About the Café:

The Arts & Letters Café serves classic bistro fare in a beautiful courtyard setting in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. We serve lunch seven days a week. Our chef uses the freshest local ingredients to prepare soups, salads and sandwiches in the California cuisine tradition. The Café is also pleased to offer a fine selection of California wines and a full bar.

The courtyard is the main dining area of the Arts & Letters Café. The seating capacity is limited to 120 people for a formal sit down event. Seventy of the seats are outside and fifty are in the adjacent De Forest Gallery.

The garden was desingned in the tradition of the walled gardens of Spain and Mexico. The central fountain fills the garden area with the sound of water. Whenever there is a chill, the garden is heated. Whenever the sun is too bright, umbrellas are brought to the tables.

The De Forest Gallery (adjacent to the courtyard) is particularly well suited to private meetings and serves as a secondary exhibition space for Sullivan Goss. The space encompasses about 1,000 square feet including the full bar. Exhibitions rotate every six to eight weeks.

The Arts & Letters Café also seats people on the front porch of Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery. Elevated a few feet from the street and separated by a wrought iron railing, the front porch is the perfect place to enjoy the Café's wonderful food while still submerged in the excitement of the street scene of Santa Barbara's gallery row. Seating is limited to 12 at private tables or 22 when seated banquet style.

Come find out why we have been a local favorite for many years or why the New York Times made our pumpkin soup famous. Chef Nathan Simandle and our professional staff will take good care of you.

Location:

ARTS & LETTERS CAFÉ:

The Arts & Letters café is located in the heart of Santa Barbara's Historica Arts District, across the street from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, around the corner from the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, a block from the home of the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Arlington Theater and within walking distance of many other galleries, libraries and art venues.

For directions, click here.

HOURS:

CAFÉ
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Seven days a week
SANTA BARBARA:
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM, Seven days a week
MONTECITO:
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM, Seven days a week

Opera Under the Stars

2008 Opera Season Schedule (PDF format - 49KB)
To learn more about our exciting new season of Opera Under the Stars, click here.

Menus:

Lunch Menu (PDF format - 71KB)

Reservations:

Please call (805) 730-1463. For private parties, catering and special events, ask for Events Manager, Lisa Neustadt. You can also e-mail Lisa at the addresses below:

Weddings and Events:

Clients looking for a beautiful location for weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, receptions, banquets, birthdays, parties, corporate meetings or any other special event can rent the Arts and Letters Café. When you rent the café, your guests can also enjoy Santa Barbara's premiere art gallery.

For weddings, receptions and rehearsals, the Café is the most romantic setting in the city of Santa Barbara. The private garden-courtyard, secluded dining room and central location are perfect for an intimate event seating up to 120 guests.

Our Events Manager, Lisa Neustadt, will work with you and the chef to create a special dinner menu. Chef Harley Hall and our staff are ready to make any desire a reality.

On Thursday evenings during the summer, the Arts and Letters Café offers Opera Under the Stars, which features professional opera stars performing the greatest arias and songs from the worlds most famous operas and Broadway hits.