Crocodile Restaurant & Bar
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Crocodile Restaurant & Bar
The Crocodile Restaurant is one of the finest places to relax and rejuvenate. The Atmosphere and Decor are Modern Italian and Californian. Hidden just off the Lobby in The Lemon Tree Inn, Crocodile has become Santa Barbara's Secret Local's Haunt. Clientele watch the Chef in Action and Fire from our Display Kitchen as our crew creates delicious and Tantalizing Fare.

At The Cocktail Bar you can discretely catch up with conversation and drinks and enjoy sports or other features on our High-Definition televisions. Dining is also available outdoors, or in our Bar area. In addition to our menus found on the Website pages, Our Chef creates Daily extra menu items to take advantage of the availability of local produce and seafood Seasonally.
Services
Since opening in 1996, Crocodile Restaurant and Bar has been serving the best food in town. Our relaxed upscale California styled Restaurant and Bar is well known for its fun ambiance, spacious modern dining room, tropical patio views, fine Italian cuisine, and attentive service. On State Street in stunning Santa Barbara, California, Crocodile Restaurant and Bar is happy to serve you every day of the year.
Our Bar is a great place to unwind and grab gourmet meal. We stock some of the finest Liquors, Wines and Beers available. All our Bartenders create from scratch, and welcome your special request for Libations. Our growing list of California wines are hand selected to bring you the greatness that our Local wines are famous for.
Let us greet you with Inviting warmth and seat you to savory aromas in our newly renovated dining room. Our open indoor layout boasts modern elegance and sophisticated charm. Our spacious floor plan offers intimacy for romantic diners, comfort for family gatherings and relaxation for large group reservations.
Full Catering and Liquor service. Our standard cuisine is Italian-Californian, but our chefs are well trained in many different cuisines and can adapt to your culinary needs. Food and Beverage service for Business Meetings, Receptions and other Events can be arranged in advance through our Food and Beverage Manager.
Our rooftop patio with adjacent 2nd floor Conference room and Hospitality Suite is perfect for a variety of uses. The Rooftop offers views of our Tropical Courtyard and the Mountains and has great access from our Guest Rooms and Parking area via stairs and Elevators. Our Lobby Elevator serves this patio directly affording privacy and control for your event with the added convenience of close access to the Crocodile Restaurant, Bar and our Lobby.
Reviews (24)
Christine M.
Christine M.
Jan 29, 2022
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The Crocodile never disappoints. Whether it's drinks and dinner or simply appetizers, ambiance and cuisine are always top notch at this local favorite spot
Justin Rizzo-Weaver
Justin Rizzo-Weaver
Jan 26, 2022
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One of very few remaining reasonably priced hotels near the heart of Santa Barbara. Old-fashioned, clean, basic rooms provide the needed amenities for a safe-and-sound stay.
Kathy F.
Kathy F.
Jan 21, 2022
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This place is the best. Delicious food. Beautifully presented. Fair prices.
We come often and will continue to do so.
Never had a bad meal. The waiters are alway polite, courteous and helpful.
Ed Keim
Ed Keim
Jan 07, 2022
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On our first night at our freshly "cleaned room" we found a bath towel wadded up underneath our pillows on the bed. This means that the sheets and pillowcases were not changed since the last guest.
It was late and we weren't in the mood to call and wait for someone come and do their job at 10pm; we brought a can of Lysol and sprayed the pillows, sheets, and headboard liberally. We ARE in a COVID pandemic and most hotels are adhering to strict cleaning protocols however the Lemon Tree doesn't appear to be performing even basic cleaning and laundering between guests.
The headboard and dresser also
Arpit Kumar
Arpit Kumar
Dec 27, 2021
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The hotel walls are paper thin. You can practically hear everything that is being talked in the next room. The toilet flush makes noise of an aeroplane takeoff. The bed is a springboard and makes a creaking noise at every single turn. The rooms have a damp smell. The air conditioner boils the room even at low heat. Only good thing was that they allowed us to cancel the booking after a nights stay. One star for that.
Jose Tony P.
Jose Tony P.
Dec 22, 2021
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Smelled nice, like bbq, when I was checking in lobby. Restaurant is right next to the lobby. Came in next morning for quick bite to eat. Ordered pancakes, eggs over easy, banana bread, coffee, and a shot of espresso. Coffee was nice and bold for those who love coffee! Espresso was a hearty portion size! Pancakes were thin and tasty, eggs were cooked just right! Dining room was spacious, clean, cozy, and ritzy! Staff was courteous and friendly! One thing only, they needed to refill hand sanitizer dispensers, but I carry my own spray wherever I go. Rooms are comfy, clean, and lots of lemon trees
Vivian Liu
Vivian Liu
Dec 22, 2021
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The hotel looked plain (reminiscent of a motel) when we parked, but once we went inside it was really nice! We explored the hotel and it was gorgeous. They also had lots of lemon trees growing extremely large and yellow lemons, and when we asked if we could pick some they said yes! The room was quaint and cozy, but not extremely clean. I noticed some stains in the bathroom, on the bedsheets, and the towels, and a few holes in the curtains. However, everything else was great!
Michael Williams
Michael Williams
Nov 24, 2021
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The Crocodile Bar is a favorite of ours, we will return most likely on a regular basis for breakfast, the menu offers lots to choose from, prices are reasonable and everything we ordered was great!
Service was ok, but, I can't complain because I know the industry is lacking employees. So we just try not to be negative about it.
We are locals and did not stay over at the Lemon Tree.
Maggie Firks
Maggie Firks
Nov 19, 2021
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We had a most delightful 3 night stay here, and loved everything about this magical gem of a place! So unique and beautiful and fun.
Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable.
The pool is amazing - a warm lush tropical Oasis vibe that makes the coolest central courtyard-style area.
We were on the ground floor, pool-side, and it was so impressive how private our patio area was due to the beautiful surrounding plants.
The bar is awesome too. Good drinks, great service, super cool atmosphere.
It was our first time in Santa Barbara, but we will definitely be back, and we will always stay here
Tracy Browning
Tracy Browning
Nov 04, 2021
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Spent one night at this inn with my daughter over our mother-daughter weekend in central CA and Santa Barbara. My first impression of the facility was positive as the lobby was very clean and attractive. The person at the desk was professional. After we walked into our room we were pleased that it was a large space with a lot of room to spread out, even though it was old and outdated and there was a strong musty smell mixed with cleaning solution. Our mouths dropped as soon as we looked in the bathroom. The floors were heavily stained and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a very long while
Derek Wurst
Derek Wurst
Oct 25, 2021
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Rooms are nice for the most part. Fridge in the room is quite small, good enough for a few drinks. There is no microwave available in the room. Noticed either mold or just dirt in the bathroom. There's no plugs by the nightstand to charge your phone, had to find it behind the bed. They have a restaurant on site, have been unable to try it so far. Breakfast is only available in restaurant, there's no free breakfast
John P.
John P.
Oct 25, 2021
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My favorite go to place in Santa Barbara for over 20 years...Breakfast, Lunch and always Dinners. Their new Tiki bar is awesome..
Joe Fournier
Joe Fournier
Oct 19, 2021
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Booked the room a month ahead of time for 5 nights and upon check in they informed me that there would be no room service cleaning and if we need towels or bedding to ask at front desk and they would give them to you to make and clean your own room. What? You pay a lot of money and they won’t even clean your room? Plus water pressure is extremely low, no one at the front desk to check out which we could not pay cash we wanted to. Also asked to be moved to different room due to babies next door with very thin walls. Of course not moms or babies fault. They said they no rooms available for the
Ej Q.
Ej Q.
Oct 05, 2021
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Great patio courtyard within the hotel grounds by the pool. Quiet and very pretty. My wife and I split the caprese salad and it was excellent, I also ordered the filet mignon medium rare. It came out medium-well done but was edible. They have a very nice selection of wines by the glass.
Sergio Gonzalez
Sergio Gonzalez
Sep 18, 2021
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This place is awesome. It is a hidden gem. We love the accommodations and the pool. It's really convenient to have a restaurant/bar on the premises. The menu and food are pretty good but the one knock would be how slow they are to deliver the food to your table. Other than the wait for the food, this place is awesome! Highly recommended this place!
D. D.
D. D.
Aug 18, 2021
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Husband and I had a charming dinner when we stayed at the hotel. I decided to go for breakfast the next morning while my husband had surgery around the corner. Half of everything went wrong. My pancake was burnt. Where was the fresh fruit from the menu? So I asked for a new pancake and the fruit. I then got a strawberry pancake. Um no. So that one was replaced as well. The fresh fruit was another disappointment because the blueberries were rotten. I ate around them. An hour into this mess and the staff said they would offer half off. Then the manager came along and comped it and then offered to
Lin Q.
Lin Q.
Aug 04, 2021
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WOW! I've been coming to Santa Barbara for years and didn't know about this gem. In town for a party on upper state street this weekend and stayed at the Lemon Tree. This restaurant is charming.....lovely atmosphere - really, really good food (we had both lunch and breakfast) and very nice service. Our server for lunch, Alex, could not have been more attentive. I had a pizza, which was very good (shared with my daughter, enough for two) -everyone else at the table was happy with their choices. Breakfast.....EGGS SARDOU - DELICIOUS. We will be back
Courtney M.
Courtney M.
Jun 17, 2021
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Quite possibly the best pizza I've had in Santa Barbara. Drinks aren't bad either. Customer service on point. Overall experience was fantastic! Definitely a hidden gem that I've been meaning to try since moving this direction!
Mary Ann B.
Mary Ann B.
May 03, 2021
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Average. Just average. We ordered the pork chop, wedge salad and clam chowder. The salad tasted a little strange, almost off-putting, just odd. The chop was mediocre and the vegetables on the plate were almost a waste of time, bland and boring. The soup was pretty good but the clams were pretty chewy. The portion sizes were pretty healthy, but the rating here is for the ambiance and friendly service. Overall the food is fine if you don't want to leave the hotel but for an area so renowned for it's food, like SB is, this restaurant is average amongst its peers.
Marji J.
Marji J.
Apr 14, 2021
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I'm bummed with tonight's order thru Grub Hub. I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Salmon and it was dry with no wine sauce as posted. I've ordered this dish in the past as it's usually fantastic. I stopped ordering it as this was an issue with last two orders. I thought I'd give it another try. No change. I even called the restaurant in the past to question the difference in cooking method. I won't be ordering this ever again.
Luis A.
Luis A.
Apr 09, 2021
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The food was spectacular! The staff was amazing and friendly, there were 4 of us and we all were pretty happy with the service and food. The ambiance is super chill some just hanging out by the heater/bonfires and drinking. They also had a giant chess board that was a lot of fun.
Jennie T.
Jennie T.
Mar 23, 2021
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What a lovely surprise is was to find this place! Friends invited us, and at first I was skeptical. The hotel front is modest, but the outdoor seating and fireplaces once you enter are fabulous! So perfect for safe, distanced dining! And the food options are impressive. Everything from pizza to lovely formal dinners. I highly recommend! Don't miss this Santa Barbara hidden gem!
Samara C.
Samara C.
Feb 16, 2021
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Great service, food and drink.
Overall good experience, except for when women verbally attacked me, because she felt I was being loud. When I complained to the staff they said the manager would call me. Never heard back from them.
I thought wow here is a place for my boyfriend and me, but not so sure now.
Caroline S.
Caroline S.
Feb 03, 2021
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This place was so lovely! The outdoor seating was fantastic - lush tropical trees, private fire pits and gas heaters for each area made it especially comfortable. There was no one sitting near us which made eating out during COVID that much more doable. I ordered the lemon asparagus penne with chicken which was delicious. We also had the white pizza and flourless chocolate cake which were wonderful, too.