunkfest for sure. Any suggestions of other places to go?
Loved this post, Penny …so many details!! Looks like you could easily spend a weekend there!!
Thanks Margie! Yes. I’ve spent a lot of weekends and more there, though not only in the Funk Zone. 🙂 Thanks so much for the comments!
The Funk Zone definitely sounds like a place in Santa Barbara one should hit :-).The wine tasting looks like fun…
It is. And there are so many tasting rooms there. Walking to them is the best part!