Convivo Restaurant & Bar

Convivo Restaurant & Bar: 'Nomad Italian' cuisine across from East Beach

Convivo Restaurant & Bar is a 'Nomad Italian' restaurant and bar located inside the newly renovated Santa Barbara Inn, directly across from East Beach in Santa Barbara, California. The establishment presents itself as a space with standout views for diners and for hosting private events.

Dining offerings: from the wood-fired oven to fresh pasta

The menu, dated September 2026 and subject to change, is organized into several sections. The appetizer section ('Cicchetti') features items such as crispy fried crocchette of chicken and fontina, lamb meatballs with chickpea, pomegranate, and tapenade, chicken liver crostone with cherries and hazelnuts, beef carpaccio with horseradish and bagna cauda, roasted prawns with broccoli di ciccio and muhammara, octopus with pork belly and poached egg, and raw ahi tuna crudo with citrus and sesame cracker.

The 'Agricola' section brings together salads and vegetables, including the Insalata Mercato SB with Parmigiano, burrata with Fuyu persimmon and butternut squash, cherry tomato and tahini salad, charcoal avocado with ponzu and strawberries, shishito peppers with tomato confit and preserved lemon, carrots with baba ganoush and saffron, crispy yellow potatoes with za'atar and romesco, and Brussels sprouts with herbed tehina and chicken skin chicharrón.

From the wood-fired oven ('Forno') come pizzas and flatbreads such as the za'atar flatbread, the fattoush with herbed tehina, the Margherita with fresh mozzarella, the Funghi with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, the Summertime with Jamón Serrano and gorgonzola, the chorizo sausage with dino kale and castelvetrano olive, and the Spicy Soppressata with salame, tomato, and arugula. Extras are offered such as arugula, castelvetrano olive, red onion, anchovy, or egg, as well as crispy Jamón Serrano and shiitake and oyster mushrooms.

The 'Grano' section includes house-made pasta: Koshihikari rice risotto with dashi, scallops, and Santa Barbara uni butter; frutti di mare with mixed shellfish; seaweed mafaldine with mushrooms and miso butter; lemon ricotta cappellacci with Santa Barbara rock crab and saffron; guinzaglio with 7-hour veal bolognese; and bucatini with pancetta, chile, and crushed tomato.

The 'Convivo' section ('Wood Fired Feast') offers main dishes such as pesce misto mixed grill of seafood, spit-roasted chicken with harissa and charmoula (half or whole), smoked and slow-roasted pork ribs, and grilled bone-in ribeye with cherry tomatoes and chimichurri. They are accompanied by focaccia with basil oil and caciocavallo, condimenti such as kimchi, Roman artichokes, and giardiniera, and marinated 'sott'olio' olives.

Beverages: cocktails, local beers, and wines

The beverage menu includes signature cocktails such as the Bikini Car Wash (watermelon shrub, tequila, basil, bitter bianco, and Chareau), the Jiji Spritz (yuzu and citrus sake, Chinola, and sparkling wine), the Convivo Dirty Martini (Cutler's gin, Italicus, Oso de Oro dry vermouth, and olive), the Social Status (Hendry's vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, rosemary honey syrup, and lemon), the Mojo Jojo (spicy passion fruit tequila, coconut cream, and citrus), the Espresso Martini (Hendry's vodka, Kahlua, and Caffe Luxxe espresso), the East Beach Fog (pecan wood smoke, double rye, Averna amaro, and demerara syrup), and a Manhattan aged 45 days in American oak barrels with High West rye, carpano, and bitters. A special local speakeasy cocktail is also mentioned.

Beers, ciders, and meads include options such as the 'Czech Please' Pilsner from Draughtsman Aleworks (Santa Barbara), the 'Simon' Mexican lager from Validation Ale (Santa Barbara), the 'Chief Peak' IPA from Topa Topa (Ventura), the 'Peaches Be Crazy' peach cider from Single Fin Cider (Santa Barbara), the 'Oasis Outlaw' prickly pear cider from Single Fin Cider, the 'Sun of a Beach' mead from High Seas Mead with pineapple, passion fruit, and guava (Santa Barbara), and the dry hopped cider from Single Fin Cider. For non-drinkers, there are options such as Tankini, Flower Child, Fizzy Miss Lizzy, and Health Club.

The wine-by-the-glass list covers sparkling wines such as Prosecco Rosé DOC Carpene Malvoti and Prosecco Treviso DOC Extra Dry Brut Rebuli; rosé and orange wines such as Grenache-Cinsaut-Mourvèdre from Koehler Winery (Los Olivos), Bombino Nero Rivera 'Pungirosa' from Puglia, and Pinot Grigio Ramato from Primosic (Friuli-Venezia Giulia); whites such as Sauvignon Blanc Mazette 'Mutual Muse' (Santa Ynez Valley), Pinot Grigio Giuseppe & Luigi (Friuli), Aligoté Press Gang Cellars (Santa Barbara County), Vermentino Naeli from Cantine di Dolianova (Sardinia), Malvasia Bianca L.A. Lepiane (Happy Canyon), and Chardonnay Sanguis-WhaleSong (Santa Rita Hills); and reds such as Pinot Noir Brewer-Clifton (Santa Rita Hills), Sanguis 'Verve' (Santa Ynez Valley), Cabernet Sauvignon Grassini 'Articondo' (Happy Canyon), Sangiovese I Lauri (Abruzzo), Rupicolo Rivera (Puglia), and Nebbiolo Langhe Carlo Giacosa 'Maria Grazia' (Piedmont).

Desserts and cheeses

The sweet offerings include lemon tart with meringue and huckleberry sauce, chocolate caramel bar with salted caramel gelato, crème fraîche and pistachio cheesecake with fresh berries, panna cotta with strawberry and shortbread crumble, frutti di bosco, affogato with vanilla gelato, candied hazelnuts, and espresso, and gelato or sorbetto with cantuccini.

The cheese selection is grouped into three categories: soft-ripened cheeses such as Robiola Bosina 'Due Latte' from Caseificio dell'Alta Langa (Italy); blues such as Gorgonzola Dolce DOP from Lombardy; and hard and firm cheeses such as Manchego from La Mancha (Spain) and Idiazabal from the Basque Country (Spain). They are offered in combinations of two, three, or four pieces.

Services and spaces

The restaurant offers takeout and delivery through Grubhub, DoorDash, and Restaurant Connection. It has reservations, specific menus for dinner, beverages, wines, desserts, happy hour, brunch (with its own beverage menu), lunch, breakfast, Thanksgiving Feast, and a poolside menu. It also features private events, its own team, a press section, gift cards, and career opportunities. The site allows subscribing to a newsletter.

Breakfast hours

The stated breakfast hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 11:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 to 10:00.

Location and contact

901 E. Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 · Phone: (805) 845-6789 · Email: reservations@convivorestaurant.com