Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant

Holy smokes. Like… wow. This place is the best, THE BEST, new establishment in Santa Barbara. My boyfriend and I went for the first time yesterday, because we saw that the master sommelier from Somm opened it. Despite the fact that they don’t take reservations (which they shouldn’t, because we wouldn’t have been able to get in for months), the host/​waitresses were super accommodating. We sat at the bar for about 10 min, and then the host came back and told us that he had a table for us outside. They moved our wine and food for us. So polite.
But then beyond just the amazing service and hospitality and ambiance, the place (unsurprisingly) has the best wine selection around. The Grenache rosé was killer. And the cheese selection is to die for. Highly recommend the house-​made salami.
Will definitely go back many times in the future! Welcome to Santa Barbara.

Really love the vibe inside and out of this place. The staff is always friendly and helpful. A wine bar should have knowledgable people and they have this down.
Their charcuterie and frommage plates are lovely and we always enjoy something unique to drink.
Located near the wine ghetto behind the lark, you do feel transported to France here in this cozy spot.

Our favorite place to eat and drink in SB. Top-​notch European wine selection and the food is limited but always delicious, sometimes even better than what they’re serving next door at The Lark! Our only complaint is that we want more food options like when it was first opened! A must-​go if you’re a wino or a foodie.

We wandered into this place after being told we had a two hour wait at The Lark next door. We were seated right away, and found out that the owners and chef are the same as The Lark… we ordered a charcuterie plate and cheese selection, and several wonderful glasses of red wine. Delicious! Nice people, great food, terrific area of Santa Barbara that we had never visited before. Great place to eat after all the wine tasting rooms nearby!

I LOVED it here! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable; they made a great recommendation for a bottle of champagne and were super welcoming to us. I will definitely be back.

When visiting the Funk Zone for good wine in Santa Barbara, this place is a must stop. Their selection of wine is unique and impressive, with a little something for everyone. They serve by the glass or you can buy a bottle, but they will give you a taste if you’re debating between the Cab Sav and Cab Franc. This place was our last stop after a couple of other tastings, and it was the perfect atmosphere to relax and unwind with a glass of good wine before dinner. The service is top notch, too. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly if you have any questions. We got a small appetizer of fried with a dijon chardonnay sauce (yum) and I bet the rest of their dishes are great too. It’s hidden behind The Lark, so a little hard to find, but well worth it. Great atmosphere, great service, and great wine. What’s better than that? ;)

Love this place. The charcuterie and cheese selection is amazing. They did a great job pairing it with interesting wine. A great stop before heading next door to The Lark for dinner.

Love the ambience of this place, warm but modern. Stopped in for a glass of wine, bartenders were nice and attentive. Wish they offered flights of wine but still enjoyed our glass.

Excellent experience today. Had a group of five wine professionals and arrived at 4pm. Staff was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
The cheese plate was delicious, my morgon beaujolais was incredible, and the selection of aperitifs/​digestifs/​dessert wines exceeded expectations.

By the bottle or glass… large selection… nice people… cool vibe… come by with friends… have fun

Since one of the owners is a master sommelier who served as the subject-​matter for SOMM, the wine-aficionado’s documentary about becoming a professional sommelier, you can — and should — expect great things. Offering a veritable library of wines, Les Marchands combines upscale industrial edge with charming rustic wooden touches for an atmosphere that is truly singular in Santa Barbara. The quiet, dimly lit wine room is comfortable and classy in a way that puts you immediately at ease to enjoy your wine selections in what can only be described as a wine lover’s paradise. Indulge in a full meal or appetizers (perfectly paired with wine recommendations, obviously) or simply stop by for a glass (or two) of wine over some sparkling conversation. As for the wine list … it speaks for itself. Not to be missed.

I love this place! I want to move in!
There are lots of places to drink wine on the Urban Wine Trail or in the Funk Zone but I believe Les Marchands Wine Bar is a «must do». Their wine selection isn’t focused on local wines, but it is worth your time. A lot of their wine and beer selection is imported with high quality. I had gone to several stops on the urban wine trail and funk zone and was very disappointed by the quality of the wines. When I went to Les Marchands I ordered a Resiling and I was very impressed. I also tried an imported beer and it was very refreshing. Their prices are higher than the other wine bars in town but the quality is much higher. It was worth every menu.
Not only was I impressed by their alcohol, I loved their décor! It was rustic chic. It is a great place to meet up with your girl friends or go on a date.
I will definitely come back again! I can’t wait to try their food!

Wonderful as a store and a wine bar.
The selection of high quality bottles here (most under 100 $) is superb. Their by the glass offerings are also impressive. A young somm was very helpful in recommending bottles to me.
Looking forward to my next visit.

My husband and I came here on a Sunday afternoon to an extremely crowded patio area, but we opted for the indoor bar. The indoor ambiance here is absolutely gorgeous. I was immediately blown away by the walls of wine and the cool lighting.
The wine bar doesn’t really do tastings, but we were offered any wines by the glass at half a pour and half the cost. More European based wines, which was a little disappointing since I wanted to try more Central Coast wines, but the selections were great. We also ordered a bite to eat and it was delicious! A great spot to hang out during an afternoon or evening. I really wish I could try their «after 5pm» menu.

What a hidden gem! Next door to Lark and with the same owners and chef, this is a fantastic little wine bar and shop. Wine is more European in style with higher acid, food friendly and none of the overdone ripe fruit!
Cheese plate was really well put together and the Hanger steak was tender and delicious. The food was executed to perfection and a great complement to the wines. The staff really know their wine, so don’t be shy to ask for direction.

As a couple of L.A. eastsiders with frequent cause to come up to Santa Barbara, Matt B. and I are pretty happy with the development of the Funk Zone. We’ve been swinging by this part of town almost every time we visit for the last year and a half or so, and we enjoy the vibe – it’s in that hipster/​yuppie sweet spot, the same one we inhabit at home. Matt grew up in Santa Barbara and was mildly weirded out when we visited Les Marchands and saw an Über pull up to the block.
We came in at 8:30 on a Sunday, looking to drink and grab a light dinner. The place was charming, tucked into a quiet little alley behind Lark. The space was small and busy, though not crowded. We had a short wait for a table, during which we got wine and browsed.
Les Marchands is, per its name, both a wine bar and a merchant, with about half of the space dedicated to each. We didn’t buy anything from the store side, but we took a look, and I liked the set-​up. There weren’t a lot of bottles in the under-​$ 20 range, but there were a lot between $ 30 and $ 50, kind of a sweet spot for gift wines and fancy wine nights at home. The selection looked good, not that I have any expertise. The bottles were nicely displayed.
The bar area was busy, but we were able to order glasses from the hostess/​waitress when she saw us waiting. She ended up helping us throughout our meal and was pretty attentive and pleasant. Service was on the slow side – mostly, it took a while for things to come out – but we didn’t mind, given the setting and the wine. We tried four different red wines by the glass over the course of our visit. (There were flights available, but we were in the mood for red wine, and there was only one red wine flight so it made sense to order by the glass.) We had a listán negro, a cabernet franc, and two pinot noirs. They were all very tasty, particularly the pinots. None of them came cheap, I will say. Those pinots were $ 18 and $ 19 a glass. Standard pours. Funk Zone, sure, but Les Marchands is still in a very Affluent Zone.
The food was delicious. Les Marchands doesn’t feel like a restaurant (like I’m not sure where they put the kitchen?) but it offers a nightly menu with a healthy selection of bites. Matt and I shared cheese and charcuterie boards, plus a pot of pickled vegetables and a bowl of corn chowder. The cheese and charcuterie were exactly what we wanted for our wine bar date night. We got five nice hunks of cheese – sottocenere, Terra goat cheese, Marin triple crème brie, Big Rock blue, and something called «Breakfast cheese” – accompanied by dried apricots, pistachios, raisins, and homemade raspberry preserves. The charcuterie portion consisted of finocchiona, soppressata, nduja, and a salami aged in herbs. Some of these were housemade, not sure which ones, and they all came with olives, mustard, and pickled vegetables – a mix of broccoli, onion, and red pepper. (At one point, our server asked if I was writing down what she said, and I said yes, and as long as I was already embarrassed, would she mind repeating a couple things?) Everything on this giant board was fantastic. We ate it with hunks of crusty bread and our extra portion of farmer’s market pickles. This was probably superfluous, but I enjoyed the cauliflower and carrot in addition to the pickles that were repeated from the board. The single brussels sprout leaves were not my favorite, though, and I did miss my standard cucumber pickles. I let Matt go to town on more of the meat and cheese, and rounded out my meal with the corn chowder, which was made with housemade chorizo, English peas, rock crab broth, and cilantro. This was superb. The chowder was silky and deeply flavorful, loaded with corn and crab (none of the meat, but all of the essence). The peas and chorizo were wonderful bites that added nice bursts of texture. The chorizo was also super tasty in its own right.
Dinner ended up being a neat little expenditure, but it was definitely worthwhile. I loved the wine and food and atmosphere, and would recommend Les Marchands for any casually luxurious night in Santa Barbara.

My husband wanted to come check this place out after we found out that the one who won the title of master sommelier in the documentary film «SOMM» we recently saw, was the owner here.
We came in the evening before dinner at the Lark next door. Cute little wine bar with a variety of wines by the glass and bottles for sale. Our friendly hostess let us choose our seats.
Surprisingly, they carried wines from all over the world, not just local. They had small bites and some appetizers as well.
My husband and I both ordered a glass of wine, but for some reason, it took 15 minutes to get it so that was an unpleasant wait. I had a glass of French Sauvignon Blanc. Crispy summer wine.
Overall, a great place to come on a date or mingle with friends! Come for a drink and a bite!

Stopped by this cool wine bar for drinks and snacks before dinner a couple of weeks ago.
Ordered the chips & onion dip as well as the charcuterie board and a bottle of rose.
The chips were pretty thick and not too salty. The onion dip was appropriately chunky.
The charcuterie board had 3 good meats and a shmear of delicious mustard. Wish there had been more of the mustard, though!
Service was fine, no complaints or raves. The high-​top tables are pretty close together, so in order for people to get in and out to go to the restroom, they have to squeeze between chairs and/​or behind people. May not be an ideal situation for the majority of average-​sized Americans, if you catch my drift.
I would definitely come by again the next time I am in SB! I am curious about their ramen and bao. seems like something kind of random to serve at this hip wine bar in SB.

I read that if you don’t want to drive up to wine country, the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara is a nice place to go wine tasting.
I loved the look and feel of the place once I walked in. Half of the store is a wine shop and the other half is a tasting room.
Recently stopped by for a glass of wine after reading that the owner is Master Sommelier, Brian McClintic. I knew that the wine selection here would be top notch under the direction of a Master Sommelier. Brian McClintic was also featured in the documentary, Somm.
After reviewing the menu, I asked for advice on their current fave and best value on the menu and was recommended to try the gamay selection from Beujolais, France.
They also serve food if you’re looking for something to eat wtih your wine —

A lovely place to stop by at the tasting bar alone or with some friends. I would definitely return again whenever I’m in Santa Barbara.

Yet another tasting room or to be more specific THREE tasting rooms in the Funk Zone.
The space is fresh and looks quickly put together. I am not giving them five stars for what it as much as what it will become! Other businesses will be opening in this space. I heard rumor of a great bread company as well as other things. A mini public market so-​to-​speak.
They offer wines from Lieu Dit, Tyler and Vallin! Never heard of them? Not surprising. They are all small batch wines. At least at the moment.