LOKUM

lokum does the dessert-and-coffee combination without making it feel like a gimmick. that's harder than it sounds. state street in santa barbara gives you a lot of options, but most of them ask you to choose between a good drink and something worth eating alongside it. here, you don't have to make that call. the focus stays tight, which tends to be a sign that a place actually knows what it's doing rather than spreading itself thin across a menu built to please everyone. locals have caught on, and the reputation has held. if you're going once, go in the afternoon, when a coffee and something sweet from the dessert side of things makes the most sense together.