Was nice to see a busy restaurant! Good that we reserved a booth! Had cocktails and an appetizer first, calamari . Drinks were quite good. Calamari was served hot with a crunch and nice dipping sauce. A little pricey. Took a few times to get the other place settings to our table . And bread was late but out entrees came quickly and served hot. Highly recommend the chicken piccata. Spaghetti and meatballs not so much. We brought a bottle of wine and paid a corkage fee $25, which is average. Waiter was pleasant but pretty busy. Arnoldi's is an icon here in Santa Barbara , and good to see it still going strong. Fun atmosphere!
Peter
Arnoldi's is one of our favorite places to eat. The food and service are consistently very good. The feel of Anoldi's is like dining with favored family or friends. We'll be back for more!
Al
This place has been terrific for years. Even after the change of hands, it remains a wonderful place to dine in Santa Barbara. Greetings are quick and helpful. Service is excellent from everyone who helps at the table. Food is excellent in terms of quality and price. Thank you for continuing to keep this place awesome.
leslie
The food is excellent. Old School Italian with very large portions. The ambiance is quite casual-not exactly a "fine dining" experience-but we very much enjoy it. The service is very nice and attentive. It happened to be quite crowded because there was an outdoor event-so inside was tight.
Jan
We got an email offer for a complimentary appetizer and drink at a time we were ready for a dinner out. Arnoldi's is a an iconic Santa Barbara restaurant; the food is old-school classic, but well prepared and VERY generous. We would have been happy splitting a plate. Best of all was the Burrata in Corozza, our appetizer choice.
Debbie
Chicken Picata was very good. Focaccia bread fresh and good. Good selection of wine and drinks. Valet parking included.
moss
It was nice sitting on the patio. People were playing bocce. The food was 4+ and the service was great!
Minda
We've been going to Arnoldi‘s for multiple generations, the new owners have updated it in a way that still feels like it always has but its more inviting and has a fresh new feel!
Rachel
The best birthday party/experience at Arnoldi's! They were so incredibly accommodating and had excellent service. Can't wait to go back!
Laura
Arnoldi's was just what we wanted—good Italian comfort food in a lively, festive atmosphere. We were here the night before Thanksgiving and the happy crowd and fun, bustling dining room created a sense of holiday warmth. The food was tasty and generous, and we enjoyed spaghetti bolognese, Milanese de pollo, calamari and more—all of which hit the spot. Seasonal cocktails were a real treat! Service was attentive even with the busy dining room. We love Arnoldis!
I went here to celebrate my birthday, hoping for a special evening, but I left genuinely disappointed. The service was fine and the atmosphere was pleasant, but the food completely ruined the experience. The gnocchi were bland and tasteless and the steak was burnt. When we asked for it to be replaced, the second steak came out burnt as well. At that point it felt like no care was being put into the food at all. It was not only unpleasant to eat but also concerning from a health standpoint. I didn’t even want to stay for dessert. What should have been a special celebration ended up feeling frustrating and ruined. I truly expected better, especially for a birthday dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Anna
I went here to celebrate my birthday, hoping for a special evening, but I left genuinely disappointed. The service was fine and the atmosphere was pleasant, but the food completely ruined the experience. The gnocchi were bland and tasteless and the steak was burnt. When we asked for it to be replaced, the second steak came out burnt as well. At that point it felt like no care was being put into the food at all. It was not only unpleasant to eat but also concerning from a health standpoint. I didn't even want to stay for dessert. The meal made my birthday feel anything but special and I left wishing I had celebrated somewhere else.
C.J.
If you're craving a classic spaghetti with Bolognese in Santa Barbara, Arnoldi's Café is a strong choice. The sauce has great flavor and a nice amount of beef, the pasta is well-prepared, the portion generous. The gnocchi and chicken parm are also very good. The ambiance is lively and the service is friendly.
Erinn
Outstanding/kind service and a beautiful evening celebrating our son's 18th birthday! Food was amazing and ambiance was very special. Perfect all around, we hope to be back soon, thank you!
Adriana Sweigart
we had 3 extra people in our party and they were able to accommodate us (on valentine’s day mind you) & the food was 10/10 and we had a great time.
Was nice to see a busy restaurant! Good that we reserved a booth! Had cocktails and an appetizer first, calamari . Drinks were quite good. Calamari was served hot with a crunch and nice dipping sauce. A little pricey. Took a few times to get the other place settings to our table . And bread was late but out entrees came quickly and served hot. Highly recommend the chicken piccata. Spaghetti and meatballs not so much. We brought a bottle of wine and paid a corkage fee $25, which is average. Waiter was pleasant but pretty busy. Arnoldi's is an icon here in Santa Barbara , and good to see it still going strong. Fun atmosphere!
Arnoldi's is one of our favorite places to eat. The food and service are consistently very good. The feel of Anoldi's is like dining with favored family or friends. We'll be back for more!
This place has been terrific for years. Even after the change of hands, it remains a wonderful place to dine in Santa Barbara. Greetings are quick and helpful. Service is excellent from everyone who helps at the table. Food is excellent in terms of quality and price. Thank you for continuing to keep this place awesome.
The food is excellent. Old School Italian with very large portions. The ambiance is quite casual-not exactly a "fine dining" experience-but we very much enjoy it. The service is very nice and attentive. It happened to be quite crowded because there was an outdoor event-so inside was tight.
We got an email offer for a complimentary appetizer and drink at a time we were ready for a dinner out. Arnoldi's is a an iconic Santa Barbara restaurant; the food is old-school classic, but well prepared and VERY generous. We would have been happy splitting a plate. Best of all was the Burrata in Corozza, our appetizer choice.
Chicken Picata was very good. Focaccia bread fresh and good. Good selection of wine and drinks. Valet parking included.
It was nice sitting on the patio. People were playing bocce. The food was 4+ and the service was great!
We've been going to Arnoldi‘s for multiple generations, the new owners have updated it in a way that still feels like it always has but its more inviting and has a fresh new feel!
The best birthday party/experience at Arnoldi's! They were so incredibly accommodating and had excellent service. Can't wait to go back!
Arnoldi's was just what we wanted—good Italian comfort food in a lively, festive atmosphere. We were here the night before Thanksgiving and the happy crowd and fun, bustling dining room created a sense of holiday warmth. The food was tasty and generous, and we enjoyed spaghetti bolognese, Milanese de pollo, calamari and more—all of which hit the spot. Seasonal cocktails were a real treat! Service was attentive even with the busy dining room. We love Arnoldis!
Restaurantji Recommends
I went here to celebrate my birthday, hoping for a special evening, but I left genuinely disappointed. The service was fine and the atmosphere was pleasant, but the food completely ruined the experience. The gnocchi were bland and tasteless and the steak was burnt. When we asked for it to be replaced, the second steak came out burnt as well. At that point it felt like no care was being put into the food at all. It was not only unpleasant to eat but also concerning from a health standpoint. I didn’t even want to stay for dessert.
What should have been a special celebration ended up feeling frustrating and ruined. I truly expected better, especially for a birthday dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
I went here to celebrate my birthday, hoping for a special evening, but I left genuinely disappointed. The service was fine and the atmosphere was pleasant, but the food completely ruined the experience. The gnocchi were bland and tasteless and the steak was burnt. When we asked for it to be replaced, the second steak came out burnt as well. At that point it felt like no care was being put into the food at all. It was not only unpleasant to eat but also concerning from a health standpoint. I didn't even want to stay for dessert. The meal made my birthday feel anything but special and I left wishing I had celebrated somewhere else.
If you're craving a classic spaghetti with Bolognese in Santa Barbara, Arnoldi's Café is a strong choice. The sauce has great flavor and a nice amount of beef, the pasta is well-prepared, the portion generous. The gnocchi and chicken parm are also very good. The ambiance is lively and the service is friendly.
Outstanding/kind service and a beautiful evening celebrating our son's 18th birthday! Food was amazing and ambiance was very special. Perfect all around, we hope to be back soon, thank you!
we had 3 extra people in our party and they were able to accommodate us (on valentine’s day mind you) & the food was 10/10 and we had a great time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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