28 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Barbara

“Took our youngest for her 16th and the staff was exceptional, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was delicious! Thank you!“

“Still thinking about this incredible California pasta from our Santa Barbara stop 🤍
Fresh, vibrant, and perfectly balanced — every bite tasted like sunshine, ocean breeze, and pure comfort all in one. The sauce was light but full of flavor, the ingredients tasted unbelievably fresh, and the portion was just right.

One of those meals you wish you could relive again and again. Definitely a must-try if you’re ever in town“

“delicious food great service. Victoria was so welcoming and made my family feel welcomed. servers were on top of things👍🙂😁😉“

“Almost Instant pasta with your choice of sauces. Fast and good! I had Angel hair pasta with Tomato-meat sauce and mushrooms. You also get toast with the meal. My wife had chicken piccata and parmesano Garlic knot rolls. All was delicious.“

“The pasta was amazing and so fresh! The tuna wrapped in prosciutto appetizer was so delicious 😋! You must try it.“

“Excellent restaurant, cozy atmosphere, quality ingredients“

“Great location, good food, but do NOT order limoncello. It is their own production they say. But tastes like bad wodka. For the rest we will be back. Piet & Annette“

“We visited Marisella for Valentine’s Day dinner and were fortunate to secure an 8:45 p.m. reservation. From the moment you pull into the circular drive for valet at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, the experience feels elevated. After being directed through the property to the back where the restaurant is located, we were greeted warmly and seated promptly at a table that was ready and waiting for us.

For Valentine’s Day, they offered a curated four-course menu rather than à la carte ordering. The courses were well executed and thoughtfully paced. I have a fruit allergy, and the staff was very mindful of that, which I appreciated. Accommodations were handled professionally without making it feel like an inconvenience.

Service was somewhat mixed. Our primary waitress seemed informal and borderline overwhelmed throughout the evening. In contrast, the support staff—runners, bussers, and cocktail servers—were polished, attentive, and proactive. At times, they felt more engaged than our assigned server.

The food itself was excellent. Everything we had was flavorful and well presented. The wine list was strong, which is not surprising given the property’s location and reputation. There are plenty of higher-end selections available. The exclusive cocktail menu, however, is fairly small. They can certainly make anything you request, but if you are hoping for a large selection of signature house cocktails, you may find it limited.

Overall, it was a very good experience, especially for a major holiday evening. I would absolutely return and look forward to visiting again on a non-holiday night to see how the restaurant performs under more typical conditions.“

“It was incredible! Wait staff is great and it had an incredible ambience! The food was delicious!!!“

“Was so good. We loved having dinner under the olive trees. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Great service, great food. And it’s in Santa Barbara!“

“Great place great vibe! We stopped for a quick drink coming back again next in Santa Barbara“

“Stopped in on a whim after seeing the glowing reviews and we were not disappointed! The pizza slices are rather large and a whole pizza is fairly typically priced for Santa Barbara. There is ample comfortable seating to choose from once you place your order at the counter.

The crust on their regular pizzas is thin, chewy and delicious. The toppings were excellent as well with a variety of meat and or vegetarian options as well as one vegan option. We ordered the garlic knots,(delicious and very pillowy), Lemon Mushroom pizza (creamy and light with just the right amount of zing from the lemon) and the Sausage #1 (very well balanced). We split the cookie for dessert and it was rich and delicious. We will definitely be back again to try other pizzas! Would recommend popping in!“

“The weekday sampler menu was fabulous! It gave just enough of everything to serve two people and everything was delicious! Dessert was scoops of vanilla and chocolate gelato. The waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and the staff was accommodating and friendly.“

“We went because we saw you on Diner Drive in and Dives. We've always we wanted to try a restaurant previewed on this show but they were all back east or mid west to far for dinner. So when we saw this In our own back yard we were in. Amazing food great atmosphere staff impressive and cocktails yummy too. Some many great options too. DEFINITELY coming back. thanks Bettina.😘“

“Rude employees. Asked for a table outside because we had our baby asleep on the stroller and wanted to have space for him, they wanted to put us inside and told us take that or nothing. Couldn’t believe it, but plenty of other places out there with nice and well trained staff!“

“Excellent food and friendly people. Please support this amazing man’s business“

“One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had and most certainly in the Santa Barbara area. The base was amazing and beautifully crisp and airy. You could taste the quality from the base, cheese and tomatoes. I would love to try their different pizzas as they had a great selection on their menu, I was very impressed. Great atmosphere with outdoor setting perfect for a pint and pizza! 🍕🍻“

“The pasta was amazing and so fresh! The tuna wrapped in prosciutto appetizer was so delicious 😋! You must try it.“

“Good Evening, Uncle Rocco's pizza is an Excellent and Amazing Establishment. And there open Late nights for those Knightowls. The bread is Crisp and the ingredients are fresh and tasty. The atmosphere is relaxing, there's plenty of seats and wheelchair access and tables are present. The lighting is low and there's also a Bar and multiple T.V.'S with an array of shows. I would highly recomend this place as top shelf, and the Employees deserve a raise and a promotion. Thank You, and Respects.“

“The pizzas are so delicious!!“

“We ordered the cheese pizza with extra cheese and garlic for my son's birthday and it was a big hit!“

“Yummy!! A must place to visit in Ventura!!“

“I love the Crocodile Restaurant!! I found this place last year when I was asked to perform for a birthday there. I knew it would be the right atmosphere for my vocal entertainment. I'm there every THURSDAY & FRIDAY night! (5:30-7:30) I sing mostly romantic songs but change it up for the kids to enjoy the fun of live music. I love taking requests to make the evening what the guests want it to be. The extensive food menu as well as the variety on the song menu make this restaurant a really cool place.“

“Best pizza in Santa Barbara by far 🙌👍“

“Great food, drinks, and desserts.“

“A wonderful place to meet friends for a delightful bite to eat“

“Craving some pizza but hubby wanted Mexican. The public market was the best choice. The pizza was delish. I got the four seasons. The dough was very good. Not dry. Not too thick or thin. Just right. We are the whole thing even though we asked for a to go box.“