What to eat, drink and do in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone

You don’t need to have watched Sideways, the 2004 comedy-drama about a week-long, booze-fuelled road trip, to know that Santa Barbara is one of the most interesting and diverse wine-growing regions in the world.

What’s a better kept secret is the county’s eclectic Funk Zone. This 10-block arts district, adjacent to the ocean and brimming with chic tasting rooms, hip restaurants and colourful murals, is fast becoming Santa Barbara’s most happening neighbourhood.

Forget driving between acres of vineyards, all you need for an urban wine trail through the Funk Zone is a pair of flat shoes…

Drink

Rosé-tinted glasses at Pali Wine Company (Pali Wine Company)

Best known for its chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah, Santa Barbara has six wine grape-growing regions (AVAs). Get your bearings by starting at The Valley Project (thevalleyprojectwines.com), which offers a stellar selection of small-batch wines and has a handy chalk-drawn map on the wall. Pali Wine Company (paliwineco.com) next door is a must for pinot noir and has a cool outdoor terrace, as does the new tasting room of The Margerum Wine Company (margerumwines.com) located at the dreamy Hotel Californian. Included on the menu here are Santa Barbara County Rhône Blends, Riviera Rosé and sauvignon blanc (of which Barack Obama is a fan!). Margerum also does a mean cheeseboard.

Generally, you don’t need to book to visit a tasting room and you can expect to pay $15 to sample five wines, unless you purchase an Urban Wine Trail Membership Card (which gets you free tastings throughout Santa Barbara and would be better suited to a longer stay).

The Funk Zone champions more than wine. Head to vibrant arts community space The Waterline (waterlinesb.com) for craft beers at Lama Dog Tap Room and Topa Topa Brewing Co, or check out Test Pilot (testpilotcocktails.com) if your tastes are more Tiki-shaped.

Eat

Reservations are a must for the Funk Zone’s buzziest restaurant but you won’t regret investing an evening at The Lark (thelarksb.com) — its seasonal, sharing menu is a love letter to the farms (heirloom tomato panzanella), ocean (Pacific gold oysters) and ranches (Kurobuta pork belly) of Santa Barbara County. With chic lighting, vintage furniture and hand-crafted cocktails, it’s as fun to hang out in as the name might suggest.

Looking for something less formal but just as vibey? Pull up a pew at the counter in stylish Spanish tapas restaurant Loquita (loquitasb.com) or head to the newest and quirkiest restaurant in town, Tyger Tyger (tygertygersb.com) for Thai-Vietnamese street food like banh mi and DIY summer rolls. In the same spot, you’ll find Asian soft-serve ice cream Monkeyshine and local speciality roaster Dart Coffee. Also new and slightly further afield (but definitely worth it for the pepperoni pizza with Ojai wildflower honey) is Bettina (bettinapizzeria.com), which sources its ingredients from the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Markets.

Do

If you happen to time your visit with the third Friday of the month (the next one is November 15), The Funk Zone Art Walk (artsfundsb.org/funk-zone-art-walk) will certainly give you an overview of the area’s appeal as a whole. Between 5pm to 8pm, art receptions and lectures, live music and — of course — wine tastings take over venues across the district. But this is not essential to appreciating The Funk Zone; lots of boutiques champion local artists and have in-house galleries which make for inspiring browsing at any time.

Chilling out on State Street, SB (Mark Weber)

Love vintage? The Blue Door (thebluedoorsb.com) is three stories of mid-century furniture, antique finds and second-hand clothes. Head to The Shopkeepers (theshopkeepers-sb.com) for “Curious Goods for Curious People” and find a treasure trove of eccentric gems, and check out the shiny new surf-inspired flagship store for Cali shoe brand SeeVees. The Seaside Makers Collective (seasidemakers.com), meanwhile, doesn’t just sell local Grapeseed Co products, it has an interactive scent bar where you can take your wine “tasting” to the next level.

Stay

There’s a good reason Santa Barbara was nicknamed “The American Riviera” and the Funk Zone’s finest-looking hotels are a fitting reminder. The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the 121-room Spanish Colonial Revival style Hotel Californian (hotelcalifornian.com) with panoramic views of the ocean, but more newsworthy is the recent influx of boutique hotels, design-driven but with personal touches for a more home-away-from-home experience. The Hideaway (hideawaysantabarbara.com), from the Kirkwood Collection, is a luxury nine-room property set in a 1908 California Craftsman bungalow with Apple TV, champagne on arrival and complimentary home-cooked breakfasts. Opt for its sister hotel, Blue Sands Inn (bluesandsinn.com) if you’d rather have a pool and be nearer the sea.

Bungalow living at The Hideaway (Hideaway Santa Barbara)